X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 0 X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 1 X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 2 X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 3 X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 4 X-Symantec-TimeoutProtection: 5 Return-Path: X-Original-To: info@fathersonline.org Delivered-To: info@fathersonline.org Received: from localhost (marlin.fishinternet.com.au [127.0.0.1]) by marlin.fishinternet.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id 857342BBEC for ; Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:56:27 +1000 (EST) Received: from marlin.fishinternet.com.au ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (marlin.fishinternet.com.au [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id 08767-04 for ; Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:56:09 +1000 (EST) Received-SPF: none (bigpond.net.au: No applicable sender policy available) receiver=marlin.fishinternet.com.au; identity=mfrom; envelope-from="rentacrd@bigpond.net.au"; helo=omta04sl.mx.bigpond.com; client-ip=144.140.93.156 Received: from omta04sl.mx.bigpond.com (omta04sl.mx.bigpond.com [144.140.93.156]) by marlin.fishinternet.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id AA23D2BBE3 for ; Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:56:09 +1000 (EST) Received: from oaamta08sl.mx.bigpond.com ([124.177.218.247]) by omta04sl.mx.bigpond.com with ESMTP id <20070410085609.QWYZ28583.omta04sl.mx.bigpond.com@oaamta08sl.mx.bigpond.com> for ; Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:56:09 +0000 Received: from ron0e091a5aba8 ([124.177.218.247]) by oaamta08sl.mx.bigpond.com with ESMTP id <20070410085554.YUCQ19518.oaamta08sl.mx.bigpond.com@ron0e091a5aba8> for ; Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:55:54 +0000 From: "Ron Hellyer" To: "'Fatherhood Foundation'" Subject: FW: Fast Forward Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:23:45 +0930 Message-ID: <004e01c77b4d$bf89dd10$0301a8c0@ron0e091a5aba8> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_004F_01C77B9D.6053B910" X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 11 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 thread-index: AcdS4/7FtFRCfoyzTTiv5t6p6f31XgoabM5A X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at fishinternet.com.au X-NAS-BWL: Found match for 'rentacrd@bigpond.net.au' on the allowed list (1742 addresses, 0 domains) X-NAS-Classification: 0 X-NAS-MessageID: 11106 X-NAS-Validation: {FF825B7A-B161-40BD-90F8-3582DAE91A1E} This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_004F_01C77B9D.6053B910 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 17th Feb 07 =20 =20 =20 Unable to read this email? = Please click here =20 Issue 233 - 5 th February, 2007 Go to our website Here =09 = * Hello Ron <> =20 * Grandads <> =20 * Laughter <> =20 * Single Dads <>=20 * Special Feature <> =20 * Thought of the Week <> =20 * All You Need is Love <> =20 * News <> & Info=20 * Dad's Prayer <> =20 * Help Us <> =20 Hello Ron =20 =20 Adam Sandler is a very funny man, but can be a bit rough around the = edges for my liking. Alas, so is much of modern comedy. The movie 'Click' is Sandler to a tee. Happy Gilmore move over. Acerbic, sharp, funny and = pushing the boundaries of humour (often in the wrong direction) this movie is something more than a comedy. 'Click' packs a message with a steel = punch. Put family first is the message, and Sandler shows no mercy in its = delivery. The story centres around a guy who is given a remote control so that he = can stop, rewind or fast forward at any time in his life all the things that happen to him. At first this seems like a great idea, but later in the = movie he realises that his tendency to fast-forward-bias in his life has = become a default setting on the remote control, whilst rewind has become next to impossible. I'm sure every man who loves his remote control would dream about the possibilities. =20 'Click' is a parody of modern life in the fast lane. Does anyone = remember the song? The trouble is that the fast lane is not a good place to raise = a family, nor is it a good place for the soul. Maybe we should heed more = often Simon & Garfunkel's words, "Slow down you move too fast" in our = increasingly frenetic world. =20 Margaret J Wheatley gave a speech a few years ago at the Robert K = Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership annual conference. Her words are poignant = and articulate the problem well.=20 =20 "This really is a movement in a direction of being able to create a = future that we all want. I feel a strong imperative. I feel the peril of this moment, that if we don't learn how to come together differently, in our organisation, in our communities, in our families. If we don't learn how = to come together differently, then we are doomed. No this is said a little = more elegantly by Gary Snyder, the American poet. He wrote this in the = sixties, that's rather depressing to me because he had already given up by then = and here we are at the millennium. But he called this poem, 'For the = Children'. =20 The rising hills. The slopes of statistics lie before us. The steep climb of everything going up, up as we all Go down. In the next century they say our valleys and Pastures, we can meet there in peace, if we make it. To climb these coming crests, one word to you, to you And your children. Stay together, learn the flowers, Go light. Stay together, learn the flowers, go light. =20 I believe that is our work. I want to talk about each of those things. = One of the strange things going on at the end of this millennium in western culture is that we have become, I believe, victims of many different beliefs. I'm only going to talk about two of them today. =20 The first is the belief that we can ignore time. The belief that we can negotiate with time, that we have in fact forgotten about things like natural rhythms, about cycles, about change, as part of the natural = process. And instead we believe that it's a straight trajectory into the future, = and we can go as fast as we please. Of course this moves us away from = nature, from rhythm, from a sense of place, and we are really struggling with = this. I believe that our current effort to try and ignore time and growth and stages and cycles. I believe it is truly driving us crazy. =20 Lawrence Van der Post the south African writer, photographer, = philosopher, said that things had gotten so serious in the world that he really = feared for us. Someone asked him, "Well, what would you recommend, Sir = Lawrence? What would you recommend that we do?", he said, "I would declare a year = of silence." =20 Poet Pablo Neruda said the same thing: "Now we will count to twelve and = we will all keep still. For once on the face of the earth, let's not speak = in any language. Let's stop for one second and not move our arm so much. It would be an exotic moment. Without rush, without engines, we would all = be together in a sudden strangeness. If we were not so single minded, in keeping our lives moving and for once could do nothing perhaps" (this is = the part of this poem I love.) "Perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves, and with threatening ourselves with death." =20 Lovework =20 Silence is golden. Rest is important. 