I sourced this article on CNN today. It is heart warming to see the conscious use of human advances for the betterment of humanity...

One million free text messages will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday in South Africa in a bid to raise HIV awareness and encourage testing for the disease.

The ambitious Project Masiluleke is being rolled out across the country after a pilot period that saw calls to a AIDS national helpline shoot up by 200 percent, organizers say.

The United Nations estimates that there are currently six million people living with HIV in South Africa and just one in 10 of them get the treatment they need.

"South Africa is the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic," said HIV activist Zinny Thabethe at a conference to launch the project in October.

Project Masiluleke was set up to try to encourage people to seek testing and treatment in a country where cell phones are abundant.

More here

Peace and love. Sherrilene

From Dr.Mercola

Thanks Ariela for putting me onto this natural healing website and mailing list. You're a darling!

Here is the link to visit:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/25/how-yeast-can-create-havoc-in-your-life-and-how-to-address-it.aspx

Please help enhance your girlfriends' quality of life by spreading the information around. And of course we ought to spread the word much more about natural healing methods to reduce the dependency on foreign chemicals into our systems...!

Love to all.

Sherrilene

Oh dear... am I terrible because I don't ever make any promises?

Maybe there is a reason that I don't, like it's just impossible to be certain that something isn't going to come along and change the circumstances!

Right now, the closest thing I'd come close to is to commit to a date or something like that; but rarely a time! And that date would have to come inspired!

If other people will be involved in the delivery, I know I'll have a challenge to promise much. So I give lots of leeway by offering a date sometime in future and then work it backwards. If I come in earlier, then great. Surely nothing to lose!

I just don't like making commitments that I might not be able to fulfil. I don't think that's so terrible lol

Peace & blessings.

Sherrilene

Yeh, I believe in karma.

And I think it's very closely aligned with intention rather than necessarily specific action...

If we act in an intentionally helpful way, if even the 'act' is small and might wind up having what could be considered painful repercussions in the short term, I believe that it is recorded with the universe as still being worthy of a good flow to the doer...

Obviously the opposite will apply. If the intention of our action is seeking selfishly, despite the appearance of benevolence, I think this is recorded as well. Often this is acted out as manipulation, of attempts at controlling others and wrestling their free will - their human right - away from them...

And although the return might not show up straight off, it still does, and it hits you where it hurts; in the place that's very precious to you.

That's my opinion on karma; macro and micro scale.

Peace to my angels and friends.

Sherri


Sales pitch for the Willow Tree Angels and Figurines, which I made acquaintance with in Bristol recently. I so recommend them. Here is the one I finally settled on for myself and I got a lovely pair for my sis in the States. Please consider purchasing them as a gift.

'Willow Tree represents qualities and sentiments that always help us to feel closer to others, begin to heal wounds, and treasure your relationships. Willow Tree designer, Susan Lordi uses body language and gestures to express these emotions.'

Website link here: http://www.willowtreeshop.com/

Love to one of my bestest friends on GAIA Jeannie, http://willowinthewind.gaia.com. Yes, that description is my Jeannie, with peace and oceans of love :)

Heard this on today's news and had to go look for it to share here!

Medicins Sans Frontieres doctor performs amputation following instructions sent by text

I was inspired by Lars' blog on coming home; then this song mystically showed up on my radio this morning. A great reminder of our reality...

Mr. Wendal by Arrested Development



It might be interesting to read the lyrics as you listen to this song. And I'd also encourage reading the comments on Youtube as well. We are not alone here...

Here, have a dollar,
in fact no brotherman here, have two
Two dollars means a snack for me,
but it means a big deal to you
Be strong, serve God only,
know that if you do, beautiful heaven awaits
That's the poem I wrote for the first time
I saw a man with no clothes, no money, no plate
Mr.Wendal, that's his name,
no one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one
Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum,
until I had the chance to really get to know one
Now that I know him, to give him money isn't charity
He gives me some knowledge, I buy him some shoes
And to think blacks spend all that money on big colleges,
still most of y'all come out confused

[CHORUS:] Go ahead, Mr.Wendal (2x)

