Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway.
God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them. ~Author Unknown
What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell
There are many quotes that deal with GOD. For me, GOD is good orderly direction. GOD is the GOD of my understanding. Each of us, based on religious beliefs has a different GOD. I wonder, do we all pray to the GOD of our understanding which in reality is the same entity? I believe today that GOD is spiritual. I nearly lost my faith in God in 1982 when my mother suddenly died. Perhaps GOD wanted a master dressmaker in heaven. I do not really think I ever lost my faith, but I diverted from organized religion. In college and medical school I started to explore other religious beliefs.
By 1996, I had a new spirituality. This was in part due to my first 2 years of sobriety. I was frightened when I read about GOD in the 12 step program. Yet, because it was the GOD of my understanding--it made it easier. GOD at the beginning was the other people sitting in the 12 step room. Then it was my mother. Then it was the big Oak tree in Central Park. I cannot even describe what GOD is today. He/she is a power greater than myself. He/she is there to guide me. I know now that he/she was walking beside me even in my darkest hours. He/she never let me down. Today I can pray in a church, a temple, any room, or in a open green field. There is a line in the AA Promises that states, "We will suddenly realize that GOD is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."
Are you spiritual? Have you ever described your GOD to another hman being? Are you happy with the GOD of your understanding?
One of the most oversought herbs has been St. Johns Wort. St. John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton's Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed. I have never used these other names for this plant. St. John's wort is widely known as an herbal treatment for depression.
What confuses me is that St John's wort is used to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum. The species of Hypericum have been placed by some in the family Hypericaceae, but more recently have been included in the family Clusiaceae. This also confuses me. The more I have learned about Herb families, the more confused I get. There seems to be changes in nomenclature that I cannot understand why or for what reason. Approximately 370 species of the genus Hypericum exist worldwide with a native geographical distribution including temperate and subtropical regions of North America, Europe, Turkey, Russia, India, and China.
St. John's wort is widely known as an herbal treatment for depression. I love St. John's wort not only for the pretty flower, but for the number of studies that have been published. I know of at least 30 studies that have been done with some beneficial results. There are studies in progress at the following sites:
1. Effect of St. John's Wort/University at Buffalo
2. Effect of St. John's Wort on Oral Contraceptives/NIH & Columbia University
3. Efficacy of St. John's Wort for Smoking Cessation/Martin Mahoney, M.D., Ph.D
4. Effects of St. John’s Wort on Women Receiving Estrogen/University of Illinois
5. The Influence of St. John's Wort on the Pharmacokinetics and Protein Binding of Imatinib Mesylate/New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists & NIH
6. St. John’s Wort Effects on Emergency Contraceptive Pills/The University of Utah - College of Nursing
There are more than 370 species of the genus Hypericum (St. John's wort), several of which are not pharmacologically active. Not all St. John's wort is equal. The vast majority of OTC St. John's wort formulations are made with aerial parts, AKA “Grind”, whole ground up plant, not the small red and white dots in flowers that contain the precious napthrodianthrones. Grind does not contain hyperforin. I think this is important because when you, the consumer buys an herb- are you really wanting the active part of the herb. Of even greater concern, grind contain zanthrones found in the stems which are the source of the controversial MAO inhibitors. This type of antidepressant has some contraindications especially dietary. If anyone on a MAO inhibitor has a food containing tyramine there can be deadly consequences like severe high blood pressure. MAO inhibitors were the number one cause of drug overdoses in the early days of prescription antidepressants.
Extracting high quality hyperforin (which is the active ingredient) is difficult and costly. First the plant must be of superior quality, preferably grown in non-phosphate fertilizers. Upon harvest the flowers must be carefully dried so the hyperforin can be extracted via methanol extraction process.
How to use St John's wort can vary from herbalist to herbalist. Some combine it with other herbs, and some use it alone. There needs to be more discussion on this herb--
Until tomorrow...
Eleanor Torrey Powell (November 21, 1912 – February 11, 1982) was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s, known for her exuberant solo tap dancing.
I consider her among the top female dancers of all time. Sure we cannot forget Ruby Keeler (wife of the great Al Jolson), Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse and many more.
Born in Springfield Mass she began a great Broadway to film career. Who could forget her in Begin the Beguine with Fred Astaire in 1940. She was there for Fred in 1981 when he received the American Film Institute Award.
Don't you love her quote above.
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