Depression - at what age are you most prone to depression?

This is a very interesting discovery. The research conducted in this study found that we are most prone to depression at the age of 44. I am fairly certain that this would vary by a few years depending on one's context (i.e., whether you live in the first world, the global South etc.) But, it would seem to make sense.

I did some research on depression as part of my graduate work (more brain stuff!) and found that the causes of depression are varied and sophisticated. Generally, however, there are two sources that trigger depression:

1. Exogenous sources of depression - These are things that come from outside of one's self. A classic example of this depression is the kind of 'blues' that one feels after a significant loss (e.g., the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a move to a new town etc.) In its simplest form this kind of depression usually lasts a fairly short while (anywhere from a few days to around two or three weeks). It is possible to deal with this kind of depression through either changing the social environment that is causing it (i.e., taking a person to a place where they feel better, or exposing them to happy memories, offering hope for a changed future etc.), or helping the person to gain a new perspective on their current reality that helps them to transcend it. This is often what happens in counseling, support groups, and some forms of psychotherapy.

2. Endogenous causes of depression - this type of depression is much more subtle and can have longer lasting effects. This is the kind of depression that comes about as a result of a change in the body's chemistry. There is either a deficiency of certain chemicals (e.g., endorphins) or an abundance of others (e.g., melatonin). These chemicals either surpress or alter the brain's regular functioning which causes the feeling of depression, or they hinder the conductivity of the neural connections in the brain which also create problems in regular neurological functioning. Both instances are serious. Sadly, no amount of social intervention or psychotherapy can adequately resolve this type of depression. Whilst support may offer short term relief, a greater capacity to cope or gain meaning, the depression will ultimately return since it is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Currently the only effective solution is an intervention that will recreate the chemical balance (this is most effectively done through the careful use of medication, or through stimulating the endocrine system of the body to recreate that balance itself). In general I am always cautious about the use of drugs. However, there are clearly some situations where persons are in dire need of such intervention to find both relief and healing.

Like most people I have suffered from 'the blues' from time to time in my life. And, in my 17 years in the ministry I have journeyed with many, many people who struggle with depression. This has been a great honour! I am always amazed at how reluctant people are to admit that they're struggling and need either help or support. I think it would be fair to say that everyone is going to suffer from depression, to some extent or another, during their lifetime.

The one thing that I have seen, and experienced personally, is that the three traditional systems of being (body, mind, and spirit) have a knock on effect on each other. If you are not well in your body it will certainly have an effect on your mind, and your spiritual life. The converse is also true, a healthy spiritual life, and engaged mind, and a healthy body will all help to keep balance, perspective and a better quality of life. Sadly, our society has so neglected the spiritual element of our being that very often when we are faced with struggles that we should be able to deal with spiritually (death, loss, disappointment, confusion, loss of hope, existential questions, questions of meaning etc.) we are ill equipped to do so, and so we feel helpless, inadequate, and increase our sense of struggle. A healthy spiritual life is as important as a healthy body and mind.

So, it is best to set in place a lifestyle that will make one less prone to depression. However, be prepared for depression (it is a normal part of most people's lives), understand it, and find the support and help that can restore your life to its normal cycle.

Well, here's the story about the research that suggested that we are most prone to depression at the age of 44. It seems to make sense when one thinks of the major changes in the body (particularly among women) at that stage of life, and the change in life attitude and expectation among men.

Social Science & Medicine is publishing a study by the University of Warwick and Dartmouth College that found that the risk of becoming depressed peaks at age 44. The study used data from two million people in 80 countries.

Professor Oswald said for the average person, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year.

Only in their 50s do most people emerge from the low period.

"But encouragingly, by the time you are 70, if you are still physically fit then on average you are as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year-old.

Link (Via Mind Hacks)

Technorati tags: depression, help, depression help, depression support, care

A repository of hilarious (and sad) Loius Theroux Videos - see the one on the Infamous Westboro Baptist church

This is reposted from boingboing.net

Weird Weekends was a BBC2 show (1998-2000) about weird people and weird movements in America: UFO hunters, survivalists, white supremacists, habitual Vegas gamblers, porn actors, swingers, and so on.