'Time to stop and stare' as the = poet Robbie Burns said are critical factors to recharge the batteries. = Fasting is a wonderful way to give your body a rest. Prayer is a wonderful way to recharge your spirit. =20 If you live your life in fast forward you will most likely destroy your family as Adam Sandler so eloquently points out in 'Click'. If you = remember nothing else don't forget the melody to 'Slow down you move too fast'. = Life is to be enjoyed, not endured. =20 Yours for living in the moment. Warwick Marsh =20 PS Good news! Some parts of the East Coast have had their best rain in = many years. Who says that prayer does not work? =20 The drought still grips the southern half of Australia and South-Eastern Queensland. For those who are willing and able check the information regarding the National Solemn Assembly for 9-11 March in Canberra. The = NSA is the culmination of a 40 Day period of preparation, prayer and fasting = for the breaking of the drought. =20 ___________________________________________________________ Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 31 years. He is the father = of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 26 years to = 14 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker = who likes to think he can still laugh at himself. back to top <>=20 =20 Grandads =20 =20 =20 The foolish man seeks happiness=20 in the distance; The wise grows it under his feet. =20 James Openheim =20 back to top <>=20 =20 Laughter =20 Housework was a woman's job, but one evening, Jenny arrived home from = work to find the children bathed, one load of laundry in the washer and = another in the dryer. Dinner was on the stove, and the table set. =20 She was astonished! =20 It turns out that Ralph had read an article that said wives who work full-time and had to do their own housework were too tired to have sex. =20 The night went well and the next day, she = told her office friends all about it. "We had a great dinner. Ralph even cleaned up. He helped the kids do their homework, folded all the = laundry and put it away. I really enjoyed the evening." =20 "But what about afterward?" asked her friends. =20 =20 =20 "Oh, that .., Ralph was too tired.." =20 back to top <>=20 =20 Single Dads=20 =20 Berlin, Krakow, Auschwitz =20 By Tony Miller =20 As some of the readers know I am touring Europe at present on the cheap = with my son. It has been the most difficult trip of my life. I am 51, he is = 21. He has backpacked much for his age, for me it's the first time. But that = has not been so much the difficult part. It has more to do with a dad trying = to break into what sadly seems a closed heart. We have spent most of the = latter part of his young life apart and the object, at least from me, was to = try and catch up. I guess try and understand each other and try and = understand the past a little better. Just a dad who still sees a little boy rather = then a man. A dad who still remembers the cuddles and the kisses from his = boy. A dad just trying to catch up on the years between. I have shed some = tears, quietly and away from view on this trip, and I suppose there will = possibly be more to come. I am not giving up, this is my boy, my son, whatever it takes, I must reach into this heart and break the shell that has = surrounded it. =20 We are in Krakow Poland at present after travelling the night train from Berlin. It was on this train yesterday in the early hours of the morning that I realised the gravity of this particular leg of the trip meant. We = had booked a 'couchette', a kind of cabin which has six bunks you share with other passengers. It was not very comfortable and I found the stench = from the toilets invading the room. I spoke to a guy who was sharing our = cabin during the night and asked if he was on holidays, in broken English he explained he was going home to bury his mother. I said I was sorry and = left it at that. I couldn't sleep very well, trying to figure out if I was = doing the right thing trying to connect with my boy or not. Eventually the = swaying of the train lulled me into sleep and I awoke in the very early hours of light. I got up and stood in the corridor of the train staring out at = the bleak countryside covered in snow. =20 It was here as I stared out that window that I realised that a group of people also travelled this same route only they were standing, jammed in like sardines into cattle trucks. I wondered as my eye caught this = structure or tree or mountain or hill, if some poor soul's eye maybe caught that = same object so many years ago through the cracks of their carriage. They = stood side by side, too crammed even to sit, a bucket in the corner was their toilet if they could reach it, most could not so they defecated where = they stood, the stench would of pervaded every inch of their cramped space. = The old and frail, the young, the children, oh the poor children, how = terrifying it must of been. Here I was complaining in my mind of the conditions I = was travelling, the more the train travelled the more I understood. Those travellers so long ago had no idea of what lay ahead. =20 I had undertaken this part of the trip to impart a lesson on my young = bloke. My dad had often talked of the war and always ended these conversations = with 'mans inhumanity to man' while shaking his head as if in disgust. My = reason for bringing my young bloke here was simple. The survivors of the = Holocaust are dying out. The memory needs to be passed on so it doesn't happen = again. Although sadly you only need to turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper to = see it is still happening all over the world. And for some of us we don't = need even to look that far, for some you only need to look into your own backyard. 'Mans inhumanity to man', in its most simple form, is purely = an act of unkindness to your fellow man. I think we can all be guilty of = that in some form or other. =20 Anyway, I am just a dad trying to impart a lesson, something I guess to leave behind me. I am just a dad and dads should show their young the = way. I haven't been a great example in the past, maybe I can make up some time = on this trip. Only the future knows. Tomorrow we head for Auschwitz = Birkenau, and it is there I wish to pay my respects to those that went through its gates and those that didn't make it. It is also where I want to find forgiveness in my heart for those that perpetrated those terrible = crimes. Sounds strange doesn't it? But that's also the lesson I wish to impart = to my boy. Forgiveness, often it's a very hard ask, none the less, you cannot = move forward unless you can find it. =20 Tony Miller=20 Founder Dads in Distress back to top <>=20 =20 Special Feature =20 Slow Down! You Move Too Fast By Adrienne Mand = ABC News Nov 1 2004 =20 Carl Honor=E9, a recovered "speedaholic," had an epiphany three years = ago that caused him to slow down the hectic pace of his life.=20 =20 A journalist based in London, Honor=E9 read a newspaper article on = timesaving tips that referenced a book of one-minute bedtime stories. He found it = an appealing idea since he'd already gotten in the habit of speed-reading = "The Cat in the Hat" to his son.=20 =20 "My first reaction was, yes, one-minute bedtime stories," he said. "My = next thought was, whoa, has it really come to this? That was really when a = light bulb went off in my head."=20 =20 He realized he had become so anxious to rush through the nightly ritual = that he'd rather get seven or even eight stories done in less time than he'd normally spend reading one, quality time be damned.=20 =20 So he embarked on finding a way to address the issue of "time poverty," = the constant fast-forward motion in which many overscheduled, stressed-out Americans are always rushing toward their next task - work, meals, = family time, even sex - rather than savoring what they consider most important. = =20 Honor=E9's recent book, "In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement = Is Challenging the Cult of Speed," has made him the unofficial godfather of = a growing cultural shift toward slowing down.=20 =20 "[There's a] backlash against the mainstream dictate that faster is = always better, which puts quantity always ahead of quality," he said. "People = all across the West are waking up to the folly of that."