This site is about connecting with people around the world my interests include Christianity, World Affairs, Photography, keep fit, science, Astronomy, understanding what you like and corresponding with you.
God loves you and he wishes to talk to you through the spirit. We are privileged to bathe in the light of our Gospel’s restoration, which the young Joseph Smith encountered some 200 years ago, and it’s true, we receive new revelations daily as we pray to our heavenly father like Joseph did, and for that small mercy we are truly grateful….
When we pray to our heavenly father with sincerity, our rewards are tremendous, the restoration light that fills our souls is all the proof we need that our heavenly father does infact love us, and everything definitely becomes ‘alright’ walking along that straight and restored covenant pathway, and to make Jesus smile we just need to share the good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to God’s children which we are so eager to do.
One way to prepare ourselves to do the great commission is to read Joseph Smith’s First Vision and receive that fantastic light also.
The Pearl of Great Price 1:17
upon me.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
we all have an important role to play in sharing the message of the Restoration of Jesus Christ, so let’s prepare ourselves to do do brethren and sisters, each and everyone of us is vitaly important in sharing God’s message and saving his children, blessings.
I’ve been recently reading stories that ultimately have affected children in an ‘abusive’ way, where I’ve obtained this information from the NSPCC. The domestic violence issues or even crisis has gone on for years behind ‘closed doors’, and it’s a fact that the woman and her children are the victims in a lot of cases. The NSPCC can provide ‘safe houses’ but when the ‘bread winner’ in the relationship is the male, being a brave woman and taking those first tentative steps of reporting a ‘domestic violence’ incident to the police, and then leaving a nice home to live in basic relief conditions like a ‘safe house’ can in a lot of situations be almost impossible, and so the abuse continues, whether emotional, spiritual, physical or mental or a combination of these really begin to take their toll worryingly on the children over the years, after all, the children are the innocent victims here right!
Fighting for childhood in England How we’re standing up for children
We stand up for children in England by finding the best ways to prevent abuse and neglect and influencing the Westminster government to take action.
We’re committed to finding out what’s working and – more importantly – what isn’t, and what we can do about it. We do this by evaluating the services we provide for children and families and conducting research.
Our findings show that the range of support available to children in England who have been affected by abuse or neglect needs to be improved and we’ll be working with the government and partner agencies to achieve this.
Lee’s story Recovering from grooming at a Church youth group
“I was 16 when a friend introduced me to her church youth group. The first time I went, I met the youth leader, Adam. As I got more involved in the group, transport started to become an issue for me and Adam offered to give me lifts.
“Quite early on, Adam and I began texting. When he suggested we hang out outside of the group I didn’t think anything of it. I thought it was probably common for youth workers to want to spend time with young people.
“I didn’t have a lot of friends so I felt like I’d made a close friend in Adam. He was paying me attention and I enjoyed his company, it felt like he was really looking out for me.
“Then, Adam started to encourage me to hang out with him at his house. He started telling me that we had a special friendship.
“I felt helpless to tell anybody about what was happening.” Lee
“It was gradual and quite innocent to start with, but I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. Adam started sitting closer to me on the sofa, trailing his finger over mine – things I thought were strange but not big enough to react to at the time.
“Over time, Adam started to give me extended hugs and kiss my face. He’d tell me I was his best mate and what we had was special. He said it was normal to do these things, even biblical; reading me passages from the Bible.
“As things continued I told him I wasn’t comfortable with what he was doing. He didn’t listen and instead ramped things up by kissing me on the lips. The kissing on the lips then became more regular and I felt helpless to tell anybody about what was happening.
“I was so confused but knew what he was doing was wrong. I wanted it to stop but part of me was afraid to speak out because I didn’t want to get him into trouble.” Lee
“When I told Adam I wasn’t gay – that I liked girls and wanted him to stop – he’d turn things around by telling me I must want this, because I’d instigated it. He’d threaten to take me off the preaching rota or stop giving me lifts. He made me feel as if I’d be ostracised from the group if I put a stop to things and told me constantly that I wasn’t to tell anyone.
“Things escalated when he made us masturbate in the same room as each other. When we weren’t together, he’d text me telling me he thought about me while he was masturbating. He continued to pressure me, saying we were going to spend our lives together and that he wanted us to have sex.