It was hosted by Louis Theroux, son of writer Paul Theroux. A few days ago I downloaded a bunch of episodes of Weird Weekends from Google Video, and I have been enjoying them as much as any television I've ever seen. Even the ones I didn't think I'd be interested in (infomercial inventors) were fascinating.

Theroux is funny without being obnoxious, and his sense of curiosity is strong enough to make him ask potentially embarrassing but profoundly revealing questions of his subjects. The people Theroux interviews immediately feel comfortable around him because he is so friendly and non-threatening, which makes them open right up to him. (The only time I've seen anyone get mad at him was when he was interviewing a white racist skinhead family and he refused to tell them if he was Jewish or not.)

He also wrote a book in 2005 called The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures, where he goes back and visits the people he interviewed on his program. I just bought it but I'm going to hold off reading it until I've finished watching all the episodes.

Here are the videos I found (some are from later shows called When Louis Met... and another show called Louis and...). Each one is about an hour long, and you can download them to your iPhone or computer if you want to watch them offline: Survivalists, Neo-Nazis, Westboro Baptist Church, Porn Industry, Black Supremacists, Swingers, Body Builders, UFO Hunters, Apertheid Diehards in South Africa, Legal Nevada Brothels, Thai Brides, Gangsta' Rap, Hypnosis, Televangelists, Demolition Derby, Off-Off Broadway, Wrestling, Vegas, Enlightenment, San Quentin State Prison

UPDATE: Jesse Thorne of Maximum Fun interviewed Louis for The Sound of Young America last year. Here's the interview.

12 things I know today that I wish I had known 20 years ago

I came across the great post below this evening... There is some good solid (although American) advice here! It was originally entitled '12 things I learned at 42 that I wish I knew at 22'. Since I am only 36 years old I have changed the title slightly [PS. to get a custom receipt banner for your site simply go to www.customreceipt.com]

My, how time flies. Seems just like yesterday that I was a 12 year old kid, going for long bike rides in Sherwood Forrest, the subdivision just around the corner from where I lived. Playing with William, Edward, and my little brother, climbing in the tree house, looking forward to Brent coming over to visit. Those were all good times and my only dread was finding out that we were having liver for supper.

By the time I was 22, I knew who I wanted to marry, was in the process of quitting college, going into debt, and thought that I would be a millionaire by the time I was 30 because I was so smart. Hey, it might take me until 35, but that was the top end. In reality, I was quite ignorant.

If I could go back in time, here are a few items I would tell my 22 year old self.

1. Stay in school. Don’t quit. Sure you're bored now, but wait until you're in a dead end job that you can't stand but you’re afraid to lose. Getting finished with your degree will open up many more opportunities than you realize. I always wanted to go to law school, but without that sheepskin, I didn’t have a chance of even being considered. The lesson learned here is finish what you start by throwing yourself into it fully. Treat your college experience as if it were a job. Arrive on time, do your homework, study, and treat your learning process as if you were at a real job.

2. Money doesn’t spoil, it keeps. Start investing early. How much stuff do you have to show for the money you made in high school and college? If I had invested half of what I made during those years in a plain old, broad based mutual fund, I would have well over $192,000 with no other investments made since then. I’m still kicking myself. Invest early.

3. Don't buy the first house you look at. Buy the cheapest house in the nicest neighborhood. No, I didn't actually do this, but it was close. We were so excited to be approved for a loan, having just come out of Consumer Credit Counseling Services that we jumped at the first house we found that met our minimum requirements. I still love that house today, but I wish we had gotten a better inspection, had looked into building, or had found a way to buy a house that was closer to work and school. The lesson learned, don’t be desperate with a large purchase.

4. Establish the habit of living within a budget. Could anything be more important to insure you are living below your means? I tried on several occasions but I was never as faithful to this ideal as I should have been. Today, I make a salary high enough that a budget is a "yeah, we really ought to do that" kind of thing. My goal is to get that done. If I could do it over I would get myself in this habit at the earliest possible age. The lesson learned: budgeting is a freeing process, not a limiting one. If I had lived on a budget, I could have circumvented many painful events.

