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Can You Handle the Seasons of Your Professional Life?
I recently re-discovered the song "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac. Although this song is about personal relationships, there's one line that resonates with me because it also can relate to our careers: "Can I handle the seasons of my life?".
Our professional lives go through seasons that don't necessarily correlate with seasons of the year. Unfortunately, we often get fixated on the sexy side of Spring and Summer and dread the slower times of Fall and Winter. Can you handle those slower seasons of your professional life?
I was recently chatting with a friend about her business. She mentioned that she was really busy now after somewhat of a dryspell. I mentioned that there is a feast or famine side to being in business for yourself and that the famine part is no fun.
It's true. I am guilty of feeling that way as well sometimes.


text: Dependent on source, some Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles may have had multiple users as part of a fleet and/or be ex-business use. In order to meet the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Das WeltAuto programme requirements, all vehicles are inspected and certified by our trained Commercial Vehicle Technicians to the same exacting standards regardless of source. For further details, please consult your Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Van Centre.

subset: commoncrawl


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In the next five years, teachers entering the profession would first have to pass an comprehensive licensing exam--much like the bar exam for attorneys--as part of their certification, under a new proposal announced this week by the largest U.S. teachers union.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, rolled out her vision for the exam Monday, which she said would better prepare educators not only in their content areas, but also address sociological and economic challenges in the classroom through clinical training.
"We've been fixating on evaluation, as opposed to teachers having the skills and knowledge they need," Weingarten said in the call in a conference call with reporters, including the Baltimore Sun, on Monday. "There is a body of knowledge that teachers should know and be able to do when they walk into classrooms."
The proposed exam, part of recommendations made by a task force Weingarten assembled last year, is outlined in a report released by the AFT this week titled, Raising the Bar: Aligning and Elevating Teacher Preparation and the Teaching Profession."
"It's time to do away with a common rite of passage into the teaching profession—whereby newly minted teachers are tossed the keys to their classrooms, expected to figure things out, and left to see if they and their students sink or swim," said the report's introduction. "This is unfair to both students and their teachers, who care so much but who want and need to feel competent and confident to teach from their first day on the job."
The AFT is the parent-organization of the Baltimore Teachers Union, and longtime city educator and union leader Loretta Johnson serves as secretary-treasurer for the national union. Weingarten has advocated in Baltimore's campaign to improve teacher quality, visiting the district in 2010 to encourage teachers to vote for the controversial BTU contract that implemented a pay-for-performance structure.
Weingarten said that such a certification exam--which she would like to see come to fruition in the next five years--would build upon the national movement to strengthen the teaching profession.
She said an AFT survey found that one in three new teachers said they felt unprepared their first day on the job, and new teachers particularly struggled with non-content elements of teaching, such as classroom management.
Like the new Common Core standards, Weingarten said the standards would be developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and states would willingly adopt the exam as part of its certification requirements.
While the exam would, to some degree, streamline standards, "no one is proposing a national test," Weingarten said. She also added that the standards must be borne in k-12 and higher education institutions. "It can't be something that gets exported or contracted out to testing companies," she said.
Weingarten said that she believes such a measure could unfold in the next three to five years, with adequate funding.
Most importantly, she said, "it is very important that the profession buys into this."


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In a recent study published in Nature, it was found that there may be hundreds of billions of tons of methane trapped under Antarctica. As noted in an earlier post, Antarctica used to have a very different climate from today - one in which there was a thriving rainforest. As Antarctica's climate changed this forest became trapped under miles of Antarctic ice. This study suggests that microbes have spent the last 35 million years busily digesting the ancient organic matter that has sat trapped under Antarctic ice, slowly producing a great collection of methane.
It's important to note that the team of researchers - lead by Jemmah Wadham, of the university of Bristol, England - have not yet actually detected any significant amounts of methane being discharged from beneath the ice. How do they know these microbes are there? This sub-glacial zone has ancient organic matter; is perpetually heated by geothermal processes; is pitch black, and devoid of oxygen. This is a perfect environment for methane-producing microbes.
The paper uses experimental data from other similar glacial environments, to demonstrate the potential for melting glacial systems to produce methane. By modeling the suspected amounts of organic matter under the Antarctic ice, Wadham's team suggests that Antarctica may be holding anywhere from 70 to 390 billion tons of methane.
What does this mean for us?
Methane is a greenhouse gas. That is to say, when it reaches the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, it helps to trap radiation from the sun, thus warming the earth. The greenhouse effect is a normal natural process that is absolutely imperative to maintaining life on earth. However with too high a level of greenhouse gasses, the earth can hold in too much radiation from the sun, which can upset the natural processes that make life possible on earth.
As Antarctic ice melts, it is the worry of climate scientists that this will result in a great release of trapped methane. This may accelerate the rate of global warming. We remain unsure as to whether, and to what extent this may occur.


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The year is over, my busy holiday schedule is over, and maybe I'll have time to write stuff. Maybe.
In other news, I wrote the Foreword in Aaron Clarey's new Bachelor Pad Economics, as well as worked with the manuscript. It was a lot of fun, and I'm very glad Aaron allowed me to help out. I intend to write a review here and on Amazon.com.
Books read/self-education/Movies:
The White House Mess by Christopher Buckley. Excellent. Played straight as a real memoir, the stuff Buckley parodies would be absolutely at home in any presidential administration since its publication in 1986.
Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover. Pretty good, I got really annoyed at the "Kate called into my radio show and [anecdote that proves how right I am]. Ramsey's got a good plan, but he sells it like religion, instead of finance.
Good and Evil by Martin Buber. Hard to describe, Martin Buber examines several of the psalms, and the myths relating to Lucifer, good and evil, and even the nature of the afterlife. It is Buber's description of the afterlife I found most interesting.
Audiobook: X-Files: Ground Zero by Kevin J. Anderson, read by Gillian Anderson. Not very good. Anderson delivers the story monotone and flat and awful. And the story isn't interesting.
Museum of Modern Art's Printmaking playlist on Khan Academy. Described the different forms of artistic printmaking. Quick and interesting.
The Hobbit; Desolation of Smaug: Very good, much better than the first one. Worth watching.
Related articles
- Will Welby ever make the case for God? (thetimes.co.uk)
- Show Us Your Paper Notebook (lifehacker.com)
- "All journeys h… (thelifeofmomo.wordpress.com)
Filed under: Bibliography, Books, From the Notebook, Movies, Reviews | Tagged: Gillian Anderson, Good and Evil, Kevin J. Anderson, Khan Academy, Martin Buber, United States, White House Mess, X-files: Ground Zero (The X-files) | Comments Off on From the Notebook


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Dons held by battling Shakers
A Steven Schumacher equaliser helped Bury secure their first point in three games as they battled to a 1-1 draw at MK Dons.
Last Updated: 12/01/13 7:07pm
A Steven Schumacher equaliser helped Bury secure their first point in three games as they battled to a 1-1 draw at MK Dons.
The Shakers skipper hooked in a fine half-volley in the 66th minute to cancel out Dean Bowditch's early opener for the Dons, whose winless run at home stretched to three games.
Milton Keynes dominated the first half and Bowditch put them ahead after a quarter of an hour when he cut inside from the left and curled a low right-foot shot past Trevor Carson for his eighth goal of the season.
Efe Sodje came closest for Bury in the first half with a looping header that was pushed over the crossbar by David Martin before Izale McLeod, making his second Dons debut, saw his fierce deflected strike loop against the post.
McLeod then missed a good opportunity to double the Dons' lead shortly after the break when he blazed wide when well-placed before Schumacher equalised for the Shakers, hooking a bouncing ball over his shoulder and past Martin from 15 yards.
Both sides wasted chances to win it in a frantic finale, with McLeod missing his kick from six yards and Shakers striker Lenell John-Lewis firing wide when one-on-one with Martin.


