Hi Jim, EveLee, Frances and all

I thing you look fantastic Jim - love the dye job and you look great without the mustache (although I love the beard and mustache look)

I have to agree that Western society is amazingly dim when it comes to age and the wonderful opportunities it offers as well as the wealth of knowledge, experience and skill older people have to offer. I had this discussion with a journalist friend last weekend and we both agreed that there was no way we wanted to stop working at 55, 60 or 65 (the standard retirement ages in the world of Oz downunder. Frances will know what I am talking about - old age are dirty words here and even worse it begins at about 55!!!!!!!! How mad!

Isn't it great to be able to communicate like this with like-minded people?

I have to say, though, that I am RC (Retired Christian) after many years of considering my options and studying lots of different translations of the Bible. Mum was a staunch and lovely Anglican and Dad is an atheist - I ended up following Dad.

One of my brothers was Catholic and the other Pentacostal (Christian Revival Crusade) quite a mixture eh? However the Catholic brother is now atheist, and the Pentacostal is agnostic, however the problems for the Pentacostal brother's children being brought with all that Fire and Brimstone and Devil stuff has caused major problems. Of the four children now aged between 24 and 32, two boys were both admitted to Psych hospitals with depression, paranoia and anxiety, before they were 25, one of his two daughters is bulimic, and other daughter is just plain screwed up! Can't think why I have doubts about some formalised religions. Mind you the RC (Retired Catholic) brother has three very well adjusted childred - so formalised religion can't be all bad as the three children all attended Catholic junior/primary school.

Enough already

Fantastic work Jim

Hi Frances in Canberra

Good luck EveLee

Talk to you all soon

Gemma

I do miss singing in Church though - all those rousing English hymns etc - but its the only thing I do miss though.

Like you Jim, I have sung in many choirs - school (many years ago and church up until a few years ago - and think that singing is a fantastic release of internalised issues - grief, joy, anger, desperation, all those and more! I bet singing helps lift your depression.

I have to admit I wandered about from my Catholic up bringing... partially because I had a Dad who went to church and beated me up on a daily basis.

But in my late 20s and early 30s I had miraculous things happen to me that just couldn't be explained. Then one day, I found out through my priest (I had been preparing for a divorce) that a priest notified my state's diocise (I have really bad spelling) that I was witnessed by others to be "glowing". This creeped me right out. I didn't know what it meant. The priest suggested I might be a real servant of God and I thought "you have got to be kidding? After all the sins I did? Come on, he's got to have better people than me." The priest then said, "What do you think God sees in you?"
Well that question lead to alot of soul searching and mind thinking. That journey has lead me to self acceptance and open mindedness. I don't regularly go to church but when I do its full heartedly. My faith has never been stronger.

As I read these posts, I am amazed at how similar we all are. And, even in the differences, there is an underlying acceptance and peacefulness.

Lessara . . . Is there more to the story about "glowing?" Several years ago, I had a similar experience. Three times within a year or so, people told me I look white or like an angel. I think each of us is complete spirit; some can look beyond the physical body.

Gemma . . . Singing in church (even though I have a very bad singing voice) was such a joyful experience. I loved to sing and still do.

Frances . . . If we were together physically, it would probably take longer to open up, but I think we probably would. I love to talk about meaningful issues in a respectful way. I love also to discover all of who I am and I know it's in relationships that I can do that best.

Jim . . . Thanks.

At the time of the "event" I was thinking about becoming a priest, yes I know you can't be a priest if you are female but I had this great calling... I felt something holding me in a warm hug.. it was scary but calming at the same time.
I got these feelings often when I was younger. I haven't had a "hug" in a few years. But I've been so low and haven't attending church or prayed until recently.
Maybe it was my spirit, or something more. I never heard anyone have a similiar experience. Until now.

You have mail

My sister had a similar experience. She heard the calling but did not want to be a nun and she now teaches Sunday school. She loves it and she is trying to get me into it now.

That's quite interesting to hear!
I didn't want to be a nun either.
My mom tells me that at a young age I had the mass memorized and use to give mass to my stuffed animals.
I have given thought to leave my catholic religion and go to a church where females can lead masses but then I got married and had children.. basically life got in my way or as I like to think of it, God had other plans for me.

We are practically neighbors! I am fairly new to the area, I moved here from San Deigo. This weather will take a little getting used to and although I miss SD, this area does have its own special quality.

I can't believe its going to be 82 degrees today! Wow!
Its funny, I have a friend name Mark, who has a friend who was in California but just moved to Massachusetts. Hmmm.. Curious isn't it.
So how long have you been in Mass? Are you near the ocean?
I remember when I moved from Hawaii to New Hampshire, what I missed was the Ocean! You know, the smell, the feel of the ocean wind...

I live in Plymouth and I moved here in January. This is probably the best lowcarb forum I have ever visited. The people here are so friendly and supportive, how could you go wrong? Do you guys email each other too?

TRiggs . . . Yes, I agree with you; it is fun being here and the people know so much and are compassionate.

Lessara . . . I know the hug feeling, too. I was about to fly over Monterrey Bay in a very small plane (I was scared to death of flying in small planes.) when I was scooped up and held like a baby. It turned out to be one of the most fascinating experiences of my life.

Now, about the "hugs" . . . I do study A Course in Miracles. I believe the hug to be our natural state. However, we spend most of our time busying ourselves with frivolous chaos. If we could only be still, the hug is what would be left.

Everyone has potential for this completeness; few allow themselves to remember. The only thing we have to do is nothing.

Good to hear from you.

I base my success on LCing and also on my mental state to this board. When you are on your own or don't have access to others with similiar experiences, I believe you are less successful than when you do have support.
I email back and forth all the time, and if you, a single parent want to email me about anything, you are welcome to do so.
I can only email at work so replys might not be timely

Evelee, thank you for your reply. I loved your thoughts on the hug as I call it.

I have a question regarding meds.
I have a daughter who will be starting on Lithium soon and I was wondering how it will after her weight. It will be low dose and she is 15.

That is truly awsom... well stated. My natural state is a hug. It is the first thing when I meet you and it's the last thing when we part, it's warm, free, without strings and "other" considerations.

When you have be huged by me, you finish warmer and knowing... "God Almighty Lives" (I've be told that). The warmness, and the completeness brings not only peace and a feeling of security to others but, also to me. It might well be one of the major reasons for my wellbeing.

Sunday morning at church there are folks, young and old who come for their hug fix! My 87 year old "Prayer Warror", to most of the kids in the youth group. Some of them are stand offish at first... but they eventually drop by for a Hug, some of them that hug is all the tenderness and love they get all week. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of it.

Lessara; Oh how sorry I am, what was done to you by your father is/was a sin! Real and otherwise and is the kind of destructive forces working in the world. My father went to church and 6 day a week he drank himself to sleep, he was never abusive, that was my mothers job, until I was big enough to stop her. These were not bad people, just troubled and out of control with lifes situation but beating a child is one of the worst. The Bible states... "bring the children unto Me", not beat the children in My Name. I am so sorry.

Love and hugs. J

Hey Lessara, where do I find your email address? Forgive me, I am new here.

If you can't find it there, look in my journal.

Jim: Thank you for your kind words! My father asked for my forgiveness when I was 21 or so. And I gave it freely.
Life is a learning adventure, it really is.