Good morning! Have a great start of your week. Be well and be safe …

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Jonathan Gross comes to New York and has an experience of a lifetime, he shares it, including performing in Times Square for the International Day of Peace…..

On September 20, I travelled to New York to sing a song I wrote when I was 14. To be in the neon world of Times Square, with its flickering lights, and to project a stone slab from Byzantium,  was, perhaps, too much even for my hubris.

So grateful was I (vanitatus vanitatum) that I repaid Paul Sladkus’ kindness by smashing up my Hertz-rent-a-car, leased only moments before.  I’m an excitable person and the opportunity to play in Times Square for “Pause the World for Peace” was apparently too much for me.  On 42^nd and 5^th I hit a truck, rear-ending the vehicle and potentially compromising the man’s neat aluminium ladder. (damages owed to Hertz?: $3000) I was jutting my elbow into Vince’s face to show him the New York Public library. “Look! Look!” I cried. “ Boom!!” Vince didn’t say a word, accustomed to my stupidities,  but the truck driver jumped out of his car, ready to assault me. I smiled and apologized and raised my shoulders like a chimpanzee. To my left, Iranian protesters were commemorating a holiday, on this U.N. day of peace, showing grisly pictures of people who had been tortured.  Near a newsstand a woman, with a preternatural smile, was selling beads on  the street. Did I want one? No. I did not. I had already paid 5.00$ for a similar version.   My drummer and I were headed to Elmont, New York, to visit my parents’ ancestors. This was at his insistence, I must stress, because I am a coward about graveyards.  To show him around the town, I pulled up to Saddle Rock elementary school and  almost got arrested on Rosh Hashanah for taking photographs. Three police cars detained us for an hour; they thought I had drugged Vince, he was so bored with the Rockford files meets Kojack routine they were running on us). It turns out there was a school shooting (averted) in Benjamin Cardozo, where my mother taught English for more than a decade. A 16 year old had a fully loaded glock in his locker and a facebook post that was not auspicious. We had just returned from the graves of my ancestors, shortly after  my Byzantine moment in Times Square (singing an ephemeral song in front of a decidedly non-ephemeral slab of stone).  Distracted, hungry, vaguely depressed, I wondered about the divine implications of my percussionist uttering a Buddhist prayer at my grandmother’s grave. In Great neck, later that day, I found  that McMansions sprouting like mushrooms had replaced the 1970s houses I remembered, shrunken prune-like counterparts to these swollen houses, obese with pride; a cantor greeted me at the door of my former residence, the only street, perhaps, in the United States that boasts three temples. In my house there are many mansions.

Our house was a colonial affair, decolonized through lack of resources: my parents both taught English. We were a family of  secular humanists (read “atheists and non-believers”), and would hide  on Yom Kippur when the Iranian Jews kicked out of Tehran in 1978 made their way to shul to pray. Our house was up for sale, the Cantor told me. His house, he might have said, the one the temple bought for him. He was moving to Strathmore, a more lucrative village just down the road.  My sister rued the K-Mart furniture and  exercise bike. The children were confined to bunk beds, while the parents ran the roost. A true Long Island story.

Shortly before, in Times Square, as part of the Pause for Peace program, we performed “Byzantine”.  Lofty as ever in our ruminations, we were struck by the lack of bathrooms in this most civilized of cities. It was a problem then (1977, when I grew up) and it’s a problem now (2025). Several performers discreetly made their way to the Disney store a few blocks away, exchanging masonic handshakes, wandering through the dresses devoted to Ariel on the second floor,  to find their bladders miraculously transformed with the help of modern plumbing. When my percussionist had first mentioned the lack of facilities, in a true Don Quixote gesture, I winced with righteous indignation at Sancho’s impudence. How dare you expect that there would be a place to go to the bathroom? In this, the most civilized city in the world. 42^nd street.  Surely they had more important things to do than provide blue plastic port a potties!! What kind of philistine would expect a bathroom in Times Square, the land of prostitution now transformed into Disneyland. We arrived ready to play for Paul: a gorilla was dancing to the left us, promoting another store closure no doubt. Japanese hip hop dancers gyrated to no audience in particular: well dressed and youthful, stars of their own show.

We were a long way from Yeats’ “Sailing to Byzantium”.   Or were we? Life passes by, like a Fellini film, and what remains? A stone from the Byzantium period, projected in pixels on a big white screen, while a 62 year old, middle aged man (that would be me) bleats out a song he wrote when he was 14. Luckily, it only had 3 chords. The poem, on which I based the song, is hard to understand. Is Yeats  talking about visiting Istanbul? Ravenna? Apparently, Yeats visited Ravenna in 1907 and was inspired by the mosaics, to write his poem twenty years later. He didn’t visit Ravenna again (not to mention Istanbul) because he was afraid the bad air would kill him.

I knew nothing about Byzantium when I wrote the song, staring at a pine tree, a pint-sized depressive.  I still don’t. AI tells us:

Byzantium is the original Greek colony  that was founded in the 7^th century. It later became the  capital of the Eastern Roman Empire founded by Constantine; After the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453, it was eventually renamed Istanbul.  Ravenna was the Western Roman empire. Ravenna was the city Yeats visited in 1907 which inspired his poem.

I lived in NYC from 1985 to 1992; like most spoiled brats ( I. borrow the term from my mother), I did so on my parents’ largesse. When I would say something particularly stupid (e.g. I didn’t know there were two twin towers), my music partner would say: “How many years college?” Though I’ve taught in a college for 33 years, I remain as ignorant as the day I was born.  Though I could do a learned  sophistical dance in a college classroom, cobbling together the work of others, I ‘m not sure I can explain what Byzantium or Byzantine means, nor the meaning of Yeats’ poem (and my own song). I remain as ignorant of Yeats and my own song as I was the day I wrote it. Such is inspiration. “If the fool persists in his folly, he will become wise.” If that phrase has a good ring to it, that is because it is not mine but William Blake’s.