“The way the law stands currently, Adam can’t be legally prosecuted for what happened. This is because I was 16 at the time and he wasn’t viewed to be in a position of trust.” Lee
“I was so confused but knew what he was doing was wrong. I wanted it to stop but part of me was afraid to speak out because I didn’t want to get him into trouble. Being unable to talk to anybody about what was happening was making me feel really depressed.
“A year and a half later, I moved away from the area to practice youth work in London. Because I was no longer in the situation I felt able to share what had happened with my new manager. Adam was removed from his post and isn’t involved in the youth group any more and I was fortunate enough to receive counselling, which has really helped me move on from what happened.
“The way the law stands currently, Adam can’t be legally prosecuted for what happened. This is because I was 16 at the time and he wasn’t viewed to be in a position of trust.
“I’d encourage other victims of grooming and sexual abuse to talk to someone, however bad it seems or however trapped you feel. Someone will be able to help you.”
*DISCLAIMER
Names have been changed to protect identities. Any photographs are posed by models.
Help protect children like Lee
Donate now
In the average primary school class, at least 2 children have suffered abuse or neglect. Donate now and help protect children today and prevent abuse from happening tomorrow.Donate now
Grooming
Children and young people can be groomed online or in the real world, by a stranger or by someone they know – a family member, friend or professional. Read more about groomingPreviousNext
Kimberley’s story How the Family Environment: Drug Using Parents (FEDUP) service helped her to speak out
“My life when I was younger wasn’t very happy. I knew from a young age that my dad was taking drugs because I’d learnt about them at school. I remember one day, when I was about 8 or 9 years old my dad’s mate came round and I saw the drugs laid out in the kitchen and I realised what they were and what they were doing.
“Living with dad wasn’t very nice. He used to get angry if he didn’t have any drugs and would shout at me. He would shout at me in the mornings because he’d overslept and we’d be late for school. I’d have to get my uniform washed and clean for school because if I left it for him to do, he’d put it in the washing machine and then forget to take it out so I wouldn’t have anything clean to wear. I was doing my own washing and ironing at primary school. Then I’d walk to school by myself. I often had to make my own dinner, because Dad would be asleep on the sofa or couldn’t do it. I’d have ravioli from a can.
“His mates would be at our flat all the time and they would make a noise at night when I was trying to sleep. If they came in the daytime they’d bring sweets for me to try and keep me out of the way. I’d be sent to my room or made to sit in the living room by myself. They used to be in the kitchen doing the drugs.
“When I lived with my dad I felt like nothing. I felt like he didn’t care about me all he cared about was the drugs.” Kimberley*
“I had met Gemma* when I was 4 years old. She was our landlady and also worked in the shop next door. I started going into the shop to talk to Gemma instead of going home because I didn’t like to be at home with my dad.
“I would visit Gemma every day after school. I wouldn’t tell her too much about what was going on at home, but I’d tell her little things. If things were really bad with my dad I’d tell her about it and I’d sometimes stay overnight at her house. She always made time for me, it was normally when I was going to bed and she’d sit at the end of my bed and we’d talk through whatever I was worried about.
“I remember one night, my dad was asleep on the sofa and I couldn’t wake him up. The flat was dark and I was scared so I rang Gemma who came and picked me up and left a note for my dad to tell him where I’d gone.
“With Gemma’s support and help I told my school about what life was like living with my dad and I was given a social worker. The social worker helped a bit, but the biggest help was NSPCC. Anna* and Ray* from the NSPCC Blackpool Service Centre came to visit my house to speak to me and Dad and told me about a local group called Family Environment: Drug Using Parents (FEDUP). They said that I could go and speak to other young people who were going through something similar to me and could have 1-2-1 chats with Anna at school. Ray said he’d come to my dad’s house and talk to him about how his drug use was affecting me.
“I enjoyed the FEDUP group. We did fun things like making towers out of marshmallows and dried spaghetti. I could talk to Anna about how I was feeling and I trusted her. I was in a session with Anna when I told her I didn’t want to go home and live with my dad anymore.
“After that day, I never went back to my dad’s flat again. I saw him once after I’d left him to go and live with Gemma. We went on a day out which was nice, but he got angry when I told him I couldn’t see him again a few days later because I was busy. He swore at me and stormed off. He still wasn’t nice to be around. Now that I’m at high school, I sometimes see him in the street. He tries to say hello but I don’t like it.
“I really like living with Gemma. I’ve been to Spain with Gemma and her family. I’ve lived with her for over 2 years now.
