Subject: Valentines Day
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:21:20 +1100

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Issue 233 - 5 th February, 2007 	Go to our website Here
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*	Hello Alison
*	Grandads
*	Laughter
*	Single Dads 
*	Special Feature
*	Thought of the Week
*	All You Need is Love
*	News & Info
*	Dad's Prayer
*	Help Us

Hello Alison

 
<http://www.bosweb.com.au/content/EB3TemplateImages/771/valentines-weeke
nd_07.jpg> A man once said to me, "I told my wife I loved her once, why
do I have to tell her again?"

Maybe that foolhardy statement is one of the reasons many men get irked
by Valentine's Day. I was one of them. 

Men are headliners, while women are fine print people.  Men say, "Just
give me the facts." Once we have those facts we don't like going over
old ground. We have got it all worked out and we don't like repeating
ourselves.

The opposite is generally true when it comes to the fairer sex.  Women
love detail. I don't know how many times I have explained something to
my wife and she has asked me for more detail, or to tell it to her
again. This can be quite annoying for any husband, especially for a man
who is ignorant of a woman's needs as I often am.

Well guys, Valentines Day is one of those days you have to repeat
yourself and give the woman of your dreams some much needed details.

Some people call it 'romance', others call it 'communication'. Whatever
it is, if you don't use this opportunity to practice the art of love you
are simply being ornery. Sure, Valentine's Day is hopelessly over
commercialised but let's face the facts, what isn't over commercialised
in our market driven materialistic culture? Our job as fathers is to
look for the good within the cultural framework of our existence and
then use it to the max. Mother's Day, Father's Day, Anzac Day, Good
Friday and Christmas Day all have some redeeming elements for our
families. Let's make sure we milk them to the max for the positive
effects they can be have on our families.

Valentines Day is derived from the name of St Valentine who was a devout
Christian living during the reign of Emperor Claudius II.  Claudius the
Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military
campaigns.  He believed that the reason was that Roman men did not want
to leave their loves or families in order to go to war.  As a result,
Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.  

Valentine and Marius, who were the equivalent of modern day priests or
Christian ministers, refused to obey this unjust and ridiculous edict.
Valentine and others with him continued to aid their fellow Christian
martyrs and secretly married couples who wanted to pledge their troth in
marriage.  For this act of kindness Valentine was put in prison and
ultimately cruelly executed.  Tradition tells us that while in prison he
prayed for the prison guard's daughter who was healed of blindness.
Many other young people came to the goal to visit Valentine.  Some threw
flowers and notes up to his window.  They wanted Valentine to know they
were thankful that he would risk his life to marry them and accept their
vows of love.  On the day that he died, February 14, 268 AD, Valentine
left a note of love and encouragement for the jailor's daughter in her
new found faith, signed simply, 'Your Valentine'.  The rest is history.
Now 1 billion Valentine's cards are exchanged with words of love and
encouragement around the world.

Lovework
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Valentine's Day has a lot of positives.  Why don't you celebrate this
Valentine's Day, Wednesday 14th February and do something special with
the love of your life. Make her feel special. Take her out on a romantic
date. Go and see a romantic movie. Repeat yourself creatively with a
message of your love for her. Tell her she is the woman of your dreams
and the most wonderful mother of your children.  Give her the details
and fine print that she needs to know she is loved.  Remember her needs
are different to yours. The greatest thing a man can do for his children
is love his wife.

Yours for Valentine's Day

Warwick Marsh

PS Good News!! We have recently secured our much needed office space -
great location and great facilities at an affordable price. We will be
moving in within the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Thank you to all those who have offered assistance. To set the office up
properly we will need more help. Any gifts or interest free loans would
be greatly appreciated.

Remember, all gifts to the Fatherhood Foundation are tax deductible.
(Please see 'Help Us' section of newsletter)

 ___________________________________________________________

Warwick Marsh  has been married to Alison for 31 years. He is the father
of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 26 years
to 14 years.  Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public
speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself.

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Grandads

 
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Life is the flower

for which love is the honey.

Victor Hugo

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Laughter

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DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!!!

Wanda's dishwasher quit working so she called a repairman.  Since she
had to go to work the next day, she told the repairman, "I'll leave the
key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter,
and I'll mail you a cheque."

"Oh, by the way don't worry about my bulldog Spike. He won't bother you.
But,whatever you do, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, talk to my
parrot!" "I REPEAT, DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!!!"

When the repairman arrived at Wanda's apartment the following day, he
discovered the biggest, meanest looking bulldog he has ever seen.  But,
just as she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet watching the
repairman go about his work.