Mr.Wendal has freedom,
a free that you and I think is dumb
Free to be without the worries of a quick to diss society
for Mr.Wendal's a bum
His only worries are sickness
and an occasional harassment by the police and their chase
Uncivilized we call him,
but I just saw him eat off the food we waste
Civilization, are we really civilized, yes or no ?
Who are we to judge ?
When thousands of innocent men could be brutally enslaved
and killed over a racist grudge
Mr.Wendal has tried to warn us about our ways
but we don't hear him talk
Is it his fault when we've gone too far,
and we got too far, cause on him we walk
Mr.Wendal, a man, a human in flesh,
but not by law
I feed you dignity to stand with pride,
realize that all in all you stand tall

Mr.Wendal, yeah yeah yeah, Lord, Mr.Wendal


Bless you all. Sherri

A clue as to the direction I should take this Christmas.

I have an option of heading to the U.S. to spend the season with my sister or to stay here and set up / decorate my new home. It might not seem like a dilemma of great proportions but it is what's on my mind right now.

I love Christmas and I would like the most pleasant experience of all. If I go to the States then I get to be among family and get to know another city I had never visited... But I have been having such a lovely time recently getting to know the 'ins and outs' of my country and dreaming of my new home, which really does seem imminent!

Oh, the pressure to make a decision! hahha

My thoughts are not extending much further past the near future. I'll get a clue someday soon, I'm sure of it.

Do have a blessed day!

Sherri

P.S. I sent out an email from my company to friends who had expressed interest in my work, under the name Qualitator Services. If you receive it, don't trash it! Thanks! Sherri

Hello friends

I am affiliated with another community whose primary focus is on creating dialogue on subjects that matter. It is called Global Mindshift and can be found at http://www.globalmindshift.org.

See if this next topic has any interest to you and feel free to sign up as you see fit. The format which is used is similar to our pods, but with little obligation besides signing in. It is definitely a more 'mature' type of discussion, which could be a healthy challenge for many here.

Details below!

New Global MindShift Conversation!

◊ Should we talk to our enemies?  In the recent U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama was criticized for saying that he would, without pre-conditions, talk to "our enemies." In this conversation we will talk about the concept of enemy, what makes someone an enemy, and whether or not it's important for any nation, group or individual to talk to their enemies.

There is also an action component to this conversation.
Limited to 12 people.   

Learn more and sign up now!

Best regards,

Kern Beare
Executive Director
Global MindShift

Also, check out these other Global MindShift conversations: A Vision for Global Community, and Meditation: Moving Beyond Thoughts Into Stillness and Transcendence.

---

 

One of my favourite Christmas songs is 'My Christmas Prayer' as performed by Bebe Winans and Rob Thomas. I think I was first introduced to it by homegirl Oprah Winfrey.

The lyrics express all that I would want for Christmas. 

Sorry I couldn't find a video with these two singing together, but please enjoy this other video in the meantime:



My Christmas Prayer

I pray for peace
Blessings and honor
Heaven right earth's despair
This is my Christmas prayer

For those that grieve
God will bring comfort
Laughter will rapture there
This is my Christams prayer

See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas prayer

I pray for you (Yes I know you do)
That your triupmh and conquer
Poses the strength you need to bare
This is my Christmas prayer

For those in need
There would be plenty
And each other's burdens share
Oh, this is my Christmas prayer

See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas prayer, Oh

So let hope fill our hearts (Let's let hope fill our hearts)
Shine the light through the dark
All around the world
And everywhere
I will pray
This Christmas prayer

See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas
This is my Christmas prayer

See I pray that love will rule and reign
And I pray that time will rid the pain of this world
As we learn to trust and care
This is my Christmas prayer
This is my Christmas prayer

Merry Christmas Rob
Merry Christmas BeBe

It's funny; I see a little bit of me in everybody that I meet somehow, even people I don't necessarily 'like'. That's because I recognise insecurity often and know the source of it is fear, above everything else... And I know what fear can do to you, and what it's done to me...

I also see the glimmer of desire for happiness in everyone which resonates in me. I 'get' it...

On a much lighter note, my friend insists that someone reminds her of ME! Guess who...! Michelle Obama!! And not just the look, but mannerisms etc.

I consider that to be a fine compliment in either direction. :)

What do I know? lol

Peace, Sherri

Another of my favourite Christmas renditions, especially this one by Michael Bublé. So heartfelt!



Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown-up now
Can you still help somehow?
I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in that blind belief can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end

This is my grown-up Christmas list
This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown-up Christmas list

Love to all,

Sherrilene

The most difficult thing about love is that everybody isn't quite able to receive it.

Sadly, so many forces over the centuries have driven people away from love as first nature, that their memories of giving and receiving it are dimmed... so they constantly respond in fear; expecting they're being challenged, or tested or need to defend themselves from another connecting with them too closely...

I wait with patience and faith to see the awareness again raised, that love is our true nature, as is joy, as is peace and harmony, and to see love again received by all at face value. I believe that those forces are taking over again...


Sherrilene

Please follow this wonderful link to see 'Scenes of Wonder from Antarctica'...

I was directed there by my Dr. Mercola mailing!

A few samples:

Please    or    to  continue.

Beautiful, beautiful world!

Love, S

If you're mindful and you want to be at peace, you will be aware that it is an indication that you have some choices to make, to attend to whatever it is which makes you anything but peaceful...

It is just an emotion; in response or reaction to something unsatisfactory to your system at the time. Either you change your response to the stimulus, i.e. accept it in its current form, or you get away from it, exercising your right of state...

Emotions... all signals to keep us journeying [contentedly] on our [mindful] path.

Peace. S

Right here, right now on earth.

It looks like the aqua coloured ocean glinting and glistening from bright sunlight bouncing off of it outside my window presently...

or the marigold filled open pastures that I could roll around and play in like a child in Sweden...

or the beautiful lakes that bordered those gorgeous fields...!

or the sound of Stevie Wonder as he performs 'As'!

or children laughing out loud spontaneously, uninhibited, so naturally joyful and hopeful, bright eyes ready to receive anything!

or baby animals, of any kind, frolicking, playing together, play-fighting and clearly having the most beautiful time...

or singing 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' as the final hymn, in accompaniment with the choir, on Christmas morning!

or smelling the scent of orange and cinnamom aroma candles wafting through the house when the breeze blows...

or ... I could definitely keep going, but hopefully you get the picture.

There are no limits; not a one, to this heaven on earth.


Be blessed. Enjoy it.

Love to you, Sherri

It really doesn't get any better than this [IMO]!



Link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHh3nMMu-I

Please relax and enjoy the beauty of this rendition.

Love, Sherri

Prayer is communing with the Universe; pausing to connect and appeal to its greater capability to bring into your space your desire.

Since we are all part of the universe, our expression of desire is just us communicating the vision which is planted in our minds already by the same universe at the point of our emergence...

So to pray for our heart's desire isn't to ask for anything outside the scope of the universe's will; it's quite the opposite!

I haven't really talked about praying for 'smaller' things ... they seem accessible anyhow. Why not go for the 'big' things?

I haven't really spoken about NOT praying either... that's simply not proactively connecting with the Universe's Will for you... That's pretty much just existing, or even worse, making life so much harder for yourself than it needs to be...

I found this article on Beliefnet and I thought it would be interesting to look at the topic of happiness around the world.

I posted it to the Economy thread in the GAIA Networking pod where Bhutan in particular is being discussed.

Comment at either place!

Please enjoy!

Happiness Lessons from Around the World... by Eric Weiner

Best, Sherrilene

This really concerns me. I don't know what can be done but I pray that some seriousness is given to it. Please share this information from Dr. Mercola's site, as widely as you can!

Unconscionable Drugging of Our Children

Children are being prescribed powerful antipsychotic medicines with few precautions, and federal drug experts warned that regulators must do more to inform doctors of their substantial risks. More than 389,000 children and teenagers were treated last year with Risperdal, a form of medicine known as an atypical antipsychotic. Of those patients, 240,000 were 12 or younger. In many cases, the drug was prescribed to treat attention deficit disorders. But Risperdal is not approved for attention deficit problems, and its side effects include weight gain, metabolic disorders and muscular tics that can be permanent. According to experts, these risks are too great to justify its use in treating such disorders. From 1993 through the first three months of 2008, 1,207 children given Risperdal suffered serious problems, including 31 who died. Sources: New York Times November 19, 2008

Full link here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/16/unconscionable-drugging-of-our-children.aspx

Peace, Sherrilene

'Is this it?'

