text:
Type: Improvement
Status: Closed
Priority: Minor
Resolution: Fixed
Affects Version/s: 1.9, 2.0
Fix Version/s: 2.0
Component/s: Administration
Affected Branches:MOODLE_19_STABLE, MOODLE_20_STABLE
Fixed Branches:MOODLE_20_STABLE
Currently, the username is not allowed to contain an underscore. The validity check when manually creating a new issue states that the username field "Can only contain alphabetical letters or numbers"; however, periods and commas are allowed. It would make sense to also allow the underscore character. Part of what necessitates this is that the uploading of users was previously not checking for the underscore character so in fact some sites have users with them and others have discovered now that the underscore is being removed in 1.9 uploads. To be consistent, we should determine whether we are going to allow them or not and if so then we will need to fix the upload so that it does not strip out the underscore character and modify the validity check when manually adding a new user so that it allows it. We should also change the warning so that it is more accurate so that it states that the username "can only contain alphabetical letters, numbers, periods, commas, and underscores". In the meantime, in the hopes of preventing confusion, I have added notes about validity checking and requirements for the username field in Moodle docs at the following locations:
When this issue is resolved, we should probably go back in and make sure the docs reflect what we have done.
Peace - Anthony
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I had forgotten about the extendedusernamechars option under site policies. When this is enabled, it allows the underscore character to be imported and added manually. So I think that we are really only dealing with an issue of firming up when extendedusernamechars is off then I think that is the behavior we should get. No underscore characters allowed in manual or uploads. I would go further and say that if extendedusernamechars is not being used then the period and commas currently permissible should not be allowed without it being set. Peace - Anthony
Oki, so, summarizing:
(A)- With $CFG->extendedusernamechars DISABLED we must allow exclusively these:
alphanumeric chars (A-Z, a-z, 0-9)
dot (.)
undescore (_)
(B)- With $CFG->extendedusernamechars ENABLED, any char is allowed in usernames (current behaviour).
And we must perform changes in:
in order to check for the characters specified in (A).
Sounds as a good plan. Some observations:
1) I'd move the check to one central function - user_normalise_username() - somewhere and make all the places above to use it.
2) External auth plugins... should them be rejecting wrong usernames? I guess we don't make any verification there.
3) I've detected that the currently used regular expression:
$user->username = eregi_replace('[^(
\.[:alnum:])]', '', $user>username);
seems to be faulty, because, or I'm wrong or it allows parenthesis in usernames!! So the question is... should we continue allowing them (can break users using those chars previously).
Adding some watchers, assigning to Jerome and addressing to 1.9.4. Please comment about 2 & 3.
BTW the current eregi_replace() function above seems to be double-faulty. Not only parenthesis are allowed, but slashes and backslashes too!
My only concern is the basis for the extended characters in username. Are there technical reasons to exclude dot hyphen and underscore. On the otherhand, as I pointed out to Anthony, is this another area where Moodle might want to provide a gui to create an array of excluded characters. For example, many systems allow the user to use their e-mail address because users are now havng to access more and more systems and are having a hard time remembering all their usernames.... should Moodle be able to afford this option? SHould we provide the option to have extended characters largely because of different auth schemes?
Hi Marc,
dots and hypens aren't excluded at all (right now). The thing is about to allow also the underscore (and decide what to do with parenthesis, slashes and backslashes that (right now again) are allowed by mistake.
And do this consistently in:
- authentication
- login
- user profile
- upload users
About the idea of having some configuration setting allowing some more chars... uhm... could be interesting... the only point against that is that those chars need to end in a regular expression and, depending of the chars.... they'll need to be escaped in the regexp or it will break. But can be a interesting idea, yup.
Assigning this to me just becuase it involves regular expressions is a bit stupid IMO.
It is really a policy issue, which I don't want to decide about. Well, if I had to decide, I would say that the code is currently unambiguous and consistent. Everywhere we check, we allow:
- /
\.[:alnum:]/ - that isalphanumeric, hyphen and full stop if $CFG>extendedusernamechars is off.
- Absolutely anything if $CFG->extendedusernamechars is on
So that is the current behaviour. If the docs do not say that, we should fix the docs. If any code fails to check, it should be fixed.
However, we have code like
if (empty($CFG->extendedusernamechars)) {
$string = eregi_replace("[^(-\.[:alnum:])]", '', $data['username']);
copied and pasted all over the place. That is horrible. I suggest we define a new PARAM_USERNAME with code in clean_param like
case PARAM_USERNAME:
if (empty($CFG->extendedusernamechars))
else{ return clean_param($param, PARAM_NOTAGS); }
(the signup form does PARAM_NOTAGS. I am not sure that is really right.)
Once all the code is consistently using PARAM_USERNAME, then we can easily implement whatever we decide about this bug by changing the code in just one place.
"I would say that the code is currently unambiguous and consistent"
we can call current code that way, np. But let's call it BUGGY (as I commented some messages above). Current eregi_replace() expression is 100% incorrect (that's the point to fix in this bug). It allows a lot of chars to pass!!
$string = '012abc.,:;-_/
echo 'orig: ' . $string . "\n";
echo 'ereg: ' . eregi_replace("[^(-\.[:alnum:])]", '', $string) . "\n";
orig: 012abc.,:;-_/\ñÑ[]{}
ereg: 012abc.,:;-/[
So, dots, commas, colons, semicolons, slashes, backslashes, square brackets are allowed! And they shouldn't.
I agree about to move check to a central place and apply it everywhere (bulk user load, auth...) But first the check itself must be fixed. We are allowing far more than the recommended / documented chars.
This may not be the right place but I was searching to find out if a space was allowed in a user login name.
The documentation does not say yes or no. A Moodle site search on username got me here and I check the three links to MoodleDocs Anthony provided.
Details: I noticed a site login error and the customer service person did something (I suspect changed the password) and then the user could not login again. Everyone is in different time zones, so I added a period that changed the username from "chris collman" to "chris.collman".
Then I downloaded a list of users in Excel and ran my eye over the names. Much to my surprise, I think I am seeing some other user names that contain spaces. One of the names I recognize as receiving a certificate for one of the courses. Still got a couple of hours before the customer service person comes on line and I will follow up to see exactly what the problem was/is with the login.
But I am more concerned that our documentation specifically mention "spaces" in the user login name and if they are allowed or not.
Thanks Chris
Chris - username should not contain spaces. if you upload new user file, the system will automatically truncate any empty spaces within the user name.
as per tim suggestion, I defined a new case for PARAM_USERNAME in clean_param (moodlelib.php)
case PARAM_USERNAME:
$patterns = array();
array_push($patterns, '/[*()+]/');
array_push($patterns, '/[^(-\.[:alnum:])_]/i');
if ($CFG->extendedusernamechars){ $param = preg_replace($patterns, '',trim($param)); return $param; }
else{ array_push($patterns, '/_/i'); //truncate underscore $param = preg_replace($patterns, '',trim($param)); return $param; }
the patch is available only for HEAD. Please let me know if you have any question.
according to the above document, the rule for username with Allow extended characters:
period (.)
any character
empty spaces will be removed from username.
I'm attaching new patch to apply the above rule (moodlelib.php only).
Hi Rossiani,
I must confess I don't understand the logic beyond your HEAD patch. Can you add some tests demonstrating what is allowed and what is not?
- different symbols
- utf-8 alphanumeric chars...
- underscore, hypen...
both with CFG->extendedusernamechars enable and disabled
Also, the 1.9 patch looks somehow "wrong", with patters array declared in wrong place, not sure though, just a perception.
Hi Eloy,
Both patches should be applied on HEAD. I should mention that on my previous patch. Ah, just realize i uploaded the wrong file for moodlelib.php. Please use the latest patch.
so, if $allowextendedcharacters == disable, then
johndoe123 – valid
john.doe – valid
john-doe – valid
john_doe – invalid
john@doe – invalid
if $allowextendedcharacters == enable, then
johndoe123 – valid
john.doe – valid
john-doe – valid
john_doe – valid
john@doe – valid
john#$%&() – valid
Please let me know if you have more question.
can you test these too, plz:
- john~doe
- john´doe
- johndóé
Also, having all these tests into lib/simpletest/test_moodlelib.php would be perfect IMO.
TIA and ciao
Also, http://docs.moodle.org/en/Site_policies#Allow_extended_characters_in_usernames should show final behaviour without ambiguities once this get tested and resolved. Ciao
I made slightly change on moodlelib.php (line 729)
$param = trim($param); (this only removing empty spaces at the beginning and end of string)
$param = str_replace(" " , "", $param); (i think this is better, it will eliminate all empty spaces in the string.)
i also attaching the test cases for clean_param().
Please take a look and let me know if i need to make any changes to it.
Hi Rosie, nice tests!
Anyway I think you can, do domething like:
global $CFG;
$currentstatus = $FG->extendedusernamechars;
$FG->extendedusernamechars = false;
/// Run tests with extended disabled here
$FG->extendedusernamechars = true;
/// Run tests with extended enabled here
$FG->extendedusernamechars = $currentstatus;
That way all the tests will be executed in a "correct" environment and we'll have perfect coverage of the PARAM_USERNAME thing.
And the last point with this is:
Are we breaking BC compatibility? If so... will that affect newly created users on login or the change only applies to new accounts?
Hi Eloy,
I made changes to the test file (20091120_HEAD_testmoodlelib.php.patch) and the changes only apply to new accounts.
Consensus after a chat in dev chat just now was
normal: a-z . _ @
extended: everything
Can you double check that ??ý fails in the first case, Rosie?
ereg and preg treat [:anum:] differently, in preg ?ýá?ý?? is valid, in ereg it is not
in case of "normal" passwords we should imo accept only safe 7-bit chars that are compatible with any encoding (ASCII)
Tests look perfect Rossi
just for the record, at HQ chat we talked about:
- Accept "_" and "@" in nonextended mode.
- Be careful with [alnum] as far as it accepts sometimes utf-8 chars. It seems that [a-z0-9] is always restricted to ASCII, needs more tests.
Edited: Correct typo.