The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole time with his incessant
yelling, cursing and name calling.  Finally the repairman couldn't
contain himself any longer and yelled,

"Shut up, you stupid, ugly bird!"

To which the parrot replied, "Get him, Spike!"

Men just don't listen ! 

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Single Dads 

 

On Tue 23 Jan 2007 Geoff Holland was lucky enough (thanks to Charlie
McKillop) to have a one-to-one meeting with the Attorney-General. Philip
Ruddock lasting 45 mins, and later in the day was part of a round-table
discussion with about 15 people including the Attorney-General.
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if> 

This week we continue with a second part of the paper that Geoff Holland
presented to the Attorney General.

Geoff Holland

Equal Parenting Movement

[email-masked] 

 

Part 2

Making the Family Relationship Centres Work

1. The Family Court system is a recipe for conflict.

2. A Presumption of Equal Parenting Time is a recipe for conflict
resolution.

3. Equity and reciprocation are basic principles for a fair and
cooperative relationship.

4. Conflict is what damages children most.

 

There is broad agreement that we need legislation for a Presumption of
Equal Parenting Time.  This goal is supported by Dads In Distress, Equal
Parenting Movement, Fatherhood Foundation, Fathers4Equality,
Grandparents Association, Lone Fathers Association, Men's Confraternity,
Men's Rights Agency, Parents4Equality, Shared Parenting Council of
Australia (SPCA).

There is broad agreement in the Dads' / Parents' movement that Family
Relationship Centres are the way to go.

However, until they are backed up by a Rebuttable Presumption of Equal
Parenting Time, they will not fulfill their potential - in fact we
believe they will be a virtual waste of time and taxpayers? money.

It is appropriate, yet telling, that solicitors will not be allowed to
advise separated parents until they have been to a Family Relationship
Centre.

Unfortunately parents (esp. Mums) do not need to speak to a solicitor
prior to going to a Family Relationship Centre - they already know that
they can receive special treatment in the Family Court system.

We question the government's sincerity in establishing effective Family
Relationship Centres to allow Dads / Non-custodial parents to
participate effectively in their children's lives when two of the main
organizations involved in tendering for the Family Relationship Centres,
Relationships Australia and Centacare, both made submissions to the
Parliamentary Inquiry into Child Custody in 2003 arguing against a
Presumption of Equal Parenting Time.

The government must move to introduce a Rebuttable Presumption of Equal
Parenting Time in order to make the Family Relationship Centres work.
Otherwise parents (esp. Mums) will know they can just sit out their
three hours and move on to the Family Court system where the culture of
prejudice against Dads and the reluctance to grant Equal Parenting Time
continues to prevail.

It is important to have a Rebuttable Presumption of Equal Parenting Time
in order to remove the uncertainty - which we regard as largely
inconsistent and arbitrary 'discretionary' decision-making by the judge.

For example, without a Presumption of Equal Parenting Time, a separated
couple will still need to go all the way to the Final Hearing to see if
the judge will grant 70% / 30% or perhaps  60% /40%, or perhaps 56% /
44%, or perhaps 62% / 38% or perhaps 51% / 49%.

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If you are going to give substantial shared residency to both parents,
it makes great sense to give 50% / 50% instead of believing there is
some virtue in weighting the percentages a little one way or the other.

Uncertainty is a major cause of conflict - particularly prolonged
uncertainty.  Uncertainty compels separated parents to continue all the
way to the Final Hearing.  A Presumption of Equal Parenting Time would
remove uncertainty and the need to continue to a Final Hearing, and
greatly improve the success rate of arriving at a negotiated settlement
in the Family Relationship Centres.  

 

 

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Special Feature

A Dad's Guide to
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Having Fun with the 

Kids on Valentine's Day

From Wayne Parker,

Your Guide to Fatherhood.

http://fatherhood.about.com 

I hate to show my bias, but I really like Valentine's Day. I love taking
the extra effort to help my wife know how much I love her, and this is a
great day for just spoiling her beyond belief. But as I have come to
learn over the years, it is also a great opportunity to share the spirit
and feelings of Valentine's Day with my children. So, what can a dad do
to have a great time with his children with this otherwise romantic
holiday? 

Spoil Your Daughters. A number of years ago, I decided I needed to make
a little extra effort for my girls so they would come to appreciate
Valentine's Day. I know I set a bit of a high standard for their future
boyfriends and husbands, but part of that is intentional on my part.
Consider buying them a single rose in a little bud vase, or leaving them
some conversation hearts or another Valentine treat where they can find
it. 