Sitting in an office, having achieved the height of professional, academic and social life at 30 years old and feeling totally, totally miserable as I looked around and saw that I had dutifully climbed, without a single complaint, all of the prescribed ladders in society, head down, trusting in the instruction and directives from 'knowledgeable' leaders... and found nothing close to resembling satisfaction, contentment or peace...

Sure, there had been some highs on the way, getting my degree - incredibly with honours - having worked fulltime in an extremely high pressured position for a North American company while studying fulltime as well... creatively designing entire programmes to improve workplace quality of life without any assistance or instruction from the 'powers that be'... gaining a Masters Degree in two foreign countries, one of which I couldn't even read the language...

But then, what?

I wasn't necessary. I wasn't significant. I wasn't important, even to me I must say...

Life had to be more.

Then I set out to seek it.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Peace and love to all living, loving persons out there.

You are blessed, don't forget it!

Sherrilene

Please enjoy these absolutely beautiful videos of animals co-existing in love...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-Nyt4Bmi8&eurl=



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWgB1hyOHWc&eurl=


For these and other great animal videos, visit Dr. Mercola's site here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/18/top-9-amazing-animal-videos.aspx

With love, Sherri

Visit the banquet speech for this year's Nobel Physiology or Medicine Laureate Harald zur Hausen, to receive your small dose of hope for the morning!

It is at this link .

Here are some excerpts:

'This year's Laureates are working and have worked on medical problems of enormous magnitude: AIDS represents a global scourge that has already killed several millions of infected patients. The discovery of the responsible agent for this sexually transmitted agent has now paved the way for first modes of prevention, for early diagnosis of this infection, and, most importantly, the development of antiviral therapy, now saving the lives of infected patients who can afford it. Cervical cancer, on the other hand, also originates from a sexually transmitted infection with specific high risk papillomavirus types. This cancer still globally ranks as the second most frequent cancer in women and kills about 250.000 women annually and in all likelihood killed several hundred millions of suffering patients in the course of past centuries and millennia. The identification of the responsible agents has now enabled the development of a vaccine with the prospect of drastically reducing the global burden, wherever these vaccines become affordable. Whereas HIV only in recent decades became infectious for humans, high risk papillomavirus types have in all likelihood been with us for millions of years, accompanying the human race since the early days of our evolution.'

I love how he recognised the valuable place of others especially his family in his successes...

Keep hope alive for humanity...

Peace, Sherrilene

 

Give yourself to Beauty.

There has been nothing more refreshing and enervating for me along the way, than to focus on something higher and purer than what was staring me in the face from all directions and that I simply did not like.

Apart from adding more of something that I felt was deficient in the world to it, the creative activity of immersing myself in beauty - Nature, the Arts, People, Animals -  brought me closer to 'true reality'; I genuinely saw that there's more to life than the unattracive, physical constructs we've created in our minds and our lives.

The refreshment of my mind and my spirit have served me well in my ability to create and to give meaningfully to the world.

I am inspired by Anne Frank in this way...

Give time to creating something beautiful in this world and be inspired by the beauty which exists already.

Peace,

Love,

Always,

Sherrilene

Hello folks

A less than typical Christmas present, but then again, I rarely do anything expected, do I? lol

I picked up my Soul Horoscope, special Jupiter report by Christopher Witecki this morning and it gave relevant and very exciting information. I think it would be great for all my friends to check out theirs as well.

At this link you will find the whole set of scopes, just scroll till you find your own. Let me know what your Jupiter report bodes for you!

For me, a Virgo, it will be more carefree lifestyle. Ahhh, a sigh of expectant relief already :D

I'm pretty much ready for this right now!

Hope you are all having a wonderful holidays; what a blessed year!

With love and care to all friends out there,

Sherrilene

 

Merry Christmas friends!

And a beautiful new year as well.

This great article called Five Ways to Welcome Change in the New Year is great for helping us to find and keep peace during the bumpy times of [real] life.

An excerpt:

 
There is so much more to this life than we can ever understand through our tiny brains and fearful hearts.

So in times of big change, it's good to be gentle and kind and patient with yourself. And to relax. The best peacemakers are those who are at peace with themselves.

Do enjoy your reading!

Much love,

Sherrilene

My great-nephew Daniel!

Just thought I would share this great article that I found on Beliefnet.com.

I know for a fact that mind management can make a great difference in setting and keeping our positive intentions.