=20 =20 For advocates of the Slow Movement, it's not about rejecting technology = or changing modern life completely, but rather about keeping it all in = balance - not talking on the phone, driving and checking a BlackBerry while = headed to the drive-thru before the next meeting.=20 =20 "I love technology. I love speed. You need some things to be fast - ice hockey, squash, a fast Internet connection," Honor=E9 said. But, he = said, "My passion for speed had become an addiction. I was doing everything = faster."=20 =20 Americans Start to Embrace the Slow The Slow Movement has been thriving for years in Europe, where Slow = Cities encourage walking and more interaction with people. Slow Food, which advocates both healthy ingredients in cooking as well as enjoying meals, = has been a force since the 1980s.=20 In the United States, the movement is small but growing. Slow Food USA = has grown to 12,000 members in 140 chapters from 1,500 adherents when it was founded in 2000.=20 =20 Erika Lesser, executive director of Slow Food USA, said part of the = movement is about slowing down enough to not only enjoy food but spend time = eating - not just at a desk or in front of the TV. "It's something that we talk = about all the time, something which manifests itself in what we try to set as = an example for our members," she said. "Slowness is a philosophical idea. = It's not like following a diet. People interpret it in their own way."=20 =20 Even people with the most hectic schedules can apply some of the values = to their lives, she said, by cooking one meal a week with family and = friends and shopping at local farmer's markets rather than supermarkets.=20 =20 In addition, Slow Food USA is working with schools to create gardens and utilize their produce to teach about biodiversity in the food supply. = "We've tapped into this vein of interest in alternative food choices," she = said.=20 =20 Seeking a Work-Life Balance Between working long hours and constantly being connected to the office = by technology, the division between work and personal time is often blurred = for many Americans. But there's momentum behind a movement to ensure that a work-life balance can be achieved.=20 =20 The Take Back Your Time initiative in North America is advocating more personal time and simpler lives for all individuals. "Our feeling was = one of the biggest prices that Americans pay for our endless obsession with = having more stuff and ever-expanding material life and we never get a break = from work, despite labor-saving and time-saving devices," said national coordinator John de Graaf. "We feel the cost of our country's extreme orientation to consumerism."=20 =20 De Graaf said the group hopes to initiate legislation to address things = such as paid family and medical leave, three weeks minimum annual paid = vacation and a cap on mandatory overtime, policies that are in place in other countries.=20 =20 In fact, if you lived in many parts of Europe and had not taken any time off, as of this week you could take nine weeks vacation - the rest of = the year. To highlight this, Oct. 24 marked=20 =20 "Take Back Your Time Day," symbolizing the 350-hour difference in work = time. "That's a lot of time that's taken away from other things people might = be able to do," de Graaf said.=20 =20 To mark the day, the group encouraged people to host such things as barbecues and family events, as well as church discussions. But the = effort should not be mistaken for "international slackers day," de Graaf said.=20 =20 "We're not about being lazy," he said. "We believe work is important and valuable, but we believe Americans have pushed themselves too far.=20 =20 "We certainly believe that companies can do this," he added. "We need = some legislation that sets some floors. Everything that we're asking for is pretty much already the law in other industrialized countries in the = world, capitalist countries."=20 =20 What to Do? To transition to a slower life, Honor=E9 has several suggestions: don't schedule something in every free moment of your day; prioritize = activities and cut from the bottom of the list; limit television watching; and keep = an eye on your "personal speedometer" so you can gauge when you are rushing = for speed's sake rather than necessity.=20 =20 But don't expect the change to happen immediately - or even naturally. = "You don't slow down by snapping you're fingers, 'Now I'm slow,' " said = Honor=E9, who got a speeding ticket on his way to a Slow Food dinner as he = researched the book.=20 =20 "That happens," he said. "My life has been transformed by it, but I = still feel that old itch."=20 =20 Though it may seem radical to opt out of standard activities or turn off your cell phone, you won't be alone. There are many people saying "slow" should not be demonized but celebrated as a healthier way of life.=20 =20 "They're battling against basic human impulses, as well as the = prevailing culture," Honor=E9 said. "But once they make the jump and see how much = it pays off, they don't look back. Nobody has two burnouts."=20 back to top <>=20 =20 Thought of the Week = = =20 =20 To you and your children. Stay together, learn the flowers, go light Stay together, learn the flowers, go light. =20 Gary Snyder (quote from poem - For the Children) =20 =20 =20 back to top <>=20 =20 All You Need is Love =20 Exes Who Remarry Feel Lucky For Second Chance =20 Some Divorced Couples Give Marriage Another Shot 10News.com=20 San Diego Feb 9, 2007 =20 For Pepper and Ron Miller, divorce was the best thing to happen to their marriage. =20 The pair wed in 1988, split in 1996 and then tied the knot again in = 2001. They say being married the second time around has been healthier and = more stable thanks to the time they spent apart. =20 In those five years, the Millers attended therapy and reflected = individually on what they learned. Pepper practiced putting her needs first in relationships, something she says she failed to do while married the = first time, and which led to resentment on her part. =20 "I wasn't as secure as I thought I should be," says Pepper, founder of = The Hunter Miller Group, a consumer research and marketing firm in Chicago. = "I made the marriage more about Ron. I didn't stand up for myself enough. = If you don't know your own value then the other person doesn't." =20 Ron, a real estate broker, says he came to understand that Pepper, who = was an only child, treats her girlfriends as sisters and spends a lot of = time socializing. While those close relationships initially irked him, Ron, = who grew up in a large family, came to accept them and appreciate how = important they were to Pepper. =20 So the pair, who continued to attend the same church after their = divorce, gradually began seeing each other again -- first over casual lunches and later romantically. They formed a friendship they say was lacking the = first time around. They realized they shared values and goals. =20 And in August 2001, while on a cruise with her father, Pepper found a = note from Ron in her suitcase. In it, he asked her to marry him. She e-mailed back a yes. =20 It's not just celebrity couples who get hitched again after a well-publicized break, though there have been plenty of those. