I keep coming onto articles about our marvelous stem cells -- the primordial or precursor cells from which all other types of cells (smooth and striated muscle cells, brain cells, skin and other organ cells, bone cells -- all of the cells in our body) are derived. These are certainly well planned cells -- well planned and perfectly designed by our Creator to be within his Divine purpose. Various articles, research papers and reports tell of how it is that the brain may heal itself after injury, disease or after suffering deficits because of a variety of reasons (prenatal and postnatal.) For instance scientists have managed to make new neurons (nerve cells) grow in the an area of the brain once thought to lack the ability to regenerate. This is raising hopes that new ways can be developed in treating neurological diseases and head injuries. The area of such importance is the neocortex (new cortex.) Although the findings are only referred to laboratory mice, it is highly possible that the same success can be established in humans. The scientists triggered stem cells that already exist in the brain (not thought to be before.) Still other research has shown that under specific conditions, transplanted stem cells can form new neurons. That those that are already in the brain can be triggered to form new neurons makes the need for transplanting stem cells unnecessary. Instead of the transplants, molecular signals to the already present cells does the job. This is good news, of course. Isn't it interesting how our Creator planned for all our needs? Man is discovering everyday how "great and marvelous are His works."

I talk to my colleagues very rarely any more. Since my retirement, getting in touch with others who either delayed theirs or aren't "old" enough to retire takes up little of my time. It's that I've moved on to other interests and devotions. Since my beautiful wife died in 1998, I've been immersed in getting deeply acquainted with my children, theirs and even theirs! Still, I do have an occasional contact with an old friend and colleague. He tells me that the controversy whether it is good to express emotional memories during therapy still rages. Some hold fast to the believe that repressed or suppressed memories of past traumatic events cause distortion in one's discriminations, and doing this should be "talked out." Psychoanalysts call it abreaction; others call it catharsis. According to theory, unexpressed emotions are causal factors of what are called psychosomatic diseases. This is a pervasive theory and has been for some time. Psychological experiments have shown, though, that expressing intense emotions generally enhances the possibility of a similar, or even more intense, reaction to the same event in the future. This is particularly true of expressing anger at someone (thing). That is, expressing or talking about one's anger at someone likely will cause the client to display similar anger at that person at some future time. This is not good. Many think that keeping emotions bottled up takes an energy toll of a person -- keeping the cork on the problem takes energy that otherwise might be used productively. There are instances when revisiting a painful memory has had salubrious effects. This is found mainly in the conditions called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- which have been given more attention since the Vietnam war. Not all PTSDs are related to war or traumatic events of that nature, though. There are many traumatic events that can trigger the disorder. Revisiting painful memories to bring relief calls for some issues to be settled. A distress condition similar to the earlier traumatic event must occur during the therapy, so that the patient can see what it is that is causing the problem. And what I call immersion in the event must occur -- that is, the patient must be desensitized by experiencing the symptoms (physical and emotional) of the earlier event for a fairly long time -- to get "used to it" and therefore, be less apt to feel the same intense reaction as before. Repeating the revisiting; repeating the stress reaction sufficiently intensely again; and immersing in the event's physical reactions again and again often "saturates" the patient with the experience so that they find that, after a while, revisiting the painful memories has much less or even no effect anymore. There still isn't a meeting of minds; nor is there enough evidence one way or another to say for certain that it is good to revisit traumatic emotional memories for any therapeutic good it will do. I, for one, am not sure it helps. Often, tapping into one's spiritual strengths has a more lasting effect. God never gives a burden of any great weight without giving an equal or greater amount of strength to bear it.

This is a very beautiful castle – one of man’s own. Its design was in God’s mind a long time before – all are His.

I always want you to remember that all I say is in God. I absolutely will not accept that self as defined by other closed-end theories is valid!

One of God's creations. Here, again, to remind you of His grandeur and mightiness. We are no less in His eyes than His grand creation, the universe is. We are created in Their Image! Be responsible.

"Our critical day is not the very day of our death, but the whole course of our life; I thank him, that prays for me when my bell tolls; but I thank him much more, that catechizes me, or preaches to me, or instructs me how to live." - John Donne

A MOTTO NOTE BY WHICH TO LIVE

 "Good morning. This is God. I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help. So have a great day!"

All the excitement I show regarding stem cells shouldn't give any reader the impression that my interest in other of God's ways is lost to me. So, still within God's grand purpose are the genes (the building blocks of all cells) and a nip about their part in helping to heal human disease and deficits. For instance, some closely watched studies show that gene therapy to alleviate Parkinson's Disease show great promise. Always, though, the experiments are performed on animals lower than man -- laboratory rats appear to be the most commonly used. So it is, then, that the experiments using genes, altered to trigger growth or replacement of damaged tissue in Parkinson-like lesions in rats, have shown great promise. Still, like most conservative studies of this type, it will be some time before the same technique is used in humans. I often wonder, though, when it is known that there's little other hope for any improvement in a human's condition, why they don't "give the new technique a try." The experimenters certainly don't lack for volunteers! The survival drive in all living matter is the greatest of all drives; so, many who are in the race to survive (with dignity) are standing in the wings ready to give it a go. I guess ethical issues cause most of the delay, and to a large extent, this is good. Still. . . . .

I don' know about you, but I get excited for the human race when there's a new discovery that shows promise to make things easier for those who have physical or emotional problems -- a new discovery that may well alter the physical problem or the emotional problem so that it is either under total control, or taken care of once and for all. Like the discovery or accomplishment of mapping the human genome. The completion of this astronomical task is soon to be announced as being virtually complete. From this wonderful accomplishment the scientists hope to be in a position to understand the genes involved in a variety of diseases, defects and deficits, and understanding them, design drugs to alter the situations to "wipe" them out! As I say, I get so excited for the human race when these discoveries are announced. But, when the excitement settles down, I come to face the reality that none of these discoveries are really new! God has already finished His product, but He's leaving the "mysteries" as a motivating force for man to find them out for himself. For it is the mind of God that gives rise to the mind of man. Without God, and His Spirit that He gave to man, man would be all the same as nothing. God is great! Man is only great if he knows God's greatness, and doesn't attempt to take away God's glory, claiming it for himself.