Here are some useful ways to work on self defeat and transformative living!

10 Ways to Transform Toxic Thoughts

An Excerpt:

Breathe Through Your Heart

Breathing is one of the simplest ways to transform energy. This is an exercise you can do throughout your day: Place your hands on your heart and feel your heart moving as you breathe. This is calming, and feeds the energy of love, peace, and harmony in the world.

Peace and love to all as we grow together,

Sherrilene

Friends,

I couldn't wrap up my time in Houston without a quick blog. I head back home this morning. The Universe worked things out that I got an additional day with my family free of charge and of course this was satisfyingly enough! [I had been contemplating more :) ]

I feel truly blessed to have been afforded this opportunity, financially in the first place, since the funds for the trip literally arrived on my door just on time.

I learned more and more about love and life, new dimensions have opened up again, and certainly the greatest of these relate to abundance and all which is possible when we step out in our faith and believe it is possible and it is ours for the taking.

That is my key message to this world and it isn't dimming at all in its intensity.

I head back to my island home with pleasure and gratitude for my life, for its richness, for its fortitude; and I wish my fellow GAIAns in America the very best while you ride this wave of change from the steep end [from all that I could see]. President Obama is going to need all of your positivity and strong armed support when he gets going. But I do believe what the people have started, they are going to ultimately want to see it through.

I thank Lili [Asteri] for being such a great hostess and welcoming me so warmly to 'her' city lol She is truly a wise person who gave me good guidance in so many special and important ways. (Listen to her... she knows things!)

I'm off to get ready for a 10 hr journey home [long stay in Miami] and continuance of a flow with life, while I look towards the upcoming months enthusiastically. As this incredible calendar year closes, I feel truly a blessed person and am happy in a complete way which has to be what is called 'joyful'...

Wishing all my friends and my loved ones bliss as you enter a new phase, and bring that beautiful energy to help ease the difficulties of others in our world.

Peace and love to everyone.

Sherrilene

xmasReligious135

Living Ever Closer to Excellence!

www.hq-2.com

 

 

 Hi friends,

 As we close what was for me a pretty incredible year, I wanted to send my regards out to all friends and supporters and wish you all the very best for the upcoming year. Lots is planned for the new year, beginning late in January, so keep checking your mailbox for updates and / or look me up on the website or on Facebook.

 Don’t forget the resources available at the Quality of Life Centre at hq² and in the People Potential Pod on GAIA.com at any time.

 So, as you celebrate the culmination of another era and the beginning of a new one with so much possibility, I wish you Peace.

 

 

 

With best regards, always,

 

Sherrilene

 

Sherrilene M. Collymore

The Human Quality Headquarters

 

Visit our Quality of Life Centre here!

 

 

 

Letting go, and go, and go, and go and... you get the picture!

I've always been a believer. I've always stood up for what's right and good and wholesome and healthy, etc. It's one thing to do it in your family [quite ineffectively, I might add lol] or in your job, or some place familiar.

It is a whole other thing to feel the calling to stand up for something big in bigger settings, 'authority' places, with people that could make or break me, based on all I know!

Well during this last year it was one unexpected event after the other creeping up and cropping up that gave me the opportunity to follow this thing called purpose; and have no doubt, it has been some kind of an adventure letting go and believing that I would have the strength, the ability and the knowledge to share my message, effectively and without generating anger or resistance in the process!

It took so much faith to do it!

And also to see that it wasn't such a risk after all; that purpose creates pathways, and amazingly smooth ones!

In fact, the only place where I found resistance on my path, was in my own brain, which tried repeatedly to reconcile the new path with all I'd experienced or been told in the years preceding!

I've learned so much!

And hopefully I have taught a lot also, as I've picked up my learnings. That has been important on my way as well...

But still my heart's desire stays [just] out of reach... and so I begin once more the process of, you guessed it, letting go; to believe that it is coming at just the right time and perfectly and excellently as only the Universe could serve right up... AGAIN!

So let the adventure continue! I'm handing over the wheel to the Big Guy now!!

With blessings to all friends, everywhere. God loves ya, and wishes you happiness.

Friend, always,

Sherrilene

YOUR PICTURE GALLERY IS NOW LOADING... The first major city to mark the start of 2009 was Auckland, New Zealand, with a spectacular display of fireworks from its Sky Tower.