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton did it in 1975, but split a year later. = Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner made a second go of it in 1972 and stayed = together until her death nine years later. Rapper Eminem and his wife, Kimberly, married in 1999 and again in 2006, the latter marriage lasting a little = over three months. =20 There are no statistics on how many people remarry their exes, or how = many of those remarriages succeed. But nearly half of first marriages in the United States end in divorce, and more than 60 percent of second = marriages do. =20 So what compels couples to try again? =20 Some, therapists say, wed young and regret never having played the = field. Once they return to the dating world, they realize that what they had = wasn't so bad. =20 Others split after falling out of love. Convinced they just needed a different spouse, they find they miss the one they were with. =20 And then there are those who divorce after the ups and downs of marriage become too much to bear. With time and therapy, however, they realize = the importance of communication and forgiveness, and rekindle their love. =20 "Some people get divorced too quickly," says William J. Doherty, = director of the marriage and family therapy program at the University of Minnesota = and author of "Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That = Pulls Us Apart" (Guilford Press, 2001). =20 "Some people get divorced because they fall in love with somebody else = and that other relationship breaks up. Some people get divorced when they = are not smart enough to know that they were going through a rough patch." =20 A couple that breaks up over something relatively clearcut, such as drug = or alcohol addiction or an extramarital affair, might seem to have a slim = shot of success the second time around, but some experts beg to differ. They = say that if the guilty party curbs the habit or wins forgiveness, a second = try at marriage could succeed. =20 "If it is something external like that, I think it is easier for the partners to tie their breakup to that event than if it is something less tangible like, 'Well, I woke up today and decided I don't really like = you,"' says James Morris, assistant professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Texas Tech University. =20 And there is a second group of people affected by remarriers: their = kids, who can suffer more disappointment. =20 "Many children of divorce carry with them hidden secret fantasies that = mom and dad will get back together," says Craig Everett, director of the = Arizona Institute for Family Therapy and the editor of the "Journal of Divorce = and Remarriage." "But when mom and dad actually get back together, it can rekindle a lot of the pain and anger they experienced when mom and dad = were fighting before they got divorced." =20 So what do therapists advise for couples willing to get hitched again? =20 Therapy helped the Millers. For instance, Pepper had refused to "fix = Ron's plate," a custom among some blacks in which a wife serves her husband = his meal as a sign of affection. Pepper found it too subservient. In = therapy, she learned that Ron had grown up having his meal delivered by his = mother and sisters, and to him it was a demonstration of love. =20 So one day after they got back together, Pepper brought a plate to him = as he watched TV. She then went back into the kitchen to load the dishwasher, = only to be interrupted by a bear hug from Ron. =20 "That's learning to love someone the way they need to be loved," she = says. "That's something I didn't see the first time." back to top <>=20 =20 News & Info =20 Australia's Drought A Call to Pray and Fast =20 Forty Days of Prayer & Preparation=20 beginning Australia Day - 26 Jan 07 =20 The current drought, which is affecting most parts of southern and = eastern Australia, is currently reaching crisis proportions. Chris Davis, CEO of = the Australian Water Association, says the drought has surpassed the = Federation drought of 1895-1902. As the worst drought on record, Blair Trewin, one = of the authors of the enclosed 12 month drought report from the Bureau of Meteorology, is more cautious than Chris Davis and his assessment is = that some parts of South Eastern Australia and Southern and South Western Australia are not as bad as the Federation drought but some areas are = much worse. The final Annual Climate Statement 2006 from the Bureau of Meteorology is also attached or follow the link:=20 =20 http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/climate/change/2007010= 3.s html=20 =20 Dam levels for capital cities:=20 =20 BRISBANE: 21.99%=20 SYDNEY: 37%=20 CANBERRA: 35.17%=20 MELBOURNE: 35.2%=20 HOBART: 94.00%=20 ADELAIDE: 56.00 %=20 PERTH: 24.2%=20 DARWIN: 79%=20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 MAKE 2007 THE YEARTO BEAT=20 =20 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE =20 Make 2007 the year to keep your heart healthy.=20 Listed below are some great tips to get you started: * Physical activity doesn't have to be vigorous - at any age, = brisk walking for 30 minutes is a great way to keep healthy. * Make regular visits to your GP to have your cholesterol levels = and blood pressure checked. * Commit to changing your diet. Choose lean meats, skinless = poultry, oily fish and stick to the low and reduced-fat diary products. * Plant-based foods are another healthier choice. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and legumes and choose wholegrain products. * If you smoke, give your body a break and quit the cigarettes = once and for all. =20 From the Heart Foundation www.heartfoundation.com.au=20 ___________________________________________________ =20 Grandparents taken for granted =20 http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21210337-421,00.html ___________________________________________________ =20 =20 Letters =20 Dear Fatherhood Foundation =20 We are pleased to announce the birth of our new baby daughter! Mackenzie (no middle name yet) Reid. Born 14th February 2007. 11:16pm. 3.600g (7lb15oz) 50cm. Mum and bub both well. Dad recovering slowly. =20 Josh & Loretta Reid =20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * =20 Dear Fatherhood Foundation =20 For those of you who may not have already heard; Jessica Yvette Tawse = was born 4:25pm Wednesday 14/2/07 (induced at 5 days late!), weighing 3.55kg (7lb13), 50.5cm long. Yve and Jessica are happy and healthy and spending some time getting to know each other in Newcastle Private Hospital! Tony = and Emily are spending some time keeping each other busy and also visiting = Yve and Jessica. =20 Tony & Yve Tawse =20 =20 ****************************** Dear Fathehood Foundation,=20 Hi Warwick, Great news about your office space! God is (ALWAYS) faithful. Bless ya heaps. Martins P.S. How is the recruiting going? back to top <>=20 =20 Dad's Prayer =20 =20 =20 =20 Dear God =20 The sky is so blue. The flowers are so beautiful. Your creation speaks=20 of many things not yet seen. The air is alive with mystery, The moments have not yet been experienced. So let me enjoy the moment with you and with the ones I love because all we have is=20 this moment, and each other. Everything comes from you and goes back to you, so let us enjoy the journey together. back to top <>=20 =20 Help Us Click here for more information about us =20 Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity.=20 Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source = of harm.=20 The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, = involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation = Public Fund and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund=20 (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558=20 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 440 WOLLONGONG NSW 2520 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the = Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish = to receive future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below or send = an email to info@fathersonline.org with = the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject heading. back to top <>=20 =09 Click Here to Unsubscribe ------=_NextPart_000_004F_01C77B9D.6053B910 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Fatherhood = Foundation
17th Feb 07

