come to Me

I am here

a solid ground

steadfast, unshakeable, safe

patiently waiting

come to Me

those who are ravaged by the storms

battling the waves

even those who have simply lost their way

I wil give you shelter

I will keep you warm

i will give you a safe haven

come to Me

As Tropical Storm Ondoy (Internationally known as Typhoon Ketsana) hit the Philippines last saturday, I leave this thought to the families and individuals who have been victims of one of the worst typhoon to hit the Philippines.

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(As Prepared)

I want to thank Brian Siegel and the American Jewish Committee of Greater Miami and Broward for hosting me and opening your doors again for me to discuss multilateral cooperation between the United States and Israel.

Today I am going to focus on the Administration’s far-reaching efforts to normalize Israel’s status in and across the UN and broader multilateral system, and to counter head-on efforts of de-legitimization. I know these are issues AJC cares deeply about and has focused on internationally.

Our diplomatic engagement with Israel in multilateral affairs, at the UN, is rooted in an ironclad commitment by President Obama to support Israel across the UN system, ensure that Israel’s security is never compromised and that it has the opportunity to contribute fully to all institutions to which it belongs. That’s why we vehemently reject attempts to de-legitimize the State of Israel. As the President stated at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, “Israel’s existence must not be a subject for debate,” and “efforts to chip away at Israel’s legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States.”

We have opposed unbalanced, one-sided resolutions, at the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, UNESCO, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Human Rights Council and elsewhere. For example, the Administration strongly opposed last month at the Human Rights Council the creation of a fact-finding mission regarding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We have also opposed the deeply flawed and biased Goldstone Report, and voted against multiple resolutions on the flotilla incident at the Human Rights Council. On the Goldstone Report and flotilla, we have been clear that we want to see UN action end in relation to the report.

The U.S. helped to organize the diplomatic effort to defeat the Israel Nuclear Capabilities Resolution at the September 2010 IAEA General Conference. Last September a decision was made by certain member states not to bring up the Israel Nuclear Capabilities resolution at the 2011 IAEA General Conference. I think our diplomatic efforts were critical to that outcome.

Over the past 3 years the Administration has worked day in and day out multilaterally at the UN and elsewhere on critical peace and security issues of great concern to the United States and Israel, including counter-terrorism and non-proliferation. We have been successful in achieving American objectives, mobilizing international partners and leveraging the full range of multilateral institutions.

For example, the Obama Administration has marshaled significant international action against countries of great security concern to the U.S. and Israel -- Iran and Syria across the UN system.

At the UN Security Council we led efforts to adopt a resolution that strengthens sanctions on Iran.

At the Security Council, we have also taken steps to address the Assad Regime’s brutal violence by passing a resolution -- less than two weeks ago -- that we hope will lead to a full-cessation of violence and Syrian lead political transition.

At the General Assembly we led efforts to adopt a robust resolution on Iran’s human rights record, gaining the largest vote margin yet on this important text.

At the IAEA we helped to lead efforts to adopt a resolution at the June 2011 Board of Governors meeting finding Syria in noncompliance with its international nuclear obligations and referring the issue to the Security Council. Last November, we and other Board members adopted a resolution condemning Iran’s ongoing defiance of its international nuclear obligations.

At the Human Rights Council we led successful efforts to deny Iran and Syria elected seats on the Council.

At the Human Rights Council we also led efforts to establish a Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Iran and International Commissions of Inquiry for Syria and Libya.

At UN Women we successfully led efforts to deny Iran a seat on the board of the newly formed agency.

At the Security Council and throughout the UN System, in the face of high diplomatic hurdles, we have mobilized countries from every region to take principled stands on these pressing issues.

These efforts demonstrate that our commitment to defend Israel throughout the UN system, both in countering biased anti-Israeli actions and in opposing those who seek platforms to expand anti-Israel efforts at the UN, remains strong. Our efforts go beyond such defensive steps, however.

Let me turn now to how Israel and the United States are working together to move forward in the UN and elsewhere.

Despite the difficulties that Israel faces at the UN, one thing has remained constant in my discussions with my counterparts in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: they continue to express and implement their strong desire to expand Israel’s global agenda across the UN and multilateral system.