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The British Monarchy is, and always has been, a work in progress. That is probably the biggest reason it has survived as long and as well as it has. Most importantly, it has consistently adapted to the needs and demands of its people. In fact, it somehow seems to me that the British Monarchy is a reflection of all that is good about British society.
?Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort, Prince Albert, did a great deal to make Britain the country that it is. However, even as Queen Victoria led a largely secluded life after Prince Albert died, her son Edward VII, while he was Prince of Wales, worked tirelessly to promote England's interests at home and abroad. He invented the idea of royal appearances at home, opening things like the Tower Bridge and the Thames Embankment, and traveled very successfully throughout the world as a goodwill ambassador and peacemaker on behalf of his country. It was after his successful tour of India that Queen Victoria was named Empress of India.
?Edward VII truly began the idea of a modern monarchy. He saw the need for the monarch of England to not only be the symbolic head of the government, but to be the heart and soul of his country and his people. His descendants have followed in his footsteps by continually changing with the times and adapting to new circumstances.
?George V, Edward VII's successor, further brought the monarchy into the future. At the outbreak of World War I, he changed the name of his family from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor to make it clear that his family and monarchy were fully committed to the British cause. George V also successfully welcomed in the first British Labour government, and originated the annual radio Christmas speech in 1932.
?Edward VIII's role in the British monarchy may have been short, but it was incredibly important. Though Edward VIII was charismatic, and charming, and well loved by his country, it is doubtful he could have provided the leadership England needed to maneuver through the hardships of World War II. When he abdicated just eleven months after his accession to marry Wallis Simpson, he gave Britain the reluctant hero for a king that they needed.
?When Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George took the throne of England as King George VI, he swore to his country and himself that he would do his duty. Though not as charming as Edward VIII, King George VI had the backbone, the will, and the humility to be everything England needed in a time of great turmoil and change. He was the voice of the British people as World War II broke out, and he refused to leave London during the Blitzkrieg. I had a very dear friend who grew up in World War II England, and she spoke very fondly of The King and Queen visiting the bombed out buildings of London on a regular basis. When Buckingham Palace was bombed, The Queen Mother said she was thankful that she would now be able to look East Enders in the eye. The King and Queen were a stalwart symbol of the British spirit when Britain was fighting for her life. As the last Emperor of India, and the first head of the Commonwealth, George VI seamlessly oversaw the transition between the British Empire and the British Commonwealth. Through the last one hundred years, the British monarchy has been an island of stability in a world that is constantly changing.
The current monarch of Great Britain has continued the legacy of her father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Queen Elizabeth II has worked tirelessly for over sixty years to keep the promise she made when she was 21 years old. She promised she would devote her whole life to the service of her people and Great Britain. She has never waivered in her dedication or work. All the while, she has steadily, quietly, brought the British monarchy into the twenty-first century. Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to have her coronation televised, and that was only the first of many modernizations she has made. She has ensured religious freedom to her subjects as the 'Defender of the Faith', and she has offered advice and aid to twelve Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron, all the while working to support good causes, searching out British subjects who deserve to be recognized for their contributions and generally providing an unchanging foundation to allow her country to thrive.
If their predecessors' legacy and forward thinking have nurtured the relevance of the British Monarchy, I am confident that we can look forward to watching that same zeal permeate the reigns of Prince Charles and Prince William, who are preparing to fill Her Majesty's shoes with a deep sense of purpose and responsibility. Long live the British Monarchy. ???????
photo credit: RachelH, BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives and ? Lee J Haywood via photopin cc


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Skip to Content
The Seattle area is rich in arts, culture, and heritage. You can participate in a diverse series of film festivals, attend the ballet, listen to the symphony, explore the local music scene, or visit one of the many farmers markets, some of which are open year round. Check local publications like The Stranger, The Seattle Weekly, or Seattle Met for more information about local culture and events. Some of our favorites include:
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
Fremont Abbey
Henry Art Gallery
Kirkland Arts Center
Richard Hugo House
Seattle Arts & Lectures
Town Hall Seattle
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Olympic Sculpture Park
Frye Art Museum
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
Center for Wooden Boats
Gay City
The Seattle area has a very wide selection of dining options at all price points. Options may be found at: The Stranger, SeattleWeekly, and Seattle Met. For the closest happy hour, download The Stranger's "Cocktail Compass" app. Listed below are a few favorite restaurants close to campus.
The Pacific Northwest is known for its natural beauty and its quick, easy access to outdoor recreation. Surrounded by forests, water, and mountains, the area is full of opportunities for outdoor fun in all seasons. There is an extensive network of state and national parks within a short drive of Seattle that offer everything from short afternoon walks to multi-day hiking and camping trips. A few of our favorite area parks include:
Discovery Park, Seattle
Marymoor Park, Redmond
Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle
Saint Edwards Park, Kenmore
Washington Arboretum, Seattle
Volunteer Park, Seattle
Carkeek Park, Seattle
Seward Park, Seattle
Magnuson Park, Seattle
Alki Beach Park, West Seattle
Lincoln Park, West Seattle
Green Lake Park, Seattle
Ballard Locks, Seattle
Gaze longingly at the Olympics from the beaches of Discovery Park
Visit the Ballard Locks and watch the boats go by
Take advantage of your student status while you're here, as well. You can visit the Waterfront Activities Center on the UW Seattle campus, and rent canoes and rowboats for $6/hr on weekdays and $8/hr on weekends! Climbing fans can get a student discount at the Seattle Bouldering Project, and those who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and all other Pacific Northwest pasttimes, should check out The Mountaineers.
In winter you can take advantage of the region's places to ski, snowboard, or snowshoe. Summer is a great time to rent a stand-up paddleboard, try windsurfing, or relax on a sailboat at one of the many waterfront areas, including Lake Washington, Lake Union, or Puget Sound. If you are a runner/walker, there are lots of local events ranging from 5Ks to marathons every month of the year including some right from the UW Bothell campus.
Bicycling is popular not only for transportation but also recreation. Washington State was recently named the nation's number one "Bicycle Friendly State" by the League of American Bicyclists for the fourth year in a row, and Seattle is regularly near the top of bike friendly city lists. There are numerous bicycle paths and trails throughout the area and in many of the parks. There is direct access to the UW Bothell campus from the Sammamish River Trail via the Burke-Gilman Trail which extends for 20.26 miles through neighborhoods just north of Seattle and the surrounding cities and towns. Learn more about bicycle trails and maps for King County.


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text:
Country singer Carrie Underwood turned rapper during a late night TV appearance on Thursday after joining host Jimmy Fallon to show off her hip-hop skills.
Underwood sat down for an interview on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" to promote her new album "Blown Away," and to add a little fun to the segment, she dressed up in head-to-toe denim for a special skit with the host.
The pair hit the stage and performed the N.W.A. classic "Straight Outta Compton" with a country twist, as well as Snoop Dogg's "Nuthin' but a G Thang" and "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground.
As part of the comedy piece, Underwood and Fallon branded their music "crap," an abbreviated term for the fake genre country rap, and used their first names to come up with the collective moniker Jim Carrie.


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Progress Software has worked with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) to launch a cloud-based software development infrastructure.
While this probably looks like "me too" technology from yet another "something-as-a-Service" vendor, Progress is (arguably) an interesting case as the company has been on something of a transformative journey reinventing itself as a cloud development specialist.
Progress's new "strategic plan" to be a leading platform provider for context-aware applications in the cloud means this collaboration will enable software developers to deploy, access, and analyze applications in the cloud using the firm's OpenEdge application development platform.
NOTE: The Asia-Pacific Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) market is said to be attracting considerable interest from businesses due to the flexibility it brings to application development and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), with Frost & Sullivan projecting that the market will grow to reach $523 million in 2016. The high level of flexibility and the ability to reduce costs while developing, testing, and deploying new applications is creating a strong case for PaaS adoption in the region. Market adoption of SaaS is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% with one-third of all businesses in Singapore adopting SaaS by 2015, while the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21% and will be led mainly by medium and large businesses.
The OpenEdge platform is supported by SingTel's on-demand cloud service, called PowerON, which can be scaled to the needs of users in each case. PowerON is SingTel's end-to-end suite of cloud-based services and solutions covering Applications-on-Demand, Infrastructure-on-Demand, Connectivity-on-Demand, and Managed Services-on-Demand.
Alvin Kok, head of Infocomm Services, SingTel, said, "Businesses are already reaping the benefits from cloud computing as many applications can now be accessed through the cloud within their organizations. By harnessing SingTel's cloud capabilities and the Progress OpenEdge platform, Independent Software Vendors can increase their productivity, lower their operating expenditure, and enhance their agility. This will enable them to develop applications and bring them to the market more easily and quickly."
The Progress OpenEdge application platform is described as being used by world's leading embedded databases to ensure the high availability and scalability demanded by SaaS business applications.