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Listen to “Make a Wish Foundation has made over 450 000 wishes come true for years – We share their great movie, WISHMAN” on Spreaker.

Wish Man is a 2019 American biographical drama film written and directed by Theo Davies and starring Andrew Steel, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Tom Sizemore, Frank Whaley, Bruce Davison, Robert Pine, Fay Masterson, Dale Dickey and Danny Trejo.^[1] El Ride productions helped bring the film to fruition with late funding which made the final edit possible.

Premise

Frank Shankwitz, an Arizona motorcycle cop with a troubled past, survives a near-fatal accident during a high-speed pursuit. As part of Frank’s rehabilitation, police chief Sgt. Eddie Newman asks him to spend time with a terminally ill little boy, Michael, whose dying wish is to be a Highway Patrol motorcycle officer. To Michael, Frank is a hero and an unlikely friendship is born. The boy inspires Frank to follow a new path, which leads to the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Movie epilogue states that over 450,000 wishes have been granted since the beginning of the charity.

Thanks Wikipedia: Go to:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wish_Man

#wishfoundation #wishman #frankshankwitz #theodavies #andrewsteel #makeawish

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Lady Liberty Brigade

The Meetinghouse

1400 Old Bartow Eagle Lake Rd. #4110

Bartow, Florida 33830

Voices from the Past Advocate for Mass Transit

Song:

Alabama–I’m in a hurry

Alabama — I’m in a Hurry

I’m in a hurry to get things done

(oh,) I rush and rush until life’s no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I’m in a hurry and I don’t know why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CICwZ01bT3w

            My grandfather was first to have a car in his community, a small town in Indiana—Francesville. It was an Essex.  Later he owned a Ford Motor Company dealership in a neighboring town—Monon.   In 2000, years after he was gone, I was walking alone over the fields of his beautiful Mill Farm where is a lake, a hill, a forest. It’s a sacred place where in days past the family reunion was held every 4^th of July.

Also, tragically, one 4^th of July, in 1935, young Paulie, my mother’s handsome, charming, gifted brother, crashed his airplane and was killed before them all, his girlfriend, Ruth, surviving.  He was only 21—my mother, 16. He had been so excited about his new plane, “Dad, you’ll see me flying in!”  He did fly in, but the next day, being a novice pilot, he shot up too quickly causing the plane to stall which meant the plane came straight down, nose first. It was a two-seater, Ruth behind him.  He had shouted to her, “Jump! Jump, for your life!”  But she had said, “No, no, Darling, I’m staying with you!”    Inconsolable, it was many years before she finally married.

In reverie, under the trees on the hill, feeling especially near to my grandparents and those who had gone before, in my spirit these words unmistakably came to me:

“Cars and trucks shall spiral down.  Railroads, mass transit, hiking and biking will spiral up and there will be quiet places amid the city for horse and buggy.”

 I then drove into Monon just in time to see what appeared to be a truck and car parade going down the main street of little Monon–like I was being shown how out of balance things were.  Immediately after this experience on The Mill Farm, there was the Firestone Tire Recall.

Back in the Bronx, where I lived at the time, I met an elderly gentleman, David Ashley, whose expertise was public transportation—he could tell you the history and present of mass transit in cities all over world—he loved trains.  He related the superior mass transit of Spain and Switzerland—also of some of our American cities which have free mass transit: Chattanooga, Savanah, and Seattle.   “Cars and trucks have become weapons of mass destruction causing 1/10 of the population to use up 9/10 of the resources,” he said.  The US ranks first in oil consumption at a rate of 20.7 million barrels a day. (Wikipedia)

The car industry did spiral down.  I wish I could have been an advisor to President Obama, “Don’t bail out the car industry. Put the money into trains, buses, and bike sharing.  Give the car employees train and bus jobs.”  I blame myself more than President Obama. I should have been more persistent and diligent in getting the message out.  Even now, there has been much recall in the car industry.  (Please see recall information below)

In New York, I didn’t need a car. On subway or bus, you can read, sleep, visit or watch people.  Once a sign in one of the subways read:  One subway car keeps 125 cars off the road.

Here in Bartow buses are infrequent during the week–no transportation on weekends or evenings.  Cars are a big expense—people dependent upon the bus are greatly limited in job opportunities.  Polk County is said to be #7 out of the top 100 areas for poverty, partly due to lack of a good transit system. (Brookings Institute) More people with jobs will mean a stronger economy and more taxes collected.  I believe good public transit will lower crime—people will be less stressed out.

On NPR, the Diane Rehm show, concerns were expressed about lenders too often giving car loans to those who are too poor to be reasonably expected to afford the payments.  They default on their loans and then have no way to get to work.

Elderly people, who don’t want to drive and really shouldn’t, feel they must if they want to get around.

Too many cars on the road and the lack of public transportation bring stress to everyone. Get Used to Gridlock on I-75, Experts Say, (Lakeland Ledger, 8/29/2014). It’s bad for the environment and the air we breathe.

In Viewpoint, Polk County Democrat, January 24, I read, “Mass Transit is alive and well in Polk County.”  Really?  I’ve been in many cities, and this is by far the worst.

For example, wanting to attend a meeting in downtown Lake Wales at 12:00, I call MY RIDE County Wide Transit Plan, 855-POLKBUS (765-5287) to enquire about getting there – a 30-minute trip by car.