Israel wants to play a larger role globally, multilaterally and at the UN. It does not want to be viewed solely through the prism of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Indeed, the United States is working with Israel to advance its multilateral engagement agenda, and move beyond the focus on contentious political and security issues, with the aim of addressing the issue of delegitimization and Israel’s treatment at the United Nations.

Here are some examples of this collaborative effort:

We have worked with Israel to support the appointment of Israelis to UN positions, like Frances Raday who was chosen as an Expert Member of the Human Rights Council’s Special Working Group to eliminate discrimination against women.

In December 2011, we helped to secure the passage of Israeli-sponsored technical resolutions on Agricultural technology, a similar resolution with our assistance also passed in 2007 and 2009.

Progress has also been made normalizing Israel’s status in multilateral bodies, including joining the OECD and removing some of the discriminatory barriers to Israel's participation in UN voting and consultative blocs.

We have also supported Israel’s effort to assume leadership roles on various UN bodies. For example, on February 2 Israel joined the Executive Board of the UN Development Program and will join the board of UNICEF in 2013.

Our efforts to work with Israel at the UN have been seriously tested. Over the past several months, we have engaged in a global diplomatic marathon to oppose the Palestinian membership bid in New York and elsewhere in the UN system.

This is because, as we have said time and time again, the United States strongly opposes efforts to address final status issues at the United Nations rather than in direct negotiations. And we have clearly and consistently shown our commitment to working with Israel and the Palestinians to resume direct negotiations, the only effective way for the parties to deal with the difficult issues they face and achieve a lasting peace.

The two state solution is not going to happen through a shortcut at the United Nations, and that’s what this Administration has been strenuously arguing.

As you know, the United States has worked consistently toward the goal of achieving the two-state solution. In this respect, we have been closely engaged with the parties and our international partners, including the Quartet, to support the parties as they take steps to re-engage and rebuild channels of communication. The parties met on April 17 to begin an exchange of letters and a dialogue. This positive step builds on the Jordanian-hosted talks earlier this year and on the Quartet's statements since last September. We should all lend a hand of support to sustain that effort, to help create a conducive climate, and to avoid distractions.

We continue to make clear to our partners internationally that premature action in the UN system outside the framework of direct negotiations will not bring us or the parties closer to a negotiated two-state solution, a goal we all share. Rather, it is likely to damage the very UN entities the Palestinians seek to join, the countries these UN programs support – and as a result could seriously undermine U.S. security interests.

As you may know, on October 31, the UNESCO General Conference adopted a resolution that invited “Palestine” to become a member of UNESCO.

Palestinian action triggered a U.S. law suspending our contributions to that organization.

This same law would be triggered if Palestinians gain membership in the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and potentially dozens of UN agencies critical to U.S. interests. We are also concerned how Palestinian actions might impact international financial institutions, such as the World Bank.

Ultimately the withholding of funding at UNESCO and elsewhere could lead to the loss of voice and vote in these international organizations, undermining the U.S.’s ability to advance its interests.

It would also have a devastating impact directly on organizations like the World Health Organization, which relies heavily on U.S. contributions to prevent deadly pandemics from spreading globally and to the United States. The WHO is also essential to the global progress made against malaria, HIV/AIDS, and polio.

It also impact our efforts to support Israel across the UN system and multilaterally.

The Israeli government has asked us to play a greater role in helping them develop a more robust multilateral agenda. One constant we continue to hear from Israeli counterparts is how much they appreciate the Administration’s efforts and U.S.-Israeli cooperation at the UN and multilaterally, and how problematic it would be if the United States was not in these bodies to defend Israel.

In order to sustain these efforts, the United States must maintain the strongest position it can at the UN.

Action that impairs our ability to advance U.S. interests and cooperate effectively on key security threats at the UN makes little sense, particularly as we deal with challenges such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions, humanitarian disasters in the Horn of Africa, the transitions in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Middle East.

Since the founding of the UN, the U.S. has been at the table influencing key decisions at the UN, of concern to the U.S., and particularly those related to Israel.

If the U.S. is not at the table, if we are withholding funding, the United States’ leadership role and ability to influence these decisions will diminish greatly.