Hoho, LOL it seems that everybody updated the bug with today's HQ conclusions!
Sure Rosie have complete info now, hehe, ciao
Created new patch to add "_" and "@" to nonextended mode and also added new testing line to testmoodlelib.
I tested the following:
$string = 'john.,:;
/|\ñÑ[]A_X,D {} ~!@#$%^&*()+ ?><[] ??ý ?ýá?ý?doe ';
echo preg_replace('/[^-\.@_[:alnum:]]/i', '', $string);
output: john.-_A_X-D@_doe
FYI: eregi_replace has been DEPRECATED as of PHP 5.3.0 and REMOVED as of PHP 6.0.0.
Sorry Rossi but in my test environment (MacOS X, full UTF-8 + custom compiled PHP)
preg_replace('/[^-\.@_[:alnum:]]/i', '', $string)
returns accents and other UTF-8 chars perfectly.
I think Petr was saying exactly that some comments above: "[:alnum:] supports/matches UTF-8 chars under some environments". So it's not usable in this case at all.
So, the alternative was to use a-zA-Z0-9. I've tested this:
preg_replace('/[^-\.@_a-zA-Z0-9]/', '', $string)
And seems to work correctly here. Does it work there too? If so, +1 to use that.
Also, don't forget to change http://docs.moodle.org/en/Site_policies#Allow_extended_characters_in_usernames
PS: Silly question, we support uppercase chars in usernames.... if so... are we checking in DB in a case insensitive way to avoid duplicates? I say that because some DBs are casesensitive and others are insensitive... So we should be guaranteeing no case insensitive dupes. Not critical but can affect migration from one DB to other.
oh, I thought those are case insensitive, hmm I might remember some complaints related to username case and external account sync
Eloy - username does not allow uppercase chars and there's no documentation regarding this rule.
uploading bulk username, the system will automatically truncate the uppercase character.
Ps: i did not make new patch yet, just in case we want add new rule regarding uppercase character.
Re. the lang string alphanumerical, as the functionality is changing (_ and @ is to be allowed in Moodle 2.0, whereas before it wasn't allowed) I suggest we have a new lang string validusername:
$string['invalidusername'] = 'The username can only contain alphanumeric characters, underscore (_), hyphen (-), period (.) or at symbol (@)';
The existing lang string could be reworded to make things clearer:
$string['alphanumerical'] = 'Can only contain alphanumeric characters, hyphen (-) or period (.)';
(Edited to change string name from alphanumerical2 to invalidusername as suggested by Eloy.)
+1 for new string, agree Helen, I just would change it to add the word "lowercase characters".
I think uppercase chars must be cleaned (detected as invalid) in any case, Rossi. No matter of extended or normal modes. Rigth now the create_user_record() function is doing one strlower always, so there isn't any reason to accept uppercase chars at all.
So, any point of user creation (bulk upload, manual accounts, signup...) must enforce lowercase chars always. The only exception is the login page where we'll be performing the lowercase behind the scenes just to allow people used to have uppercase chars (but not really having them) to continue login in the same way.
Does it have sense?
In any case... note we are discussing latter this week if PARAM_USERNAME and other PARAM functions must be really PARAM functions or, alternatively, must be moved to other functions (out from the PARAM/clean stuff). Just to let you know, Rossi. In any case it will be easily movable if needed so you can continue advancing assuming current PARAM/clean is the way.
Hi Eloy,
I made changes to the patch according to you suggestion. In addition, i add validation to "upload users preview" page and attached 2images for the possibility to display the error validation.
Please take a look and let me know if any changes needed.
Hi Rosie,
a few things about your last patch:
1) About the tests, it seems that we are only executing one group or the other ("if" sentence). The idea is to execute all the always, setting $CFG->extendedusernamechars by hand (and resetting it to original status at the end with the value stored in $currentstatus).
2) There is one harcoded English string in admin/uploaduser.php: "Originally". Must be changed to proper lang string.
3) Question about admin/uploaduser.php... when one record has an incorrect username... what happens? Is it created with the cleaned username or rejected with error? IMO we should avoid to create automatically cleaned usernames and reject them, to allow the admin to fix it. Not sure if that's current approach, please confirm.
Finally note it was supposed we were going to discuss about this in the Hackfest but that never happened. So... plz, watchers... it you've something to say, say it here right now. Else we'll go ahead and commit.
Thanks Eloy for reviewing the patch.
answering eloy's question:
1. got it. i will make the changes to the test file.
2. i was purposely hardcoded the string, because I wasn't sure on which is the best way to display the error. I created 2 screenshots for the possibilities of displaying the error (upload_validation1.png and upload_validation2.png). I prefer displaying it with the second option 'upload_validation2.png). Eloy (or watchers), do you have any preference on how the error should be display?
3. currently, when the record has an incorrect username, it will created with the cleaned username.
I will fix the tests file and works more on the uploaduser.php to reject creating user when record has invalid characters. in other words, if the file contains any invalid username or the email is already exist, the system wont be able to create any new user, until the file is error free.
Hi Rossi,
In regards to 2. my +1 for the second option (upload_validation2.png)
I added username and email address validation for the uploaded file. If username contains invalid characters (extended chars is turn on) and/or email had exist, it will display the error and force user to fix the file and re-upload new file. also, I made a little changes in displaying the error message. if and error exist, it will be displayed in the last column of the row.
Patch is available to be reviewed.
Hi Rosie, it's looking great!
Here it's one check list, to see if everything is in order:
1) In login, if user enters uppercase username, it's automatically lowercased (no error at all). The login happens with that lowercased username. This is the only point of Moodle where we "accept" uppercase usernames.
2) In signup process, uppercase usernames are forbidden, so error is shown. Usernames not fulfilling PARAM_USERNAME also cause error.
3) In edit-advanced, same behaviour than 2) (both uppercase and not correct PARAM_USERNAME cause error).
4) In upload user, same behaviour that 2) and 3). Any error causes no-user to be created at all. The entire file is rejected. Error is shown. Must be fixed and uploaded again.
Are 4 points implemented that way? Yay if yes!
Then, in your last patch:
1) lang trings aren't included in the patch.
2) tests continue being alternative. We must execute all them as commented above.
3) There are other places where we can be creating users too (mainly authentication plugins... I think we may put at least some TODO notices in those plugins in order to remember that we must user PARAM_USERNAME before inserting into user table. Plz, take a look to any insert_record call into user table in moodle code and add some TODO pointing to this bug. Somethinh like grep -r insert_record * | grep user should return a list of candidates to be examined.
And that's all. I think we are becoming closer to the end... thanks! Ciao
Hi Eloy,
the 4 check list points have been implemented.
I updated testlib.
I also attached a new screenshot for the new look for handling invalid file upload (useruploadfile.jpg).
are you looking for the word "originally" in the language string? if you are, the string has been drop from the new display. please take a look the screenshot.
here is the list for the new language string that included in the patch
-$string['alphanumerical'] = 'Can only contain alphabetical letters or numbers';
+$string['alphanumerical'] = 'Can only contain alphanumeric characters, hyphen or period (.)';
+$string['invalidusername'] = 'The username can only contain alphanumeric lowercase characters, underscore (_), hyphen , period (.) or at symbol (@)';
+$string['invalidusernameupload'] = "Invalid username";
+$string['uploadnewfile'] = 'Upload new file';
+$string['uploadinvalidpreprocessedcount'] = 'Number of invalid preprocessed records: $a';
+$string['uploadfilecontainerror'] = 'The uploaded file has not been submitted due to invalid information. Please modify the file and re-upload. ';
i had prepared a documentation for this update. once this gets approve and checkin, i will update the online documentation.
please review the latest patch.
thank you
Hi Rosie,
Re. the string uploadfilecontainerror how about:
'The uploaded file has not been processed due to the error(s) specified. Please amend the file before uploading it again.'
Ho, sorry by the delay, I had lost this completely!
+1 for it (see also last lang string suggestion from Helen, I'm not an expert on that at all, hehe).
As also commented in
MDL-21226 , I think we'll end using one core create_user() function or so. We have really tons of insert_record() calls here and there, grrr. But I think it can be handled in the other bug.
Thanks and ciao
I personally find the PARAM_USERNAME confusing, because it is not actually fixing the submitted string like the other PARAM_, the UPPERCASE letter should be converted to lowercase (using UTF-8 aware function). Looking at the code this causes regressions, sorry, please.
Also the code actually using this param is not ok imho:
if (empty($CFG->extendedusernamechars)) {
$string = clean_param($usernew->username, PARAM_USERNAME);
if ($usernew->username !== $string) {
$err['username'] = get_string('invalidusername');
because it should always do this test no matter what $CFG->extendedusernamechars contains.
Maybe it would be a good time to introduce option for cases sensitive usernames too at the same time, just an idea
I think the PARAM is ok (it is actually cleaning the param) so comparing strings afterwards makes sense, but you're right, the calling code to it does not need to check for $CFG->extendedusernamechars.
hmm, up until now we were converting usernames to lowercase - now we just dropping CAPITAL letters, that is a big change imo. For example if we used this new "cleaning" in place where tacher types in username and we look for user, he/she would not know that those letters were removed, instead I would expect it does the same lowercasing like the login page.
Yep, that makes sense. Rossiani, can you convert uppercase to lowercase in this function as well? Use moodle_strtolower().
I'm don't agree about lowercasing PARAM_USERNAME being correct behavior. Uppercase chars are invalid, so they aren't allowed, so they are deleted. That's what all clean_xxx() functions use to do, they don't use to "fix" the param, but to clean all the incorrect bits. That's consistent behaviour IMO.
If search of users wants to accept uppercase chars, well, then make it to perform the strtolower() before cleaning (as we are doing in login.php, where uppercase chars continue being valid. But don't convert the clean function into one "fix" function.
for example PARAM_CLEAN can remove but also add stuff, we are not only removing things; PARAM_BOOL is another example that actually modifies the data. My point was that the actual behaviour of moodle changed after introduction of PARAM_USERNAME, I would personally not add it at all and instead created a special function for username normalisation. I personally do not like putting too much login into the param cleaning.
