Catha For Council Blog

Following is a list of question that, I believe, can lead to an
in-depth discussion on this most vital issue. I hope you can
take advantage of this opportunity to avail yourself of these
questions in any appropriate situation. After this, I added a
few comments of my own.

QUESTIONNAIRE ON WOMEN’S ROLE IN CHURH AND SOCIETY

1- Should women be given equal opportunity along with men in
employment in all cases? What about the military? What about
sports? If not, explain.

2- Should women receive equal pay for equal work alongside men?

3- Do you feel one should lower the quality standards in a
certain situation solely to prevent gender discrimination?

4- Who has the major responsibility for nurturing a child in a
marriage; Or financially supporting the home: The man or the
woman? Why A) What is the prime purpose of a marriage? B) What
are the economic factors that could affect your conception of
what a marriage arrangement should be, and what could be done to
change this situation if it needs changing? C) What are the
career interest factors that could affect your conception of
what a marriage arrangement should be, and what could be done to
change this situation if it needs changing?

5- Are the woman’s major responsibilities in life to have
children and take care of the home?

6- What are the physical and emotional differences between men
and women that might affect their role in life?

7- What might be the role of a woman in Church? What about
ordination to any of the following offices: Deacon, Elder,
Pastor, Priest or Bishop?

8- If man were to rule over woman at the beginning of time
because woman came from man according to Genesis 2:21-23, why
did God say that man should rule over woman after the Fall (Gen
3:16)? A) Could you say that man and woman became equal or
helpmates once again after the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ (Gal 3:28)?

9- Could one of the reasons why Jesus only chose men as Apostles
be that even though the Gospels are in the New Testament, they
are really part of the Old Testament whereby women were still
thought to be submissive to men as a result of the Fall?

10- Doesn’t being the head and being submissive in and of
themselves create an inequality?

11- In reading Paul’s letters, should you consider that
everything that Paul wrote as being a universal truth, or should
you distinguish within his writings what’s universal and what’s
locally situational?

12- If women are treated more as unique individuals, instead of
as sex objects, would this lessen the need for pornographic
scenarios some men have?

13- Do you believe that as more and more churches use ordained
women clergy, women clergy would be more acceptable within
Christian religious circles?

14- As more churches accept women clergy, do you feel
Christianity offers women more equality than any other major
world religion?

15- Do you feel a woman pastor could more effectively counsel a
women counselee than a male pastor could? Why, or why not?

16- Do you feel that if more and more Christians experience the
pastoral leadership qualities that some women possess, that
women clergy ordination would become less and less of a divisive
issue within the Christian Church?

17- Do you feel one should never be judged solely by gender as
to what one can or can not do in life? I do, but what do you
think?

On Internet, I asked question # 1, and received 9 responses,
which were really mixed in opinions, but I do feel that there
should be an equal opportunity for women to be employed in all
professions without lowering the entry standards in such
professions, and even if some professions don’t seem to lend
themselves to femine abilities. They should still at least have
the opportunity to prove otherwise. And women should also
receive equal pay for equal work as well. But if they just want
to be housewives instead, that’s OK too. What do you think about
this whole area of concern?

A 2nd Internet Question: WHAT IS THE ROLE WOMEN SHOULD PLAY IN
LIFE?

Corbin says: Although a number of respondees mentioned that the
role of men and women can be different depending upon the
circumstance, which I agree with, I believe women should be free
to pursue any activity that they so desire, and feel qualified
to undertake. In looking at Scripture, it states paraphrasing
“In Christ, there is neither male nor female” (Gal 3:28), so
that much of what it says about women in Scripture could be a
situational local truth according to Paul, and not a Universal
Truth. Many on these websites also interpret Scripture literally
in that every word that’s in the Bible comes from the mouth of
God. I disagree in that the Bible, I believe, could be thought
of as a baby carriage carrying the baby, and we have to
distinguish between Universal Truths (the perfect baby) and the
situational local truths (the baby carriage, which can have some
errors on it) concerning the role that women might play. And why
Jesus only chose men as Apostles instead of women could be that
theGospels were written as really part of the Old Testament
whereby women became free again after the resurrection. What do
you think?

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It’s that time of year when we pack up our bags and head to the
beach for the day to enjoy those warm sunrays and the refreshing
sound of the lapping water.