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Business mogul-turned-reality star Donald Trump has filed a $5 million lawsuit against comedian Bill Maher over a joke.
During a January appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," staunch Democrat Maher offered to donate $5 million to a charity of Republican Trump's choice if he could prove his father wasn't an orangutan.
He said, "The color of his hair and the color of an orange orangutan is (sic) the only two things in nature of the same color."
Unimpressed by the joke, "The Apprentice" star accepted the challenge and promptly mailed Maher a copy of his official birth certificate, and now he wants Maher to pay up.
Trump filed legal papers in Los Angeles on Monday, and Maher has responded to the suit via Twitter.com, writing, "What?? Really? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha."
The joke was a play on Trump's relentless efforts to uncover facts about U.S. President Barack Obama's heritage. Last year he promised to give $5 million to the politician's favorite organization if he released his passport records and proved beyond doubt he's an American citizen.


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The Giselle files
Five members of ABT's corps de ballet step up to the plate.
Tue Jul 1 2008
Photograph: Johan Heckens
Melanie Hamrick
Date of birth July 17, 1986
Hometown Williamsburg, Virginia
Training Eastern Virginia School of the Performing Arts, Universal Ballet Academy
Minor league ABT Studio Company; guested with Universal Ballet of Korea
Some big roles so far Calliope, Apollo; Dark Elegies; Odalisque, Le Corsaire; Spanish Dance,Swan Lake; Prelude and Mazurka, Les Sylphides
Ballet idol Julie Kent. She is the essence of a ballerina and beauty; even if she's doing something that is so hard, she looks weightless and effortless.
Most consecutive pirouettes I'm not much of a turner. Three or four for me is great.
Favorite dance movie The Turning Point
Most memorable moment onstage It's still my first performance: The first time I ran out on that stage—it's so big and you can't see anything but the conductor. It was La Bayadère—I was a waltz girl—and it took my breath away.
Offstage I like to read. On my breaks, I usually go to Barnes & Noble.
Giselle role Moyna
Best part of being in ABT You get to see amazing dancers every day, all day. You're never at a loss for inspiration.
See the next dancer: Simone Messmer
Photograph: Johan Heckens
Simone Messmer
Date of birth August 10, 1984
Hometown Minneapolis, Minnesota
Training Ballet Arts Minnesota, Harid Conservatory, ABT's Summer Intensive Program
Minor league ABT Studio Company
Some big roles so far Lead D'Jampe, La Bayadère; Stepsister, Cinderella; Fairy of Valor, The Sleeping Beauty; the Polish Princess, the Spanish Dance and the Lead Szardas, Swan Lake
Ballet idol Gelsey Kirkland
Most consecutive pirouettes Seven or eight
Favorite dance movie The Turning Point and Ballet
Favorite dance reality-TV show None. They kind of bother me because they're not really dancers for the most part. It adds to the lessening of an art form that's already somewhat forgotten in this day and age.
Most memorable moment onstage The first curtain call was unreal and nothing that I had ever experienced before—you rarely get that as an adult.
Giselle role Moyna. After I learn it, I'll take a step back and spend some time in the studio alone deciding how I'm going to play it.
See the next dancer: Hee Seo
Photograph: Johan Heckens
Hee Seo
Date of birth March 13, 1986
Hometown Seoul, South Korea
Training Sun-hwa Arts Middle School, Universal Ballet Academy, John Cranko Ballet Academy
Minor league ABT Studio Company; guested with Stuttgart Ballet
Some big roles so far Princess Florine and Fairy of Sincerity, The Sleeping Beauty; Lead D'Jampe, La Bayadère; Big Swan, Swan Lake
Ballet idol Mikhail Baryshnikov
Most consecutive pirouettes Not very many. I'm not a turner. I think the most important thing—and it took me years to come to this conclusion—is that you have to be beautiful. Julie Kent is the most beautiful dancer in ABT. She's not doing large, big pirouettes, but she is so beautiful.
Favorite dance movie Center Stage
Giselle role Peasant Pas de Deux [with Blaine Hoven] and Moyna. I've been injured and they're going to be my first soloist roles this season.
Best part of being in ABT I think finally I realized that I am a special dancer. For the longest time, I've been comparing myself with the greatest dancers and I was always, in a way, depressed: Why am I not as good as them? But ABT finally made me realize that I'm a special dancer. It's given me a motivation to keep going forward.
See the next dancer: Blaine Hoven
Photograph: Johan Heckens
Blaine Hoven
Date of birth October 29, 1985
Hometown Mobile, Alabama
Training Mobile Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts
Minor league ABT Studio Company
Some big roles so far Bluebird, the Russian Prince and a Fairy Knight, The SleepingBeauty; Benno, Swan Lake; the Standard Bearer, The Green Table; Cassio, Othello; Baker's Dozen; C. to C. (Close to Chuck); In the Upper Room
Ballet idol Mikhail Baryshnikov. Now that I'm in the company, I really look up to Marcelo Gomes.
Most consecutive pirouettes Seven or eight.
Favorite dance movie Dirty Dancing and Grease
Favorite dance reality-TV show America's Best Dance Crew
Offstage life I love the park. I love the sun. I grew up in the South so any chance for sun I get, I'm there.
Most memorable moment onstage I fell in Polovtsian Dances. I got my foot caught in my bow and I fell from two feet in the air. It was really funny.
Giselle role Peasant Pas de Deux [with Hee Seo]. It's probably pretty difficult because the guy has two variations; I'm not sure it will be as difficult as Bluebird staminawise—because I'll probably be able to feel my legs after this one.
See the next dancer: Mikhail Ilyin
Photograph: Johan Heckens
Mikhail Ilyin
Date of birth February 19, 1980. Is this connected to the zodiac? Shall I expect the birthday card?
Hometown St. Petersburg, Russia
Training Vaganova Ballet Academy, School of American Ballet, the Ailey School
Minor league Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet
Some big roles so far Pirates' Dance, Le Corsaire; turning lead, Études; Fairy Knight, The Sleeping Beauty; Neapolitan Dance, Swan Lake
Highest jump I try not to take things extremely literally. It's the spirit of the jump. Sometimes it's not extremely high, but it has the right momentum and it seems like you're hanging and it's effortless, and this jump, for the audience, could be more valuable than a high jump with a sloppy ending. I am trying to remind myself that it's an art form. It's not just how high.
Most consecutive pirouettes Many! I love turning. There's something about revolution and spotting; within the shape, it requires relaxation, so it's very much about coordination. Pirouettes do serve a purpose: It's a whirl of excitement. It could also be a contemplation about something, so it can have emotion. You have to go beyond. For this, I try.
Giselle role Peasant Pas de Deux [with Sarah Lane]. I've done two other versions—at the Kirov and at Miami City Ballet. It's romantic, it requires someone to be excited about life and to be lively and clean and simple—it's all in the name and in the music.
Most memorable moment onstage I would say the first timeI performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. It's humongous, it's five and a half wings, and it's overwhelming and exciting. Somehow it feels like home.
American Ballet Theatre performs Giselle Mon 7–July 12.