5. Learn how to negotiate a better deal on everything. Having read several books on negotiation just a little too late, I’ve recognized how I was duped by many people, mostly used car sales people. I wrote a review on Secrets of Power Negotiating that you can read here. Learning these skills would have saved me thousands. The lesson learned: prepare by educating yourself and always be willing to walk away.

6. Keep your medical insurance in force at all times. Several years ago, I quit one job and took another that didn’t offer medical insurance until you had been there for 90 days. You guessed it, my wife had to have emergency surgery at 89 days. True story. 89 days. Do you think the insurance company cared? I’ll let you guess. Thankfully, we were at St. Vincent's Hospital and they had mercy on us. The business manager told me (after looking over my financial situation) that someone paid our bill. I still get choked up thinking about it all these years later. It took us years to pay off the doctor and anesthesia bills, though. If I had just kept my coverage in effect for a little while longer. The obvious lesson: keep that insurance in effect. It is cheaper than the medical bills.

7. It's quality of time at work, but quantity of time at home that matters. Your boss really doesn’t care whether you have a family or not. Trust me. Unless you work for family members who DO understand that you need to pick the kids up early, or that you DO need to spend some time with your spouse, you are just a replaceable cog in the machine. When people are trying to grow a business, your need for personal time is secondary, so is the quality of your marital and family relationships. Just remember that when you’re old, sitting in a chair at the nursing home with a blanket on your lap and eating mush, you won’t regret that you didn’t get to spend more time at the office. The lesson learned: family will be there after the job is long gone. Value and treasure them.

8. Don’t listen to those who think there is a shortcut to wealth. NEW FLASH: there is no shortcut. Might as well get that out of your 22 year old head right now. Wealth is created when you provide something interesting, unique and valuable to people who demand it. Until then, you will be trading hours for dollars and you’ll always think you’re underpaid. "Find a need and fill it" is the old mantra and it is still quoted because it’s true. In today’s world it should read "Create a need that only you can fill." Then you’ll be on your way to wealth. The lesson learned: figure out where there are unmet needs and figure out a way to fill those needs.

8a. Stay far, far away from any Multi Level Marketing "business" that requires you to sponsor new distributors. They are all scams. You are not "CEO of your own distribution network"–you are a commission-based salesperson relying on the liquidation of your social capital (i.e. alienating your friends and family) to make any money at all…and 99.5% of people in MLM's lose money, as has been shown again and again in numerous studies. The only profit you can ever make is by turning what would be called "customers" into "distributors" and then taking the money from the 99.995% that lose money in the organization and giving it to the 0.005% at the top (the people who started the whole "business" in the first place). Stay away!

9. Make sure your spouse's values line up with your own. This one step can single handedly determine your level of happiness more than just about any other. Scary isn't it? If everything seems so right, yet he or she thinks credit should be used at will (and you don't) or thinks that home schooled kids are strange (and you want your children to be home schooled), you are setting yourself up for heartbreak. Work these things out before you say "I do." They say love is grand . . . and divorce is 50 grand. The lesson learned: talk to your spouse or potential spouse about what is important to you and the values you think should be taught to your children, even if you don’t plan on having children.

10. Learn how to network. Learn to stay in touch with old friends from high school and college. Learn the skill of asking for help without seeming to be asking for help. Watch how others network. Remember it's not what you know, it's not even who you know, it's how you USE what you know and who you know. One step further, it's not who you know, it’s who knows YOU. Get in the practice of networking without expecting anything in return. Make sure you don't come across as a brown nosing leech who is always trying to get an angle, but stay in touch with people. You never know who you may be able to help. The lesson learned: stay in touch and make sure you come across as helpful rather than helpless.