> My point was that the actual behaviour of moodle changed after introduction of PARAM_USERNAME
Sorry, I really don't see what has changed. The only difference is that lowercasing doesn't happen beyond the scenes anymore and now it's properly detected and informed. That's the only difference. Behavior (only accept lowercase usernames) continue being the same.
> I would personally not add it at all and instead created a special function for username normalization
Nice (said in an ironic way). I requested comments about that (should be a PARAM_XXX or one function) here, in HQ chat and also added it to the Hackfest Moodle Docs page. And nobody commented at all. So finally we followed the original path (PARAM_XXX). Grrr. Anyway, we are on time to change that if ppl thinks it's better. it's only a matter of decide where all those "normalization" functions should go.
> I personally do not like putting too much login into the param cleaning.
It's only one simple regular expression. Other params are, by far, more complex than this, IMO.
old code in upload user:
// normalize username
$user->username = $textlib->strtolower($user->username);
if (empty($CFG->extendedusernamechars)) {
$user->username = preg_replace('/[^(-\.[:alnum:])]/i', '', $user->username);
new code:
$user->username = clean_param($user->username, PARAM_USERNAME);
the removing of uppercase letters makes a huge difference there, sorry Eloy
I love to repeat myself:
"The only difference is that lowercasing doesn't happen beyond the scenes anymore and now it's properly detected and informed"
or, in other words. When users are going to be created by upload utility... the file is rejected if usernames are incorrect. Old approach was clearly worse (dark magic). See Rosie screenshots above.
Eloy, I do agree that clean functions shouldn't generally do magic fixing, but I think uppercase-lowercase is a special case of cleaning/fixing because we know exactly what the user "meant".
Silently converting "McDonald" -> "conald" seems really wrong to me and I can't see any usefulness in it.
There are two issues here.
1) What to do with a username coming in as a parameter. We do need to make sure it conforms to the config standard. This will usually be used for searches, login and so on, single parameters coming in from forms. Makes total sense for this to be PARAM_USERNAME alongside similar code, and perfect sense for me to convert uppercase to lowercase so that matches with existing data can work as expected.
2) What to do with usernames being entered to create new accounts (signup/bulkupload etc). For these cases we need to always flag an error when the username doesn't conform. Performing a string comparison between the original and a cleaned version must be done, and this works equally well whether uppercase is deleted or lowercased. Since deleting it isn't useful (see above) and lowercasing is, let's lowercase it.
I'll make sure this is all implemented as such so that please, let's move on to real issues.
Rosie, thanks for your documentation updates - very helpful
add validation to upload user data according to the upload type.
I see there is a TODO in enrol/mnet/enrol.php, and auth/mnet/auth.php that says:
//TODO - username required to use PARAM_USERNAME before inserting into user table (
As per Eloy's suggestion in one of the comments.
Since I'm looking at this code a lot at the moment it's very unclear to me what the proper solution is here. When syncing external users (both in auth AND in enrol actually) we have a problem if the username policy is inconsistent between Moodle and whatever it's syncing with (be that another Moodle or anything else).
I guess the best thing in all cases is to change everywhere that accepts a username (this includes the cronjob-syncs as well) and changes it, so that at least inserts and subsequent updates are consistent. However, does this mean we have to do a migration of usernames ? I can't change mnet to do this now since it could well break all current users. You can't migrate all users in a moodle site to adhere to whatever the moodle site username policy is, because then you would end up with potential duplication, eg:
would end up conflicting.
I don't have any solutions, just noticed that there's still a TODO here and this bug seems to have been closed, which seems wrong to me.
hmm, I thought the only reason to prevent some characters is to prevent user problems when entering the username into the login page, technically we should handle all characters in all auth methods, of course there were critical problems with special characters in some auth plugins causing fatal errors before, but all those problems should be fixed anyway. This means that if the username already exists in other system we should use it "as is", no cleaning or case conversion at all. I was thinking a lot about the lowercasing too, it is kind of similar because we should be able to interface with systems that differentiate case while still keeping the caseless unique usernames - so definitely we can not convert the case before we send the username to external systems.
These are the places where we should clean the user names imo:
1/ user signup - spaces and extra chars are hard to replicate later; complain if extra chars there only, no automatic cleaning
2/ internal user creation - teacher/admin creates a new user account manually, again it would be difficult to deal with special chars
3/ csv upload to internal accounts only
The internal accounts are those with authentication plugin {email, manual, db with local password, etc.)


text:
From New York, with love xox
ps. Photos from early morning and evening around The Carneros Inn... days were spent relaxing, and being far too lazy to lift a camera!
Ahhh I have missed you! This sounds like a wonderful getaway, I have Napa on my list for next time we're in that part of the world. Hope things settle into a smoother spring for you. xx
Looks and sounds very relaxing. I think everyone is feeling the same, this year seems a bit out of control! x
I clicked on your bookmarked link, as I have every day for weeks now, & was excited to see that dreamy photo!! So happy to see you back :)
It looks just perfect! I still get the weather report for the San Francisco area (I know it's not quite Napa, but close enough) from when I used to get it for our honeymoon in August, and it seems to be such a nice time of the year right about now.
Glad to see you back on here!
Maria xx
Love the photos! and love seeing your blogs, have missed you blogging - "I'm looking you straight in the eyes"
Looks so peaceful and nice.
Your getaways are always so dreamy.
Tracy @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights
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i visited cali for the first time last august and napa was my favorite part of the road trip. i was actually considering staying at the carneros inn too! if you ever get a chance to go out there again, you should check out the solage--it was amazing.
(ps, im a new reader. i love your blog! if you ever need restaurant recommendations, let me know. food in the city is kind of my thing :P )
Hi! I'm n NY until Wednesday... Let me know if you're free for a glass of wine or something!! Take care!
These are truly breathtaking photos. Ahhh....we can commiserate together seeing that the weather in NY sucks as it is over here in Europe. How I wish I can be on that lounge chair by the pool.
Oooh I can so imagine how much you miss all that.
My sis moved to south island NZ after meeting a man. After working in London.....huge change but she loves it but needs to come every now and then for a fix!! xxxx
I love your photos. The photos are just so relaxing to look at. I'm in dire need of a holiday!
Napa Valley is so beautiful. I would love to hear more about the The Carneros Inn. We've looked at it a number of times, but were put off by the showers.
You take beautiful photos!! I would love to go back to Napa. The scenery is just breathtaking and I love everything there. It is so relaxing.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Denim Therapy team would like to wish everyone a happy holiday! We'll be taking a little vacation on the blog, but don't worry—we've got knock-your-socks-off content coming your way in the new year, and we can't wait to share it with you when we return! While we're gone, browse our very special holiday posts and check out why Denim Therapy is the perfect gift to give this year!
Be safe, be merry, and remember: if your jeans rip, we've got your back (and crotch, and hem, and knees, etc)!
—DT Staff
Tags: Denim Repair, Denim Therapy, gift guide, happy holidays, last minute gift, perfect gift, shopping guide


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Solid Throw Pillows
- Honeycomb Lumbar Pillow Cover $39.50
- Washed Velvet Pillow Cover $29.50
- Quail Faux Fur Pillow Cover - Gray $49.50 Sale $29.99
- Faux Sheepskin Pillow Cover $25.50 – $39.50
- Pieced Leather Pillow Cover $129.50 – $149.50
Patterned & Embroidered Pillows
- Wheaton Stripe Pillow Cover $35.50
- Beale Paisley Reversible Pillow Cover $29.50
- Polka Dot Pillow Cover $29.50
- Kayra Appliqué Pillow Cover $59.50
- Pasture Bunny Pillow $29.50
- Pasture Spring Bunny Print Lumbar Pillow Cover $29.50
- Hopping Bunny Print Lumbar Pillow Cover $29.50
- Floral Bunny Print Lumbar Pillow $29.50
- Home Sentiment Lumbar Pillow Cover $39.50
- Gideon Medallion Appliqué Pillow Cover $69.50
- Kenmare Ikat Embroidered Lumbar Pillow Cover $59.50
- Blue Plaid Lumbar Pillow Cover $29.50
- Aida Block Print Pillow Cover $29.50
- Shibori Embroidered Lumbar Pillow Cover $39.50
- Jules Embroidered Pillow Cover $35
- Cece Embroidered Pillow Cover $28
- Gemma Jacquard Lumbar Pillow Cover $32
- Home is Where the Heart Is Pillow $39.50
- LOVE Lumbar Pillow $39.50
- Reserved Lumbar Pillow $39.50
- Reid Serape Stripe Pillow Cover $49.50
- Bibiana Embroidered Pillow Cover $79.50 Special $63
- Moroccan Wedding Blanket Pillow Cover - Neutral $79.50
- Nadia Moroccan Pillow Cover $59.50
- Sami Printed Velvet Lumbar Pillow Cover $29.50
- Sami Printed Velvet Pillow Cover $29.50
- Dara Print Pillow Cover $39.50
- Yasmine Lumbar Pillow Cover $35.50
- Remi Printed Lumbar Pillow Cover $35.50
- Navin Print Lumbar Pillow Cover $45.50
- Navin Print Pillow Cover $45.50
- Suzani Appliqué Embroidered Pillow Cover $69.50 Sale $49.99
- Suzani Appliqué Embroidered Lumbar Pillow Cover $69.50 Sale $49.99
- Suzani Embroidered Pillow Cover - Indigo $79.50
- Angelina Paisley Print Pillow Cover $49.50 Sale $29.99
- Bea Embroidered Pillow Cover $59.50
- Personalized Mr. & Mrs. Pillow Cover $35.50
- Personalized Alphabet Pillow Cover $35.50
- Moroccan Embroidered Pillow Cover $59.50
- Jace Diamond Band Jacquard Pillow Cover $29.50
- Collette Jacquard Pillow Cover $32
- Hudson Ikat Pillow Cover $69.50
- Zerrin Suzani Embroidered Lumbar Pillow Cover $59.50
- Zerrin Suzani Embroidered Pillow Cover $79.50
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- Sail Boat Print Reverse Stripe Pillow Cover $29.50
- Lighthouse Print Reverse Stripe Pillow Cover $29.50
- Lighthouse Crewel Pillow Cover $39.50
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- Regina Embellished Bolster Pillow Cover $79 Sale $49.99
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- Emira Paisley Lumbar Pillow Cover $39.50 Sale $24.99
- Metallic Floral Print Pillow Cover $45.50 Sale $24.99
- Metallic Suzani Pillow Cover $69.50
- Luck Horseshoe Crewel Pillow $39.50
- Four Leaf Clover Crewel Embroidered Pillow $29.50
- Spring Blossom Print Pillow Cover $35.50
- Sonja Ikat Print Velvet Lumbar Pillow Cover $59.50 Sale $29.99
- Pattmore Printed Silk Pillow Cover $39.50 Special $31
- Rosa Medallion Scarf Print Pillow Cover $59.50 Special $47
- Alexa Printed Lumbar Pillow Cover $69.50
- Melody Print Pillow Cover $39.50 Special $31
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- Darcy Paisley Pillow Cover $49.50 Sale $29.99
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- Abby Printed Silk Lumbar Pillow Cover $29.50 Special $23
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- Sabyasachi Colonial Damask Printed Pillow Cover $129
- Sabyasachi Maharani Print Pillow Cover $79 Sale $39.99
- Sabyasachi Darjeeling Printed Pillow Cover $99
- Sabyasachi Rose Printed Pillow Cover $99
- Sabyasachi Brocade Embroidered Pillow Cover $129 Sale $64.99
Decorative Pillows
Looking to spruce up any room in your home? The magic word is pillow. A pillow or throw can accent plain couches and bedspreads; then voila, your living room will feel transformed. Decorative pillows come in many shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. Play around with your options to find the style that best matches your personal taste.