text:
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Thursday, Friday & Saturday
31 comments:
- Sarah said...
What a great time you had!
Lovely lot of goodies there!
- 30 July 2011 at 21:54
- De said...
Well certainly looks like you had a ball - any extra luggage charges on the way home????? **giggle**
- 30 July 2011 at 21:56
- Vicki ♥ said...
It was so good to meet you too Jo and I love all your goodies you got :) You have lots to play with for a while :) Hugs
Vicki xx
- 30 July 2011 at 21:59
- Elyte said...
It was lovely to meet you and the others, be it so brief. Sorry I missed afternoon tea. Our little group is planning a visit to Tassie next year so maybe there will be a little more time then. You made great use of your time but I am sorry you missed l'uccello. Oh well, you will just have to come back.
- 30 July 2011 at 22:11
- Susie McMahon said...
- 30 July 2011 at 22:23
- Anonymous said...
Jo am glad you all had a great time,and i love all your buys,you will be 1 busy lady.
- 30 July 2011 at 22:44
- Roseanne said...
Looks like you had a ball. what a great birththday present meeting all those lovely blogger and for all your lovely gifts.
- 30 July 2011 at 23:36
- Isabella said...
Looks like you had a ball," Happy Birthday" would you believe I have just got back into scraping and card making and got a few dies for my new Bigshot :)
- 30 July 2011 at 23:36
- Anonymous said...
oh wow Jo what a fabulous time you had it looks wonderful
- 31 July 2011 at 03:10
- sewkalico said...
Sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday! Belated Wishes!
- 31 July 2011 at 05:19
- Fiona said...
It was a wonderful memory making trip. Pleased to say I survived my shift at work and had a wonderful rest. Thanks for sharing the memories with me Jo.
hugs - Fee XX
- 31 July 2011 at 07:44
- Christine M said...
Hi Jo. It was lovely meeting you all. I did get to Lucello's. Kim has some lovely things there. I only had a quick look but I'll be back! I was totally exhausted too. Even my legs were sore Saturday from all that walking around! Hugs, Christine
- 31 July 2011 at 08:11
- Shiralee Stitches said...
Oh wow, what a lovely weekend you've had....great to catch up with friends, meet new ones, and attend a Fair too....heaven.....enjoy your goodies....
- 31 July 2011 at 08:22
- Michelle May (Shell) said...
Fun!!!!!!!!! I'm so jealous!!!! Wish I could have been there too!!!!
Happy Birthday girlfriend! Now I have it marked on the calendar! :)
xx, shell
- 31 July 2011 at 08:31
- Anonymous said...
Glad that you had such a great time away! Poor Fee having to work! Looks like you might have paid some excess baggage coming back to Hobart! ;)
- 31 July 2011 at 08:42
- Lynda said...
What a great couple of days and lots of loot!
- 31 July 2011 at 10:04
- Margaret said...
You certainly did fit a lot in and had a lovely time as well. We turned on a bit well just a bit of sunshine for you too. Happy Birthday.
- 31 July 2011 at 10:31
- Miriam said...
A belated Happy Birthday to you Jo!
It was wonderful to meet everyone on Friday!
- 31 July 2011 at 12:12
- DAWNIE said...
Looks like you had a fab time Jo - and of course everyone looks happy to see one another, such a fabulous blogworld we live.
- 31 July 2011 at 13:49
- wonderwoman said...
Happy Birthday - a bit late i know but well meant all the same. What a great way to celebrate it!
- 31 July 2011 at 17:43
- Sweet Cinnamon Stitches said...
What a haul....LOL!! Couldn't think of a better way to spend a Birthday!
- 31 July 2011 at 18:55
- Jenny of Elefantz said...
You're lucky there's no law against having that much fun in just 3 short days! LOL!
Next time...I'm coming too. :-)
PS: Happy b'lated birthday!!!!
- 31 July 2011 at 21:10
- Joy said...
I'm so jealous Jo ... you know that don't you lol???!!! Will catch up with you in Tassie next March ... can't wait :o)!!!!
Joy :o)
- 1 August 2011 at 07:19
- Ange Moore said...
Looks like you had a fabulous time.
And from talking to B you'd neve know that his mother was a stitcher too!! Ha, ha - too funny.
And a belated Happy Birthday - self-selected presents are the best!!
- 1 August 2011 at 10:47
- Sew Useful Designs said...
Awww - you girls look like you had SO much fun!!!! Next time sweetie - I will be there!!!! I was so sad not to be able to catch up, but I feel like I was with you after looking at these photos!!!
LOVE your goodies!!!! I did have a giggle at your GPS... hmmm... it's fun trying to guess her name!!!
Hugs sweetie!!!!
Vikki xoxoxoxoxo
- 1 August 2011 at 11:12
- Seams Sew Together said...
Jo it was good to meet you and the other ladies. Happy Belated Birthday.
I see you had a good splurge. Enjoy!
- 1 August 2011 at 14:51
- Chookyblue...... said...
looks like you made the most of every minute.........catching up with some bloggers and lots of shopping.........
- 1 August 2011 at 18:20
- Lenna Green said...
What a wonderful day! It would have been lovely catching up with fellow bloggers. I am feeling a bit envious of you stash of goodies. What fun you will have with these!
- 2 August 2011 at 09:37
- Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...
Happy belated birthday Jo...wow, what a weekend!!! Fantastic...Dzintra
- 5 August 2011 at 09:11
- Jan said...
Happy belated bday. Looks like lots of fun was had in Melbourne.
- 5 August 2011 at 14:07
- Stina said...
Ahhh.. Im so OFF.... but ..but...:o)
Happy Belated Birthday!!! Big hugs!!!!!
HAppy to see you had a wonderful time with your friends.. and all that shopping.. just sweet!!!
Loved your version of Tis is the season... pretty!!
GRATTIS ...( HAppy Birthday) på Födelsedagen!!
- 10 August 2011 at 04:49