   I am kept on hold for 8 minutes.  Finally, when someone answers, this is the route:  Be at the courthouse at 6:10 (This requires a 20-minute walk in the dark.).  Catch the 22XW to Winter Haven terminal.  Catch the 30 to Walmart, Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales—a place I do not want to go.   For downtown historic Lake Wales, I will need to catch the 35 and it goes infrequently.  Let’s see, did I write down all the times the 35 leaves Eagle Ridge? Anyway, I can’t leave later than 6:10 or I won’t be able to make the connections to arrive at noon.   Now what about getting back to Bartow?  I am exhausted at the getting-there directions.  I feel I just can’t ask how to get back.  To go to an hour meeting would be an all-day project.

            Here in Polk County, I advocated for Mass Transit.  Sometimes I wore my Lady Liberty crown.  (www.ladylibertyqualityoflifebrigade.com) I was stunned by much of the reception I received  revealing a lack of vision and kindness:

            “I have a car.  I don’t need public transportation.”

            “I don’t want any more taxes.  Who’s going to pay for those buses?”

Do they realize how much the cars are subsidized? The roads?  In The Atlantic Monthly, January/ February 2015 Buses are for Other People, “Driving charges might be more compelling if we considered the full economic impact of auto dependence.  The secondary costs—from lost productivity to road accidents, to pollution. . .estimates are staggering. One scholar has put the total social cost of motor-vehicle use at as much as $3.3 trillion a year.”

When I wait with my bike on the corner of Wilson and Van Fleet and observe the noise and rush of all the trucks and cars whizzing by, I want to ask, “Where is everyone going in such a hurry?”  And if someone doesn’t move on the very second the light turns green, a horn will likely honk.

Contemplate all that is sacrificed for these cars—our pristine forests, wildlife and more and more of the earth is covered with concrete.

Song:

Alabama–I’m in a hurry

I’m in a hurry to get things done

(Oh,) I rush and rush until life’s no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I’m in a hurry and I don’t know why

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CICwZ01bT3w

Rebel.  Get off the merry-go-round and out of the “the rat race.”  Take a walk-in nature. Amble down a lane led on by surprises. Ride a bike and discover a new path–so many beautiful places here in Florida.  Sit on a bench with a cup of coffee or tea, peanut butter balls* and your journal writing down thoughts that come on the wing. Hear the angels among the whisper of the trees.  Maybe your mother on The Other Side is trying to get through to you.  “Wherefore we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.”  (Hebrews 12:1) Listen to a bird call.  Ride a bus with a book.  Notice who’s sitting next to you.

 I pray eyes be opened and perceptions enlarged to the importance of good public transit for all of us. As has been said, “What affects one segment of the population affects us all.” When we come to solutions, they are best for everyone concerned.  Mass transit benefits everyone. We may differ as to how the buses are paid for, but it should be a given—we must have mass transit.

A friend, Doug, who has had a near death experience, told me some years ago, “If you go too fast, you’ll age.” The faster you go, the less time you have.  So, consider, go slower—don’t always rush about in cars.  I challenge you—fast your car for a week.  Ride the bus, bike, catch a ride with someone else, borrow a car, or what about possibly walking? You’ll meet people, have adventures, and may be surprised by some divine appointments.

*peanut butter balls—these can satisfy your sweet tooth without being so bad for you.

Mix these 5 ingredients together: Peanut butter ( or almond butter—it’s better for you), dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, or cherries), nuts (I prefer walnuts); maple syrup (the good kind) or honey and dry milk (I prefer Alba—it’s from cows not treated with rBST) Roll in balls and put in refrigerator.

Notes:

Look at these recalls:

5 OF THE BIGGEST CAR RECALLS EVER:

 http://www.investopedia.com/slide-show/car-recalls/ –below copied from website.

• The Chrysler Group’s recall of 13,000 Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s due to anti-lock brake problems. Through the years they have let devastating design flaws slip through the cracks in the production line resulting in more than a million models recalled.
• Toyota’s Out-of-Control Gas Pedals, 2009 and 2010—Size of recall 9 million vehicles.
• Ford’s Failure to Park Recall.  21 million vehicles affected.  All vehicles between 1976-1980.In the largest auto recall to date, Ford was forced to repair 20 million vehicles after a safety defect in their transmission system caused more than 6,000 accidents. 1,700 injuries and 98 deaths.  Cost to Ford $1.7 billion
• The Tahata Seatbelt Scandal, 1995

8.3 million vehicles—Numerous models affected—Honda, Nissan, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, GM, Mazon, Suzuki, Subar, and Isuzu.  Between 1986-1995. The belts were prone to crash and jam, trapping the driver and passenger in their seats.  Replacement 8 million—estimated cost $1 billion

(5) Fire Strikes Ford Vehicles

Size of recall: 14 million vehicles—1996.

Models affected:  Numerous Ford models, including The Explorer, Bronco, F-Series, Trucks and Lincoln Town Cars

 What Happened? Just months after a faulty ignition scandal rocked the company, the Michigan automaker was forced to recall a massive 14 million vehicles after it was revealed that a small electronic switch used to deactivate the cruise control function when the brake was applied could overheat and start a fire. At the cost of $20 a switch, the fix is estimated to have cost the company around $280 million.

(6) Ford Ignition Problem, 1996

Size of Recall: 8.7 million vehicles
Models Affected: 1988-1993 models of Ford Aerostar, Bronco, Crown Victoria, Mustang, Escort, Tempo, and F-Series Trucks; Mercury Cougar, Grand Marquis and Topaz and Lincoln Town Car.
What Happened? During the late ’80s, the auto giant installed ignition switches in its vehicles that were prone to short circuit, leading to overheating, smoking and occasionally full-blown fires within the steering column. Sometimes the switches even ignited when the car was parked and turned off. Luckily, Ford managed to recall the flaming igniters before any injuries were reported. The incendiary mistake cost the company around $200 million.