“I have a proper family who take me out and take me on holiday. ” Kimberley*
“Being in the FEDUP group really helped me to speak out. They helped me to understand that if something doesn’t feel right then I should speak out and tell someone. To anyone living with a mum or dad who’s using drugs and making them unhappy, I’d say tell someone who you can trust and get help. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
*DISCLAIMER
Names have been changed to protect identities. Any photographs are posed by models.
Find out how we help children like Kimberley
Donate now
In the average primary school class, at least 2 children have suffered abuse or neglect. Donate now and help protect children today and prevent abuse from happening tomorrow.Donate now
Are you there for children’s mental health?
We need to make sure every child always has a place to turn – night and day. Sign our petition calling on the government to help our Childline service be there for every child.Find out more
In this hi tech day and age, where computers rule the world, and as quickly as children can click a button on a computer and enter into ‘online grooming’ at the hands of ‘dodgy adults’, that click can turn into one of a cry for help with the NSPCC. This is a ‘get out’ clause for abused children, and abuse comes in so many ways. The point is safeguard officials can view each case on its individual merits, and the most sensitive of cases can be approached in a likewise manner. Can the child fight back in our modern world and get NSPCC support, or do they just keel over and continue getting abuse in so many different ways and forms! It’s not so obvious as battered and bruised kiddies, or sexually abused children, it’s psychological manipulation, emotional blackmail, spiritual threatening, to name but a few from adult perpetrators. The time has come for pressure to be put back on these people TOO STOP It! Below are some easy ways to get in touch with the NSPCC. All the best. Stephen.
Report abuse Contact our helpline if you’re worried about a child and speak to one of our counsellors
Don’t wait until you’re certain if you are worried about a child. If you have any concerns or suspicions, contact us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by email or our online reporting form. You can also call the Helpline Monday to Friday 8am – 10pm or 9am – 6pm at the weekends.
We will listen to your concerns, offer advice and support and can take action on your behalf if a child is in danger.
You don’t have to tell us who you are if you don’t want to, or you can ask us not to share your name or contact with the police or social services. Find out more about how you can remain anonymous below.
All communications will be recorded and we keep records for 15 years.
Update: We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with some emails sent to help@nspcc.org.uk. If you receive an deliverable message from your email provider, please do contact us on 0808 800 5000 to discuss your concerns and to provide you with the right support.
Report it online
If you have concerns about a child’s safety and welling, including a child in your family, you can report it to us online. One of our advisors will read it within 24 hours and decide what action needs to be taken.Report your concern online
If you think a child is in immediate danger
Don’t delay – call the police on 999, or call us on 0808 800 5000, straight away.
How we can help
Our helpline service provides:
support for adults who are worried about a child
advice for parents and carers
consultations with professionals who come into contact with abused children or children at risk of abuse
Hello friends, for those who have decided to read this blog expressing their interest in doing Tai Chi, the below link will lead you to the Harvard Medical School , and their Introduction booklet which can be purchased for £20 giving a comprehensive insight into this fascinating Chinese Art.
Also friends, as my interest for Tai Chi begins to grow, I thought I would study what Harvard Medical School writes about Tai Chi.
Harvard Medical School Approves Tai Chi, by blogger Stephen Allerton
Harvard have said that:-
An Introduction to Tai Chi
Mind-body exercises, such as tai chi and yoga, have been gaining popularity over the past few decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing number of studies on the positive effects of these gentler forms of exercise—everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. There is even evidence that tai chi may help you live a longer, more vital life.
Living Better, Living Longer.
Also friends, With this Special Health Report, Living Better, Living Longer, which I will add is based in the USA, however should have similarities around the globe, you will learn the protective steps doctors recommend for keeping your mind and body fit for an active and rewarding life. You’ll get tips for diet and exercise, preventive screenings, reducing the risk of coronary disease, strengthening bones, lessening joint aches, and assuring that your sight, hearing, and memory all stay sharp. Plus, you’ll get authoritative guidance to help you stretch your health care dollar, select a health plan that meets your needs, prepare a health care proxy, and more.
So the above authoritative advice from this health report coming straight from the ‘doctor’s mouth’ so to speak, is great news to the person who sometimes gets a little stuck into which is the best advice to follow when doing Tai Chi, and although aimed at the elderly in life, can be read and applied to anybodies life.
So, an introduction to Tai Chi cont’d.