 
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Un= able=20 to read this email? Please click here
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Issue 233 - 5 th February, 2007 Go to our website Here


Hello Ron

Adam=20 Sandler is a very funny man, but can be a bit rough around = the edges=20 for my liking. Alas, so is much of modern comedy. The movie = 'Click'=20 is Sandler to a tee. Happy Gilmore move over. Acerbic, = sharp, funny=20 and pushing the boundaries of humour (often in the wrong = direction)=20 this movie is something more than a comedy. 'Click' packs a = message=20 with a steel punch. Put family first is the message, and = Sandler=20 shows no mercy in its delivery. The story centres around a = guy who=20 is given a remote control so that he can stop, rewind or = fast=20 forward at any time in his life all the things that happen = to him.=20 At first this seems like a great idea, but later in the = movie he=20 realises that his tendency to fast-forward-bias in his life = has=20 become a default setting on the remote control, whilst = rewind has=20 become next to impossible. I'm sure every man who loves his = remote=20 control would dream about the possibilities.

 

'Click' is a parody of modern life in the fast = lane. Does=20 anyone remember the song? The trouble is that the fast lane = is not a=20 good place to raise a family, nor is it a good place for the = soul.=20 Maybe we should heed more often Simon & Garfunkel's = words, "Slow=20 down you move too fast" in our increasingly frenetic=20 world.

 

Margaret J Wheatley gave a speech a few years ago = at the=20 Robert K Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership annual = conference.=20 Her words are poignant and articulate the problem well. =

 

"This=20 really is a movement in a direction of being able to create = a future=20 that we all want. I feel a strong imperative. I feel the = peril of=20 this moment, that if we don't learn how to come together=20 differently, in our organisation, in our communities, in our = families. If we don't learn how to come together = differently, then=20 we are doomed. No this is said a little more elegantly by = Gary=20 Snyder, the American poet. He wrote this in the sixties, = that's=20 rather depressing to me because he had already given up by = then and=20 here we are at the millennium. But he called this poem, 'For = the=20 Children'.

 

The=20 rising hills. The slopes of statistics lie before = us.

The=20 steep climb of everything going up, up as we all

Go=20 down. In the next century they say our valleys = and

Pastures, we can meet there in peace, if we make=20 it.

To=20 climb these coming crests, one word to you, to = you

And=20 your children. Stay together, learn the flowers,

Go=20 light. Stay together, learn the flowers, go = light.

 

I=20 believe that is our work. I want to talk about each of those = things.=20 One of the strange things going on at the end of this = millennium in=20 western culture is that we have become, I believe, victims = of many=20 different beliefs. I'm only going to talk about two of them=20 today.

 

The=20 first is the belief that we can ignore time. The belief that = we can=20 negotiate with time, that we have in fact forgotten about = things=20 like natural rhythms, about cycles, about change, as part of = the=20 natural process. And instead we believe that it's a straight = trajectory into the future, and we can go as fast as we = please. Of=20 course this moves us away from nature, from rhythm, from a = sense of=20 place, and we are really struggling with this. I believe = that our=20 current effort to try and ignore time and growth and stages = and=20 cycles. I believe it is truly driving us crazy.

 

Lawrence Van der Post the south African writer, = photographer,=20 philosopher, said that things had gotten so serious in the = world=20 that he really feared for us. Someone asked him, "Well, what = would=20 you recommend, Sir Lawrence? What would you recommend that = we do?",=20 he said, "I would declare a year of silence."

 

Poet=20 Pablo Neruda said the same thing: "Now we will count to = twelve and=20 we will all keep still. For once on the face of the earth, = let's not=20 speak in any language. Let's stop for one second and not = move our=20 arm so much. It would be an exotic moment. Without rush, = without=20 engines, we would all be together in a sudden strangeness. = If we=20 were not so single minded, in keeping our lives moving and = for once=20 could do nothing perhaps" (this is the part of this poem I = love.)=20 "Perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness of = never=20 understanding ourselves, and with threatening ourselves with = death."

 

Lovework

 

Silence is golden. Rest is important. 'Time to stop = and=20 stare' as the poet Robbie Burns said are critical factors to = recharge the batteries. Fasting is a wonderful way to give = your body=20 a rest. Prayer is a wonderful way to recharge your=20 spirit.

 

If=20 you live your life in fast forward you will most likely = destroy your=20 family as Adam Sandler so eloquently points out in 'Click'. = If you=20 remember nothing else don't forget the melody to 'Slow down = you move=20 too fast'. Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.

 

Yours=20 for living in the moment.

Warwick Marsh

 

PS=20 Good news! Some parts of the East Coast have had their best = rain in=20 many years. Who says that prayer does not work?

 

The=20 drought still grips the southern half of Australia and = South-Eastern=20 Queensland. For those who are willing and able check the = information=20 regarding the National Solemn Assembly for 9-11 March in = Canberra.=20 The NSA is the culmination of a 40 Day period of = preparation, prayer=20 and fasting for the breaking of the drought.

 

 __________________________________________________________= _


Warwick=20 Marsh  has been married to Alison for 31 = years.=20 He is the father of five children, four boys and one girl, = ranging=20 in age from 26 years to 14 years.  Warwick is a = musician,=20 songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think = he can=20 still laugh at himself.

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=20

Grandads

 

The foolish = man seeks=20 happiness

in the=20 distance;

The wise = grows it under=20 his feet.

 

James = Openheim

 

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=20

Laughter

 

Housework = was a woman's job,=20 but one evening, Jenny arrived home from work to find the = children=20 bathed, one load of laundry in the washer and another in the = dryer.  Dinner = was on=20 the stove, and the table set.

 

She=20 was astonished!

 

It=20 turns out that Ralph had read an article that said wives who = work=20 full-time and had to do their own housework were too tired = to have=20 sex.

 

The=20 night went well and the next day, she told her office=20 friends all about it. "We had a great dinner. Ralph even = cleaned up.=20 He helped the kids do =20 their homework, folded all the laundry and put it = away. I=20 really enjoyed the evening."

 

 "But what about = afterward?"=20 asked her friends.

 

 

 

"Oh,=20 that .., Ralph was too tired.."

 

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=20

Single Dads

<= SPAN=20 style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">

 

Berlin, Krakow, Auschwitz

By=20 Tony Miller

 

As=20 some of the readers know I am touring Europe at present on the cheap with = my son. It=20 has been the most difficult trip of my life. I am 51, he is = 21. He=20 has backpacked much for his age, for me it's the first time. = But=20 that has not been so much the difficult part. It has more to = do with=20 a dad trying to break=20 into what sadly seems a closed heart. We have spent most of = the=20 latter part of his young life apart and the object, at least = from=20 me, was to try and catch up. I guess try and understand each = other=20 and try and understand the past a little better. Just a dad = who=20 still sees a little boy rather then a man. A dad who still = remembers=20 the cuddles and the kisses from his boy. A dad just trying = to catch=20 up on the years between. I have shed some tears, quietly and = away=20 from view on this trip, and I suppose there will possibly be = more to=20 come. I am not giving up, this is my boy, my son, whatever = it takes,=20 I must reach into this heart and break the shell that has = surrounded=20 it.