Conclusion:

Though these might be some of the most expensive recalls to ever strike America’s auto industry, they certainly aren’t the last. Every day, government regulators and victimized consumers continue to uncover widespread oversights in automakers’ manufacturing process, forcing the industry to undergo ever-more recalls and “Safety Management Campaigns.” So, drive safely out there, because you never know which vehicle will be the next to be dubbed America’s most dangerous.

I did hear from my grandfather on the Mill Farm.

I add this funny story—some background:

My grandparents came over from Austria/Hungary in 1904.  Things were well for them in Europe, but they belonged to a church that didn’t believe in war.  My great grandparents didn’t want to give their sons for Europe’s wars. They felt led of God to come to America. Since they obeyed early, they did not come as refugees but brought their fine furniture, chandeliers, etc. on the boat.

 Later during World War, I and World War II family and friends lost their sons and their land.  My grandparents were often sponsoring people coming from the Old Country, which today is no longer Austria/Hungary, but Serbia.  Their town, Cvenenka, is 100 miles from Belgrade.

 The church also had quaint customs, some like the Mennonites and Amish.

My grandfather, one of the ministers, was progressive for his church and time.  For example, he had a radio, which he covered with a cloth so as “to not offend the brethren.”

One day an elder of the church was coming to visit by train.  This elder had a conviction against cars.  Since he was not met with horse and buggy as he expected, but my grandfather with his car, he was in a quandary.  What was he supposed to do?  He certainly had to be true to his conviction he felt God had given him. He elected to ride with one foot outside the car.

Passed down through the generations, my mother told this funny story with a laugh.  But now I’m thinking, “Maybe that elder had something and we shouldn’t laugh so much at him. Sometimes people have to be extreme on the other side to pull society over to the middle and more balance.”

As I am looking up this recall information, I am understanding more clearly the message I received on the Mill Farm.  Since my grandfather was so responsible for getting cars on the road, could it be that he now wants to be helpful to see what can be done to get things more in balance?

My grandparents were wonderful people—hardworking, generous, and thrifty—as opposed to some who are lazy, selfish, and wasteful.

He also had an International Harvester dealership in Francesville.  If people didn’t pay their bills, he did nothing about it—especially during the depression.  He was always there to help people.  Likewise, my grandmother’s hands—gardening, freezing, canning, and then giving out the Mason Jars—I remember, especially plums.  If there were any disagreements or bad feeling between any of us, she would touch our arm and say, “You go now and make peace.”

Peace?  Do cars vs mass transit have anything to do with making peace?

I did hear from my grandparents on Mill Farm.

Rebecca’s Memorial

I am grateful to be here in quiet, beautiful Topanga.  The place Rebecca loved.  I’m grateful to be with you, the family and friends who love her.  I’m grateful she passed in her home among the mountains.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121

Some of you know the significance of the butterfly and how it has become a connection with Rebecca.

   Not many days before her passing Matt, Rebecca and I were in the main room.  I looked out the window and saw a white butterfly among the rosemary, “Oh, there’s a white butterfly in the rosemary!  Rebecca burst into tears.  She said she had asked God if she was going to be well to let her hear the word, “butterfly.”

Of course, we were thinking of her being healed in her mortal body.  But she’s healed!  She has the ultimate healing.  Several times she dreamed she was running.  She runs, she flies and as Matt said, “She’s dancing, drawing and designing.”

 December 3, I  walked with heavy feet to the mailbox.  All my thoughts.  Noah and Nate so young without their mother.   I was thinking to get a word and this word came, “Carousel.” I repeated it so I would be listening for that word. A word that would lead me to something I needed to know.

 When I got back to the house, Nate said, “Mimi, do you want to see the park I made on my phone?”

“Sure.’

He began giving me a guided tour “And here’s my carousel.”  Wow, the word!   It was delightful that there was a Presence to give a word I would hear.  But what did it mean?

A few days later Matt told of a dream he had of Rebecca.  I took this opportunity to ask him, “Does carousel mean anything to you?”

“No.”

Later that day I was out with Atrick, their dog.  She was running up and down the hills and I was throwing a ball to her.  I was praying about my family and our country. Suddenly, in my spirit, “What goes round and round?”  A carousel! And then I knew.

“Atrick, come!”  I ran in the house to click on a song!  A song with the words, “Are you tired of spinning round and round?”

Before when I had played this song, there was Evie, the soloist,  with her audience,  but now there were all these photos of butterflies. The title, “Give it all, Give it all, Give it all to Jesus.’’

Give Them All to Jesus – Evie Tornquist – YouTube

I cried.  I was comforted.

Later, when I told Jacinda this story, she said when she had been there previously, she had made a video of Rebecca and Nate going round and round in a carousel. I knew nothing of this.  But God did.  Rebecca did.  I have a picture to give you of Nate and Rebecca.  Also, one of my favorite pictures of Rebecca with Noah.

There are more butterfly stories which are on the Memorial Page.   I’ll tell one more. When I returned to Topanga in June, Jeff, Matt’s Dad brought me to the bottom of the steep hill going up to their house.  Matt came down  As we both got in his car, a white butterfly flew in the window, across the car and back out!  Rebecca was happy we were together.

Rebecca was remarkably cheerful and patient all those months.  Of course, sometimes she cried.  She continued to help Nate and Noah with their schoolwork.   And go over Matt’s book. She was not a complainer.  She would say, “When you get a chance, could you. . .?’ I felt I had to say to her, “Rebecca, don’t hesitate to ask me to do something.”

