Indiana has begun a new prison program designed to help new mothers improve their parenting skills and bond with their babies. The state is one of only six to have a prison nursery program.
Indiana Prison Program Aids New Mothers (Video)
Mothers are Miracles
I am a firm believer in declaring miracles. Why not? It’s so easy to do, and such a wonderful way to create an amazing day. I keep a miracle journal on my desk – it’s the best way I’ve found to keep track of all the amazing things swirling around my life – while reminding me how good things are on the days when it just doesn’t seem that way… Today, the day before Mother’s Day, I declare “Mother’s are Miracles”.
The definition of the word miracle:
Main Entry: mir·a·cle
Pronunciation: _mir-i-k_l
Function: noun
1: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
2: an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
Mother’s amaze me. How they juggle kids, running a household, and in many cases, a career, is astonishing to me. When I was teenager, I waited tables throughout high school. What a great education. Managing multiple tables, handling orders, dealing with a cranky cook, coaching bus boys into the results in wanted, and serving hungry guests taught me about the art of orchestration, improvising and doing whatever it takes to make it all flow. I imagine motherhood is a little bit like waiting tables – but without the tips!
Frankly I am in awe of women who choose to be mom’s. Not only because I am not cut out to be one, but because I marvel at the amount of grace, strength, courage, and down right gumption it takes day in and day out.
One might say that the art of mothering is “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs”. Indeed, being a mom is a miracle.
Today I declare “Mother’s are Miracles”. And say thank you to YOU for choosing to be a miraculous mom. We are all better for the love, joy and nurturing you offer the world each day.
Happy Mother’s Day all you miracle moms out there!
Kristen Marie Schuerlein is a fourth generation entrepreneur who is committed to living intentionally by harnessing the power of affirmations. After 11 years at the helm of a successful graphic design and marketing company she founded Affirmagy, a company that creates fleece blankets silk screened with positive affirmations. Kristen’s positive life force inspires others to design – and live – a life they love.
Sarah (pictured at the top) won a free membership to the GNN-i for Mother’s Day
12 Year Old Artist Prodigy Paints Pictures of God (Video)
CNN reported on a child artist prodigy who, despite being raised in an athesitic home, describes her vivid visions from the age of four as coming from God. Thanks to Marylyn K. for submitting the story! (I found the CNN video on YouTube, after the original version on CNN.com was unavailable.)
Join the Good News Network at noon on Sunday, May 11 (Mother’s Day) for the unveiling of fantastic prizes and giveaways to mark the launch of the Good News Network membership site. Fleece Affirmagy blankets, two free coaching sessions with a business/personal coach and free happiness downloads are a few of the good things that will fly out the door beginning at noon! See more details at Geri’s blog.
AT&T Helps Military Families and Soldiers Connect for Mother’s Day
AT&T will donate more than 30,000 prepaid phone cards in 2008 to military personnel stationed overseas with the help of the USO. The donation, with a retail value of more than $200,000, will begin with the first 10,000 prepaid cards given out at overseas military bases throughout Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Italy and Germany during the weeks surrounding Mother’s Day.
According to AT&T, this donation is in honor of U.S. military moms, whether they are on active duty or whether they have a son, daughter, husband or loved one who is actively serving.
In the coming weeks, the USO will help AT&T distribute the first 10,000 phone cards to troops, including personally handing cards to wounded military members at Landsthul Regional Medical Center. Each donated phone card will provide military members with 20 minutes of free talk time from Iraq to the U.S.
The company also recently provided a $315,000 sponsorship to support USO events and entertainment tours in 2008.
“At AT&T, we care about helping to keep military families connected,” said Glenn Lurie, president, national distribution, AT&T. “We’re glad to do what we can to help moms connect with their loved ones — whether mom is receiving the call here at home — or making the call here as an active military member overseas or across the country. We hope these donated cards will help to make the weeks surrounding Mother’s Day a little more special for the families separated by active duty.”