 

We are=20 in Krakow Poland at present after travelling the night train = from=20 Berlin. It was on this train yesterday in the early hours of = the=20 morning that I realised the gravity of this particular leg = of the=20 trip meant. We had booked a 'couchette', a kind of cabin = which has=20 six bunks you share with other passengers. It was not very=20 comfortable and I found the stench from the toilets invading = the=20 room. I spoke to a guy who was sharing our cabin during the = night=20 and asked if he was on holidays, in broken English he=20 explained he was going home = to bury his=20 mother. I said I was sorry and left it at that. I couldn't = sleep=20 very well, trying to figure out if I was doing the right = thing=20 trying to connect with my boy or not. Eventually the swaying = of the=20 train lulled me into sleep and I awoke in the very early = hours of=20 light. I got up and stood in the corridor of the train = staring out=20 at the bleak countryside covered in=20 snow.

 

It was=20 here as I stared out that window that I realised that a = group of=20 people also travelled this same route only they were = standing,=20 jammed in like sardines into cattle trucks. I wondered as my = eye=20 caught this structure or tree or mountain or hill, if some = poor=20 soul's eye maybe caught that same object so many years ago = through=20 the cracks of their carriage. They stood side by side, too = crammed=20 even to sit, a bucket in the corner was their toilet if they = could=20 reach it, most could not so they defecated where they stood, = the=20 stench would of pervaded every inch of their cramped space. = The old=20 and frail, the young, the children, oh the poor children, = how=20 terrifying it must of been. Here I was complaining in my = mind of the=20 conditions I was travelling, the more the train travelled the = more I=20 understood. Those travellers so long ago had no idea of what = lay=20 ahead.

 

I had=20 undertaken this part of the trip to impart a lesson on my = young=20 bloke. My dad had often talked of the war and always ended = these=20 conversations with 'mans inhumanity to man' while shaking = his head=20 as if in disgust. My reason for bringing my young bloke here = was=20 simple. The survivors of the Holocaust are dying out. The = memory=20 needs to be passed on so it doesn't happen again. Although = sadly you=20 only need to turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper to see it = is=20 still happening all over the world. And for some of us we = don't need=20 even to look that far, for some you only need to look into = your own=20 backyard. 'Mans inhumanity to man', in its most simple form, = is=20 purely an act of unkindness to your fellow man. I think we = can all=20 be guilty of that in some form or=20 other.

 

Anyway, I am just a dad trying to impart a = lesson,=20 something I guess to leave behind me. I am just a dad and = dads=20 should show their young the way. I haven't been a great = example in=20 the past, maybe I can make up some time on this trip. Only = the=20 future knows. Tomorrow we head for Auschwitz Birkenau, and = it is=20 there I wish to pay my respects to those that went through = its gates=20 and those that didn't make it. It is also where I want to = find=20 forgiveness in my heart for those that perpetrated those = terrible=20 crimes. Sounds strange doesn't it? But that's also the = lesson I wish=20 to impart to my boy. Forgiveness, often it's a very hard = ask, none=20 the less, you cannot move forward unless you can find=20 it.

 

Tony=20 Miller

Founder Dads in=20 Distress

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=20

Special Feature

 

Slow Down! You Move Too=20 Fast

By Adrienne Mand

ABC News Nov 1=20 2004

 

Carl Honor=E9, a recovered = "speedaholic,"=20 had an epiphany three years ago that caused him to slow down = the=20 hectic pace of his life.

 

A journalist based in = London, Honor=E9=20 read a newspaper article on timesaving tips that referenced = a book=20 of one-minute bedtime stories. He found it an appealing idea = since=20 he'd already gotten in the habit of speed-reading "The Cat = in the=20 Hat" to his son.

 

"My first reaction was, yes, = one-minute=20 bedtime stories," he said. "My next thought was, whoa, has = it really=20 come to this? That was really when a light bulb went off in = my=20 head."

 

He realized he had become so = anxious to=20 rush through the nightly ritual that he'd rather get seven = or even=20 eight stories done in less time than he'd normally spend = reading=20 one, quality time be damned.

 

So he embarked on finding a = way to=20 address the issue of "time poverty," the constant = fast-forward=20 motion in which many overscheduled, stressed-out Americans = are=20 always rushing toward their next task - work, meals, = family=20 time, even sex - rather than savoring what they = consider most=20 important.

 

Honor=E9's recent book, "In = Praise of=20 Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult = of=20 Speed," has made him the unofficial godfather of a growing = cultural=20 shift toward slowing down.

 

"[There's a] backlash against = the=20 mainstream dictate that faster is always better, which puts = quantity=20 always ahead of quality," he said. "People all across the = West are=20 waking up to the folly of that."

 

For advocates of the Slow = Movement,=20 it's not about rejecting technology or changing modern life=20 completely, but rather about keeping it all in = balance - not=20 talking on the phone, driving and checking a BlackBerry = while headed=20 to the drive-thru before the next meeting. =

 

"I love technology. I love = speed. You=20 need some things to be fast - ice hockey, squash, a = fast=20 Internet connection," Honor=E9 said. But, he said, "My = passion for=20 speed had become an addiction. I was doing everything = faster."=20

 

Americans Start to = Embrace the=20 Slow

The Slow Movement has been = thriving for=20 years in Europe, where = Slow Cities=20 encourage walking and more interaction with people. Slow = Food, which=20 advocates both healthy ingredients in cooking as well as = enjoying=20 meals, has been a force since the 1980s. =

In the United=20 States, the movement is = small but=20 growing. Slow Food USA has grown = to 12,000=20 members in 140 chapters from 1,500 adherents when it was = founded in=20 2000.

 

Erika Lesser, executive = director of=20 Slow Food USA, said part of the movement is about slowing = down=20 enough to not only enjoy food but spend time eating - = not just=20 at a desk or in front of the TV. "It's something that we = talk about=20 all the time, something which manifests itself in what we = try to set=20 as an example for our members," she said. "Slowness is a=20 philosophical idea. It's not like following a diet. People = interpret=20 it in their own way."

 

Even people with the most = hectic=20 schedules can apply some of the values to their lives, she = said, by=20 cooking one meal a week with family and friends and shopping = at=20 local farmer's markets rather than supermarkets.=20

 

In addition, Slow Food=20 USA is working = with=20 schools to create gardens and utilize their produce to teach = about=20 biodiversity in the food supply. "We've tapped into this = vein of=20 interest in alternative food choices," she said.=20

 

Seeking a Work-Life=20 Balance

Between working long hours = and=20 constantly being connected to the office by technology, the = division=20 between work and personal time is often blurred for many = Americans.=20 But there's momentum behind a movement to ensure that a = work-life=20 balance can be achieved.