Several times Rebecca quoted, ‘‘In everything give thanks.”  What? There she was in her wheelchair saying, “In everything give thanks.”  In recent days I’ve thought about this a lot. “In everything, give thanks.” I’m familiar with that verse.  Yes, to give thanks for good things, but everything?  The seemingly bad things? I’ve known in my head that that was right. But have I really been putting this into practice?  No, I haven’t.   I made a list of things I wished were different and pronounced over them, “In everything give thanks.”   Today, especially we need this.  We need to guard our minds against negativity. When a person goes to war, they go through boot camp.  If one is going to be in the Olympics, there is training—not all of it easy.  “In everything give thanks” is in the armory of the Spirit.  Everything in the physical is a shadow of the reality in the Spirit.  Many have said this, including Plato. ‘While we look not at the things that are seen but the things that are not seen.  The things that are seen are temporal; the things that are not seen are eternal.”  (II Corinthians 4:18)  In everything give thanks enables us to see things from another perspective, to see behind the scenes where we can be better guided to know what to do. In guarding against negativity, we should not affirm that which we do not want to continue.   It enables us to see The Invisible, to enlist the Invisible Host. Things may not be as they seem.

“In everything give thanks” is not easy.  It takes practice.  We can understand something, yet not be proficient in it.  A tennis instructor illustrates what to do—you understand, but you don’t immediately become an expert tennis player.

I called Mark Wallace, one of Rebecca’s professors at Swarthmore.  We talked for an hour and 16 minutes, and we felt Rebecca heard everything.  I was hoping he might have some of Rebecca’s writings. He said “unfortunately they had been renovating his office and he had been throwing everything out.”  However, later he emailed, “Absolutely a miracle ; you suggested I look in my office  one last time; I was convinced nothing was there but, lo and  behold, there it was:”

   Surely the angels preserved that particular paper!

He wrote:

I enjoyed Rebecca’s Statement of Purpose to Berkeley you posted at the memorial site. I hear the clarity of her distinctive voice in this statement. I can’t believe it is 20 plus years old; it sounds like she wrote it yesterday. I don’t understand why she passed, what sense it makes for such a vibrant and visionary young woman to be taken from you and her family and other loved ones and friends. But then I recall the hymn, It is Well With My Soul, whose author penned this haunting song during a terrible time in his own life, and I think perhaps some comfort, if not comprehension, can be found in times of terrible loss

Yes, we identify with what her professor has expressed.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee.

When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock

that is higher than I.

Psalm 61:2

For where your treasure is, will be your heart also.

I

            Sometimes sorrow and joy hold hands.

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.

II Corinthians 8:10

 This I believe— All of Rebecca’s hard work, and everybody knows she was a hard worker, her standard of excellence is not for naught. She carries it with her.  On The Other Side we begin where we left off.   Nothing is wasted.  This I believe with all my heart. I am comforted.

People say, ‘It’s not fair.”  Not fair.

   Our time on earth.  All around us are unfair things.   The earth is full of seemingly unfair things. We are here to experience life. To make mistakes, to learn, to grow.  We need to guard our minds against negativity.  How can we be conquerors with no conquest? How can we be overcomers with nothing to overcome?  If there is no sadness, how can we know joy? Our life is a vapor. Rebecca’s life was short but even if you live to be as old as I am—82—life is a vapor.  When you are my age, you are no stranger to sorrow.  My husband passed when we were both 29.

Yes, all of us have experienced seemingly unfair things—how do we respond?

Also, probably most of us have done unfair things to others.  I know I have.  And to people I love. I want to be forgiven.

This is something else that Rebecca was diligent about.  She forgave.  She cared about resolving issues in relationships.  I remember one letter especially she wrote.  How important to forgive and be forgiven—to ask for forgiveness.   It’s foundational for earth school. We all have these challenges.  It’s foundational for world peace. And we know Someone—the Prince of Peace who said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.’

`Forgiveness, along with love.  When Rebecca was 5 years old, she recited the love chapter, I Corinthians 13 for my cousin, Stefanie’s wedding.    It’s a good chapter for us all to memorize.  Just a few phrases.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. . .

Love suffereth long, and is kind. . .

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things

Love never faileth.

For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part. . .

Rebecca and I told each other our stories.  Some of the things we knew about each other’s lives were sketchy.  We filled in the details.  Near death experience testimonies speak of a life review.  In a sense, we had a preview life review.

Many near-death experience books have come into my hands without my initiative. One  told of a mother in the spirit world walking along her physical son trying to tell him something.   He couldn’t hear anything she was saying. It was a different vibration.

Everything vibrates. Gratitude is the easiest way to raise our vibration.  We’re thrown a curve ball, things are not turning out like we want.  Throw the devil a curve ball,  In everything, give thanks.  Helen Keller said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full of the overcoming of it.”  John Lewis was asked about how did current protests compare to the ones he was in.  He said, “Well,  there is one thing that is different..  Singing.  They sang.”We must sing.  We must sing in the dark. And not be part time soldiers. Singing only in the sunshine.  Just condemning something doesn’t fix it.  In fact, it can make it stronger as we focus on what we don’t want instead of what we do want.  Covid.  In everything give thanks.  We need to change the energy, the vibration.

Rebecca had perseverance and character.  If Rebecca in her wheelchair could say, “In everything give thanks, then what about us?  Rebecca was reflective. In a writing she challenged landscape architects “to identify for urban dwellers the places to get lost. . .those places that allow for contemplation.”

Rebecca loved nature and beauty. She loved planting things.  She spoke of neighborhood gardens and green space and how our actions affect the land and vice versa.

December 27:

 I took my journal and sat on a tree stump surrounded by sage and the majestic Topanga mountains.   I felt so close to Rebecca. I texted my friend, Ed, the son of my friend, Elaine, who has passed on.