text:
All very familiar with the phrase that gets repeated so often at this time of the year, people say may you experience the spirit of Christmas. I don't know how many times I've heard it. I don't know how many times I've seen it on cards and other expressions of sentiment. I suppose enough times to ask the question what do you think people mean by that? Well, for Scrooge, the spirit of Christmas was a ghost. To the liquor industry, it should be the spirits of Christmas. They are going to be spending tens of millions of dollars, already are, to sell all the alcohol they can so that people can enjoy the spirits of Christmas. For some, the spirit of Christmas is going home. It's sort of togetherness, nostalgia, memories and calling a truce in all of the cases of conflict and quarrel that often tear up families. And for some people the spirit of Christmas is to let Hallmark say what you can't say very well to people you'd like to say it to or feel obligated to say it to, to get all those cards to send to people you know are going to send you cards because they know you are going to send them a card.
And there will be about four billion of those exchanged. One little boy said that the spirit of Christmas was good sportsmanship and that was true because he needed to learn how to be a good sport because he never got what he asked for. For some people, the spirit of Christmas is fun. It's a party. For some people though on the other hand, it's just the opposite. It's a very, very sad time because Christmas seems to surface all of the sorrow and suffering and pain of life. Earl Willer, some years ago, wrote of such sadness. He wrote a little poem that goes like this, Christmas is a bitter day for mothers who are poor, the wistful eyes of children are daggers to endure. Though shops are crammed with playthings, enough for everyone, if a mother's purse is empty, it might as well be none. My purse is full of money but I cannot buy a toy, only a wreath of holly for the grave of little boy.
For some people Christmas is a very hard time. And for others, it's a time when you say thanks for just simple basic things. G.K. Chesterdon said many years ago when we're children, we're grateful for those who fill our stockings with toys. Now that we are adults, we ought to be grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs. Not everybody is so privileged. Mostly though, the spirit of Christmas is about giving and I think when people talk about the spirit of Christmas they probably refer to giving. It's a time for giving everything from the simplest piece of five-cent candy to the most extravagant kind of gift and everything in between. And I think that's probably what people mean. It's kind of a giving spirit but that isn't really the true spirit of Christmas either, certainly not from a Christian standpoint. The true spirit of Christmas, I think was understood by Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus who when she met Mary and new that Mary had in her womb the Messiah, said blessed is the fruit of your womb and she blessed the Christ child still in the womb of Mary. And certainly Mary understood the spirit of Christmas when she said my soul exalts the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. And Zachariah the father of John understood the spirit of Christmas when he said blessed be the Lord, God who has raised up the horn of salvation for us. And even the angel of the Lord who said there is born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord, understood the spirit of Christmas and then suddenly the Bible says a multitude of angels praising God and glorifying God, saying glory to God in the highest. They understood the spirit of Christmas.
And Simeon, the old man who blessed God and said mine eyes have the seen thy salvation as he looked into the face of the baby Jesus. He understood the spirit of Christmas. And Anna, the old lady in the temple who gave thanks to God for the redeemer, she understood it. The spirit of Christmas is to thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ. That's the right spirit of Christmas. Praise for the gift of the Savior. Even the wise men came to worship him, it says in Matthew 2:2. Worshipping the Savior is the spirit of Christmas. That's the only true attitude towards this great event. As we think about that, being thankful to God for the Savior, turning the Bible to Hebrews 2 and I want to kind of continue a little in the vein in which I've spoken at the concert each time, talking about Christ as Savior and I want to do it in a very simple and clear and straightforward way.
And I find a wonderful text of Scripture. This is a portion of the Bible written by God to us. And in this particular section in Hebrews 2:9, down to the end of the chapter, you have God's own statement on the identity of the Savior, Jesus Christ and understanding this will put us in the true spirit of Christmas, which is to thank God for sending us the Savior. No discussion of the Christmastime, no discussion of the birth of Christ the Savior is complete without understanding what it means that he is the Savior. What it means that he came to save his people from their sins. And this particular portion of Scripture helps us through that understanding.
In fact, the writer lays out for us five perfections of Jesus, five ways to view him as Savior. It's not, while clear, it's not just a simplistic thought to understand Jesus as Savior but rather it is a rich, rich thought filled with all kinds of meaning. And the writer here gives us five perfections of Jesus that prove to us he is the only savior and the perfect savior. As I said in the message at the concert, if you didn't hear it you'll hear it tonight. There have been many through history and even some today who claim to be the savior of the world. But only one qualifies and that one is Jesus Christ because of the very perfections that are indicated in this portion of Scripture. He proves himself here to be the only savior, the only one who can save us from our sins, who can rescue us from hell, from the curse that is on us because of our violation of the law of God. Only he is the perfect savior. No one else and the perfections that make him so are given to us in this wonderful text.
I'm going to put it under several simple terms that you can remember I hope. Number one, he is the perfect savior because he is our substitute. He is the perfect savior because he is our substitute. Let's start in verse 9. But we do see him that is Jesus, who has been made for a little while, lower than the angels. Because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. Now here is the first reason why Jesus is a perfect savior. Because he is our substitute, that is he tasted death for everyone. That is the heart of the Christian gospel. And what does that statement mean? It means everything to us. It embodies the whole of our gospel message - the Good News to the world. Jesus died for everyone. That's what it's saying.
He became our substitute. He died in our place. That is the essence of the Christian message. The good news is you should die for your sin. You can't without spending eternity in hell and in eternal death, but Jesus sent by God died in your place, paid the penalty for your sin in full and thus you can be reconciled to God, sins forgiven and have the hope of eternal heaven. That's the Christian good news.
Now let's look at it a little more carefully. What does it mean that he might taste death for every man? Well first of all, let's look at the fact of his humiliation. His humiliation is described in verse 9. The fact of it, it says he was made for a little while, lower than the angels was Jesus. A little while - that's exactly a proper translation here. He was made for a little while, lower than the angels. Some translations say he was made a little lower than the angels but the actual term in the Greek means for a little while.
His nature was not changed. He did not cease to become God. He was not lowered in terms of his essential nature. He is always the eternal God, the second person of the trinity. But he was for a little while made lower or for actually 33 years. He was made lower than the angels. Always he had been higher than the angels. He is the creator of the angels. He is the ruler of the angels. He is the one worshipped by the angels. The one adored by the angels. The one served by the angels. But for a little while, he became lower than the angels. And when you go lower than the angels, you come to humanity. He became a man.
Back in chapter 1 of Hebrews, it tells us that in verse 4, he was much better than the angels. He had inherited a more excellent name than the angels. Namely the Son of God as verse 5 indicates. And verse 6 says, all the angels of God worshipped him and verse 7 says he is the creator of angels. He made his angels wings. He made them flames of fire. So he is the creator of angels. He is the ruler of angels. He has a better name than angels. He is superior to angels and yet for a little while he became lower than angels and that means he took upon himself the form of a man. Lower than the angels, you get to humanity. Infinitely greater than the created holy angels, he became less than the angels for a while.
And in the end, as we will see, it made him all the more glorious. So the fact of his humiliation is indicated in this statement, for a little while he was made lower than the angels. The extent of that humiliation is indicated in the fact that it says because of the suffering of death. He came down lower than the angels and when you come below the angels, you get to humanity, he became a man but it didn't end there. The extent of his humiliation went all the way to death. And that indicates to us that he indeed became lower than the angels. He was not some angel masked as a man as some religions teach. He was a man. He came down for a little while lower than the angels and that is proven by the fact that he did something angels cannot do and that is he died. Angels don't die. They were created as spirits and they were created to dwell eternally as spirits somewhere, either in heaven or because of their rebellion against God, in the lake of fire prepared for them.
But they do not die. They have no bodies. They have no corporeal form. They have nothing that is subject to the material curse of the universe. They are spirits who live eternally, either in the presence of God as holy angels or as demons forever in the lake of fire. Jesus was lower than angels. He did something that angels can't do. In Luke 20:36, Scripture is talking about glorified saints who have died and gone to heaven and it says, neither can they die anymore. They are like angels. Angels can't die. Jesus is our substitute. He came down became a man. Came all the way down to do what angels cannot do and die.
Philippians 2 says, he took upon him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of man. Humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross. He died. And it's not enough to say because of his death. It says because of the suffering of death. It was not an easy exit from the land of living for Jesus. No gentle one. It was accompanied with outward torture and inward agony. His death was an excruciating and painful experience for him. So when we think about Jesus as the substitute, we have to remember that he as God above the angels became for a little while, lower than the angels. Came all the way down to do what no angel has ever done and that is to do what only men do and all men do it - that it to die. That's the extent of his humiliation.
The purpose of his humiliation, end of the verse, to taste death for everyone and that's the heart of it. To taste death for everyone, like a taster that a king might have who would taste his food and taste his drink so that nobody could poison the king, the taster would literally put his life on the line, suffering the death that poison would bring, rather than having the monarch die. Jesus tasted the poison that we should have consumed. He took our place. He took the poison meant for us and drank it all. He bore our sins in his own body on the cross. He was our substitute. God punished him instead of us. He bore the wrath of God. He took the curse in our place. He drank the cup of God's vengeance. He paid the penalty for our having broken God's law. He drank the cup of judgment down to the very dregs. Though he was guilty of nothing, he tasted death for everyone who would ever believe in him.
The word tasted is probably used here, even though we could argue that he drank the cup. He literally consumed it all. He took it all. Why the word taste? The answer to that is because even though he literally drank the cup of judgment to the very dregs, took the full wrath of God for all who would ever believe, even though he suffered the full vengeance of God and completely paid the price for sin, it was only a brief experience at that. His experience of dying lasted only a matter of hours. You will remember it was in the morning when they put him on the cross. It was in the afternoon when he gave up his life. And it was only during those hours that he suffered for sin, suffered the wrath of God. Only for those hours, did he drink the cup of poison, the cup of judgment. And because he drank it for hours, we don't have to drink it forever.
He's our substitute. Because he tasted death for me, I can escape it all together. Because he took the full judgment in a few hours, I can escape having to feel it forever. What was the motive of this? The motive of this humiliation is indicated there. Because of the grace of God or by the grace of God - it was just because God wanted to do it. The word that I love to use when I talk about God planning salvation is uninfluenced. God when he planned salvation was uninfluenced because it was only God. God the father, God the son, God the holy spirit existing in one as the trinity, existing in eternity passed before the creation of anything and God determines that he is going to create and redeem sinners purely as a result of his grace. Uninfluenced. Free loving kindness. Uninfluenced. Free good pleasure. God just determined on his own that he would save sinners.
It was his plan. That's why on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached he said Jesus was crucified by the determined council and foreknowledge of God. It was God's plan from before the foundation of the world. Jesus in John 10:18 said nobody takes my life from me. I lay it down of myself. And he said to Pilate, John 19:11, 12, he said you have no authority over me. You may be the Roman prefate, you may be ruling in the area. You have absolutely no authority over me except what is given you from above. That is from God. God was in charge of the whole thing. It's a gracious act of God by which He chose to redeem sinners based on no merit of their own, no worthiness, no deserving. God just simply demonstrated His love towards us, His gracious love in giving His son to die in our place.