 

The Take Back Your Time = initiative in=20 North America is = advocating more=20 personal time and simpler lives for all individuals. "Our = feeling=20 was one of the biggest prices that Americans pay for our = endless=20 obsession with having more stuff and ever-expanding material = life=20 and we never get a break from work, despite labor-saving and = time-saving devices," said national coordinator John de = Graaf. "We=20 feel the cost of our country's extreme orientation to = consumerism."=20

 

De Graaf said the group hopes = to=20 initiate legislation to address things such as paid family = and=20 medical leave, three weeks minimum annual paid vacation and = a cap on=20 mandatory overtime, policies that are in place in other = countries.=20

 

In fact, if you lived in many = parts of=20 Europe and had not taken = any time=20 off, as of this week you could take nine weeks = vacation - the=20 rest of the year. To highlight this, Oct. 24 marked=20

 

"Take Back Your Time Day," = symbolizing=20 the 350-hour difference in work time. "That's a lot of time = that's=20 taken away from other things people might be able to do," de = Graaf=20 said.

 

To mark the day, the group = encouraged=20 people to host such things as barbecues and family events, = as well=20 as church discussions. But the effort should not be mistaken = for=20 "international slackers day," de Graaf said. =

 

"We're not about being lazy," = he said.=20 "We believe work is important and valuable, but we believe = Americans=20 have pushed themselves too far.

 

"We certainly believe that = companies=20 can do this," he added. "We need some legislation that sets = some=20 floors. Everything that we're asking for is pretty much = already the=20 law in other industrialized countries in the world, = capitalist=20 countries."

 

What to=20 Do?

To transition to a slower = life, Honor=E9=20 has several suggestions: don't schedule something in every = free=20 moment of your day; prioritize activities and cut from the = bottom of=20 the list; limit television watching; and keep an eye on your = "personal speedometer" so you can gauge when you are rushing = for=20 speed's sake rather than necessity.

 

But don't expect the change = to happen=20 immediately - or even naturally. "You don't slow down = by=20 snapping you're fingers, 'Now I'm slow,' " said Honor=E9, = who got a=20 speeding ticket on his way to a Slow Food dinner as he = researched=20 the book.

 

"That happens," he said. "My = life has=20 been transformed by it, but I still feel that old itch."=20

 

Though it may seem radical to = opt out=20 of standard activities or turn off your cell phone, you = won't be=20 alone. There are many people saying "slow" should not be = demonized=20 but celebrated as a healthier way of life. =

 

"They're battling against = basic human=20 impulses, as well as the prevailing culture," Honor=E9 said. = "But once=20 they make the jump and see how much it pays off, they don't = look=20 back. Nobody has two burnouts."

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=20

Thought of the Week

 

To you and = your=20 children.

Stay = together, learn the=20 flowers, go light

Stay = together, learn the=20 flowers, go light.

 

Gary = Snyder

(quote from = poem - For the=20 Children)

 

 

 

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=20

All You Need is Love

 

Exes Who Remarry Feel Lucky For Second Chance

Some Divorced Couples Give Marriage Another=20 Shot

10News.com=20

San=20 Diego

Feb 9,=20 2007

 

For Pepper and = Ron Miller,=20 divorce was the best thing to happen to their=20 marriage.

 

The pair wed = in 1988,=20 split in 1996 and then tied the knot again in 2001. They say = being=20 married the second time around has been healthier and more = stable=20 thanks to the time they spent = apart.

 

In those five = years, the=20 Millers attended therapy and reflected individually on what = they=20 learned. Pepper practiced putting her needs first in = relationships,=20 something she says she failed to do while married the first = time,=20 and which led to resentment on her=20 part.

 

"I wasn't as = secure as I=20 thought I should be," says Pepper, founder of The Hunter = Miller=20 Group, a consumer research and marketing firm in Chicago. "I=20 made the marriage more about Ron. I didn't stand up for = myself=20 enough. If you don't know your own value then the other = person=20 doesn't."

 

Ron, a real = estate broker,=20 says he came to understand that Pepper, who was an only = child,=20 treats her girlfriends as sisters and spends a lot of time=20 socializing. While those close relationships initially irked = him,=20 Ron, who grew up in a large family, came to accept them and=20 appreciate how important

they were to=20 Pepper.

 

So the pair, = who continued=20 to attend the same church after their divorce, gradually = began=20 seeing each other again -- first over casual lunches and = later=20 romantically. They formed a friendship they say was lacking = the=20 first time around. They realized they shared values and=20 goals.

 

And in August = 2001, while=20 on a cruise with her father, Pepper found a note from Ron in = her=20 suitcase. In it, he asked her to marry him. She e-mailed = back a=20 yes.

 

It's not just = celebrity=20 couples who get hitched again after a well-publicized break, = though=20 there have been plenty of those. Elizabeth Taylor and = Richard Burton=20 did it in 1975, but split a year later. Natalie Wood and = Robert=20 Wagner made a second go of it in 1972 and stayed together = until her=20 death nine years later. Rapper Eminem and his wife, = Kimberly,=20 married in 1999 and again in 2006, the latter marriage = lasting a=20 little over three months.

 

There are no = statistics on=20 how many people remarry their exes, or how many of those = remarriages=20 succeed. But nearly half of first marriages in the=20 United=20 States end in divorce, and = more=20 than 60 percent of second marriages = do.

 

So what = compels couples to=20 try again?

 

Some, = therapists say, wed=20 young and regret never having played the field. Once they = return to=20 the dating world, they realize that what they had wasn't so=20 bad.

 

Others split = after falling=20 out of love. Convinced they just needed a different spouse, = they=20 find they miss the one they were = with.

 

And then there = are those=20 who divorce after the ups and downs of marriage become too = much to=20 bear. With time and therapy, however, they realize the = importance of=20 communication and forgiveness, and rekindle their=20 love.

 

"Some people = get divorced=20 too quickly," says William J. Doherty, director of the = marriage and=20 family therapy program at the University of Minnesota and = author of=20 "Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That = Pulls Us=20 Apart" (Guilford Press, 2001).

 

"Some people = get divorced=20 because they fall in love with somebody else and that other=20 relationship breaks up. Some people get divorced when they = are not=20 smart enough to know that they were going through a rough=20 patch."