People on The Other Side can be close to us because we sit in heavenly places.

      Ed’s son, David, had been killed in Afghanistan… He texted back:

This is a great revelation you get about heavenly places. I talk to David daily and Elaine. . .and I believe they hear me, both being in that great cloud of witnesses.

A warm feeling comes over me.

  And hath raised us up together and made us sit together

in heavenly places . . .

Ephesians 2:6

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. . .

Hebrews 12

But I do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

I Thessalonians 4:13

From her Statement of Purpose:

“Modern society and urban living have cast us out of our natural habitat, but we must find our way back to the Garden.”

   We must find a way back to the “Garden.” Garden. .capitalized. I once had a stone to put on the ground with this inscription; “I heard Your Voice in the Garden.”  There’s an old song, ‘I come to the Garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. And The Voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.  And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. . .”

Rebecca’s in the Secret Garden.  Noah and Nate, your mother is in the Secret Garden.  You will find her there in The Secret Place of the Most High.

Secret Garden – Song From A Secret Garden – YouTube

Rebecca, we carry you with us until we see your face again.

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

And at the last, He will take His stand on the earth.

Even after my skin is destroyed,

Yet from my flesh I will see God,

Whom I, on my part, shall behold for myself,

And whom my eyes will see, and not another.”

You Raise Me Up

You Raise Me Up So That I Might Stand on Mountains, Andre Rieu

André Rieu – You Raise me Up – YouTube

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until You come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

Songwriters: Graham Brendan Joseph, Loveland Rolf

The post Rebecca / voices from the past advocate for mass transit appeared first on Good News!.

Jason Lam:
Constructing the Overseas Chinese Museum
connecting the footprints of history

https://blacktiemagazine.com/society_2023_february/Preidents_Day_Celebrating_Chinese_Americans.htm

The post Every year on Presidents day, Americans, review history and build on the past. appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “Mark Segelnick shares Jewish News Years Thanks Shalom” on Spreaker.

It is not what we have in life that matters but who we have in life that matters. As I reflect upon the continued opportunities and growth of this past year, which would have been impossible were it not for the assistance, kind words and camaraderie of my clients, colleagues and friends, I again would like to personally thank you and wish you and your loved ones a Happy, Healthy, and sweet New Year. A year of growth, health, prosperity and peace. May you and your loved ones be sealed in a book filled with Honey and all that is sweet. שנה טובה ומתוקה

The post Mark Segelnick shares Jewish News Years Thanks Shalom appeared first on Good News!.

The post A Blast from the Past!!!! appeared first on Good News!.

Welcome to this week’s MNT newsletter, bringing you the headlines and updated stories of the past week from our team of expert writers.

Stay informed with the latest developments in the current COVID-19 outbreak and our dedicated COVID-19 daily newsletter.

Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine

What are the side effects of ginger tea?
Ginger tea may cause some mild side effects in some people. In this article, learn more about the risks and possible benefits of drinking ginger tea.

Dermatology

Benefits of rice water for the skin
Many people use rice water to improve skin appearance or ease skin conditions. Read on to learn about potential rice water benefits, preparation, and usage.

How to clean nose piercings: Everything you need to know
A new nose piercing requires regular and thorough cleaning to help it heal and to prevent infection and other potential complications, such as scarring.

What can cause bumps to appear on the scalp?
Bumps can appear on the scalp for a range of reasons. Learn more about the causes, their treatments, and when to contact a doctor here.

Why is my skin itchy?
Itchy skin can result from various conditions, including allergies and eczema. Here, learn about some causes and treatment options, including home remedies.

Hives on black skin: Diagnosis and when to see a doctor
Hives are raised bumps or welts that may affect large areas of skin. They sometimes cause redness, though this may not appear on black skin. Learn more here.

How to treat acne on black skin
For people of color, there are many safe acne treatments, remedies, and care techniques. Here, learn about these and the risk of complications in black skin.

How to improve the appearance of stretch marks on the back
Stretch marks can appear on any part of the skin, including on the back. Learn what stretch marks are and what treatments may help improve their appearance.

DIY foot soaks for dry skin, pain, relaxation, and more
Foot soaks may help people soothe sore muscles, moisturize dry skin, and aid in relaxation. Here are six recipes for DIY foot soaks.

Ear, Nose, and Throat

What can cause a person to wake up with a stuffy nose?
Waking up with a stuffy nose can occur for many reasons. Learn more about the causes and accompanying symptoms in this article. It will also cover treatments.

Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses

Tips to prevent coronavirus transmission
There are many steps a person can take to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, including frequent hand-washing and social distancing. Learn more here.

What to know about Valtrex for cold sores
Valtrex is an antiviral drug that doctors prescribe to shorten the duration of genital or oral herpes (cold sores) and shingles flare-ups.

What to know about Lyme disease
Lyme disease is an illness that infected black-legged ticks can transmit to humans. Find out about the symptoms, treatment, and how to reduce the risk.

All about mononucleosis (mono)
Mononucleosis, otherwise known as mono, glandular fever, or the “kissing disease,” is a common illness, especially among teens and college students. In this article, find out the risk factors for contracting it, the disease’s timeline, its symptoms, treatments, complications, and what you can do to try and avoid it.

What is a Candida overgrowth?
Candida is a type of yeast that normally exists on and in the body, but certain factors can cause it to multiply out of control. Learn more here.

When does hand sanitizer expire?
Hand sanitizer does expire, and while it may still be safe to use, it may not work as well. Here, learn about the timing, how to use it effectively, and more.