11. Never accept a job just because the pay is higher. Life is more than money. There’s a reason they're offering you more. Yes it may be that you're the most qualified. It may be that you have the most experience and the most education. It may be that no one can stand to work for that particular department head and a high salary is the only way to fill the position. Always ask where the person who last held the position is working now. Ask to speak with them, but always do it away from the office. People will give you more information outside of the office than inside. Inside the office, they're committing treason, outside, hey - they're just chatting with a friend. The lesson learned: Get the full scoop before jumping out of a frying pan into the fire.

12. Trust, but verify. You can't believe everything you hear, read, or were taught as a kid. You should always check references, ask probing questions, search out answers, and find ways to learn more about what you're being told. This is a catch all but it is important. The world is full of schemers who are just waiting to take you for a ride. Don’t become cynical, but verify everything you can. The lesson learned: make sure you know who it is you’re dealing with and what their motives may be.

Learn who you are and what motivates you. Learn what motivates your spouse and children. Learn what motivates your friends. Learn what motivates your co-workers, your boss, and your boss's boss. Never stop learning, never stop growing. By the time you reach 42, kid, you’ll be a millionaire!

What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?

Some interesting stuff here....

SA Blog awards 2008 - Do you think a 'religion' blog would feature?

Today I saw a little blurb on amatomu.com about the upcoming SA Blog awards for 2008.

I looked at the categories for which blogs can be nominated and see that there is no category for 'religion'.

Do you think it is worth giving it a go? What do you think the chances are that one of us will make it? I will certainly be nominating my favourite South Africa blogs: daylight, Rockinthegrass, Wesselsplace, Gus' gruntleblog, Barry's seethru, and Steve's Khanya.

Find out more about the South African Blog Awards and how to take part. Nominations open on 11 Feb, click here to read the rules, the categories and the list of judges

Statement by Bishop Paul Verryn and an update on the 1500 Zimbabwean refugees affected by the Police Raid on Central Methodist Mission

Wessel posted the following statement, and update, on the arrested refugees last night.

It comes from the Central Methodist Mission's website. The Bishop's statement offers valuable insights into the challenges that displaced persons face in South Africa. It also gives some clear facts about how the Church has stepped in to help refugees, and what systems are in place to manage their care and safety. Lastly, it gives some critique of the Police, and local government's handling of this matter.

The following is what Bishop Paul Verryn had to say:

There is abundant precedent in the history of two millennia of the Christian Church's existence of the Church being used as a shelter for the destitute and vulnerable in society. For instance, during the second world war, about 450 000 people stayed for a night or five years at Central Hall in downtown London . Throughout Africa the Church has stood as a symbol of hope to those devastated by war, disease, poverty and any number of natural disasters. Ultimately the Church expresses a preferential option for the poor and marginalized of society.

For the past twenty years, Central Methodist Mission has quite specifically been engaged in a ministry to the homeless on the streets. This ministry has included a feeding scheme, primary health attention, a support group, counseling, advocacy and searching for appropriate job opportunities. The prevailing value is that we show compassion, but do not create dependency; we engage the fundamental humanity in all people and refuse to stigmatise people because they are poor. These are not heroic principles, they are fundamental to an understanding of our faith. In fact, it would be ludicrous to imagine that you call yourself Christian and sustain an immovable prejudice against another human being for whatever reason, whether it be that they come from another country or are of a different age or gender. This was the foundation of the Church's critique of apartheid. This does not mean that as Christians we have succeeded in winning the struggle against these evils. They can domicile themselves subtly in all of us.

When the tragedy of displacement for people from all Africa became more evident in South Africa it was a natural and obvious imperative for the members of Central Methodist Mission to engage the challenge as part of its ongoing ministry to the inner city. To say ‘no' to those asking for shelter when there is no alternative available would be to deny our reason for being. It would present a Christian community with a contradiction which would belie the essence of the gospel. This does not mean that all who call themselves members of Central Methodist Mission applaud the approach and enjoy the “invasion” of their posh church premises. Despite the fact that they may never have lifted a finger to dust a pew, their unhappiness has been vitriolic and intolerant.

A recent anonymous letter to our Presiding Bishop captures well the fact that xenophobia and racism belong to the same stable.