The fact of humiliation, Jesus is made lower than the angels for a little while. He's brought down. The extent of it all the way down to death. Dying in our place. He does that in order that he might truly and genuinely be our substitute. The purpose of that, to taste death for every person, to pay the penalty for sin for all who would ever believe. And the motive behind it all was pure grace. You might think at this point, well you know Jesus did that but boy what a shameful thing to have to do, hang half naked in front of a gaping mob looking at him with their mouths hanging open, watching him embarrassed beyond all possible definitions of the word embarrassment; being humiliated to be put between two thieves; to be chosen over Barabas who was a well known and dangerous criminal. What a humiliating experience. The fact of the matter is however the result of his humiliation indicated in verse 9, in the middle of the verse, is that he was crowned with glory and honor. It did just the opposite. Satan wanted to humiliate him. The leaders of Israel wanted to humiliate him. The Romans wanted to humiliate him. The world of people who cried for his blood wanted to humiliate him but the fact of the matter was that hanging on the cross was the means by which he was crowned with all honor and glory.
There would be no other way to know the grace of God. There would be no other way to know his saving power if Jesus didn't die. There would be no other way to reclaim lost sinners and bring them to glory. There would be no other way to bring about the new birth, forgiveness, transformation, conversion, new life, except through the death of Jesus Christ so that lowering himself became the means of exalting himself. And Philippians 2 says that he went all the way down and died the death on the cross and then it says in verse 9, the very next verse that God highly exalted him and gave him a name, which is above every name, which is the name Lord, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. He was exalted because he was humbled. He went down in order that he might go up. And when come to Revelation 5 and you get a glimpse into heaven, you are going to hear the angels and the saints all saying, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive and what is he to receive? A number of things but among them glory and honor.
He is glorified forever because of the salvation provided and the humiliating death that he died on the cross. Rather than the cross causing Christ to have to apologize for the shame and embarrassment, it has magnified him as savior. Far from Christ's death being something of which he should be ashamed, it is the very reason for which he has been exalted and it is the reason for which he will be praised and is being praised forever and ever and ever by saints and angels. Now all of that in verse 9 indicates the significance of him as our substitute. He is our substitute. He came as man, lower than the angels to die in man's place because of the grace of God and as a result of that he has paid the penalty for our sins and is our savior, to be crowned with glory and honor forever.
There is another wonderful way to view him as our perfect savior and that is not only as our substitute, but as our sovereign. As our sovereign, look at verse 10. For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things and bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. Now I want you to notice that little title there, the author of their salvation, the author particularly. There are a number of ways to translate this word. That is one way. The word in the Greek is archegas. It's a familiar word to anybody who knows Greek. It's a word basically that refers to somebody who begins something. An author would be a legitimate translation of that. An author is somebody who inaugurates or initiates, who is the beginner of something. It also means a pioneer, somebody who opened up a new territory; somebody who opened up a new land so others could follow. It is a word that could refer to a trailblazer, somebody who blazed a trail on which trail others could then come. It is somebody who founds a city. It's used of a person who founded a city in which people then can come and live. It is also used of one who is the patriarch of a family, the founder of a family into which many others are eventually born. It is a word used to speak of somebody who inaugurates a new kind of life, a new kind of existence into which others come to enjoy that new level of life. It could be somebody who invented some new medication. It could be somebody on an entrepreneurial level. We like that word entrepreneur today. And in the truest and purest sense, that's somebody who really does blaze a new trail in terms of the world, in terms of human experience and life. That's what the word archegas means. It's not somebody standing at the rear giving orders. It's somebody at the head blazing the trail, opening the gates, starting a new city, leading to a new country, a new land, a new way of life, a new level of life. It's somebody who literally invents the wheel; somebody who begins something that others can enter in to. And he is the archegas of what, of their what? Salvation. It is Jesus who alone authored salvation. He is the trailblazer who opened the trail to God. He is the founder of the heavenly city. He threw the gates open, invited us to come in. He is the one that began the family as it were, the children of God and who brings us into that family. He is the one who inaugurated a new kind of life and ushers into that life to be enjoyed forever. He is the archegas. He is the sovereign in the sense that he is the ruler. He is the consummate one, the great one, the general.
That word is sometimes translated captain. And sometimes even in the Bible it's called the captain of our salvation, he great leader, the great sovereign. He opened the family of God to us. He opened the gates of the city of heaven to us. He blazed the trail to God for us. He gave us a new land. The land as it were called Canaan, the great promised land of blessing. He gives us new life and eternal joy. He is our sovereign leader. And notice what it says, it was fitting, suitable for him (who's that?)for whom all things and through whom all things (that's God). It suited God. It's suitable for God in His desire to bring many sons to glory, to perfect the archegas of their salvation through sufferings. Wow. It suited God, suited His purpose, suited His wisdom, suited His holiness, suited His justice, suited His grace, suited His power, His love. It fit perfectly into God's plan because He wanted to bring many, many sons to glory. It suited Him to perfect the trailblazer of that salvation through sufferings.
In other words, it fit into God's plan for Jesus to blaze the trail, to open the city, to bring the new life, to inaugurate the family through suffering. Now that tells us more about salvation. Salvation is not just the forgiveness of sin. It's a new city. It's a new life. It's a new family. It's a new land. It's a new everything and Jesus blazed the trail into that newness of life. And he did it by being perfected through suffering. God made His son, for a little while, lower than the angels. Brought him down into the realm of humans so that he could do what no angel has ever done or will ever do, die. Die in our place as our substitute and by that death become the perfect leader, the perfect trailblazer, the perfect pioneer, the perfect general, the perfect sovereign, who would open the path of salvation and lead us to God and to eternal glory.
Chapter 5, verse 9 says he became to all those who obey him, the source of eternal salvation. He alone is the trailblazer. He alone is the source, the leader, the one who brings us to God. What a great savior.
Thirdly he is not only our substitute and sovereign, he is our sanctifier and this is just stunning truth. Verse 11, for both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one father (you'll notice in italics, I'll comment on that in a moment) for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers. Now this, as I said, is a rather staggering reality here. We are not just forgiven of our sin. We are not just ushered in by the trailblazer himself to the glories of new life, to the glories of a heavenly city and a heavenly land, but we are sanctified. That means made righteous, made holy or free from sin. It means to be separated the word sanctified.
And both he who sanctifies - that's Jesus - and those who are sanctified - that's all believers. He is the sanctifier. We are the sanctified. He literally made us holy. He made us holy. How did he do that? By paying the penalty for our sins, by being our substitute and then by living a perfectly righteous life, which we talked about a couple of weeks ago. And God took his righteousness and covered us with it. That's how he sanctified us. It doesn't mean that we are sinless now. It simply means God treats us as if we are because our sins have all been paid for and the righteousness of Christ credited to our account. I said two weeks ago on the cross, God treated Jesus as if he lived your life and now he can treat you as if you lived his. When God looks at you, He sees the perfect life of Christ. So it is Christ's perfect righteousness applied to you that makes him the sanctifier and you the sanctified. This is really, this is wonder of wonders. When God sees you, He sees the perfect life of Jesus Christ. Sins are paid for. They're gone. Full satisfaction. The vengeance of God is complete. Justice has been settled. And we are now given the righteousness of Christ. It's applied to our lives as if it were our own. And God treats us as if we are holy because we are covered by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's why Hebrews 10 has two very, very powerful statements.
Hebrews 10:10 by this will, we have been sanctified. How? Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Verse 14 for by one offering, he has perfected for all time or forever, those who are sanctified. Because his death on the cross, paying the penalty for our sin, because of the application of his perfect righteous life to us, we are sanctified before God. When God looks at us, He declared us holy. We aren't in practice what we are in position. Positionally before God, we are holy. We are still grappling in practice obviously to be what we are in position. But God has declared us holy. That is His declaration and that is because of the perfect work of Jesus Christ. But notice this, he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified and the Greek says are all literally out of one. Are all out of one and the translator rightly puts in italics father because this is saying something that is just really astonishing to particularly the Jews to whom this letter was written in Hebrews. That is the idea that both the Messiah, the son of God, God incarnate and the ones He sanctifies are out of the same source, namely from one father, God. That is to say that because of the gracious gift of holiness, we are both from out of God. We literally share the very righteousness of God with Christ. Staggering statement.
No Jew would presume to even think such a thought. In fact, the Jewish people throughout their history and still today, even those that are committed to the Old Testament seriously, will not even say the name God. They have invented things to substitute for speaking the name God because they would never presume to be familiar with the name of God. And yet we are so familiar that we can say we are with the Messiah, who is God, out of one God. We literally bare the same righteousness as does Messiah and it is the righteousness of God. This is a stunning, stunning truth.
And to make it even more impactful, verse 11 says for which reason he (being Christ) is not ashamed to call us brothers. Amazing. We would be called brothers because we share the same life. We are called brothers here because we share the same righteousness. We share the same privilege. We are the Bible says Romans 8 joint heirs with Christ, joint heirs with Christ. He is not ashamed to call us brothers. He is Son of God. We have become sons of God, covered by his very righteousness and in that sense, we are his brother.
He would have every reason to be ashamed of us wouldn't he? If he were looking merely at our practical lives, but he is not ashamed of us because we are covered with the very righteousness of God. So Christ came down to our level to redeem us, to make us into brothers and bring us back up to his very level of holiness. What a complete savior. Some Jewish people might say well this is certainly foreign to the Old Testament. So just to solve that problem, verses 12 and 13, quote two passages from the Old Testament to show that even in the Old Testament, the Messiah anticipated such a brotherhood. First of all, verse 12 is from Psalm 22 and verse 12 says, I will proclaim thy name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation, I will sing thy praise. That's right out of Psalm 22 and it is the second person of the trinity, the son of God talking to the father and he says, father I'm going to proclaim your name to my brothers, indicating that the Messiah even that far back anticipated that there would be those who would be his brothers.
He is speaking to the father about his brothers. Because of his death on the cross that he can call us brothers. By the way, interesting in my years of studying the New Testament, I have discovered that before the cross, before Jesus died on the cross, he never called his followers brothers. Never. He called them disciples. He called them friends. He called them sheep but he never called them brothers. But when he died and came out of the grave, the first thing he said when he came out of the grave to Mary was go to my brothers. It is only possible to be a brother of Jesus Christ when sin has been paid for. And when his righteousness has been credited to your account. The psalmist then saw that. And the spirit of God inspired the psalmist to see the Messiah and acknowledge that he was to have human brothers and that's what the phrase in the midst of the congregation mean. He is going to take his place among his brothers and sing his praise to God. What an amazing statement. That literally salvation causes us to become brothers of the perfect Messiah, the son of God, who stands with us to sing his praise to God and is not ashamed to call us his brothers.
We aren't worthy of that but that's what grace does. Then verse 13 is taken out of Isaiah, the prophet. So he takes something from the Psalms and something from the prophets. Isaiah 8:17 and 18 and he quotes I will put my trust in him and behold I and the children whom God has given me. Again, there is another text from the Old Testament showing that the Messiah would accept the children of God given to him as brothers.
He trusted God. He said I'll put my trust in him. It's a messianic statement in Isaiah. And so do we. And so we share in common that he trusted God. When he came into this world, he trusted the Lord in the time of his incarnation and we trust the Lord as well. And so we are alike those who trust God and we are the children whom God has given him to be identified as his brothers. What a great statement, perfect savior. He is our substitute. He pays the penalty for our sins. He is our sovereign. He blazes the trail to God. And we follow into the celestial city and the glories of the heavenly land. He is our sanctifier. He pays the price for our sin and completely covers us with his righteousness so that we are one with him as a brother in the congregation worshipping the Father. But even that wouldn't have been complete. There's a fourth element of his perfection as our Savior. He is our Satan conqueror, our Satan conqueror.