Foreign Donors Open Their Wallets Despite Myanmar Problems
As of Thursday, donations to Myanmar relief totaled $25 million from 28 nations, the European Union and charities, with another $25 million pledged by donors. Friday the Gates Foundation added $3 million and Japan, $10 million. Other private companies are stepping forward like a British tour company that dedicated one of its luxury liners to aid in delivering the relief supplies. (Associated Press has the details)
Silver Alert Helps Rescue Lost Seniors
When 83-year-old Helen Long left her North Carolina home without notice last January, her daughter called state police.
The police alerted the community using automated road signs and radio and television ads that aired descriptions of Long and her truck and explained that she had dementia. Within six hours, a UPS driver spotted her vehicle, called for help, and Long was returned home unharmed.
North Carolina is one of eight states with a new type of missing persons program called Silver Alert that experts say is urgently needed to address a growing problem.
The Art of Word Fasting: Today’s Word is ‘Blame’
Just like we can choose to take the stairs, rather than the elevator, and strengthen our bodies, we can alter our thinking and create the reality we want. A new columnist on GNN-i joins us every Friday. Today we look at what is really going on when we BLAME, and Jack gives us a helpful acronym to reframe our thinking — and our blaming– so we can build the life we want.
My acronym for blame is: B.L.A.M.E. Better Look At My Excuses.
This acronym revealed to me the realization how often I would blame things in my life. When my relationships went in a direction that I didn’t expect them to go, I was the first to come up with a list of reasons to blame the person, the timing or any other way my rational mind could come up with as a reason to the results of my experiences.
Blind Iowa Bowler Rolls Perfect Game
A 79-year-old blind Iowa man bowled a perfect 300 game over the weekend, The Storm Lake Times reported. “He could hear the crack of each of the 12 strikes.” Thanks to Carlos M. for submitting the link!
Britain offers Ethiopia $260 mln to fight poverty
Britain said on Thursday it will give Ethiopia 133 million pounds (2.5 billion birr) this year to help the Horn of Africa country try to achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, sending 1 million children to school and buying three million mosquito nets. (Reuters News)
Wounded Bald Eagle May Get Bionic Beak
An American Bald Eagle was found with it’s top beak shot off, tragically leaving it unable to tear its prey or feed itself. The Raptor Chapter of Idaho and a team of volunteer researcher engineers are looking at giving the eagle, named Beauty, a bionic beak.
Read about the mechanical engineers with real heart — and read news about them. And, here’s a YouTube Video.
Thanks to Emily H. and Asana D. for sending the story!
Pakistan to Unveil $4 Bil Peace Plan for Militancy Reduction
“The government will unveil a $4 billion peace plan that envisages a 30 percent reduction in militancy within three years, retrieval of the areas lost to militants and improvement in the writ of the state in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.” (Khbrein News)
Does the Boss’s Attitude Determine the Employee’s Attitude?
Once upon a time in my working life I had a boss who had a bad attitude. And his attitude affected everyone in the building. What should be the relationship between a boss’s attitude and an employee’s reaction? What is the ultimate effect on the bottom line?
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Join me in welcoming a new columnist to the Good News Network who will join us every Wednesday to explore workplace issues. Her weekly column along with a NEW discussion forum here (beginning next week) will feature topics like negativity, stress, leadership, presentation skills, career advancement and networking. Welcome Marlene Chisolm to the first Good News Network “Workplace Wednesday”.
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Four-Legged Heros Honored for Saving Lives of Owners, Infant
How many people owe their life to a loveable pet? The Purina Animal Hall of Fame this week honored five incredible dogs as heros for saving the lives of an infant, two men and two women, heralding their remarkable stories of persistence, loyalty and spirit.
With acute hearing, fierce loyalty and keen sense of smell the five 2008 inductees were able to save the lives of human beings and place ‘Best in Show’ at the 40th anniversary ceremony in Toronto.