Neurology / Neuroscience

Loneliness and hunger share a home in the brain
Researchers find that when people need company, the same part of their brain lights up as when they need food — more evidence that socializing is a basic human need.

What you need to know about spina bifida
Spina bifida is a congenital malformation which can lead to problems with mobility and incontinence. Treatment and therapy can improve the outlook.

Nutrition / Diet

Are sardines good for you?
Sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and some vitamins and minerals. They may also have anti-inflammatory properties, which can provide health benefits.

Amazon meal kits review
Amazon’s meal kit delivery service helps people cook from scratch if they cannot find the time. Ingredients are premeasured and no subscription is necessary. Learn more about Amazon’s meal kit service here.

What is the best app for grocery delivery?
There are several apps for grocery delivery. Read about the best ones here.

What is Blue Apron’s Weight Watchers plan?
Blue Apron’s Weight Watchers (WW) plan is a collaboration between Blue Apron and WW. Learn more about Blue Apron’s WW meal kits here.

Eating dried fruit linked to better overall diet and health
New research suggests that people could try boosting their intake of vital nutrients by eating more dried fruit without added sugar.

6 of the top smoothie delivery options
What are the best smoothie delivery options? This article lists six smoothie delivery services that may help a busy person maintain a healthful diet.

What to know about Diet-to-Go
Diet-to-Go is a meal delivery service that aims to help people lose weight. Here is an overview of how it works and some example menus.

Vegan diets may be linked to a higher risk of bone fractures
A new study has found that vegan diets — and, to some extent, vegetarian and pescatarian diets — may be linked to an increased risk of bone fractures.

6 of the best gluten-free meal delivery services
Gluten-free meal delivery can make meal preparation for people with celiac disease easier. We list the best meal delivery services for gluten-free diets here.

Noom reviews
Noom is a diet app that teaches people the psychology of eating to help them make more healthful food choices. Here, we review Noom and explain how it works

Cheapest meal delivery: Options and considerations
Cooking meals requires time and effort. Using a meal delivery service can help minimize the time a person spends in the kitchen. Learn more here.

What is the best meal kit delivery service?
We review some of the best meal kits that offer people with underlying health conditions and different dietary preferences healthful food choices.

Pain / Anesthetics

What to know about Tietze syndrome
Tietze syndrome is an inflammatory condition affecting the cartilage connecting the upper ribs to the breastbone. Learn about the symptoms and more here.

15 possible causes of abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can result from problems in the stomach, gallbladder, or large intestine. Causes include gas and menstrual cramps. Here, find out more.

Pregnancy / Obstetrics

Is it possible to get pregnant right after a period?
This article discusses how it is possible to get pregnant right after a period, factors that increase the chances, and how to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

How early can people find out the sex of a baby?
Finding out the sex of a fetus can be an exciting moment in pregnancy. Early blood tests now make this possible toward the end of the first trimester.

What do contractions feel like throughout the pregnancy?
Contractions happen throughout pregnancy. Here, learn what preterm, Braxton-Hicks, early, transitional, pushing, and active labor contractions feel like.

7 types of pregnancy rash and what they look like
Pregnancy rashes can occur due to conditions such as eczema, hives, or heat rash. In rare cases, they can signal a more serious condition.

Public Health

What to know about Instacart shopping app
For those short on time or have difficulty buying groceries in-person, Instacart allows people to purchase products through an app, which are then delivered. Learn more here.

The Recovery Room: News beyond the pandemic — November 27
Medical News Today’s Recovery Room is the place to find 10 recent stories that you may have missed amid all the COVID-19 fervor.

How to remove moths from the home
Moth larvae can eat through clothes and other fabrics, and the insects can trigger allergic reactions, which may be serious. Learn how to get rid of them here.

Respiratory

Is it possible to have pneumonia without a cough?
People with pneumonia typically develop a cough. However, it is possible to have pneumonia without a cough. Learn more here.

What to know about salmeterol
What is salmeterol? In this article, learn more about salmeterol, including what it is, which conditions it treats, safety concerns, and drug interactions.

Sexual Health / STDs

Can sexually transmitted infections cause rectal itching?
An itchy anus may indicate that a person has a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Learn more about possible causes of an itchy anus and treatment options.rn

What to know about genital herpes in men
Genital herpes is a common condition that can cause red bumps around the genital area. There are no cures for genital herpes, but a number of treatment options. Learn more.

Sports Medicine / Fitness

Comparing biking and running for fitness and weight loss
Biking and running are exercises that can benefit a person’s health and fitness. Here, we compare the calories they burn, and their benefits, risks, and cost

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Quinnipiac Today
October 27, 2020

You have the power: Election and voting resources
Throughout the semester, members of the university community have held voting registration drives and debate discussions to prepare for the election. All eligible members of the Quinnipiac family are encouraged to let their voice be heard this election. Find more resources here.

Top Stories

Men’s ice hockey team ranked No. 13 in USCHO.com preseason poll
The Bobcats return to the USCHO.com poll in 2020 after spending eight weeks nationally ranked a season ago. Quinnipiac received 280 points in the poll, and is one of three ECAC Hockey schools to be nationally ranked.

Honoree helps veterans build foundation for successful civilian careers
Jason Burke, director of veteran and military affairs, has helped secure millions of dollars in support for Quinnipiac’s veterans for causes that include rehabilitation for physical and mental disabilities following service and has worked to expedite veterans’ educations by securing payment for non-traditional winter and summer semesters. For his efforts, he is being awarded Quinnipiac’s most prestigious staff award, Center for Excellence in Service to Students.

Doctoral student aims to keep community healthy and safe
Nicole Mawhirter ’19, DPT ’22, is one of the peer health ambassadors working this semester to engage and motivate her fellow students to follow CDC and university COVID-19 guidelines. Promoting a healthy, safe environment between the Mount Carmel, North Haven, and York Hill campuses during COVID-19 is crucial in keeping the university community safe.