Here are some quick ways pillows can liven up your home.
Craft Your Own
If you're feeling super creative, make your own! A custom pillow is a fun and expressive way to treat yourself. You can purchase gorgeous pillow covers and find the right stuffing to fill it in with personalized fluff and texture. A 20x20 sized pillow is the most common and a polyester blend or any other synthetic fabric can be easy to manipulate. Bring your friends over and compare your pillow creations.
Colors and Textures
A simple pillow or throw can give a guilt free nudge to people with a more conservative taste in interior design. This gets them out of their solid only comfort zone and spices up their space. Dress up the drab and enjoy pops of colors; like gold and purple. Mongolian faux fur, ruffles, Mina Victory, beading and embroidered pillows all create a nice contrast to a simple two-dimensional couch or bed. Don't forget to use a throw or two as decorative accents. Most pillows can always be found on sale if you're open and willing to try new things. It's fun to get out of your comfort zone and put things together that you would have never considered before.
Pillow Size Does Matter
An accent pillow brings extra personality when you throw in different shapes and sizes. In addition to using color for a lively touch, a variety of 3-dimensional pillows can really make a foundation pop. Get inspired by a photo collage, where pictures and moments are scattered into fun shapes and sizes. From a heart-shaped pillow to an oblong pillow or pillow cover, the world is your oyster. Speaking of oysters, try an oyster shaped pillow.
Get Creative
It's obvious you can go nuts with accessories in the bedroom and living room, but what about your kitchen? Is the floor covered in those ugly tiles that your landlord won't replace? Try a new rug with colorful accessories to tie things together. Try a bold red tea kettle with matching seat cushions. Add a complimentary decoration on the wall and you've got a whole new theme. A little bit goes a long way in the kitchen, and if you're happy with the new look, it's a victory for you and your landlord.
For more inspiration, just keep thinking outside the pillow.


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Prada Patent Leather Platform Sandal
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Item # 289235
With stunning style and rich quality, Prada is one of the top designer brands in fashion history. This patent leather platform sandal is absolutely perfect for an elevated casual style.
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- Imported
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Everyone has an opinion. Here's your chance to share yours! Be the first to write a review of this product and help your fellow shoppers pick the best of the best.


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This slide set focuses on the discovery in WISE mission data of nearby brown dwarfs. It is one of a series of short, topical presentations on new developments from NASA astrophysics missions, relevant to introductory astronomy topics. These... (View More) resources are intended to help instructors include the latest discoveries (not yet in their textbooks) into their courses. The slide sets are constructed to be easily included as a lecture supplement including synopsis, references, and graphics. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
This story highlights one of the brightest, nearby star-forming regions and the home to the most massive stars in our cosmic neighborhood. With this release, Hubble is celebrating its 22nd anniversary. This selection was written in conjunction with... (View More) the HubbleSite press release: Hubble's Panoramic View of a Turbulent Star-making Region. Star Witness News is a series of articles, written for students, that are inspired by Hubble Space Telescope press releases. Supplemental education materials include background information, vocabulary, and discussion questions and answers. (View Less)
This news story describes Comet Siding Spring's close encounter with the planet Mars and its visit to our part of the solar system, including information about encounters between comets and other solar-system planets, the anatomy of a comet, and the... (View More) origins of long- and short-period comets. Star Witness News is a series of articles, written for students, that are inspired by Hubble Space Telescope press releases. Supplemental education materials include background information, vocabulary, and discussion questions and answers. Common Core Standards for English Language Arts are also identified. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
This news story highlights the one-millionth science observation by the Hubble Space Telescope. It explains that in its more than 20 years in space, Hubble has taken more than one million science observations, which have expanded our knowledge of... (View More) the universe. Star Witness News is a series of articles, written for students, that are inspired by Hubble Space Telescope press releases. Supplemental education materials include background information, vocabulary, and discussion questions and answers. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
This series of investigative activities for Cadette Girl Scouts begins with an overview of our inner solar system, emphasizes the planetary histories of Mars, Earth and Venus, then concludes with evidence for the greenhouse effect on Earth. The... (View More) activities introduce and reflect the scientific goals of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN), which reached Mars on September 21, 2014, and began its study of the Martian atmosphere. Cadettes will simultaneously learn about new technologies and gain new knowledge as they explore career pathways and develop potential service projects linked to the Cadette leadership journey. (View Less)
This is an interactive, real-time display system of space science images and data designed for museums and schools. The program displays hundreds of images and movies from space science research, all documented, with web references of how to find... (View More) out more information. The materials also include a large number of space science educational activities. The software is available for purchase. Full-screen versions without support files are available for download but require a registration number after a 30-day demo period. (View Less)
This Flash-based interactive provides access to illustrations, visualizations, videos, and near-real time images of the Sun from a variety of NASA satellites. Learners can access this information to supplement other materials related to the Sun and... (View More) heliophysics. A scale tool with the size of the Earth is also presented with the solar images. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
This printable calendar includes images with descriptions from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Chandra is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the Universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies,... (View More) and matter around black holes. (View Less)
This 12-page educational comic book introduces readers to the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Using the Japanese anime art style, the comic book explains the satellite technology and the mission goals and applications. Supplemental... (View More) materials to support the story include an overview of the GPM mission, a description of the satellite and its instruments, examples of the data it collects, descriptions of some of the constellation partners, and a glossary of science terms used in the comic. Links are provided to additional related resources, including a template for learners to create their own comic. The Japanese anime/manga style of art was chosen because the GPM mission is a collaboration between NASA and JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. (View Less)
These handouts highlight the many important ways that women contribute to the pursuit of understanding the Universe through high-energy astrophysics. First-hand stories are presented from various women connected with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory... (View More) of their experiences and perspectives of their career. (View Less)


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Junior Invasive Inspectors Program
The Clemson University Invasive Species Program will soon be recruiting middle school aged youth to help with the early detection of invasive species in South Carolina! Families, school groups, camps and other organizations can register for the Junior Invasive Inspectors Program. Adult leaders will be given curriculum written for teaching children ages 9-13 about general invasive species awareness, understanding latitude and longitude, recognizing targeted forest pests and symptoms of decline in trees. Clemson will also supply each group of Junior Inspectors with survey backpacks filled with all of the supplies needed to conduct field surveys. All survey data will be reported online using the Southeast Early Detection Network (SEEDN) website or the SEEDN smartphone app. Any reports of suspicious signs and symptoms will be investigated by DPI inspectors. Each participant will get to keep their survey water bottle, and Junior Inspectors that report more than 20 findings will be awarded tiered prizes including badges, t-shirts and their very own survey backpack!
We hope to begin registering groups at the end of September. Stay tuned for more information or feel free to contact the Invasive Species Program at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Directions to Riad Villa El ArsaAddress: 18 Derb El Arsa, Kennaria Medina, Marrakech, Morocco
Average rating: 97%
Rooms from: US$ 68.25
Directions to Riad Villa El Arsa
From Cafe de France on Djemaa el-Fna take the first right, Rue des Banques, which becomes Riad Zitoun el-Jedid. Walk south, take first left under brick arch and first left again. Walk along alley; cross small crossroads and take secon right. Or phone us: +212(0)629610876 5 minutes walk.


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Showing 1-24 of 36 items found in Outdoors & Play
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Anthony Acres Resort has picturesque views of Lake Sara. The resort is only five minutes from Effingham, so you can come into town and enjoy some food or shop.
This 18-hole, par 70 course is a challenge for players of all levels. Fun course, lots of water - a good stop for all level players.
Come out to Camp Lakewood and enjoy the views of Lake Pauline plus all the creature comforts. Camp Lakewood is an RV campground. The sites include cable, WiFi, 30/50 AMP. They also offer a one and two bedroom cabin that is fully furnished and self contained. The newest cabin sleeps five and includes Cable TV. They do offer tent sites as well for those who want to be a little closer to nature.
Cardinal Golf Course is the only public 18 hole golf course in Effingham! It is located on Lake Sara, which is just about ten minutes from interstates 57 ans 70. The course is located on local lake, Lake Sara, and has beautiful views from the course.We currently have about 250 members and hold approximately 30 outings a year with an average attendence of about 100 players per outing. We do have a driving range, putting green, and chipping green.