The letter was a shameful exposure of violence, prejudice and deceit and all in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. Let us not pretend that some of the instruments for massacre and unrelenting hatred are not evident in our rainbow South Africa .

What should the Christian response be to the marginalized?

I would be the first to recognize that the building is overcrowded. I am also concerned about the cleanliness and hygiene of the building. I am deeply worried about whether a building that was never designed for this present condition will survive. Health, nutrition, warmth and safety are constantly on the agenda of committees that have been meeting every week to ten days. The murder that took place earlier this year has deeply traumatized us all. We have always tried to ensure careful conflict resolution strategies, insisting that to talk will lead to better resolution of differences. Every person that stays in the building is registered on a database which captures next of kin, educational qualifications and skills. Each person is told the following is not permitted in the building:

* No drinking of alcohol
* No smoking of anything
* No fighting
* No stealing
* No illegitimate sex ( married persons are accommodated in a separate area).

All persons staying in the building, are required to keep the place clean and worship every day.

If a resident chooses not to observe these valued principles they are evicted. These rules have emerged from our experience of what creates problems in community. In some respects they are not unlike the commandments. We have more than 25 people who constantly monitor the sustaining of these disciplines. They themselves are subject to the rules even though they may not always succeed in keeping them. Furthermore, it would be an absurdity to imagine there is no conflict. It would be even more bizarre to think that more than 500 people can co-exist without stealing taking place. But considering the strain of the circumstances the results are remarkable.

Not to put too finer a point on the fact, it is important to note that as soon as one crosses the threshold of a church, nationality ceases to matter. Any reader of the New Testament will quickly discover that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, bond nor free. Therefore, what politically is called an asylum seeker, in the church is a member of the family. We are reminded that the first refugees in Central were in fact South Africans. They may not be running from an exploitative dictator, but they are refugees from poverty and hopelessness in the country of their birth.

Is there a building out there?

This is a unique moment in the Church's history in the inner city, this is a unique moment for South Africa in its relation to its mother, Africa . We cannot underestimate the honour of needing to care for those seeking refuge at our hands. Amongst the people that we host are school principals and teachers, accountants, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters, financiers, people with careers in marketing, journalists, politicians, people from the medical professions to name a few. This is a chance for us to provide hope for families who have been completely dispossessed in their homelands. If recent figures released are accurate then one in four of the Zimbabwean population is now in South Africa and the impact of our caring responsibly could produce no less than a small miracle for our context. It is not a matter of skilled labour stealing the jobs of South Africans. It is an opportunity for South Africans to be skilled by people who have an experience of building a nation free of colonialism and oppression. In fact, the skills that have been driven into this country miraculously match exactly what is needed in our present economy.

Some of the most amazing giftedness has emerged in the building. We have a ballroom and Latin American dancing class. We have supported a group of journalists in establishing a website and office in Braamfontein. We have a fly fishing project in the building. We would like to establish a firm of accountants; sewing and cooking projects are underway and several of the group are engaged in a farming project near Randfontein for the District Women's Manyano Organisation. We have established a registered clinic in the building and hope to launch a computer ABET centre.

Many dreams are in the pipeline. Obviously the intention is for individuals to gain independence and economic sustainability as soon as possible so that measurable contributions can be realized in an inner city that is exploding with potential and vitality.

Although people who enter our building think that they are simply seeking a shelter or needing a blanket or wanting a plate of food or requesting start up finance, in fact they are engaged in a profound confrontation of the status quo which says that the poor are irrelevant and the dispossessed have nothing of value to offer. In fact the Mission stands in sharp contrast to capitalist mindset and seeks to overthrow a precarious economic paradigm.

Ultimately a nation can be judged on what realistic hope it offers to its poorest people.

How can we be more effective?

What is the Christian response to the marginalized?
Is there a building out there?
How can we be more effective?

Podcast: Jesus is Lord? A sermon by Professor Joerg Rieger.

Two weeks ago we announced the Public Lectures by Professor Joerg Rieger from Perkins School of Theology in Dalas, Texas.