Verse 14 since then the children share in flesh and blood, he himself also partook of the same that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death (that is the devil)and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. You know people do live in the fear of death, that death is called the king of terrors. There is nothing as frightening as death. We do everything we can to try mask death, to try to avoid death. We live a long life today. I was reading an article a week or so ago, a fascinating article about if you just go back - well you go back 50 years - people didn't live as long as they do now. But try going back 100 years, go into Europe in the 17th century and you'll find a most astonishing mortality rate. Somebody having eight children might see one of them; maybe two at the most, survive to adulthood. Life was very short. People were plagued by horrible diseases and things that killed masses of people and life was very, very brief in those times.
We live today in a time when we sort of have pushed off death and we don't deal with it. We don't see the reality of death. Very few people see anybody die. I'd imagine that probably most of you have never seen a person die. You don't live with death. You don't see death. People die at the hospital. They die under circumstances that are sort of sterile and antiseptic and medically controlled. We rarely see someone actually die. We've pushed that off and doing so, we don't deal with that and it becomes more and more terrifying to us.
Death, we try to mask it as well as we possibly can. One writer said when you go to a funeral, look at somebody in a casket, you think you're looking at a horizontal member of a cocktail party. As we try to make them look as if they were dressed up for some special occasion. Death is the great, great fear of man. In verse 15 says Satan has held men in slavery to the fear of death all their lives. People are terrified by death.
Why? Because it's so final. And it is a weapon that Satan uses. It's called the power of death and wields it. Powers the word dominion. His real dominion over the world is the power of death. You say why? Because when somebody dies they are catapulted immediately into eternal punishment. If the devil can just hold men in sin, if he can just continue to work the world's system so that it keeps men captive, he can continue to be the ruler of the darkness of this world, the prince of the power of the air as in Ephesians. If he can continue to control men, if he can continue to be as Jesus said, the father over people that is the figure of authority of them, you are of your father the devil he said in John 8. If he can continue to control people and hold then in sin, they eventually die and are catapulted into hell, apart from God.
Satan's hold on men is death. And no one escapes it. It's appointed unto men once they die and after that is judgment. Death leads to judgment. Well that had to be conquered. There had to be a way for the power of death held by Satan to be broken. There was no death if you remember in the original creation right? If Adam and Eve hadn't sinned, they wouldn't have died. And you could argue that they wouldn't have sinned if Satan hadn't fallen and tempted them.
Satan really then brought man into the realm of death and he has maintained a dominion over that although subject to the power of God. God has allowed him to maintain that dominion but God has broken the power of death. And how did he do it? Back to verse 14, since the children share in flesh and blood, since that is the children of God, the brothers of Jesus those who belong to him are human then he himself likewise had to become human in order that through death, he might render powerless him who had the power of death that is the devil. What happened is Jesus had to become a man, meet Satan on his own ground, man dealing with death, dealing with the power of death. Jesus had to become a man. He had to face death and conquer death on its own ground. Satan's dominion is in the form of death. He's a killer. He's a murderer from the beginning. And by dying as a man, Jesus entered into death and when he got there, he destroyed death. And he destroyed the dominion of Satan.
Now for the believer, death has no fear, right? Death is an entrance into heaven. That's why Paul said for me to live is Christ to die is? Gain. By dying Jesus met death and conquered it. He had to do that. The perfect Savior had to conquer death and so for us, though we will die physically, that is simply the exit that leads us into the glorious presence of God and the wonders of eternal heaven. We have no fear of death. We can with the Apostle Paul, Oh, death where is your stain? Oh grave, where is your stain? You can't intimidate me. Why? Because Christ has conquered death. He said because I live you'll live also. He went into death, did battle with death, came out the other side and he says because I live, you'll live also.
Jesus conquered death. And so by dying as a man, he met death on a human level and destroyed it and took away the power that Satan had. He is our Satan conqueror. The fear of death is a potent force. A king of terrors but not for believers. It's simply the path to eternal glory.
Finally perfect savior - substitute, sovereign, sanctifier, Satan conqueror. Perfect savior also because he is our sympathizer. He is our sympathizer. This completes the portrait here. Verse 16 for assuredly he doesn't give help to angels but he gives help to the descendant of Abraham. You know why he doesn't give help to angels, talking about holy angels? You know why he doesn't give help to angels? They don't need help. Angels don't need help. You never read in the Bible, God understands angels and God is kind to them. They don't need kindness. They don't need help. They don't need anything we need because angels are holy beings. They are sinless. They are unaffected by the fall. They aren't weakened by anything. Understand that?
They aren't weakened by anything. They are spirits. They are eternal spirits, living in eternal perfection. Therefore, there is no diminishing of their strength. Angels are perfect beings. They don't need help. Now humans? That's another story. Because of the fall, we need help. You say well I thought you said we were already made holy? We were already made sanctified? Well that's true positionally. That's true forensically in terms of the courtroom, God declaring us righteous. But in reality, we are weak and we are frail and fragile and we need help. And so He says, he doesn't give help to angels but he gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Now he's writing here of course to Hebrews, writing to Jews and he says he helps people like you. He helps Jews. Not only could we interpret that that the descendant of Abraham is a physical descendant of Abraham, Jews but it is the spiritual descendant of Abraham. All who believe, who show the same kind of faith in God that Abraham showed by which he was justified, he helps them. In other words, he helps people who come to him and believe.
He helps us. Now how is he going to help us? Well if he's going to help us in our - and what do we need help in? We need help in our temptations don't we? Everything that goes wrong in life goes wrong because we were tempted. All the issues of life go back to temptation. If we could just be impervious to temptation, we wouldn't have any problems. We need help in our temptation. We need understanding. We need strength at the right moment; grace at the right moment; mercy at the right moment; wisdom at the right moment. And he does that but in order to do that verse 17 says he's going to give us help. He's going to be made like his brother in all things. How could he help us if he didn't understand us? How could he help us if he was not one of us and didn't get in our skin and feel what we feel and suffer what we suffer at the onslaught of temptation and boy did he ever suffer that? All, as I've been saying, all of the temptations that come to a child, he experienced as a child. All the temptations that come to a young person as we understand that he experienced. All the temptations that come to an adult, he experienced and particularly, the escalating temptations that came towards the end of his ministry when everything was leading to the cross and all hell was breaking loose against him as they were plotting to kill him, people were betraying him, turning on him, it went all the way through physical abuse and finally to execution, these things were tremendous burdens testing his faith to do what God wanted him to do in the midst of all that suffering. To the degree that in the garden, he says, let this cup pass from me. If there is any other way, Father, please let it happen, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. He was feeling the tremendous burden of this suffering. And that was by God's design.
You could have God sending Jesus into the world and he comes into the world and he dies on a cross and he goes back and that's it. Why all the suffering? Why all the pain? Why all the sorrow? Why all the grief, the hatred, the rejection, the bitterness, the hunger, the thirst, disappointment, tears? Why all that?
So that he would really know what life is like. And you say but he couldn't sin. That's right but that doesn't mean he couldn't feel the temptation. The fact that he never gave in to the temptation indicates that he took the full fury of it all the time because it never let up because he never gave in. He said in verse 17 he had to make his brother, he had to make him like his brother in all things so that he could a merciful, faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. How's he going to be able to know what we need if he hasn't been there and so he let him suffer in his making propitiation of the sins for the people. Through all of that, he himself was tempted in that which he has suffered. And he's focusing on the temptations that came to Jesus in the time of his suffering at the end of his ministry. For a while in his ministry, things went along pretty smoothly and then the hostility and hatred and rejection began to mount and mount and mount and as it got closer to the end, it became aggressive and aggressive and aggressive until finally it exploded as you know. In the confrontations in the temple, it came to a head and then it was the scourging and the mockery and then finally was the execution and the father put him through all of that, a life of temptation but particularly an explosion of intensity at the end in order that he might suffer things that people suffer - rejection, hatred, animosity, bitterness.
Why? End of verse 18 so that he can be able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. So that he will understand us. This is our savior. He didn't just come and die. He didn't just arrive on a cloud and die and go back on a cloud. He was hungry, thirsty, weary, sad, angry, grieved, broken hearted, troubled, overcome by present events, overcome by the anticipation of future events. He sighed when he saw a lame person or a mute person. He wept when his heart ached. He was misjudged. He was rejected, hated, beaten and finally executed. He was according to Hebrews 4:15, tempted in all points. Tempted in all points, in every way, like we are. Yet without sin. He understands us. He knows what we need. He knows how to help us. What a perfect savior. Substitute, paid our penalty for sin. A sovereign, trailblazer, who opened the way to heaven. Sanctifier, who committed his perfect righteousness to us so that we call him brother and he is not ashamed of that and we both call God Father. Satan conqueror who broke the back of Satan's dominion when he destroyed death for us. And our sympathizer, the one who having been tempted at every point like we are tempted and even more powerfully than we could ever imagine and never sinned knows what temptation is like and knows how to be there to strengthen us and to provide all that we need.
There isn't any other savior in the world like this. This is the only savior. There is no other than Jesus Christ and the question as I asked it at the concert, is this your savior? Let's pray.
This is the greatest news the world will ever know. This is the greatest message that our ears have ever heard because this is the greatest, greatest need that human beings have - to escape hell for heaven; to escape eternal punishment, enter eternal joy.
Father, thank you for the perfect savior, Jesus Christ. Named Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. Jesus means Jehovah saves. We thank you that you gave us a savior. The Savior. The only Savior. Apart from whom there is no salvation. We pray that every heart will be turned to him today and acknowledge him as Lord and Savior. To that end, we pray for his glory. Amen.
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Premier League: Dimitar Berbatov's goal earned Fulham a 1-0 win over Stoke
Dimitar Berbatov's stunning volley earned Fulham a priceless 1-0 win over Stoke City at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Last Updated: 23/02/13 7:18pm
Bulgarian ace Berbatov produced the one moment of magic just before the interval with a superb volleyed effort to give Fulham all three points to move them further clear of trouble and add to Stoke's away day woes.
Jon Walters missed Stoke's best chance to score when he saw his second-half penalty saved by Mark Schwarzer to ensure the home side took the spoils.
Stoke fashioned their first opening of the game on seven minutes when Walters broke the Fulham offside trap to race clear on goal down the right and he fired in a shot which Schwarzer pushed out when finding Matt Etherington inside the box may have been the better option.
Fulham had a goal rightly disallowed on 10 minutes when Bryan Ruiz handled the ball into the net, with the Costa Rican earning a yellow card for his troubles from referee Lee Probert.
Steven Nzonzi, who picked up a nasty facial injury in an earlier clash with Berbatov, was lucky to escape a red card on 23 minutes when he appeared to slap Ruiz in the face, but Probert only booked the Stoke midfielder.
From the resulting free-kick Giorgos Karagounis fired in a powerful effort which forced Asmir Begovic to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Moments later Stoke suffered a blow when Etherington was forced off with an apparent back problem, with recent signing Brek Shea coming on for his debut.
Fulham made the breakthrough right on the stroke of half-time with a stunning effort from Berbatov. Sascha Riether's cross was not properly cleared by Robert Huth and the ball dropped invitingly to Berbatov who showed brilliant technique to smash his volley into the top corner past Begovic.
Fulham almost gifted Stoke an equaliser three minutes after the break when Philippe Senderos failed to clear his lines and Crouch stole in, but Schwarzer was quickly off his line to keep out the striker's effort.
Stoke won a penalty on 55 minutes when Ashkan Dejagah was adjudged to have handled Shea's cross inside the box and Walters, who has missed two spot-kicks already this season, saw his effort well saved by Schwarzer low down to his right.
Berbatov went close to grabbing a second goal just before the hour mark when he flicked the ball over Huth before firing in a left-footed volley which Begovic managed to grab hold of at the second attempt.