Home of the "World's Largest Golf Tee" Casey Country Club features a nine-hole, par 35 golf course. The Club House is open 7am - 8pm everyday (during season).
Since its founding in 1912, the Charleston Country Club is dedicated to exceeding your expectations. This country club features an 18-hole golf course.
Explore 70 acres of prairie, wetlands and forest habitat.The Visitor Center features interpretive exhibits, sensory displays and live critters, including a bird observation area.
Effingham County Veteran's Memorial
The Effingham County Veteran's Memorial wall is dedicated to all the men and women who served from all five branches of the armed forces. The names on the walls for from past and present. Every year they add more names to the wall.
Effingham has four community parks. All offer baseball diamonds, play grounds, basketball courts and great areas for family picnics.
18-hole golf course set in the countryside of Windsor. The Fox offers a golf experience for everyone from the casual golfer to those looking for a real challenge. The course was built on 160 acres of rolling farmland and woods in 1998. Located close to Lake Shelbyville. GPS ADDRESS: 1300 N 3050 E
Campgrounds, recreation shelters, several miles of trails, fishing, and canoeing.
Fox Ridge State Park Campground
43 sites, electricity at each site, shower building, and shared water. Dump station. Reservations accepted.
Located just minutes outside of Effingham. The Gardens of Heartland can fully satisfy your requirements for affordable & elegant receptions & outdoor weddings, or small gatherings.
Located in rural Jasper County, northeast of Newton, Illinois Wildlife features a lodge for hunters during deer seasons and in the off-seasons hosting meetings, receptions and off-season lodging.
KOA Campground and Camper Sales
8-acre lake, some shade trees. 82 sites with three cabins, summer active.
Enjoy the sparkling beauty of Lake Charleston, which features hiking and biking trails.
A quiet cove at dawn, where the only sound is the whir of a casting reel and the gentle splash of the fly hitting the water's surface...that's Lake Sara. A sunny afternoon slalom skiing behind a powerboat or running along the beach...that's Lake Sara. A family picnic in the grass at water's edge or a family reunion, with fried chicken and the works, under one of the pavilions...that's Lake Sara. Lake Sara is an 800-acre recreational lake nestled into a wooded shoreline, encircled by a winding road. Spend a day, a week, or a season on the shores of Lake Sara. Lake Sara has something for everyone, in every season of the year.
Two different locations on Lake Sara. The pavilions offer a chance to host a meeting on the lake. The two outdoor facilities are perfect for receptions and parties with plenty of outdoor space. It also features a large open room, kitchen area, boat dock and outdoor decks.
Lake View Park Trail is an advanced single track dirt trail, 6 miles in length. It's quite technical in nature, offering good descents and heart-pounding climbs.
Ride your bike or walk from Charleston to Mattoon on the Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail.
two miles of paved surface and 10 miles of aggregate surface. Jogging, walking, equestrian riding and biking permitted.
Newly constructed French Country style home located on 100 acres featuring equine hotel, nature trails, and fishing pond. The outdoors is as enchanting and as lively as it is indisde. Each of the 4 guest rooms is tastefully decorated.
This 18-hole, par 72 course features moderate to gently rolling terrain, manicured greens, a full-service pro shop and a food court.
The Embarras River, near Greenup, was the site of a covered bridge built by Abe and Thomas Lincoln and Dennis Hanks. The original bridge was 200 feet long. The reconstructed bridge was dedicated in 2000.


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Tour de Survival (5/18-20)
Posted by Jonathan Maus ( Publisher/Editor ) on April 15th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Posted by Jonathan Maus ( Publisher/Editor ) on April 15th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
NOTE: We love your comments and work hard to ensure they are productive, considerate, and welcoming of all perspectives. Disagreements are encouraged, but only if done with tact and respect. If you see a mean or inappropriate comment, please contact us and we'll take a look at it right away. Thank you — Jonathan
The best links from last week.
Hey! Get that dog off your lap!
Get your wheel in the door.
Finally a tracker that just might work as advertised.
It's PBOT's latest move to tame traffic on outer SE Division Street.
Independent community journalism is vital and it needs your help to survive. Here's how you can help:
Copyright © 2005-2017 BikePortland.org - Daily bike news since 2005.
BikePortland.org is a production of PedalTown Media Inc.
Original images and content owned by Pedaltown Media, Inc. Not to be used without permission. Photo Requests


text: The Ballard Inn and Restaurant, a romantic bed and breakfast located in Southern California, just 35 minutes north of Santa Barbara, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County's renowned wine country. Our boutique hotel, rated 4 diamonds is the perfect weekend getaway, just a short drive from Los Angeles or other locations in southern California. If its gourmet wine country cuisine and fine dining you're looking for, our award winning restaurant is sure to please even the most discriminating gourmands. Chef Budi Kazali's inspired French Asian food offers the ultimate in California cuisine. If you are so inclined, we can arrange for a wine tasting tour in the neighboring towns of Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, Solvang, and Buellton have to offer, including the beautiful and legendary area of the Santa Rita Hills. Our area has a long history of horse ranching with horse back riding excursion and is a destination for cycling enthusiasts, golfing with three wonderful courses to play, including the celebrated Alisal and La Purisima courses. With the vast selection of activities and comfortable meeting spaces, our country inn represents a great place to hold you next family reunion or small business retreat.


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By GARY ARRINGTONSports writer
Just as they went to the Christmas break and just as they came back from it, the Green River Lady Pirates won ball games to take their season record to 5-5 after starting the season 2-5. The boy's basketball team continues to struggle as they lost 2 games over the break and then came back to school and started off the new year with another loss.
The Lady Pirates defeated Whitehorse in region play by a score of 59-20 and then started the new year right with a 50-44 win over Tabiona. The Pirates went to Wayne to play in their annual holiday tournament and lost both games. They lost to the host team 65-42 on the 28th of December and then lost the next night to Intermountain Christian 61-50. On January 5th, Green River lost to Altamont 58-43.
Brandi Webster played well in both games and was the leading scorer for Green River each night with 24 points. Against Whitehorse, Leah Swalberg also played well and scored 13 points with Crosby Hatt scoring 11 points. Sarah Swalberg put in 7 points with Tracy Engelman and Bailie Packer each scoring 2 points.
Against Tabiona, Jill Vetere scored 11 points with Crosby Hatt scoring 8 points, Tracy Engelman scoring 5 points and Leah Swalberg scoring 2 points.
Against Whitehorse, Green River took an 18-8 first quarter lead and then never let that dwindle. They outscored Whitehorse in each of the periods in getting the win. They won the second period 16-7, the third period 14-6 and the final period 11-5 in getting the win.
Against Tabiona, Green River squeaked by each quarter with the lead as it grew slowly throughout the game. They led 11-10 after one period, 27-24 at the half, 40-34 after three and each team scored 10 points in the final period.
In the Wayne loss, Green River was outscored each of the first three periods as the Wayne lead grew. Brennan Bigelow scored 12 points to lead the team. Tyson Johnson scored 9 points, Kayden Mecham scored 6 points and Jason Johnson scored 6 points. Also scoring with 2 points were Holden Marshall, Luis Mendoza, Earl Nelson and Keith Clark.
Against Intermountain, Green River trailed after the first quarter 13-12 before leading at the half 27-25. The third quarter belonged to Intermountain Christian as they put the game away.
Bigelow again was the leading scorer, this time with 17 points. Mendoza and Mecham each scored 9 points while Jason scored 8 points and Tyson scored 7 points.
Against Altamont, Green River lost every period as Altamont cruised to the victory. Mecham led the way with 14 points while Mendoza scored 10 points and Jason scored 9 points. Tyson scored 6 points and Bigelow scored 2 points.
The girls take a 3-game road trip this week to Monticello on Thursday night, Navajo Mountain on Friday night and Monument Valley on Saturday night. The boy's team will play Grand Tuesday and then travel to Monument Valley on Saturday night.


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Music City Miracle: Outplayed Leafs win 4-0
Jeff Veillette
October 10 2013 09:54PM
Sometimes, your team isn't ready for an overwhelming opposition. You have flashes of briliance, but that other team just gives it to you. For some crazy reason, though, you end up pulling through and winning the game. The Leafs had one of those nights tonight. As they do often, but that's a topic for another day. The main point, however, is that the Nashville Predators are probably scratching their heads right now, as the Maple Leafs head back to Toronto with a 4-0 win.
The first period with the Predators testing Jonathan Bernier early and often, while the Leafs focused on everywhere around Pekka Rinne instead, not actually forcing him to make a save until there were five minutes left in the opening period. Both teams had a powerplay opportunity, but failed to convert. With just a combined 14 shots, this was a rather boring first period.
Things picked up in the second. Just minutes after killing off their second penalty of the period, the Leafs are first to jump onto the score sheet. James van Riemsdyk reacts to a lost faceoff by Tyler Bozak by charging behind the net and dishing the puck over to Phil Kessel for a one timer.
Things didn't stop there for the dynamic duo. Wtith nine seconds remaining in the period, van Riemsdyk snatched a Phil Kessel shot away from Pekka Rinne and tucked in an insurance marker. The period ended with a fight, as David Broll fought Matt Hendricks. Despite the two goals, the Leafs were outshot 17-9 in the second period.
A scary moment came in the third period as Mike Fisher hit Cody Franson from behind, into the curved glass near what used to be the stanchion area. Franson was bleeding pretty badly, and Fisher was tossed. The Leafs took advantage of the situation twice, with powerplay goals coming from Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul. Potential for a fifth goal came as Carl Gunnarsson was hauled down, but his attempted Forsberg was easily stopped and the last bit of notable hockey before the final buzzer.
Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. While I remain adament that the Leafs didn't require a "saviour" going into this season, Jonathan Bernier has been nothing short of fantastic, and tonight may have been his best performance yet. There weren't any particularly mindblowing saves, but he was constantly in the right position and prepared for what was coming next, and was rewarded with a 36 save shutout.