Help The Kids Take Care of Mom. As dads know, Valentine's Day is pretty
important to the women in our life. Taking some time ahead of the big
day to help the kids think about how to recognize their mom will go a
long way toward making their day special too. Whether or not you are
still with their mom, helping them focus on her will be a real positive
for them. 

Host a Party. Consider helping the kids plan and host a Valentine's Day
party on or around February 14. Help them decide whom to invite, prepare
invitations, decide on some games and get some treats together. 

Have a Heart Attack. One of my favorite Valentine's Day activities is
called a heart attack. You and the kids pick someone who needs to know
they are loved?maybe a friend, a relative, or one of the kids' friends--
and then you plan out the attack. Help the kids cut out lots of red
construction paper hearts and glue them onto wooden skewers. Then, in
the dark of night, stick them in the front yard of the person who is the
subject of the attack. (If they don't have a front yard, use masking
tape to tape them to the front door.) The kids will appreciate the
opportunity to do a secret project for someone else and the attackee
will have a much better Valentine's Day knowing they were remembered. 

Tell Them Why You Love Them. Kids will appreciate a little note from you
that reminds them why you love them. Write about their best qualities
and the things you appreciate about their personalities and their
characters. 

Remember Them at School. While each child may feel differently about a
school thing, they will appreciate the surprise during the day. For
elementary school children, a treat or a surprise in their backpack
might be a good approach. For high school or middle school kids,
something in their locker would be a good idea. 

Encourage Creativity. Each child is different in their creative sides.
Some may be writers; others may be artists; still others may be good
with music. Valentine's Day is a good time to magnify their talents. A
family talent show demonstrating their skills, and thus giving of
themselves to other family members can be a good Valentine's Day gift. 

Have Fun with Conversation Hearts. You know those little sugary candy
hearts with words on them? Pull some out of the bag and make some fun
sentences. See how creative you can be with them. Maybe pick the name of
some friend and build some funny descriptions of them (good natured of
course). 

Have a Game Night. Instead of a big party with lots of friends, you
might want instead to have a quieter night at home playing some board
games together. Pick up some the kids' favorite munchies and spend the
evening together. 

Watch Some Old Family Videos. One of our favorite activities is to watch
videos from our children's younger days. We have some great home movies
of school programs, birthdays, soccer games and other events. The kids
remember the fun times and they often laugh a little at each other's
antics. The younger kids will especially like seeing the older ones as
little tykes. Sharing memories like these will help build some new
memories together. 

Whatever you decide to do, make sure and stay involved with the kids
through the process. Valentine's Day can be a time to make great
memories that will last a lifetime and be recalled every year of their
lives in February.

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Thought of the Week

 
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g> 

To love another person is to

see the face of God

Lyric from 'Les Miserables'

 

 

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All You Need is Love

All the Things We've Never Done

(Craig Bickhardt/Jeff Pennig)
<http://www.bosweb.com.au/content/EB3TemplateImages/771/couple%20hands.j
pg> 

They drank their anniversary glass

A silent moment passed

Then they kissed

She knows there's something on his mind

He'll tell her in due time what it is.

He says "I've never built

Your mansion on a hill

Or warmed you in the Spanish sun I simply blink my eye

And think as years fly by Of all the things we've never done"

She smiles and takes his hand in  hers

And says "It just occurred

To me now

The thought that brings you such regret

What hasn't happened yet

It makes me proud..."

"You never walked away

When I needed you to stay

Or made me feel I'm not the one

There've been no broken vows

And the reason we're here now

Is all the things we've never done"

"We've never grown apart

You never broke my heart

With secrets that you've kept me from

We've never been untrue

And I'm still here with you

Through all the things we've never done"

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News & Info

HEART DISEASE FACTS
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l.jpg> 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the term used for heart, stroke and
blood vessel diseases.  

CVD is the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 38% of
all deaths in 2002; claiming the lives of more than one in three
Australians. 

CVD is Australia's largest health problem. Despite improvements over the
last few decades, the health and economic burden of CVD exceeds that of
any other disease.  

Coronary heart disease is the greatest single cause of death among
Australians and stroke is the second largest. 

Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease

Enjoy Healthy Eating 

Enjoying a variety of foods from the different food groups is the key to
healthy eating. Try to: 

#     Eat plenty of plant-based foods including vegetables, fruits and
legumes and grain based foods (preferably wholegrain), such as bread,
pasta, noodles and rice 

#     Eat moderate amounts of lean meats, skinless poultry, fish and
reduced fat dairy products 

#     Replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
oils and fats. 

From the Heart Foundation

www.heartfoundation.com.au <http://www.heartfoundation.com.au/>  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Australia's Drought

A Call to Pray and Fast

Forty Days of Prayer & Preparation 

beginning Australia Day - 26 Jan 07

The current drought, which is affecting most parts of southern and
eastern Australia, is currently reaching crisis proportions. Chris
Davis, CEO of the Australian Water Association, says the drought has
surpassed the Federation drought of 1895-1902. As the worst drought on
record, Blair Trewin, one of the authors of the enclosed 12 month
drought report from the Bureau of Meteorology, is more cautious than
Chris Davis and his assessment is that some parts of South Eastern
Australia and Southern and South Western Australia are not as bad as the
Federation drought but some areas are much worse. The final Annual
Climate Statement 2006 from the Bureau of Meteorology is also attached
or follow the link: 

http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/climate/change/200701
03.shtml  

Whatever the case, the drought situation in Australia is crippling the
farming community: suicide and farm closures are increasing and now even
the big cities are moving into crisis mode. In December 2006 only 2.1%
of the state of NSW was not drought affected. Victoria and South
Australia were not much better, but in some cases arguably worse. Total
NSW dam storage is hovering around 20.4% with many smaller towns carting
water from ever dwindling supplies.

The capital cities generally speaking are not much better with Sydney on
36% capacity, Melbourne on 38%, Brisbane on 23%, Perth on 27%, Canberra
on 38.24% and Adelaide in crisis mode and most likely to run out of
water entirely in 2008 if inflows into the Murray-Darling don't increase
dramatically. Total inflow of water into the Murray River in December
2006 was 34 gigalitres, the lowest ever on record. The Darling River is
similar and could well be in a worse state. Farmers have been told they
will not get water this year for irrigation. For some farmers and city
dwellers the big dry started in 1996, others in 1999 and for others in
2001. Whatever the case, it continues to this day with the added
calamity of bushfires. In Victoria many fires are still burning out of
control.

The water crisis situation in the capital cities could well be
understated if the NSW government is an example of honesty and
transparency. Former government advisor Dr Charles Essery claims the NSW
government is adding undrinkable deep storage water to the official dam
figures to boost supply figures. No doubt the NSW election at the end of
March 2007 is one of the reasons no further water restrictions are being
added to already nervous householders, whilst other states have
introduced much tougher restrictions. The only capital cities without
water restrictions are Hobart and Darwin.

The rainfall pattern over the last decade has favoured the Northern and
North Western parts of Australia which is good news for these sparsely
populated areas but this has done little to solve the crisis caused by
the drought in the densely populated Southern and Eastern regions of
Australia. Many scientists argue that it is all a result of greenhouse
gas emissions and climate change. More recently a CSIRO scientist argued
that the lack of rain had little to do with climate change but more to
do with the natural variables of our Australian climate.

The Fatherhood Foundation believes that our nation's problems are both
natural and spiritual as per the introduction to The 12pt Plan. We
believe in the power of prayer and join with the Australian Prayer
Network and the wider Christian community in calling for 40 days of
prayer on behalf of our nation to break the drought. This 40 day period
of prayer, fasting and preparation will lead up to the Solemn Assembly
9, 10, 11 March 2007 in Canberra where united prayers will be offered on
behalf of our nation to break the drought.

For more information on the call to prayer:
http://www.ausprayernet.org.au <http://www.ausprayernet.org.au/>    

 

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___________________________________________________

Vulnerable Children Left exposed

 Who parents these kids ?

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21206857-1243,00.html
<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21206857-1243,00.html> 

___________________________________________________

<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20312376-421,00.html> 

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Dad's Prayer

 

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g.jpg> 

Dear God

Help me express my love for my wife this week

in a way that I have never done before.

Help me use the heroic act of St Valentine

as a springboard for some brave act of love.

Help me deliver this message of love

To my wife in a fresh new way,

because she is worthy of much more 

than I can give her.

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Help Us

Click here for more information about us
<http://www.ausheart.com.au/fathers/about/index.html>  

Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity. 
Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source
of harm. 

The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence  in
fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible,
involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their
children and their children's mother.

If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation
Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund 
(Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax
deductibility)
Westpac Branch Wollongong
BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558 

Or mail cheque and address details to:
PO Box 440
WOLLONGONG  NSW  2520
AUSTRALIA

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund  is a public fund listed on the
Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

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