So what constitutes a good beach wardrobe. Well there are
certain essentials that none of us forget. On goes the swimsuit
and bathing suit cover, flip flops on our feet. Beach bag has
been packed with the essentials - sunglasses, floppy hat, towel
and a good book. Great - got the basics covered but what about
the rest.

So if we are so prepared for a day at the beach, why is it by
the time we get home we look pretty worn. Here are some helpful
tips to make your day at the beach fun and keep you looking
fashion fresh all day and all the way home.

First before you leave home, if you’ve got long hair pull it
into a high pony tail or fun knot. Use some funky hair
accessories that will stay in place when you’re swimming. Try a
fun colored bobble or some firm fastening clips in bright summer
colors. If you pull your hair up your neck will stay cool and
you’ll look fresh all day with your neat hairdo.

Second slather yourself in sunscreen before leaving the house,
then toss the sunscreen in your bag so you can reapply after a
swim or every few hours. A sunburn is not only unhealthy and
painful, it’s unattractive, so don’t let yourself turn into the
lobster of the day. Your sunscreen should be a SPF of 15. It
doesn’t hurt to use a strong SPF on your face or your entire
body if you burn easily.

Your beach bag should be large enough to hold your supplies for
the day. Why not get something fun and fashionable to keep you
looking fashion fresh. Make sure you’ve got all the daily
essentials in your bag - sunglasses, sunscreen, a good book, a
floppy hat, some lip gloss, and any other makeup touch ups
you’ll want. If you plan to wear eye makeup make sure it’s
waterproof. Stay away from heavy foundations.

If you must apply something use a bronzer moisturizer. It’s also
a good idea to bring lip balm with an SPF15 to protect your
lips. It never hurts to put some moisturizer in the bag. Include
a snack and plenty of fluids. It’s important not to get
dehydrated.

Okay great we’ve got the basics covered now what about the
wardrobe basics? If you’re planning to wear a swimsuit it’s
usually easiest to put it on at home, that way you’re not
chasing down change rooms. So great - first on goes the
swimsuit. Now what to wear for a cover?

Well you’ve got plenty of choices. A tank top and shorts, tank
and skort, or a nice light cotton dress all work well over top.
Choose something that’s easy to put on and take off, and choose
fabrics that breathe to keep you cool. I also suggest including
a long sleeved cotton blouse just incase you start to burn you
can protect your shoulders and arms.

If you’re planning on heading out later in the day without
returning home you might want to toss a pair of jeans or long
skirt into your bag. If your outing is going to extend into the
evening you’ll want to include a sweater for the cooler evening
air.

If you’re worried about your evening wear getting sandy or wet
at the beach, then place them in a separate bag and leave them
in the trunk of your car. That way you are guaranteed they’ll
remain fresh.

My favorite beach look is this. And what’s perfect is it keeps
me looking fashion fresh throughout the day and takes me right
into the evening. First I like a swimsuit that’s got lots of
support and is bright and cheerful. I throw a fitted tank on top
and throw on a loose flouncy long skirt. The long skirt serves
me through the evening and also works great to cover up if I’m
starting to burn. I choose a lightweight material in a darker
color with a pattern that accents the colors in my swimsuit.
Flip flops are my footwear.

Depending on where I’m heading after the beach I choose either a
basic pair or one of my funky pair with rhinestones or crystals.
Easy to walk in, feet breath, and terrific for an evening out. I
keep a fitted light weight sweater in my car, and take a long
sleeved cotton blouse down to the beach. I usually choose a long
sleeved and long length blouse because it’s versatile. I can
knot it to create a short blouse, wear it long as a beach cover,
and put it on if I start to burn on my upper body.

I usually choose white or a soft pastel depending on my other
colors. I like white because it’s cool to wear and refreshing to
look at. Every year I buy a fun new beach tote that’s big enough
for the beach but not too big as to take it with me for an
evening out. I like a fun bag that’s full of character.

Since I always feel naked without my jewelry I wear fashion
jewelry to the beach. That way should I loose something I won’t
be out a lot of money and I won’t feel so bad. I like to keep
the earrings simple and elegant. I may or may not wear a
necklace.