We cannot afford to cede the floor to emerging powers and adversaries, such as Iran and Syria, which do not share our values and would be more than happy to undermine U.S. and Israeli interests. These countries want nothing more than to see the United States retreat from the UN, withdraw from UN bodies, and lose its influence and leadership positions and potentially its vote in key UN bodies.

Let me end there. I look forward to your questions.

------------------

Remarks

Esther Brimmer

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs

Miami, Florida

April 24, 2012

The heron remains still and unshakeable, defying the strong winds that buffet against its wings. Its graceful landing on the thin upper branch of the tall tree is a testament to its skill and poise.

👉 For more of my wildlife photography follow me

As part of our Krishna Janmashtami celebrations, a play was presented to Gurudev and the guests that re-enacted the life of Gora Kumbhar the Potter. The play demonstrates Gora Kumbhar's unshakeable devotion and love to Lord Vitthala and the mercy and Love the Lord has for His devotees.

bhaktimarga.org

paramahamsavishwananda.com

My mental health story starts long ago, but this newest season started in October 2017. I got hurt at work and lost use of my right hand. At the time I was still heavily involved at my church (singing on the worship team, teaching Sunday school, and I was the youngest ministry leader teaching a youth group). For awhile my faith was holding me together while I had to let go of my career, my hand, and other things I loved. My faith couldn’t be shaken. And then it was.

My anger I had locked away for so long came to surface. I was dealing with health issues while my boyfriend battled his heroin addiction. I felt alone, afraid, and broken. Meanwhile I was trying to show the world I was none of those things. I got angry with my church because I was asked to step down from all of my roles there due to living with my boyfriend. This anger at my church and at people turned into anger at God. It was my tipping point. This was when I spiraled.

I am a self proclaimed “protector” and I would rather help others with their pain and issues than tend to mine. I never wanted my pain to be other’s pain so I mostly kept things to myself. I tried hard to bury things throughout my life and pretend they didn’t exist or never happened.

In my early life I would journal but I was already dabbling in drinking by age 10. Then I began cutting, not to kill myself but to feel the pain I felt I deserved. I was always seeking my self worth from the world and not from myself or God. I’ve experienced numerous negative situations with guys and this crippled my self worth and contributed to my anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

My drinking was out of control before 21, but it was numbing my pain and that’s what I liked best. However doing that, was like building a dam with weak concrete that was never meant to hold. Spoiler alert, it didn’t. I had to get sober at 23.

And now here I was in my early 30s dealing with excruciating pain I had never experienced before and I had no answers. I didn’t know what to do and it was taking it’s toll on me. I didn’t know how to cope because drinking was no longer an option. After everything I had already lost I felt I had no purpose anymore so I needed to find something to give my life meaning.

I chose to not focus on what was going on with me and to redirect my attention to my boyfriend and his addiction. I tried to be outwardly strong for him and for others. I wanted so badly to show we were making it and that I was surviving. I was torn between who to serve and I kept choosing anything but God. I was projecting to the world who I wanted to be, not who I actually was in those moments.

Being so focused on my boyfriend and what everyone else thought about me caused me to lose sight of Kayla. Not only in my own eyes but in God’s eyes. I had to choose to stop being so angry and to let Him back in to my life because nothing I was choosing for me was working.

Then came my first diagnosis after 2 years since my injury. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It ranks as one of the highest forms of pain in the McGill Pain Scale and this is what I had in my right arm and hand. An explanation for why I was hurting so much showed the doctors it wasn’t in my head. There was irrefutable evidence. But the progression was too far at that point to reverse it. There are pain management options but not everything works for everyone.

I tried Gabapentin for awhile and it was making my pain more tolerable. However my body became addicted and I didn’t find out until I no longer had access to my prescription. I suffered from horrible withdrawals one night. I felt like I was going to die and didn’t know why. Months later I got put back on it and I thought life was great. But then I missed a dose and it triggered a seizure. I told my pain management doctor and between withdrawals and seizures, he pulled me back off of it.

I’ve been waiting for approval to start Ketamine Infusions for years now. I have three doctors in my corner saying that this is the treatment I need to manage my CRPS but still I wait. In pain.

I still wait for someone to figure out why this happened in the first place. I live in my body so I’m convinced that my ulnar nerve got pinched while I was washing cars at work.