 

A couple that = breaks up=20 over something relatively clearcut, such as drug or alcohol=20 addiction or an extramarital affair, might seem to have a = slim shot=20 of success the second time around, but some experts beg to = differ.=20 They say that if the guilty party curbs the habit or wins=20 forgiveness, a second try at marriage could=20 succeed.

 

"If it is = something=20 external like that, I think it is easier for the partners to = tie=20 their breakup to that event than if it is something less = tangible=20 like, 'Well, I woke up today and decided I don't really like = you,"'=20 says James Morris, assistant professor of Marriage and = Family=20 Therapy at

Texas Tech University.

 

And there is a = second=20 group of people affected by remarriers: their kids, who can = suffer=20 more disappointment.

 

"Many children = of divorce=20 carry with them hidden secret fantasies that mom and dad = will get=20 back together," says Craig Everett, director of the Arizona=20 Institute for Family Therapy and the editor of the "Journal = of=20 Divorce and Remarriage." "But when mom and dad actually get = back=20 together, it can rekindle a lot of the pain and anger they=20 experienced when mom and dad were fighting before they got=20 divorced."

 

So what do = therapists=20 advise for couples willing to get hitched=20 again?

 

Therapy helped = the=20 Millers. For instance, Pepper had refused to "fix Ron's = plate," a=20 custom among some blacks in which a wife serves her husband = his meal=20 as a sign of affection. Pepper found it too subservient. In = therapy,=20 she learned that Ron had grown up having his meal delivered = by his=20 mother and sisters, and to him it was a demonstration of=20 love.

 

So one day = after they got=20 back together, Pepper brought a plate to him as he watched = TV. She=20 then went back into the kitchen to load the dishwasher, only = to be=20 interrupted by a bear hug from = Ron.

 

"That's = learning to love=20 someone the way they need to be loved," she says. "That's = something=20 I didn't see the first time."

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=20

News & Info

 

Australia's=20 Drought

A Call to Pray and Fast

Forty Days=20 of Prayer & Preparation

beginning Australia Day - 26 Jan=20 07

 

The=20 current drought, which is affecting most parts of southern = and=20 eastern Australia, is = currently=20 reaching crisis proportions. Chris Davis, CEO of the = Australian=20 Water Association, says the drought has surpassed the = Federation=20 drought of 1895-1902. As the worst drought on record, Blair = Trewin,=20 one of the authors of the enclosed 12 month drought report = from the=20 Bureau of Meteorology, is more cautious than Chris Davis and = his=20 assessment is that some parts of South Eastern Australia and = Southern and South Western Australia are not as bad as the=20 Federation drought but some areas are much worse. The final = Annual=20 Climate Statement 2006 from the Bureau of Meteorology is = also=20 attached or follow the link: =

http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/climate/chang= e/20070103.shtml

 

Dam=20 levels for capital cities: =

 

BRISBANE: 21.99%=20

SYDNEY: 37%=20

CANBERRA: 35.17%=20

MELBOURNE: 35.2%=20

HOBART: 94.00%=20

ADELAIDE: 56.00 %=20

PERTH: 24.2%=20

DARWIN: 79%=20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAKE=20 2007 THE YEARTO = BEAT=20

 

CARDIOVASCULAR=20 DISEASE

 

Make=20 2007 the year to keep your heart healthy.=20

Listed=20 below are some great tips to get you=20 started:

*       =20 Physical activity doesn't have to be vigorous - at = any age,=20 brisk walking for 30 minutes is a great way to keep=20 healthy.

*       =20 Make regular visits to your GP to have your = cholesterol=20 levels and blood pressure=20 checked.

*       =20 Commit to changing your diet. Choose lean meats, = skinless=20 poultry, oily fish and stick to the low and reduced-fat = diary=20 products.

*       =20 Plant-based foods are another healthier choice. Eat = plenty of=20 vegetables, fruit and legumes and choose wholegrain=20 products.

*       =20 If you smoke, give your body a break and quit the = cigarettes=20 once and for all.

 

From=20 the Heart Foundation

www.heartfoundation.com.au 

___________________________________________________

 

Grandparents taken = for=20 granted

 

 http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21210337-421,00.html=

___________________________________________________

 

 

Letters

 

Dear=20 Fatherhood Foundation

 

We are=20 pleased to announce the birth of our new baby=20 daughter!

Mackenzie (no middle name yet) Reid. Born 14th = February 2007.=20 11:16pm. 3.600g (7lb15oz) 50cm. Mum and bub both well. Dad=20 recovering slowly.

 

Josh=20 & Loretta Reid

 

* * *=20 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * = *

 

Dear=20 Fatherhood Foundation

 

For=20 those of you who may not have already heard; Jessica Yvette = Tawse=20 was born 4:25pm Wednesday 14/2/07 (induced at 5 days late!), = weighing 3.55kg (7lb13), 50.5cm long. Yve and Jessica are = happy and=20 healthy and spending some time getting to know each other in = Newcastle=20 Private Hospital! Tony and = Emily are=20 spending some time keeping each other busy and also visiting = Yve and=20 Jessica.

 

Tony=20 & Yve = Tawse

 

 

******************************
Dear Fathehood Foundation,=20

Hi Warwick,
Great news = about your=20 office space!
God is (ALWAYS) faithful.
Bless ya=20 heaps.


Martins

P.S. How is the recruiting=20 going?

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=20

Dad's Prayer

 

 

Dear = God

 

The sky is = so=20 blue.

The = flowers are so=20 beautiful.

Your = creation speaks=20

of many = things not yet=20 seen.

The air is = alive with=20 mystery,

The = moments have not yet=20 been experienced.

So let me = enjoy the=20 moment with you

and with = the ones I=20 love

because = all we have is=20

this = moment, and each=20 other.

Everything = comes from=20 you

and goes = back to=20 you,

so let us = enjoy the=20 journey together.

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=20

Help Us

Click here for more information about us =

Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is = a Harm=20 Prevention Charity.
Fatherlessness and inadequate = fathering has=20 been proven to be a source of harm.

The Fatherhood Foundation = helps children=20 by promoting excellence  in fathering. Excellent = fathers are in=20 word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and = committed to the well-being of their children and their = children's=20 mother.

If you would like to give = financially to=20 the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax=20 deductibility:

Fatherhood = Foundation=20 Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details = must be=20 emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility)
Westpac = Branch=20 Wollongong
BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558 =

Or mail cheque and address = details=20 to:
PO Box 440
WOLLONGONG  NSW =20 2520
AUSTRALIA

The Fatherhood Foundation = Public=20 Fund  is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm=20 Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income = Tax=20 Assessment Act 1997.

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