So friends, this intro to Tai Chi report’s main goal is to make Tai Chi more familiar, more accessible, and easy to practice regularly—even right in your living room. Thinking about this friends, when you can do something ‘anywhere’ then that’s great for doing your aim in life ‘regularly’ and regularity is the key to success, and this is what I’ve learned. If you can do something regularly like Tai Chi, then you are more likely to continue with your plans and meet your aims in life.
The large number of studies about Tai Chi benefits has really been hitting home with people around the world regarding the health benefits of Tai Chi’s gentle exercises. Mind-body exercises, such as tai chi and yoga, have been gaining popularity over the past few decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing number of studies on the positive effects of these gentler forms of exercise—everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. There is even evidence that tai chi may help you live a longer, more vital life.
Take a glance at the ‘Intro to Tai Chi’ report’s CONTENTS
What is tai chi?
The history of tai chi
The eight active ingredients of tai chi
The health benefits of tai chi
Better balance
Less pain
A sharper mind
A happier disposition
Less stress
More self-confidence
A stronger heart
Before you start: Safety first
When to see a doctor
Creating your tai chi practice
Getting set up
Tips for a better practice
How does tai chi fit into your overall exercise plan?
Terminology used in the routines
Standing Tai Chi Calisthenics
Seated Tai Chi Calisthenics
Traditional Tai Chi Elements
Resources
Friends, just mulling over those contents can give you some great Tai Chi ideas, however another site to visit is by WikiHow, whose link is below
Also friends, before you go spending your cash on Tai Chi Introduction reports, below is some excerpts taken from it, so please take the time to study the basis of what this publication is about!
Tips for a better practice One of the best ways to learn how to do tai chi is to observe it and follow along. That’s why we created videos of both the Standing Tai Chi Calisthenics and the Tai Chi Elements. Reviewing the videos before trying the moves on the following pages will make learning tai chi easier. You can find these videos online at www.health.harvard.edu/tai-chi-calisthenics and www.health.harvard.edu/tai-chi-elements.
In addition, the tips below will help you to get more benefits out of your practice and reduce your risk of injury.
Enjoy it. Enjoy the movements and breathing. Don’t worry about whether you are doing everything right. Don’t think too much about doing it perfectly—just do. Enjoyment will deepen your practice and help your qi to flow more freely. Worrying or overthinking it disrupts the flow and pulls you out of the moment.
Get grounded. Feel the ground with your feet. Release your weight into the ground and maintain good body alignment to promote stability and balance.
Take it slow. Moving slowly gives you time to sense your body’s position, uncover hidden tensions, and make postural modifications so that different parts of your body move more harmoniously together.
Obey the 70% rule. A key principle of tai chi is moderation in effort, which may contribute to its low risk of injury. This principle is referred to as the 70% rule. Basically, it means to avoid extremes, in which injuries are more likely to occur. Instead, stay at about 70% of your effort, intensity, or range of motion. Never force a movement beyond about 70%. For example, keep a slight bend in your elbow when you extend your arm instead of fully extending it and locking your elbow. Similarly, when stretching your back, for example, stop well before you sense fear of straining muscles or causing a spasm. If you feel any pain or resistance to a move, back off from it.
Be mindful. As you move from side to side, do so in a mindful way. Can you feel the contact between your feet and the ground? Can you feel how your feet connect to the rest of your body? Can you feel your body slowly relaxing as you breathe? Can you do all that without clenching your neck and jaw? You may not be able to do any of the above well, but just being aware of these things is a critical first step. As soon as you start moving, the movement should serve as the “magnet” for your attention. Let it draw your awareness to the parts that are moving.
Move from your center. Imagine your head, torso, and pelvis as a single column aligned over your legs and feet. All upper and lower body movements are integrated with the movement of this “column,” which includes the body’s center of gravity. Do not twist the spine. The tai chi classics say that good movements begin beneath your feet, are steered by the waist, and applied through the arms.
Be aware of your “inner ocean.” Your body is roughly 60% liquid. With this in mind, think of moving an inner ocean when you perform tai chi, rather than changing the shape or position of a solid object. Keep the movements smooth and flowing, as if you were in a pool—the kind of movements that would create gentle waves instead of splashes.
