Every Girl Is Beautiful-Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty

Young girls redefining beauty in their own words and see the difference self esteem programs are making in the lives of little girls all over the world. No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted. Take part in the Dove Real Beauty Workshops for Girls. Dove believes that strong self-esteem is at the heart of feeling beautiful. Women who are truly beautiful feel good about themselves. They are unlikely to feel insecure, compare themselves to others or believe people who put them down. Instead, people who are happy and confident truly embrace life.

Dove believes that every woman is entitled to feel this way and to celebrate her own beauty. That's why Dove is committed to making a real difference in women's lives by working with organizations and programs that foster strong self-esteem and by developing tools and resources that will help individuals and groups make a difference for themselves.

"Women and girls have their self-esteem undermined every day in our culture. Consider the following statistics: Body image dissatisfaction has been consistently found in girls as young as nine years old. Several studies have demonstrated a desire to be thinner in girls as young as seven.

Only two percent of women globally consider themselves beautiful. Sixty-three per cent of women strongly agree that women today are expected to be more attractive than their mother's generation.

Here are some tips for those struggling with these issues at any age:

1. Face your fears - challenges seem scary but your fears are usually exaggerated. Facing your fears increases your confidence and boosts your esteem.

2. Forget your failures - learn from them. Avoid making the same mistakes again but don't limit yourself by assuming you failed before so you can't succeed this time. Try again, you're wiser and stronger. Don't be trapped in the past!

3. Know what you want and ask for it.

4. Reward yourself when you succeed. Make a list of your successes and focus on the positive.

5. Talk - We often make assumptions about a situation or person which are not true. Your attitude and behaviour can be negatively affected so if you have any doubt or question ask and don't assume you know why or how.

Denise Urban is a registered facilitator of Dove's Self Esteem Program. If interested in holding a self esteem seminar for young girls at your local community center, church, girl scouts or yoga studio call 609-865-6527 for areas Princeton, Princeton Junction, East Windsor, West Windsor, Plainsboro, Hamilton, Mercerville, Allentown, Trenton, Lawrenceville and Ewing.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them. Disagree with them. Glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world Are the ones who do. "

--Jack Kerouac

Human Trafficking: Abuse in India

These two boys attend one of the local slum school S.O.S. supports.

Photo: Hannah Weehunt

Girls are especially vulnerable to exploitation because of poverty or other social circumstances.

Photograph by Hannah Weehunt

A child sleeps on the streets of India

My goal and prayer is that those who read this blog today will find it in their hearts to change one of the darkest corners of sexual abuse on earth today. It is not easy to suffer sexual abuse as a child and live a long life to tell about it, many die from disease or addictions.

See and hear first hand of the degradation that children around the world suffer. As you read this post, some little girl or boy is suffering both physical and sexual abuse in some dark part of the world whether India, Cambodia or Thailand.

Can you imagine living among one million people...in a single square mile? I heard about Kamathipura, a section of Mumbi , where approximately 100,00 women and children live in sexual slavery. The number of trafficked persons is difficult to determine due to the clandestine nature of the crime, but the Indian government claims that there are about 3 million prostitutes in the country and 40% are children.The young women working in the brothels red light district of Mumbai in Kamathipuraare forced into prostitution by human traffickers. The thought of forced prostitution, especially for children, brings an element of criminality and debauchery that confounds the senses. It’s the equivalent of daily rape and pedophilia -- all for sale in the slums of Kamathipura.

Their are stories of young women who escaped the sex trade and now live in the care of the missionaries. One lovely girl, the daughter of a prostitute, told how she had been raped every day by her mother’s owner. The abuse, which her mother witnessed, began when she was only nine years old and continued daily until the man sold her at the age of seventeen.

Others were kidnapped from their families and imprisoned for months or years. Children are literally kept in cages, like animals at a market. One girl described her torment: “I was raped and beaten daily--then put back into my cage.” Filthy, narrow streets, rats over a door frame as you enter brothels. Inside, each girl is filled with torment.Their weary eyes filled with tears as love flooded their prison.

Santoosh, a 7 year old orphan. He lives in the Dharavi slums of Bombay, India, a city of 20 million people. He's one of thousands of abandoned and malnourished orphans who watch rats run through the shanties they call home. Raw sewage flows outside in the alleys and streets where they scavenge for food and water. He lost his mother five months ago to disease. His father, too, is gone. His father's picture hangs on the wall as a lingering memory. Santoosh often cries while staring at it, for at just seven years old, he knows he is alone in life. Santoosh represents the "forgotten children" of Dharavi square. But they are not forgotten by G-d.