On the flip side, it could have also been the reason the Leafs lost if luck flipped onto the other side of the see-saw; Pekka Rinne was equally spectacular, making some massive saves to keep the Predators in it until Fisher was sent off.
Beyond the spectacular play of Bernier, James van Riemsdyk had a great night. The awareness on the first goal was top notch, his goal was scored as a result of not giving up on the play, and may have had a second one if Bozak's pass didn't bounce off a Nashville player and into the net. He's been impressive to start the year, and tonight was no exception.
- Phil Kessel now has
3 goals and 9 points in six gamestwo goals and six points in five games. Nine more years, guys!
- David Broll didn't look out of place at all. I've become increasingly more impressed with him over the past few months. He may actually be a viable option as a fighter who can play down the road.
- Paul Ranger appears to be adjusting a bit. Didn't seem to be caught out of position as much tonight. I'm not entirely surprised that he's been out of place a few times, as he does need to get used to the NHL pace, but he needs to figure it out sooner than later.
- The penalties that the Leafs took tonight couldn't have been more obvious if they held signs up admitting their guilt. Easy job for the referees tonight, thankfully for them there wasn't more of them.
- Thanks to the 4-0 lead, Cotlon Orr got to play 1:01 on the powerplay, which I find hilarious but not that big of a deal.
- The Leafs got slaughtered on the draw tonight, winning just 26 of 66 faceoffs. Nobody was above 50%.
Toronto plays their next game on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Speaking of, we're having a contest that allows you to watch the game with a couple of us, and you should check that out .
October 10 2013, 10:33PM
Phil Kessel doesn't have 9 points in 6 games. He has 6 points in 5 games. Something tells me you looked at his season stats assuming they weren't updated but...they were. lol
Not knowing how many games the Leafs have played? Thats a paddlin'.
Bernier is making it easy for Carlyle to choose his go-to goalie, but I wouldn't let Reimer sit around for too long. Perhaps he should face the Oilers.
I thought Rielly had a better game than last. 3 in a row for him now and he's getting a little better each time out.
JvR may be turning into the power forward beast that was talked about two seasons ago.
You wonder who will sit when Clarkson gets back. Bodie, Broll, Ashton and Devane (in that order) appear to be just fine. They all have speed and energy.
I wouldn't mind seeing T.J. Brennan get a look on the D and let Ranger sit a couple of games. As mentioned many times, he's just too slow and his backwards skating needs work. That, and he really makes some bonehead puck decisions.
Perfect road game for the Buds tonight. A slow start, with no shots until the 12th minute, but after that they looked to be the far better team.
One of my concerns has been with faceoffs lately. Bozak needs to get back to form on that. And Kadri needs to "want" to win them more. He seems to be just going through the motions at times. Bolland has been decent, but a definite drop off for Bozie so far, and those offensive zone faceoff losses can hurt.
One of my concerns has been with faceoffs lately. Bozak needs to get back to form on that. And Kadri needs to "want" to win them more. He seems to be just going through the motions at times. Bolland has been decent, but a definite drop off for Bozie so far, and those offensive zone faceoff losses can hurt.
Faceoffs don't matter, its what happens the second after a faceoff - see Kessel's goal. Leafs got demolished in the faceoffs, yet won 4-0...
Faceoffs don't matter, its what happens the second after a faceoff - see Kessel's goal. Leafs got demolished in the faceoffs, yet won 4-0...
Faceoffs don't matter?
I stopped reading after that.
Sooo the leafs game last night is a perfect example of how Corsi is more or less useless...
Too soon?
October 11 2013, 09:49AM
re: comment above - Very interesting story on whether the debate on advance stats will come to a head over this year's Leaf season
^Thanks for the link, good article written in a neutral tone. I especially liked the part where he said "Meanwhile, the advanced-stats community can barely contain their excitement over the coming crash-and-burn that they're convinced is inevitable. "
I feel this personally describes some of the writers here at TLN with their constant negative views.
I for one think this will be a great year for the buds! Go Leafs Go
October 11 2013, 11:54AM
Leafs had a higher Corsi than the Preds at 5v5 Score Close so no, not really
Leafs were lower in shot attempts, and possession numbers... yet still won based on quality chances. So yeah, really.
October 11 2013, 01:43PM
Uh...what? Leafs had the better Corsi (5v5 Score Close), a statistic that you said this game's outcome proved was useless. You're not making any sense.
The following is a number that represents how relevant I think Corsi is as a stat:
I still don't understand people's reluctance to appreciate Corsi and what it represents. It's just a proxy for measuring possession, something every hockey fan inherently knows is critical to the success of hockey teams?
I feel a lot of the ignorance for Corsi is out of ignorance, and if people took the time to understand it they would realize the arguments regarding the Leafs are tangible and real.
But nevertheless, GO LEAFS GO!!!


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Skip to comments.Is there really a God who can heal or cure people?
Posted on 01/09/2010 8:06:11 AM PST by RGirard
... Is there a God who can bring the rain, heal or cure people, or make those little white lotto balls fall into just the right place for you?
If you don't believe in God, or any gods, then the answer would be a resounding "No!" because God doesn't exist so expecting a non-existant entity to do anything for you is simply a waste of time.
If you do believe in God, or multiple gods, then the answer would be a definite "Yes!" because either you have heard stories or had a personal experience which caused you to believe.
... Jesus was known for working miracles, including healing people of incurable disease. He reportedly said: "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."
So today many people who believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord God will pray for healing, but they don't always get what they want. Many times their prayers are unanswered and sometimes they get discouraged or sad. Some get downright angry when God doesn't work a miracle for them. Others are convinced they do not have enough faith.
But the Bible tells us that some people are sick because they take communion unworthily ... others pray "amiss" (inaccurately). Many are seperated from God because of their sinful behavior, so He will not even listen to their prayers...
... it would be irresponsible of God to answer everyone's prayers in the affirmative ...
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Er, there's a little more to it than that.
From the beginning, since Lucifer was created, the evil one has been trying to manipulate God. Using people praying is but one method the nasty hater of life employs. ... 'Ever heard an atheist spittle the question, 'So, if God is love, why does He allow all the suffering in the world; why does He allow people to do evil, murderous, despicable things to innocent people?'
From the beginning, since Lucifer was created, the evil one has been trying to manipulate God. Using people praying is but one method the nasty father of lies murderer from the start employs. ... Ever heard a scoffer spittle the question, 'So, if God is love, why does He allow all the suffering in the world; why does He allow people to do evil, murderous, despicable things to innocent people?'
Nah, I think anecdotal evidence is the best they've got. I especially like the part about people getting sick because they took communion unworthily : )
Yeah. I'd like to see the Bible verse on that one!
I once heard in a sales seminar that fear of loss is a greater motivator than opportunity for gain.
If I am wrong, and there is no God, what have I lost? Nothing.
If the atheist is wrong and there is a God, what has he lost? Everything!
I hope you will read the rest of the article. :-)
Ever heard an atheist spittle the question, So, if God is love, why does He allow all the suffering in the world; why does He allow people to do evil, murderous, despicable things to innocent people?
You've got it. It's not God. We die because of sin, and no one is immune from the suffering of dying...not the Pope, nor even my poor wife, who like the Pope, has lingered for more than a year. Death for her would be a blessing.
28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
I Corinthians 11: 27-30
Ask and ye shall receive.
Yeah. I'd like to see the Bible verse on that one!
Just for reference you may want to check out I Corinthians 11, verses 23 through 30.
The answer of course, is James 5:15.
I've know people who've had life-threatening diseases that were prayed over and made amazing recoveries that left the Doctors scratching their heads in bewilderment.
On the other hand, I've also seen many people prayed over that have made no recovery at all and died anyway.
Some prayers simply go unanswered. I just don't know why.
Once, I asked my oncologist how is it that MY prayers were answered and yet, I witnessed many faithful people passing thru his waiting room that we both knew were not going to get better.
He simply said "I don't know why God chooses to heal some people, and not others".
It seemed the good Doctor's faith was not shattered or even diminished by those who were not healed, but instead fortified when he saw people who were told "no" by God, yet they still remained stead fast in their love for the Lord.
I've often wondered if those who weren't blessed with a healing and still rejoiced in the Lord were the very people that God chose to spend eternity with him in heaven. The rest of us are still being tested.
Thanks for pointing this out. But can we ever be worthy? That really scares me.
I still struggle with healing in regards to my own faith.
I have a friend from my church who moved last year, and he is going to a new church in Redding, California. He claims that lots of people have been healed at his new church. He's a good guy, so I don't know what to make of his claims.
Then, I had one strange event. My twin daughters almost died when they were 6 weeks old. We didn't have any family where we were living, and we were fairly new to our neighborhood. I knew of a Christian family across the street. They took care of my 2 year old on Christmas Eve until my mom could fly out.
Then I got horrible news when my husband was not with me. The doctors sat me down, and said one of my daughters probably had a brain injury.
When I told our neighbors this news, the man said he had a dream the night before and God told him to tell me that everything was going to be okay. I really did not know him well at the time. However, when he told me this I was overcome with calm.
Now, my daughters are 13 and neither one of them died. One does have a brain injury, but she is okay. She is not in a wheelchair. She is in a good private Christian school. She has speech problems and she had a seizure a few years ago and has been on anti-seizure medication, but she is a great kid.
Her faith is also very strong. Her favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
I was a very weak Christian before this happened, and I've never doubted my own faith afterward. I don't know if God healed my daughter, but He did not give me more than I could handle, and He's used her problems wisely. I'm also great friends with the family that helped us. The woman is one of my very dearest friends, and the man who had the dream still talks about that night.
Still don't know about all the miraculous healings. I'm very mistrustful of men. I know it can happen, but I think there are men that take advantage of other men.
Are you equally mistrustful of women?
And not only have you lost nothing by believing in God, the rest of society has probably received better behavior from you in general for the time you did believe in God. Because you were trying to live as you understood God wanted you to live with others.
[[Many times their prayers are unanswered and sometimes they get discouraged or sad.]]