I am delighted to let you know that the lectures went off extremely well! Joerg was not only great, he was better than great! So, to start the ball rolling I am uploading Joerg's great sermon entitled 'Jesus is Lord?'

In this sermon Joerg asks the question, if we say that Jesus is Lord, what do we mean by that? He discusses the concepts the Lordship of Christ from Christian scripture, and considers how notions of power and empire have tainted our understanding of Christ's Lordship. This is an inspiring and challenging message that rings with a note of hope about God's capacity to work in spite of our human frailty.

Podcast sermon 'Jesus is Lord.mp3' 17MB mp3

I'll be uploading the two 1 hour long lectures in the next week or so. So, please come back to the blog for updates.

Please, don't forget to listen to the reflection on the Police raid on the refugees at the Central Methodist Church. Let us remember to keep Bishop Paul Verryn, his congregation, and those persons who are displaced and feeling threatened by this action, within our private and corporate prayers.

This amazing post from Pamela, who was at the Church during the raid, was sent to my blog today. It expresses something of the struggle and sadness of those who have sought shelter in our Churches yet been violated by police action:

I am a Zimbabwean legally in South Africa and it breaks my heart. We have been reduced to beggars. We are constantly referred to as "aliens". In that church there were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children who have done nothing wrong but to seek refuge in the house of the Lord. Nothing was being done in secret everyone knew of the existence of Zimbabwean refuges at the Methodist Church. By taking this action the South African Police have shown the stand of the government on the mess that Zimbabwe has been reduced to. They are in denial of the suffering of the people. The church is under a biblical mandate to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. It is a mandate from God and I don't care that the government may not subscribe to the authority of God but I and a whole lot of other people do. What has been done is to stomp upon holy ground rip people out of their place of safety and throw them right back into danger of starvation and potential violence. The state has trespassed big time. Let me address the issue from a language that the state understands. We speak of the Bible they speak of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. Their supreme document states that Citizens have the right to religion. Christian religion demands shelter and food for those in need. The church was exercising its right under the Constitution, its mandate from God and the urge of any sound human heart to help and the response of the state is to damage property and sanctity. It is a disgrace.

Thanks,

Dion

Please help to get the podcast on Zimbabwean refugees visible by voting for it!

Please could you get as many persons as you know (who are willing) to vote for the podcast on the police's treatment of Zimbabwean refugees?

The more persons that vote for it, the broader the message will spread!

Steve Hayes has kindly put it on Muti, so please sign in and give it a few votes. Simply scroll through the page, or search for 'Central Methodist Church'

I have also added it to Digg, please sign in there and give it a few votes by 'digging' it. Let's see if we can get the message out there!

Thanks,

Dion

Podcast: A reflection on the Police raid on refugees in the Central Methodist Mission in South Africa with Rev Paul Oosthuizen

This story has rightly generated a great deal of concerned interest from persons across the globe.

Thanks so much to those who have sought to understand and express varying points of view in understanding the complexity of the elements of human suffering that this brings to the fore.

I had the joy of sitting with the Rev Paul Oosthuizen this morning, a Methodist Minister who has been extensively involved in justice work in the Church in South Africa, this morning.

The conversation centered around his experience of working with Zimbabwean (and other African) refugees. And also in considering the responsibility and role of the Church in responding to such needs and concerns.

Of course we also discussed last night's police raid on Bishop Verryn's Church, the Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg.

Paul's insights are challenging, and also encouraging!

So, here's the podcast entitled 'Refugees Central Methodist Church 31 Jan 2008.mp3' it is 12.6MB in mp3 format.

Please feel free to continue to leave comments and feedback. I will do my best to respond and fit in where I can. Things are a little pressed at the seminary at the moment.

Technorati tags: Central Methodist Church, Police Raid, Bishop Paul Verryn, Zimbabwe, refugees, Paul Oosthuizen, Dion Forster

Refugees arrested at the Central Methodist Church - shame on the South African Police!