David recorded the heart of the Father in Psalm 68:5-6. He is, "A father of the fatherless...G-d makes a home for the lonely." He lost his mother five months ago to disease. His father, too, is gone. His father's picture hangs on the wall as a lingering memory. Santoosh often cries while staring at it, for at just seven years old, he knows he is alone in life.His grandmother does her best to make ends meet, but her job only pays 40 cents a day, so Santoosh often goes hungry. He has no extra clothes. No shoes. No education. No medical help. There is no running water in his house. Clean water is not available in these slum areas. So Santoosh often goes hungry. He has no extra clothes. No shoes. No education. No medical help. There is no running water in his house. Clean water is not available in these slum areas.

Today I decided to give a donation to the Life Outreach Minitries. Life Outreach along withS.O.S. International facilitates and operates compassion outreaches to India, with a focus on social development. They are committed to searching for and developing not only sustainable life-saving solutions, but also truly life-changing ones to the problems the poor face every day.

Please open your hearts...

Sowers of Seeds

Life Today Outreach

global giving

The Miracle Foundation

The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India

by Shelley Seale

St. Francis Inn Ministries in Philadelphia

Proverbs 19:17 (King James Version)

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

According to the early church, October 4th is celebrated as St. Francis of Assisi day. I was born not only on October 4th the very same day, but at St. Francis Hospital! What are the chances of that happening in some one's life?? While waiting at the hospital for me to arrive, my father went to the gift store and bought the only gift item they had, guess what that was? .... a statue of St. Francis!

St. Francis Inn Ministries in Philadelphia

One of my favorite charities is St. Francis Ministries. When you give to them you know that the donations go strictly to feeding at least 300 individuals a day!

St. Francis Ministries is a Eucharistic community called to minister with the poor and homeless of Philadelphia. Formed in the spirit of the Gospel and inspired by the life and compassion of Francis and Clare of Assisi, they try to meet the immediate daily needs of the people we serve with food, clothing and hospitality. Furthermore, they empower persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty and address structural injustices. St. Francis Ministries seeks to build relationships with those that they serve by respecting their human dignity and by helping them to restore hope in their lives, and by living simply among them.

St. Francis Inn Ministries could not possibly do its work without the help and generosity of so many people sharing their time and talent.If you would like to donate or volunteer they offer a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. For information on current volunteer needs contact Sr. Leslie, volunteer coordinator, at (215) 423-5845 or email Leslieosf@aol.com

The story of St. Fancis

Francis was one of seven children born to Pietro di Bernardone, a rich cloth merchant, from France. Pietro was in France on business when Francis was born, and Pica had him baptised as Giovanni (John) in honor of Saint John the Baptist in the hope he would grow to be a great religious leader. When his father returned to Assisi he took to calling him Francesco, in honor of his commercial success and enthusiasm for all things French. Although many biographers remark about rich friends, street brawls, and love of pleasure,his displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life, as is shown in the "story of the beggar." In this account, he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace on behalf of his father when a beggar came to him and asked for alms. At the conclusion of his business deal, Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the beggar. When he found him, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his act of Charity. When he got home, his father scolded him in rage.

Founding of the Order of Friars Minor

Francis heard a sermon that changed his life. The sermon was about Matthew 10:9, in which Christ tells his followers they should go forth and proclaim the gospel, that they should take no money with them, nor even a walking stick or shoes for the road.^] Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty. He was soon joined by his first follower, a prominent fellow townsman, who contributed all that he had to the work. Within a year Francis had eleven followers. Francis chose never to be ordained a priest and the community lived as "lesser brothers."

The brothers lived a simple life spending much of their time wandering through the mountainous districts of Umbria, always cheerful and full of songs, yet making a deep impression upon their hearers by their earnest exhortations. In 1209, Francis led his first eleven followers to Rome to seek permission from Pope Innocent III to found a new religious order. The Cardinal, who was the confessor of Pope Innocent III, was immediately sympathetic to Francis and agreed to represent Francis to the pope. Reluctantly, Pope Innocent agreed to meet with Francis and the brothers the next day. After several days, the pope agreed to admit the group informally, adding that when God increased the group in grace and number.

Every Thought You Think is Creating Your Future

"Every Thought You Think" by D. Urban

"As I Say Yes to Life" by D. Urban

"He Who Rages" by D. Urban

"Zen Garden Collection" by Denise Urban

I find that relaxing and observing creation and the act of "creating" provides a Zen-like experience. Alleviating the days burdens and clearing the mind during stressful times. So where did this word "zen" enanate from? It's hard to believe that a word as Asian as Zen is ultimately an Indo-European word. Zen, which has been in English since 1727, is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese chán, "quietude." Chán comes from Pali jhānam, from Sanskrit dhyanam, "meditation," from the Sanskrit root dhya-, dhi-, "to see, observe." The Indo-European root behind the Sanskrit is *dheia-, *dhya-, "to see, look at." This root also shows up in Greek, where *dhya- developed into sa-, as in Common Greek *sama, "sign, distinguishing mark." This became sema in Greek, the source of English semantic. Buddhist preferred way to express cosmic beauty in worldly environments is inextricable from Zen Buddhism.

