Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions and health care costs to address this issue have now reached $14 billion a year.
But ordinary citizens have discovered an unexpected solution to this national problem: walkable neighborhoods.
Click on link to read my article. http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Walkable_Neighborhoods_Fight_Obesity_-_And_Crime.html
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Let's work together to wake up Americans!
TIME TO WAKE UP THE SLEEPING GIANT! Money, police and laws can not stop crime, drugs and violence in our cities. These are "crisis of the spirit" problems.
Children are the largest group of victims and they are paying the highest price for "spiritual ignorance." Bring your energy (wisdom) and join us to help wake up Americans. Click: SAFE KIDS NOW! for more info.
Children are the largest group of victims and they are paying the highest price for "spiritual ignorance." Bring your energy (wisdom) and join us to help wake up Americans. Click: SAFE KIDS NOW! for more info.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Sowing and Growing A Personal Garden
Sowing and Growing Personal Garden's of Pea's, Squash, Lettuce, Turnip's and Thyme
Life is like a garden that we can plant at any time of the year or in any circumstance. The Bible says in Isaiah 58:11. "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will become like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Now, put on your overall's and get into your gardener mentality.
Remember, our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
After the pea's comes squash…squash gossip, squash indifference, squash grumbling and squash selfishness. Concerning gossip, remember that silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted. Indifference is checking out. Passion is checking in. Don't let indifference squash your passion. Grumbling is verbal leaking to the outside things that are on our inside. Grumbling creates a verbal pollution bigger than that spewing well of the coast of Louisiana. Squash it, put a cap on it, and it stops polluting. Finally, squash selfishness. Maturity is discovering that the world doesn't revolve around us.
Next are four rows of lettuce…let us be faithful, let us be kind, let us be patient, and let us really love one another. Making commitments generates hope but keeping commitments generates trust. Trust is like a rope that connects one person to another. Then let us plant kindness. Baz Luhrman says: "Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours." Patience is an incredible thing to plant. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
Don't forget to plant love right where you live with your neighbors, friends, family, and community. Those in need…need a friend in deed. American politician Andrew Holmes said: "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." Thomas Dreier said, "You cannot add to the peace and good will of the world if you fail to create an atmosphere of harmony and love right where you live and work."
Now, let's plant three rows of turnips. Turn up for church meetings, turn up for service, and turn up to help one another. Someone wrote a story called, My Drug Problem. "I had a drug problem when I was young. I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions no matter the weather. I was drug to the bus stop to go to school every weekday. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults and teachers. Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say and think. These drugs are stronger than cocaine, crack or heroin and if today's children had this kind of drug problem the world would be a better place." Sometimes you have to turn up whether you feel like it or not.
Finally, let's plant four rows of thyme: time for each other, time for family, time for neighbors and friends and time for prayer. Don't let bad experiences stop you from planting time. No matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt us every once and a while and we must forgive them for that for both our sake and theirs. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. The most important things in your house are the people. Don't forget prayer. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
Now, that's what I call a garden. Don't just go for it, sow for it, but we may have to grow for it.
Ed Delph
NATIONStrategy
www.NATIONStrategy.com
"People Who Empower People To Transform Communities'
Life is like a garden that we can plant at any time of the year or in any circumstance. The Bible says in Isaiah 58:11. "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will become like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Now, put on your overall's and get into your gardener mentality.
Remember, our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
After the pea's comes squash…squash gossip, squash indifference, squash grumbling and squash selfishness. Concerning gossip, remember that silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted. Indifference is checking out. Passion is checking in. Don't let indifference squash your passion. Grumbling is verbal leaking to the outside things that are on our inside. Grumbling creates a verbal pollution bigger than that spewing well of the coast of Louisiana. Squash it, put a cap on it, and it stops polluting. Finally, squash selfishness. Maturity is discovering that the world doesn't revolve around us.
Next are four rows of lettuce…let us be faithful, let us be kind, let us be patient, and let us really love one another. Making commitments generates hope but keeping commitments generates trust. Trust is like a rope that connects one person to another. Then let us plant kindness. Baz Luhrman says: "Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours." Patience is an incredible thing to plant. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
Don't forget to plant love right where you live with your neighbors, friends, family, and community. Those in need…need a friend in deed. American politician Andrew Holmes said: "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." Thomas Dreier said, "You cannot add to the peace and good will of the world if you fail to create an atmosphere of harmony and love right where you live and work."
