Hope, love and happiness can change the brain

In a study to be published this month in Neuron, Dr. Eric Kandel, a Nobel laureate and neuroscience professor at Columbia University, found that positive emotions -- safety and security -- affect learning capabilities of mice."Behaviors and thoughts that relate to hope, love and happiness can change the brain -- just as fear, stress and anxiety can change it," Kandel says. "It's completely symmetrical." (Quote from Los Angeles Times, 1 September 2008 )

CHANGE the brain!!!!

Change THE brain!!!!

Change the BRAIN!!!!

When I read the above passage I was blown away by the implications of it. If I raise my Matt in a family and home that is hopeful, full of love and joy his brain will be different than if I raise him in an environment where I give into my fears, depression and stress related to his syndrome.

That is HUGE!!!!

This information brings such hope because it means that there is so much that Lloyd and I can do to make Matt’s life – and even brain – develop more positively.

Yet, this information comes with a huge weight of responsibility for us to truly let go of the negative emotions (fear, stress, and anxiety) that many of us raising a kid with special needs battle against.

I am deeply thankful that I do not need to pull this off in my own strength. The God that I serve is the God of love, in fact He Is Love. He tells me to cast all my cares on Him. He promises - in the face of anxiety - a Peace that passes understanding as we turn to Him in prayer. The gifts of His Holy Spirit are Love, Peace, Joy (amongst many other cool things).

May Lloyd and I always snuggle close to Jesus so that He can pour His goodness through us into our home and into Matt’s life.