Everyday we walk by unique elements of nature not noticing their beauty. It could be a wild flower by the side of the road or a twisted branch of a tree in your back yard. But you never really notice them. My Zen garden Collection is never the same and always changing with the seasons. Hence the collection is never the same and never really finished. The Zen gardens collection can be complex or extremely abstract representing miniature landscapes also called "mind-scapes". Hence, my "Zen Garden Collection" is never the same and never really finished.

Being Absolutely True to Oneself

Illustration by Denise Urban

For the first few years of practising yoga in 2001, I was determined to learn as much as I could from as many yoga instructors as I could. So I did what you’re supposed to do: Study mentors, devour books, attend yoga workshops … watch, listen, and learn. I gained invaluable exposure and information to infinite methodologies, theologies, and ideologies. I admired many yogis and their methods. And then I made a critical mistake: I tried to be just like every single one of them. My only desire was to be teachable. I often wound up confused and overwhelmed. I wanted to teach and lead like this guy, and administrate like that other gal.

Sometimes we as students and teachers indiscriminately gather various components of different methods from the yoga community and slap it all together. As a result, we don’t wind up building much of a yoga practice at all. We wind up building a phoney practice. Since my yoga certification in 2006, in these last 3 years I’ve gotten better at the fine art of filtering. The filtering process happens as I internalize: What worked at that studio may not work here. What works for that instructor may not work for me.

G-d has wired us all in ways that are unique and intentional. And there are both tangible and intangible considerations, that play into how he works in a given situation, or through a certain personalities.

Consider your circumstances. Size up your strengths. Learn from everybody. Then leverage the stuff that works in your world. Leave alone the stuff that doesn’t. Inspiration without it being an integral part of your nature is imitation. Being true to oneself combined with inspiration equals one life full of impact!

Healthy Living Blogs

On these blogs, you’ll find scrumptious recipes for healthy snacks and sensible meals.

Vegetarian and Vegan
Those on a vegetarian or vegan diet will love these blogs, full of recipes, photos and tips for smart shopping.

Fat Free Vegan Kitchen: Go through the recipe index to discover meals like vegan omelets, crustless tofu quiches, enchilada casserole and even macaroni and cheese.

Tinned Tomatoes: Tinned Tomatoes is maintained by a Scottish blogger and features vegetarian recipes and photos for meals like Balsamic Beetroot & Chickpea Salad with Mint.

A Veggie Venture: Find recipes for vegetarian meals like warm German potato salad, and feta-stuffed zucchini. You can search by vegetable, the author’s favorites, weight watchers and low-carb meals.

Veggie Meal Plans:From chocolate sesame cookies to spinach and artichoke filo pastries, this vegetarian food blog has tons of great recipes.

Veg Cooking: From nondairy ice cream to pineapple curry, this blog keeps vegetarian cooking fun and interesting.

Andrea’s Easy Vegan Cooking Blog: Finding vegan recipes and ingredients is easy when you turn to Andrea’s blog for ideas.

Eat’n Veg’n:Find Get recipes and vegan shopping tips on this photo-packed blog.

Vegan Deserts

Healthy Recipes: Browse through the archives to get recipes for for blueberries, meals packed with fiber, and even leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Food View Blog: Discover three years’ worth of yummy light and healthy recipes on this blog, from breakfast, dessert, dinner and more.

Healthy Eating: Recent recipes on this site include summer salads and inventive recipes that introduce avocado into your diet.


Healthy Snacking
Instead of reaching for candy or chips, stock your desk or your refrigerator with healthy snacks like these.

The Healthy Snacks Blog: Recent healthy snack ideas include honey wheat pretzel sticks and cottage cheese, pineapples and strawberries. You’ll also find product reviews of popular snacks.

Healthy Diet Snacks Blog: This new blog has low-calorie snack ideas that are still yummy.

Vital Juice Daily: This resource is packed with great ideas for being healthy all day everyday.

The Office Diet: If you’re known to snack all through your work day, read this blog for healthy snack ideas and motivation to stick to your diet.

The Chocoholic Health Blog: If you reach for the chocolate every time you want a snack, read this blog to learn about satisfying but healthy alternatives.

Fitness
Really Useful Fitness Blog: Get ideas for healthy snacks that complement your fitness plan here.