See the entire article at

http://www.brainmysteries.com/research/Violent_video_games_reduce_brain_response_to_violence_and_increase_aggressive_behavior.asp?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BrainMysteries+%28Brain+News+And+Research%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

http://www.webmd.com/balance/rm-quiz-moods?ecd=wnl_dep_042211

A few weeks ago, I heard a short blurb on the radio while I was driving…it was a simple question – “what have you done for your marriage today?”  This really struck me – such a simple question,  and yet, how many people in a marriage or in a close relationship could answer that in a positive way?  We do for our jobs, our cars, our houses and lawns…of course we do.  How nice it would be to think consciously about your relationship everyday and make it a habit to do something loving and positive for your loved one.  Like a savings account, the “interest” might grow with each daily “deposit”.

The program is called the High-Schooled Assistance Dog Program. The website states that teens learn about abuse and domestic violence while increasing their own level of empathy, responsibility, and motivation.

I bet the non-judgmental affection and acceptance that is freely given by the animals to these young people – who probably have not experienced much of this in their lives – goes a long way towards healing a lot of hurt.

More information can be found at the Merced County website: http://www.co.merced.ca.us/index.asp?NID=976

I was aware that dogs can be trained to sense some cancers on people and I did see a special on TV about dogs being able to alert owners that are in danger of having a seizure. This amazes me, and this morning I read an article that researchers in the UK are training dogs to sense when there is a blood sugar drop in people afflicted with diabetes!

Certainly, canines don’t have the ability for higher reasoning and language skills like humans, but the abilities they do possess never cease to amaze me! How their worlds must be so different from what we experience in life!

Not everyone is a ‘dog person’, but if you are, like I am, what a gift they are in our lives.

Tracking 'something' interesting

This is a book formulated from Ms. Raffel’s 25 years of experience counseling couples and individuals. Written in an easy-to-read and compassionate manner, Ms. Raffel puts forth a structured approach to couple separation as a means to heal a marriage, or to assist a couple in making a reasoned decision to divorce.

In troubled marriages, there may be a decision to separate for a time as a response to a stressful situation – but with no clear goals established, leaving the parties wondering, “What now? Where do we go from here?”

If you are in a trouble relationship, and may be considering a separation, whether you are working with a therapist or not, I recommend reading this book first. It could help to reduce a lot of the anxiety and confusion a trial separation will bring.

Check it out at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/adult-adhd.aspx

“Think not of the amount to be accomplished, the difficulties to be overcome, but set earnestly at the little task near your elbow, letting that be sufficient for the day, for surely our plain duty is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand.”

I’ve forgotten to write down the author of this quote, but will have to go back and look.

There’s really so much that is negative and worrisome in the news, we tend to live in a worried and anxious state, while we miss the small things that make life worthwhile. I should learn something from my dog who had a busy day and now lies resting and calm beside me.

But we must do small things with great love.

Mother Teresa