Reflecting on our fall return
President Judy Olian and students discussed what it was like to come back to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic in this week’s episode of “The Cut.”

MORE STORIES »

Motivational Mondays
Take a look back at this week’s message as Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tricia Fabbri encourages our community to keep their head in the game.

Upcoming Event Highlights

Black lives and the legacy of George Floyd
Tuesday, October 27, 7 p.m.
An intimate conversation with the family of George Floyd exploring the shock waves of his death and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Mega Trivia Tuesday
Tuesday, October 27, 9:30 p.m.
The Student Programming Board will host Halloween-themed trivia in CCE-101.

Dining Advisory Board
Thursday, October 29, 5 p.m.
Students are invited to attend a discussion in the Student Organization Suite in the Carl Hansen Student Center near Starbucks. The board will discuss issues with dining, answer questions and address concerns. The student-run board meets every other Thursday throughout the semester.

COVID-19 around the world
Friday, October 30, noon
Join the International Human Rights Law Society, Latinx Law Student Association and Health Law Society for a panel discussion on the impact of the coronavirus in Barbados, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Nicaragua and Spain.

Halloween Bingo
Friday, October 30, 9 p.m.
Each round, a student will win a costume. Themes will include Halloween, Marvel, DC, Disney, Harry Potter, Star Wars, video games and movies. Hosted in the South Lot Tent.

Supernatural Saturday
Saturday, October 31, 12:30 p.m.
Students who register will be able to paint their own pumpkin coin bank, listen to music, and get food from food trucks. Hosted in the South Lot Tent.

Halloween game night
Saturday, October 31, 9 p.m.
Play to win “spooktacular” prizes. Teams of five will participate in 10 rounds of “Family Feud” to win great prizes. Students can play virtually at home, in their dorms or in Burt Kahn Court.

ALL EVENTS »

Around #BobcatNation

Bobcats capture inaugural Connecticut Collegiate 5K Cup
Quinnipiac students, alumni, faculty and staff outpaced the competition in the inaugural Connecticut Collegiate Virtual 5K this past weekend, winning this year’s cup! A total of 198 members of #BobcatNation walked, jogged and ran their way past nearly two dozen other schools to bring home victory.

If you build it, they will come
School of Engineering students custom designed and built their own concrete cornhole sets, and then held a friendly competition on our Mount Carmel Campus.

Quinnipiac in the News
Bianca Gonzalez-Sobrino talks with News 8 about her research on Puerto Ricans, Latinos and the 2020 Election
Gonzalez-Sobrino, assistant professor of sociology, said her research concluded that political campaigns must understand the nuances of different communities to be effective in courting Latino voters.

Father Jordan Lenaghan speaks with NBC Connecticut about the pope endorsing same-sex civil unions
Lenaghan, executive director of university religious life, said the pope’s belief “in many ways is a major change in how we think about pastorally engaging LGBTQ+ folks.”

Olivia Schueller ’21 files story for Fox 61 about how campus journalists are covering national politics
Schueller, a journalism major, highlighted how Quinnipiac students are covering the first presidential election that many of them are eligible to vote in.

Visit qu.edu/today to learn more about everything Quinnipiac.
Email today@qu.edu with your story ideas and leads.

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The post President Olian & students reflect on return to campus, we prepare for the election, Quinnipiac runs past the competition appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “Bernie Siegel MD,NY Times Bestselling Author's Novel on Past Lives and the Enduring Power of Love!” on Spreaker.

Bernie Siegel MD’s 19th book underscores there are no coincidences and as Jung said, “The future is unconsciously created long in advance.” 

Dr. Bernie Siegel broke new ground with his monumental book Love, Medicine and Miracles. Today Bernie continues to impart wisdom about the true nature of life and love through his 19th book, an entertaining and enlightening debut fiction novel Three Men, Six Lives.

A grand adventure born of Bernie’s experience of his current and past lives and his deep knowledge of the power of enduring love awaits you!

Dr. Brian Weiss, NY Times bestselling author of the preeminent book on reincarnation Many Lives, Many Masters says this about Bernie and Three Men, Six Lives:

“I have known Dr. Bernie Siegel since the 1960’s, when I was a medical student at Yale, and he was a mentor of mine on the surgical faculty. He was then and has constantly remained a boundless source of kindness, empathy, and wisdom. Three Men, Six Lives is his latest contribution to the evolution of medicine and psychiatry and to the transformative power of love as the ultimate healer.

Timeless wisdom flows from the mouths of Bernie’s characters in this important and entertaining book. Concepts of spiritual psychotherapy, past lives, and the fearless courage born of unconditional love and awakened consciousness are carefully explored. I highly recommend Three Men, Six Lives to you.”

Bernie says “I wrote this book to help us all understand that we are more than our bodies and that life is truly a mystical event. Once we leave our bodies, time no longer exists for our consciousness. Thus consciousness can retain the experience of a past lifetime but have no effect upon any lives until it becomes a part of a living person’s consciousness. Then it can play a role in their life and the lives of the people they interact with.

I have lived this truth and so have many others and when we accept the truth and let it educate us it becomes an asset and therapeutic for us all versus confusing and self destructive.”

As a physician caring for people with life threatening illnesses Bernie has learned the power of the mind, faith, and enduring love. This book and the six engaging characters are a culmination of (they are!) Bernie and his life and past life experiences and a beautiful and engaging guide of the eternal nature of the soul.

The post Bernie Siegel MD, NY Times Bestselling Author’s Novel on Past Lives and the Enduring Power of Love! appeared first on Good News!.