Now, let's plant three rows of turnips. Turn up for church meetings, turn up for service, and turn up to help one another. Someone wrote a story called, My Drug Problem. "I had a drug problem when I was young. I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions no matter the weather. I was drug to the bus stop to go to school every weekday. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults and teachers. Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say and think. These drugs are stronger than cocaine, crack or heroin and if today's children had this kind of drug problem the world would be a better place." Sometimes you have to turn up whether you feel like it or not.
Finally, let's plant four rows of thyme: time for each other, time for family, time for neighbors and friends and time for prayer. Don't let bad experiences stop you from planting time. No matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt us every once and a while and we must forgive them for that for both our sake and theirs. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. The most important things in your house are the people. Don't forget prayer. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
Now, that's what I call a garden. Don't just go for it, sow for it, but we may have to grow for it.
Ed Delph
NATIONStrategy
www.NATIONStrategy.com
"People Who Empower People To Transform Communities'
Sunday, July 11, 2010
10 good reasons to know your neighbors!
EMPOWER FAMILIES to keep kids safe - 4 ways to JOIN SAFE KIDS NOW! - See website for more info!
- Strengthen and support families
- Create a strong sense of community
- Restore hope & build trust
- Reduce fear & isolation to help neighbors stop tolerating bullies, crime, drug abuse, gangs and violence
- Create a safe environment for children to play
- Restore positive values as neighbors become mentors and role models
- Stop destructive youthful behavior before young boys or girls get out-of-control
- Encourage projects (emergency preparedness, block party, safety fair, etc)
- Solve neighborhood problems (lighting, speeding cars, abandoned houses, vandalism, graffiti, etc.)
- Learn about police & citizen responsibilities
- Strengthen and support families
- Create a strong sense of community
- Restore hope & build trust
- Reduce fear & isolation to help neighbors stop tolerating bullies, crime, drug abuse, gangs and violence
- Create a safe environment for children to play
- Restore positive values as neighbors become mentors and role models
- Stop destructive youthful behavior before young boys or girls get out-of-control
- Encourage projects (emergency preparedness, block party, safety fair, etc)
- Solve neighborhood problems (lighting, speeding cars, abandoned houses, vandalism, graffiti, etc.)
- Learn about police & citizen responsibilities
Saturday, July 3, 2010
$20 million...costly failure by police!
The failure of law enforcement and parole officers to tell neighbors about a registered sex offender in their neighborhood has been costly for the Dugard Family and the California taxpayer. (“Kidnapping victim, kids to get $20 million payout” San Francisco Chronicle 7-2-10).
As a crime and violence prevention consultant, many of us advocate citizen involvement to keep neighborhoods safe. Many officers disregard the importance of connected neighbors and assume they, alone, can discover neighborhood problems.
Officers need to work with residents!
In my 40 years of working with neighbors, many officers use the excuse, “people might become vigilantes.” As a neighborhood organizer and former Contra Costa County crime prevention coordinator, I never saw anyone become a vigilante if they had accurate information and knew what to do. If the sheriff’s department had communicated with neighbors, there would have been a different outcome for Jaycee Dugard and her family… many years ago.
Stephanie L. Mann, Crime and Violence Prevention Consultant
Safe Kids Now!
www.safekidsnow.com
As a crime and violence prevention consultant, many of us advocate citizen involvement to keep neighborhoods safe. Many officers disregard the importance of connected neighbors and assume they, alone, can discover neighborhood problems.
Officers need to work with residents!
In my 40 years of working with neighbors, many officers use the excuse, “people might become vigilantes.” As a neighborhood organizer and former Contra Costa County crime prevention coordinator, I never saw anyone become a vigilante if they had accurate information and knew what to do. If the sheriff’s department had communicated with neighbors, there would have been a different outcome for Jaycee Dugard and her family… many years ago.
Stephanie L. Mann, Crime and Violence Prevention Consultant
Safe Kids Now!
www.safekidsnow.com
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