Often I’ll toss a funky wood necklace in the bag to add to the
evening outfit. I like to wear a couple of fashion rings just to
add the finishing touches. Now if you’re fussy about tan lines
you’ll probably want to forgo the rings. I toss my watch in the
bottom of my bag so I can put it on later.

That’s it - simple is the key. Keep your beach wardrobe choices
simple but fashionable. Think ahead so you can go from beach to
an evening out without hassle. Remember to always make your
fashion statement!

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

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There is a natural period in a women’s life normally between the ages of 45 and 55 when her fertility draws to an end, this period is called the menopause. Technically, the menopause for women is the date of their last period, but the process typically starts five to ten years as their ovaries begin to slowly run out of egg follicles. When this happens, the oestrogen levels begin to fall until too little is produced to keep a menstrual cycle.

Some women adapt quickly to the new low levels of oestrogen but one in four suffers badly from the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. The typical symptoms from the oestrogen withdrawal are night sweats, hot flushes, migraines, headaches, tiredness, mood swings and in the long term can even lead to serious problems such as osteoporosis, stroke and coronary heart disease.

Modern medicine commonly tackles the problems of menopausal symptoms by prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Hormone replacement therapy aims to restore the oestrogen levels back to a normal pre-menopausal state, which stops the symptoms of oestrogen deficiency and can postpones the development of disease such as coronary heart disease and strokes.

Many women do not want to take hormone replacement therapy because of the problems associated with it. The side effects of taking HRT by mouth can be nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloating. HRT patches can cause blistering, discoloration of the skin and hyperaemia. Studies in HRT have associated the prescription of HRT with an increase chance of developing breast cancer and cancer of the uterus.

There are natural ways through diet, exercise and supplement in which a woman can combat the symptoms of the menopausal without taking hormone replacement therapy. This is the advice that I would recommend to a woman who is experiencing menopausal symptoms.

It is best to keep meals simple but adequate and to eat little and often. It is best to avoid processed and refined foods, keep to natural whole foods such as fruit and vegetable. These are best raw but lightly steamed will be adequate. It is best to avoid complex mixtures of foods.

To protect against the long term health problems of coronary heart disease associated with the menopause it is best to have plenty of fibre in the diet and to cut down on fat. It is recommended that women of all ages should keep the calcium levels high by eating calcium rich foods. In menopausal women this should cut down the risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. Consuming large amounts of calcium rich foods does not mean drinking high volumes of milk. In fact, the best source of calcium can be found in Soya beans, sardines, turnips, peanuts, salmon, walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried beans and green vegetables. Calcium absorption can be prevented by consuming large quantise of fat, phytic acid which is found in wheat and oxalic acid which is found in rhubarb and chocolate.

Eating plenty of vitamin D foods such as sardines, herring, salmon, tuna, fish liver oils, liver and eggs will be beneficial. Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium to build healthy bones. Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin as it can be synthesized in the body by the UVB rays in sunlight on the skin’s oil molecules. So, small amounts of sunshine are beneficial.

Soya and linseed contain a compound called phytoestrogens which is related in structure to oestrogen. Soya is known to affect the symptoms of menopause and in countries where Soya is common in the diet hot flushes during menopause is rare. Consuming Soya products such as tofu, Soya milk, tempeh, roasted Soya nuts is beneficial, the exception being Soya sauce as this contains very little phytoestrogens.

Exercise is very important; women who have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to have hot flushes than those women who are more active. Regular aerobic and weight being exercise such as running, cycling, swimming and brisk walking improves bone density. Exercise also improves the lungs and heart functions, which in tern helps to fight against the development of coronary heart disease. Exercise improves the immune system, keeps joints flexible, beats stress, helps you sleep, helps to protect against osteoporosis and keeps weight under control.

Learning to deal with stress is another plus in the fight against the symptoms of menopause. Learning to relax by means such as yoga, meditation and relaxation techniques would be beneficial.

Smoking is another problem for menopausal women; research has shown that women who smoke are more likely to suffer from hot flushes during menopause then those who don’t. It would be beneficial to give up smoking.

The following supplements may help if you are suffering from Menopause.

Black cohosh

Bone mineral complex

Multivitamin and multiminerals

Soya

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh
Advice for a healthier natural life
Website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com

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