Right off the bat I was having people disbelieve me. My work denied that this happened there and I was initially denied worker’s compensation. It took six months of fighting to get in front of the judge and get approved. But now I was six months behind the ball on treatment and my injury was worse. I saw doctor after doctor but they kept coming up with “I don’t know” or that it was in my head.

I went to a neurologist and had a nerve test done. If you ever need an EMG, good luck. They poked me with a needle and shocked me to test if my nerves were working. It was horrible. What was worse though was it came up normal. Still no answers. It meant my nerves had no damage but that didn’t mean they weren’t getting pinched.

From there I went to see a specialist at Mass General Hospital. She specialized in Dystonia and perhaps that was why my hand was stuck in this fist like position with my pinkie and ring fingers. My dad brought me to this appointment and I wish I had brought him in the room with me. She tried to open my hand and I leapt off the exam table screaming in pain. I was sobbing and she told me to stop being dramatic. I still think about sending her my CRPS diagnosis but she’s not worth my time.

I’ve been treating with a hand surgeon at Boston Medical Center. In July 2018 he did a procedure on my hand called Manipulation Under Anesthesia. I went into this thinking I would wake up and my hand would be better. It wasn’t. In fact, now my entire hand was messed up and in pain. My CRPS was still undiagnosed at this time and the proper nerve blocking wasn’t done prior to the procedure. My doctor diagnosed me with Clenched Fist Syndrome. A mental disorder. Upon reading all of his treatment notes I saw he wanted me to seek psychiatric care.

So many doctors when faced with a difficult of confusing diagnosis just say it’s in your head. You live in your body, they don’t. You know what’s wrong and you’re trying so hard to convey it to them. I’ve found that if anything isn’t cut and dry obvious, they give up and blame your mental health. Or they go on google right in front of you because they don’t even know what some of your diagnosed health issues are.

A year after my CRPS diagnosis I got an answer to a life long question. I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome at 31. The Hypermobile type also known as hEDS. It is a genetic connective tissue disorder and this was the answer to why I was always so clumsy. My collagen is faulty and my joints are hypermobile which leads to subluxations, dislocations, and pain.

I was always getting hurt and or sick. Gym class was my worst enemy and lead to so many trips to the nurse’s office. Something I was always made fun of for. But it wasn’t my fault, my body just wasn’t the same as other people. I mourn for that little girl that didn’t know and thought she was crazy.

However, with this diagnosis it was another person telling me that something is wrong with me. Something that can’t be fixed. Negative thing after negative thing drove me from a person of unshakeable faith to a shaken soul who was lost in her depression and anxiety. I was beginning to believe my high school teacher was right when she told me that I would end up alone because no one would ever want to put up with me.

In comes my newest coping mechanism, dissociating. It started off with doing distraction techniques as a way to deal with my pain. Anything to get your mind off of it. My go to was doing a color by number app on my phone. It was nice to mentally escape the physical for awhile. I liked it there. With my coloring app I could check out for hours. But then I started noticing I was doing it elsewhere, just mentally removing myself from my body, if that makes sense.

I would be in occupational therapy and I’m off in a different planet, only being brought back to earth by my OT. And then I was doing it at home with my boyfriend. I had found a safe space to be, where the issues within my body and mental health weren’t issues. But it wasn’t safe how much time I was spending there.

I had to keep acknowledging it and ground myself into reality. You can’t feel the pain and the hurt if you take yourself out of the moment. But you also can’t heal from the pain and the hurt if you don’t walk through the fire.

So that’s what I’m finally learning to do. To walk through the fire, because while it does hurt it does make you stronger. I’m in counseling and I’m working on processing things in my life to acknowledge that they happened but to also acknowledge I survived it and I’m ok. It’s a difficult process but it needs to be done if I want to unburden myself and move forward freely in my life and relationships.

That is where I am and that is why I’m looking to share my story. Because you can feel like you’ve lost everything, including hope, but you can still look in the mirror and see you’re still here. You haven’t given in despite all the times you wanted to. You’re still here.

"O God, in your wonderful compassion

you called Matthew to be an Apostle

instead of a tax-collector.

Fill us with his example and grant that by his intercession

we may follow you

and keep unshakeably close to you.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen."

21 September is the feast of the evangelist and apostle, St Matthew, and this stained glass window is from the east end of Mansfield College chapel.