I have not yet been able to establish all of the details of this story. However, I have heard that last night police raided the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg and arrested 'illegal aliens' from Zimbabwe who were staying in the Church. Bishop Paul Verryn confirmed that the police raids were conducted without a warrant and that their raids caused damage to Church property and chaos among the refugees.

I have three personal problems:

1. I have been to Central Methodist Church numerous times. The Refugees that are housed there include children. To hear of a chaotic and violent police raid scares me! I cannot imagine what the children must have experienced.

2. The South African government has proven itself to be helpless and inept in dealing with the Zimbabwean crisis (both in its foreign policy, and in its care for those who have been displaced!) To conduct such a ham-fisted raid is just ridiculous! Why don't they reward a Church that is doing something about those who are in need. No, instead they break down doors and arrest people!

Forgive me if this is a rant.... But, this current dispensation is reminding me more and more of the atrocious human rights abuses of the apartheid regime.

Lord help us!

Ever wondered how the human brain works (or doesn't work, as the case may be!) Here's a great FREE guide!

I came across this great resource from National Geographic. It is a free introduction to the workings of the most complex of human organs, the brain.

Of course, while this will tell you all about neurons, dendrites, and neural connections, it cannot account for the jump from biological, electrical and chemical functioning, to the mystery of human consciousness! That is something that requires a little more research, thought, AND will be the topic of a new book I have coming out towards the end of 2008 that is based upon my doctoral research! So, watch this space!

Here's the resource (found here):

National Geographic has a quick and helpful interactive introduction to the human brain, explaining in simple terms the brain's anatomy, some common diseases, and also which parts of the brain are lit up by smells, light, sound, romance, and other stimuli. From the site:

The brain's nerve cells are known as neurons, which make up the organ's so-called "gray matter." The neurons transmit and gather electrochemical signals that are communicated via a network of millions of nerve fibers called dendrites and axons. These are the brain's "white matter."

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, accounting for 85 percent of the organ's weight. The distinctive, deeply wrinkled outer surface is the cerebral cortex, which consists of gray matter. Beneath this lies the white matter. It's the cerebrum that makes the human brain—and therefore humans—so formidable. Whereas animals such as elephants, dolphins, and whales have larger brains, humans have the most developed cerebrum. It's packed to capacity inside our skulls, enveloping the rest of the brain, with the deep folds cleverly maximizing the cortex area.

The cerebrum has two halves, or hemispheres. It is further divided into four regions, or lobes, in each hemisphere. The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are involved with speech, thought, learning, emotion, and movement. Behind them are the parietal lobes, which process sensory information such as touch, temperature, and pain. At the rear of the brain are the occipital lobes, dealing with vision. Lastly, there are the temporal lobes, near the temples, which are involved with hearing and memory.

Link

Anyone for a holiday in Mozambique... Sometimes we forget that we live in Africa!

Today Megan and I are celebrating 14 years of marriage. I am thankful to God (and Megan!) for the blessing of these years.

Those who know my wife will testify to just how remarkable and special she is! Megan is a loving wife, a loving and caring companion in ministry. she is beautiful, kind, and far more 'Christian' that I will ever be. Moreover, she is a respected business woman, having been the primary breadwinner in our family since we married.

I could not wish for any better! I love her and cherish our life together!

So, I have been thinking about what I could do for her that will let her know how special she is, and how much I appreciate and adore her.

A friend suggested a romantic holiday in an exotic location... We have just such a place on our doorstep. It is called Mozambique... However, I received the following warning (click on the image to enlarge it)....

Perhaps if I love her this much we should just stay home! It is safer, and the lights are bound to go out at some stage (no thanks to ESKOM!)

Got google earth!? Check out a few events from the Bible!

This is a great post! It's amazing what people with a lot of time on their hands can do!

In "God's Eye View," Sydney-based art collective The Glue Society portrays four major Biblical events as if captured by Google Earth: "Cross, Moses, Ark, Eden."

Creative Review blog says the group "is aiming to produce further works using the same satellite imagery next year but this time relating to mythological occurrences and major historical events." Link.

Above: Moses parting the Red Sea. (thanks, Clayton James Cubitt!)
From here.