Kids Go From Begging in India to Working in Shops
Nearly 60 street children, who had made a railway station their home after fleeing abusive families in India are now gainfully employed in hotels, shops and the market place of the city. Once begging and sometimes stealing, they are no longer despised by the police and passengers thanks to vocational trainings by a local NGO organized in a shelter at the end of platform no. 5 where they are fed and trained from 11 am every day. (Hindustan Times) Thanks to Shashank A. for sharing this inspiring link!
How to Recycle Those Threadbare Duds, Schedule a Pick-Up
Just because that old shirt you used to love is too threadbare to wear anymore doesn’t mean it has to end up in a landfill, reports the Christian Science Monitor. “Consumers don’t understand that there’s a place for their old clothing even if something is missing a button or torn,” says Jana Hawley, a professor of textile and apparel management at the University of Missouri-Columbia. “Ninety-nine percent of used textiles are recyclable.”
Nonprofits like Goodwill and the Salvation Army are great for keeping old clothes out of the waste stream, but I like the Lupus Foundation of America because they can pick up the donations directly from your house!
Restoration Of A Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystem
Half a century after most of Costa Rica’s rain forests were cut down, researchers are attempting what many thought was impossible — restoring a tropical rain forest ecosystem. When the researchers planted worn-out cattle pastures in Costa Rica with a sampling of local trees in the early 1990s, native species of plants began to move in and flourish, raising the hope that destroyed rain forests could one day be replaced.
Ten years after the tree plantings, researchers counted the species of plants that took up residence in the shade of the new planted areas. They found remarkably high numbers of species — more than 100 in each plot. And many of the new arrivals were also to be found in nearby remnants of the original forests. (ScienceDaily, 2008-04-30)
Cheap 5-in-1 Wonder Pill Could Prevent 80% of Heart Attacks
In a mission to make it available to everyone over 55 at an affordable price, UK scientists have developed a “polypill” which they say could save 100,000 lives a year. With its combination of cholesterol-busting statin, three medicines to lower blood pressure, and folic acid , it could prevent four-fifths of heart attacks and strokes, says its maker, the London-based Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine. (Daily Mail)
UPDATE: Violinist Plays Private Concert for Taxi Driver
A violinist who left his $4 million Stradivarius instrument in an airport taxi is playing a private concert today to thank the driver who faithfully returned it to him — a 30-minute performance in the cab waiting area at Newark Liberty International Airport.
(BBC News has photo and update) Thanks to Richard Young for alerting me! GNN-i posted the story of the violin’s return here .
UN Welcomes Bush’s Call for $770M in Global Food Aid
The UN World Food Program has thanked President Bush “for his urgent call to action to combat the advance of hunger among the world’s most vulnerable,” after Mr. Bush asked the US Congress to provide an additional $770 million for food aid and development work. (See news report, Bush Asks Congress for $770)
Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the WFP, said yesterday that “urgent consideration by the US Congress will help prevent wide-scale human suffering due to soaring food prices.” She added that, “today, for those living on less than US$1 a day, the impact of soaring food prices is catastrophic.”
The President of the World Bank Group, which provides funding for development around the globe, also welcomed the announcement by Mr. Bush.
“These funds will help put food in the mouths of millions of people who are struggling to survive as prices rise,” Robert B. Zoellick said. “Importantly, US action goes beyond the critical short-term needs and aims to deal with the causes of the crisis so millions will not suffer again.”
Mr. Zoellick also welcomed the fact that the announcement came after Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had assembled an international task force to tackle the global food crisis.
“By combining emergency support for the neediest, with support for agricultural production, and international action on trade, the US package takes us closer to the integrated international response needed to build sustainable solutions,” he said.
Young Engineer Launches Stair Aid at 16
A young engineer set up the StairSteady company when she was only 16 to market her innovative idea, a simple device to assist people to go up and down stairs when they don’t need an expensive chair lift. She won an award for her invention, which she designed for her teacher’s father who had suffered a stroke. (See the neat story and photo at BBC)