Prayers are always answered- we may not like the answers, but they are always answered. One can 'pray for healing' but it may be that God's will is for hte person to be brought home with Him that His will on earth be furthered. It may very well be that the only hting that will cause someone to be saved who hoped for hte sick person to get better, was the fact that the sick person didn't get better but infact went home to be with God, and the sick person's faith and testimony to God htrough it all caused the other person to reflect on their own soul's condition.
God knows what He is doing- even if we can't see it- We're very shortsighted- God sees the future, sees people's spiritual conditions, knows what it wil ltake to get that person saved, and knows what is best. The seed that is planted today by an event may not come to fruition until many years later in someone's life- but of course the skeptic is so shortsighted, al lthey see is that the sick person didn't get better after praying, and so therefore, 'there must be no God' and 'people are fools for praying to someone who isn't htere'
The "unworthy manner" I believe covers a couple different kinds of people. People openly defying Christ's teachings yet calling themselves Christian. For example, pro abortion politicians that claim to be practicing Christians. People actively using a Christian veneer to their advantage, but not really believing in Christ. The Christians in name only, that may "go to church", but are not saved. Those that view church as a club-type/social group place to get together and just go through the motions of worship.
[[I still struggle with healing in regards to my own faith.]]
We all do. Some more than others- there are no TRUE miracles today- and by TRUE- I'm talking about the miracles that leave NO doubt Christ was God's Son sent ot earth for hte salvation of man. We're talkign about hte dead- the TRULY dead, rising fro mthe dead AFTER putrification process has started, liek several in the bible did- Restoring eyesight, Rising fro mthe dead after the crucifixion, walking on water -commanding hte sea to calm etc.
[[Still dont know about all the miraculous healings. Im very mistrustful of men.]]
And well you shoudl be- there are NO TRUE miracles today (note, this does NOT mean that God doesn't still heal, He does- but as for TRUE miracles- Raising putrified dead people to life, restoring an ear (soem say it was the centurion's head and not his ear that Peter cut off)- restoring sight, walking on water etc, do NOT happen today.
Miracles were NEEDED in the early days because the Jews were expectign a Savior, and God KNEW that when Christ came, and didn't act accordign to the views of the Jews (They wanted a conquering King- Someone who would conquer the enemy and establish Jewish reign- God's wil l, and Christ's job however, was to conquer sin- not nations, and hte Jews wouldn't accept this- ) Christ's miracles were meant ot PROVE that He was idneed the Christ- the Son of God- His miracles left NO doubt as to His Godship, and His miracles were VERY Jewish oriented for htis very reason (There is a study of the Jewish nature of ALL of Christ's miracles, and hte Jewish implications of htem iracles so that the Jews could NOT deny He was the Christ- very fascinating deep look into the implications of Christ's miracles and the Jewish meanings beghhind them)
The Apostles were also given the powers of Christ while the EARLY church was beign established, to give testimony that Christ was who He said He was- Jews were still hesitent to accept the humble Christ- they still wanted their conquering king, and many infact stil lwould not accept Him even after witnessing His and hte Apostle's Jewish specific TRUE miracles- many stil lto this day won't accept He was the Christ, and stil lthink Christ has yet to coem to earth- howeverm, the TRUE miracles that were performed are written down by eyewitness accounts for all to plainly see.
he ability to perform miracles was NOT given to every beleiver, nor is htere any indicsation in God's word that God charges people AFTER the apostles with hte ability to perform miracles. The ability to perform miracles- TRUE miracles ceased AFTER the early church was established, and AFTER the Jews- those who acknowledged Christ was who He said He was, join4d the church and became part of hte body of Christ.
[[He did not give me more than I could handle, and Hes used her problems wisely.]]
God ALWAYS uses every situation wisely- We may be too shortsighted to see HOW God is using situations, but He ALWAYS works for His own purposes- Just trust Him that He knows what He is doing and WHY He is doing whatever it is you are faced with.
I know htis is tough to do- beleive me I know- I've had a miserable life healthwise, and have had many close calls with death- more than I care to thin about- and htere are times I BEG God to just end it because I can't take it anymore (usually this happens when I'm so down physically, that I am too down mentally to stand storng it anymore)
we don't have to like how our lives are going, or to be cheerfully fake about how we feel, and God certainly understands- but do try to TRULY accept His will for better or worse for HIS Glory- not simply for our comfort.
your faith is stronger than you realize- the simple fact that it bothers you from time to time shows that your faith is strong- those who have little faith would simpyl give up and never have anythign to do with God again- God said the road is narrow and difficult- and few will pass through this difficult journey belevign in Him. you're doign fine so far (and wil lcontinue to no matter how difficult things may become) :)
I believe that God can and does answer prayer miraculously (though not in the "Benny Hinn" sense). A lot of the reason why prayer is NOT answered has to do with the fact that the one(s) praying are not, themselves, right with God (Ps. 66:18). That's not the only reason, I'm sure, but that right there is a biblical answer to why so many prayers go unanswered. In other cases, especially when people are praying for "things" and treating God like a cosmic candy machine, it has to do with the fact that prayers that are selfish will not be answered (James 4:3). And always, there is the fact that many times, what we're praying for, while perhaps not in and of itself bad or selfish, is simply not within the will of God for us (I John 5:14).
There are many stipulations about prayer that the Bible sets that many preachers seem to ignore today. Prayer is not just a matter of "If *I* want it bad enough, God has to give it to me." As Americans, we don't like to hear that, since we're so used to getting what we want, when we want it. Nevertheless, it is the truth.
I'm old fashioned and still think that man could actually mean man/woman.
I'm old fashioned and still think that man could actually mean man/woman.
There are definitely "true" miracles today ... if you can't do it, and I can't do it, and no one else can do it, but God can do it, and does, then it's a miracle.
You are right - sometimes, in God's infinite wisdom and mercy, he allows a person's life to end on this sinful earth, while others may need more time to come to the Lord, to be refined, or for God to finish a work He started in them.
I'm glad I am still here. It means I've got more work to do before I am ready for eternity. And for that I am thankful.
[[There are definitely true miracles today ... if you cant do it, and I cant do it, and no one else can do it, but God can do it, and does, then its a miracle.]]
There are spectacular healings to be sure, usually happening perfectly inline with natural laws healings today follow some basic scientific principles even if we don't understand how they occured yet- however TRUE miracles defy natural laws- a TRUE miracle would be restoring a lost limb, supernaturally creating the lost part, raising someoen fro mthe dead (after true death and decay have set in, as in the cases cited i nthe bible)
"A. No Modern Events Have the Characteristics of Bible Miracles.
D. The Bible Teaches That Miracles Would Cease When Their Purpose Was Fulfilled.
1 Corinthians 13:8-11 - A prophecy that spiritual gifts would cease
The context - chaps. 12,13, and 14 all discuss spiritual gifts.
Chap. 12 lists the gifts (12:4-11) and shows they all had a useful purpose at the time they existed.
A. Those Who Seek Signs Are a "Wicked and Adulterous Generation" - Matt. 12:38,39.
In reality, Matthew 12 rebukes those who still want miracles today.
They have already been given adequate evidence of miracles as recorded in the Scripture (John 20:30,31). But they are not satisfied with those miracles, so they continue to ask for more! That is exactly what Jesus did rebuke."
We need to be very careful about elevating spectacular healings (which may leave doctors scrathcing hteir heads) to the level of the TRUE 'miracles' that Christ and the Apostles did during hte age that TRUE miracles were needed for a witness to Christ's Godship to the wayward Jews in that period.
This is why a number of churches have you prepare for Communion by either confession or a time of prayer and repentance.
To perhaps clear htis up a bit, A miracle supercedes nature- like Jesus takign the few fish and few loaves of bread, and feedign thousands miraculously. God's extraordinary graciousnesness towards us however follows natural processes which usually and almost always is explained naturally, even htough it's extraordinary, it's still not supernatural (superceeding nature- suspending nature in order for the miracle to happen- such as the parting of the red sea). The purpose of miracles has ceased, but that does not mean that God stopped being extraordinarily gracious towards us when we certainly don't deserve for Him to be except through Jesus Christ who cleansed us from all sin.
The Bible Teaches That Miracles Would Cease When Their Purpose Was Fulfilled.
With all due respect, neither I Corinthians 13:8-11, nor 12:4-11 says that.
The verses you single out in Chapter 13 say that they (the gifts) will end when "that which is perfect is come". That time has not yet come.
I realize that what you state is taught by many fundamentalists. But what you state is extra-biblical.
Now, having said that, relative to those who "heal" and "perform miracles"...I remain a skeptic. However, I have seen miracles and people healed in what could be termed miraculous ways.
[[The verses you single out in Chapter 13 say that they (the gifts) will end when "that which is perfect is come". That time has not yet come.]]
The problem is that we are NOT seeing TRUE miracles today- IF we were, healers wopuld be goign around and raisign hte dead, (and not just unconscious, but truly dead), restoring limbs, restoring sight, their shadows would be healing folks of lost functions on and on it goes- so either God's 'powers' have diminished, or the age of TRUE miracles is over today
[[However, I have seen miracles]]
You've seen people raised fro mthe dead? Or the seas parted? Or anythign else for that matter that superceedes nature?
[[and people healed in what could be termed miraculous ways.]]