Do some, not none. As with learning to play an instrument, the more time you put into tai chi, the more you’ll get out of it. Whether you have time for only a few 30-minute sessions a week, or 10 minutes a day, do it! You’ll still get benefits. But if you want to overcome a serious health problem or develop a deeper spiritual practice, a more rigorous regimen, such as longer 30- to 60-minute daily sessions, will help you to achieve those goals.
Pace yourself. Just like a young tree thrives when it receives intermittent rain instead of a single downpour, you’ll see more benefits by doing a little tai chi more frequently than doing a lot in isolated sessions that are few and far between. This is especially important when you are beginning a practice. Start with just 10 or 15 minutes and then gradually increase. Even five minutes most days of the week is better than doing nothing at all.
Be patient with your progress. No matter what type of exercise you do, even high-intensity workouts, it takes time to see changes. And with lower-intensity forms of exercise like tai chi, it may take even longer to see physical changes like increased strength or flexibility. The results are worth the wait. However, you need to be on the lookout for them. For example, you may be able to reach into overhead cabinets more easily or bend down to pick up something off the floor without needing to hold on to something. Look for improvements in everyday activities as a way to track your progress. Celebrate these improvements.
I hope this blog helps you to decide whether to try Tai Chi one day, and please don’t forget to message me if this post has helped in any way, after all you are the People Power of the world!
So, as I walked into the room where my ‘carer friends’ and past carer friends were sitting, in eager anticipation for our Tai Chi instructor to arrive, I really didn’t have any clue or idea what to expect. After the taster had finished I was quietly surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience, and along with the others put my details on a piece of paper expressing my interest to do more.
I proceeded to look out for Tai Chi blogs and the first beginners blog I came across was by the name of Ts’ai Chueh-ming whose blog can be found at the below link
https://taichi-daily.com/blog/
Ts’ai Chueh-ming (teacher) , the first Tai Chi blog I read and an excellent start for beginners in the art of Tai Chi! Tai Chi, body and soul, breathing energy and movement. So soul invigorating, calming and relaxing, and perhaps for some feeling their bodies through their minds for the first time in their lives. by Stephen Allerton (blogger).
So I had a great instructor by the name of Lyn Emerton qualified instructor for Tai Chi who informed us at our Dove service carer group that Tai Chi in fact is a Chinese form of exercise developed over 700 years ago,and 300 million people worldwide practice it. Wow! that’s like one twentieth of the world do it! Tai Chi consists of slow relaxed movements, involving all the bodies joints, muscles and tendons,promoting mind, body, spirit and wellbeing. The movements are based on self defence moves in kung fu, but slowly done, where Yang style is soft form and White Crane being hard forms of this ancient art form of keep fit. The controlled breathing in Tai Chi helps you to relax and control anxiety and panic attacks.
There are many different forms of Tai Chi.
Sun Style – soft, gentle, relaxing. Suitable for everyone. Yang style is similar and the most popular form of Tai Chi. Tai Chi Shaolin which is a hard style. Chen style another hard form. Wu style – hard form, bending and stretching low down.
Health Benefits are numerous doing Tai Chi from flexibility and strengthening muscles, to body, mind and soul integration, relaxation and meditation.
There is something the Chinese call Qi, which is the life energy within us, flowing through specific channels called meridians. It is a combination of the Qi you were born with and the Qi you absorbed through digestive system from food and water and the air we breathe in. Qi circulates through and around the body with a Qi storage area found 3 fingers below the belly button called the Dan-tien. Chinese practitioners believe that good health comes from a healthy Qi.
And finally friends, if you are interested in doing Tai Chi the institution I’m planning on going to is called :-
Tai Chi for Health Institute by Dr Lam at http://taichiforhealthinstitute.org
Happy Tai Chi, ps if you would like to leave me a comment that would be much appreciated, and don’t forget to click on the posts title to bring up the comments box. Hope to here from you soon , Stephen. blogger.
So friends it is possible to actually travel to the antarctic via nternational Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO)
and researchers have been using this transport as a way of doing their all important research, in this case, the ‘putting on the map of type d killer whales’. Perhaps one of the main reasons this type of Orca killer whale hasn’t been discovered yet, apart from looking similar to the known varieties is the fact that they live in the most in-hospital oceans and environments in the world! and tourism, suggesting that lay people on their holidays could contribute to these important animal discoveries through taking photos etc. is really amazing. You know, you don’t have to be a discoverer or adventurer nowadays to even be the first person to discover in this case an animal (killer whale).