Unwarrented- The miracles of the bible were such that when witnessed, there was no possibility of a natural explanation- healings today, do infact have hte possibility of natural explanations- As mentioend before- them iracles were such that it left no doubt in anyone's mind that they were miraculous supernatural events by God Himself- that infact was the express intent of any mioracle that God performed- so that noone could honestly quesiton it's supernatural nature- I think you'll agree that today's 'healings' are infact quite quesitonable, and coudl ifnact have natural explanations, even if we aren't sure how- the possibility that it is natural leaves doubt- God's miracles, and htem iracles of the apostles never left doubt
The problem with healings is that they can infact be explained naturally, and do NOT fit the criteria for TRUE miracles- there are several criteria for TRUE miracles which when witnessed, can not be denied- which was the whole purpose of TRUE miracles to begin with- not havign an explanation doesn't mean that somethign is supernatural- or that nature was suspended for the act to take place like as happens for TRUE miracles- not havign an explanation doesn't mean that a natural explanation isn't available- I listed several TRUE miracles, ALL of which superceeded nature- healing is not on that list, restoring lost body parts or lost functions is-
That which isperfect has infact come, has established itself, and that which was in part, or fragmented and isolated, has passed away- the church has become full, perfected- Soem teach that 'that which is perfect' refersto Heaven, however, there are many verses that back up the context that that which was perfect was referrign to the maturity of hte church- the fact that the TRUE miracles of hte apostles and Christ no logner takep lace today shows that that whgich was perfect is talking about the maturity of the church, and that no toungues and miracles etc are now needed. Either TRUE miracles kept on happening, or they somehow SEVERELY lost their potency 'over time' as again, I see no evidence that anyone is rasing anyoen fro mthe dead, nor restoring verifiably lost eyesight, or speakign a word and having lost limbs instantly appear etc etc, nor am I seeing anyone walk on water or part hte red sea, or take 5 fish and supernaturally multiply them 1000's of times, norspeakign a word and turnign water into wine supernaturally.
Havign said all that- God is indeed gracious, and indeed does work WITH natural means for healings of illnesses today- just because science doesn't know the exact natural mechanisms by which someone was healed doesn't mean it's not possible naturally for the person to recieve health, and hte fact that there in infact quesitons about the 'supernatural-ness' of healings shows that these are not the TRUE supernatural events that God once performed and which left NO doubt that they superceeded nature- I see no evidence that leaves no question happenign today- I do however see healings which could be explained naturally. The whole reason for miracles i nthe bible times was for the lost and hte rebellious Jews to KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God was over and above nature
I will only point out that Paul mentions several gifts such as teaching, helping, and gifts of government, in that same group. How would we know which are no longer needed?
I suggest trying to read your Bible without depending on the words of men...no matter how wonderful, intelligent or spiritual they seem to be. The Bible is pretty clear...if you get the right translation.
I'm sure the same God who created everyone can also handle the repairs. :)
There are the gifts of the spirit which each believer possesses, and miracle gifts, or sign gifts, which were temporary which the Apostles were given to give witness to the power and truth of God during the time it was needed
[[I suggest trying to read your Bible without depending on the words of men]]
Are yuo suggesting I not rely o nthe gifts God gave these folks to correctly interpret His word in context? God gifts soem men and women with the ability and authority to correctly interpret His word, authority in spiritual matters, that most of us are not gifted with- It is the gift whereby the Spirit appoints certain Christians to lead, inspire, and develop the churches of God by the proclamation and the teaching of true doctrine. He gifts these folks for our benifits, and we shoudl NOT fear hearing and learnign from them.
Again I ask, where are the healers rasing peopel fro m the dead? Is God's power to do so less today than in yesteryear when the apostles were specifically assigned the 'sign gifts'? Do healers of today just not 'have as much faith' as the apostles did back then? Were the apostles soemhow superhuman i ntheir faith in contrast to us today? Or has 'the power' simply fallen off in power over the years?
Here's a pretty good link:
"This observation brings us to a brief analysis of what are considered sign gifts by those within the Charismatic movement. A comparison of the so-called miracles within Charismatic churches and what occurred in the Bible will prove that modern Charismatic miracles have nothing in common with the miracles in Scripture. There are three areas that need to be considered: (1) What is the purpose of the Charismatic miracles? (2) Are Charismatic miracles conducted in the same circumstances as the miracles in the New Testament? (3) Are Charismatic faith healers performing the same type of miracles found in the New Testament? (4) Are Charismatic faith healers performing the same type of miracles found in the New Testament?"
Are yuo suggesting I not rely o nthe gifts God gave these folks to correctly interpret His word in context?
That's just the point. How do you determine who is the one who correctly interprets His word? Is it Benny Hinn? And if not why not? Is it your pastor? And if so, why?
Nothing that you wrote in your previous statement is supported by Scripture. Nowhere does Scripture say that God halted all gifts of miracles, prophesy or healing.
God gifts soem men and women with the ability and authority to correctly interpret His word, authority in spiritual matters, that most of us are not gifted with- It is the gift whereby the Spirit appoints certain Christians to lead, inspire, and develop the churches of God
But don't you see the fallacy of what you have been saying. These gifts are included with those of prophesy, miracles and healings. If those three are no longer effective, neither is the ability to interpret His Word, nor authority. Either all go, or all stay. And furthermore, how do you know the person you are listening to has been granted that "authority"?
You need to be able to read God's Word for what It says, not what someone says it says. The best thing you can do is get a reasonable translation...and I said "translation"...read it without the bias of what you have been taught...and you have been biased by men's thoughts.
[[Nothing that you wrote in your previous statement is supported by Scripture. Nowhere does Scripture say that God halted all gifts of miracles, prophesy or healing.]]
Again, where are the miracles of today?- the true miracles? I keep asking and you keep avoiding the question. Everythign that was said was infact supported by Scriptures- and the scriptures coincide with life's experiences- and observances- where are the miracles? there haven't been ANY TRUE miracles for a long long time now- why is that? Is God's power slowly diminishing away? Are men of faith losing faith and not able to perform the 'really big miracles' anymore?
[[But don't you see the fallacy of what you have been saying. These gifts are included with those of prophesy, miracles and healings. If those three are no longer effective, neither is the ability to interpret His Word, nor authority.]]
Once again- there are 2 types of gifts- the gifts of the Holy Spirit for ALL Christians, and the miracle gifts that were for a VERY specific purpose when they were performed, as I've explained over and over again
[[Either all go, or all stay.]]
Really? According to whom I might ask? All or nothing? Again- show me the 'really big miracles' then- present hte evidence- The FACT is that the 'really big miracles' that superceede nature are NOT occuring today nor have they for a long time now- observance tells us that- so it seems the 'all or nothing' claim doesn't hold up here- IF you can provide evidence that the 'really big miracles' that superceede nature are occurign today, then you have yourcase for miracles occuring even after hte days of the apostles- but these 'really big nature superceeding miracles are NOT occuring today- and were they occuring, the papers and news would be filled with such spectacular works of God so that there woudl be no doubt, no confusion, no possible natural explanations- but again, that's not what we see-
[[And furthermore, how do you know the person you are listening to has been granted that "authority"? ]]
God gives TRUE Chrisstians the ability to recognize their own, and the ability to know false teachings, and to spot charlatans- He even outlines how to do so in His word- and those that are of God display the fruit that is visible to all TRUE Christians- it's really not that hard- Again the Holy Spirit also guides so that God's children will know Him when they see Him through others
[[You need to be able to read God's Word for what It says, not what someone says it says.]]
I am sorry- but htis is wrong- there are folks who are called by God to thoroughly study God's word, to put many 1000's of hours- dedicated to correctly dividing and understanding God's word, and when the TRUTH is in them, the TRUTH is obvious to htose who know God- and I frankly have no problem listenign to those who have dedicated their lives to better udnerstandign God's word, and have no problems supportign htose who have taken on the arduous task of doing so to better further my own understanding in steps that I can handle both spiritually and itnellectually- We're not all gifted the same ways ,however, we all do have common gifts that help us to know TRUTH when we hear it- this is a gift from God to us to know Him- left to our own devices as before salvation, there is NOTHING in us that causes us to want to even get to know God on our own- Yet after salvation, we have that precious Gift from God that spurs us to know Him intimately, and learned men and women of God's word know Him much deeper than we can on our own because they know more of the little nuggets of truth that to the lay folks liek us are not apaprent unless deep study takes place- when these nuggets are revealed, they perfectly coincide with ALL of God's word, and help to further out knowledge beyond what we're capable of at hte present.
Having said that- if you wish to go it alone, not trusting anyone- then whatever- but there is much growth to be had listenign to those who have heeded the call of God to study His word DEEPLY and to understand what is at fiorst glances, not immediately obvious to casual readers like ourselves
If you still dissagree- then we'll have to part ways here simply agreeign to dissagree
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By Errol Castens/NEMS Daily Journal
OXFORD – The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce honored two retired educators who have made impacts both deep and numerous outside their professions as its 2013 Citizens of the Year.
Dr. Wil St. Amand and Dr. Fred Laurenzo, both retired professors from the University of Mississippi, shared the honor Thursday night at the annual banquet of the Chamber and the Economic Development Foundation.
"Each year since 1972, the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce has sought to recognize individuals who have made positive contributions to Oxford, Lafayette County and the University of Mississippi as Citizen of the Year," said presenter Hollis Crowder, who earned the honor in 2010.
The awardees are chosen for positive volunteer contributions to the Oxford/Lafayette/University community, outstanding performance in their profession or business and a communitywide perception as a role model for good citizenship and volunteerism.
St. Amand grew up in Maine, served the United States in World War II and moved to Oxford in the 1960s to teach biology.
A three-time caregiver to family members with Alzheimer's disease, he is a founding member of the local Alzheimer's support group as well as of Meals on Wheels, the Lafayette County Genealogical and Historical Society and the Oxford Kiwanis Club.
He is a frequent volunteer with the Mississippi Veterans Home, the Pantry, the Salvation Army and Key Clubs, and spearheaded a project to provide every public school in Lafayette County with an automatic electronic defibrillator.
"The list of what makes tonight's honoree so worthy of an award like Citizen of the Year goes on and on," Crowder said.
Laurenzo, who retired as chair of Ole Miss' Department of History, has worked tirelessly with Oxford-University United Methodist Church, also reaching across denominational and racial lines to the congregations of Second Baptist and St. Peter's Episcopal churches.
Crowder said Laurenzo, who was absent from the celebration, "is highly recognizable as a community leader/volunteer/donor for Habitat, Amos Network, Food Pantry, United Way and the Burns Belfry," the last a restoration of the city's oldest black church building as a community center and museum.
Laurenzo most notably helped create a nonprofit that has worked with builders, bankers, vendors and volunteers to help 30 working-class families purchase their first homes.
"The accomplishments of LOU Home under our honoree's leadership are nothing short of extraordinary," Crowder said.