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DockDogs Invade the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo [VIDEO]
New to the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo this year is the DockDogs competition. Located between the Arena and the Industrial Building, you can catch the action each night at 3:00, 5:00, 7:00 and 8:30.
Basically, dogs line up on a long dock, run down the dock and jump off of the dock.
Imagine the Olympics, but for dogs. The coolest part is that you can bring your own dog (no experience necessary) and give it a try for yourself. I mean, who are you to deprive your dog of the opportunity to perform in front of a cheering crowd?
Still not getting a feel for what DockDogs is all about? Check out the video.
Watch footage from the DockDogs competition at CWFR:


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Celebrities Love Panama and So Should You
International Living wrote today on the celebrity presence in Panama. Several big-name stars of screen and radio have made their way down here at one time or another, and many continue to come back.
This week, local news sources were buzzing about Michael and Catherine's visit. The A-list couple apparently flew with their children, Dylan and Carys, for a tres chic event on a private island called Simca in the Chiriqui region.
Other celebrities have been visiting Panama to enjoy some incognito time for years, too.
On January 9, one publication sported a photograph of decorating mogul Martha Stewart with Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, who were also at the party, which was apparently thrown by Jean "Johnny" Pigozzi, the wealthy investor, photographer, philanthropist, art collector, turned fashion impresario who just turned 60. Pigozzi founded The Liquid Jungle Lab, a tropical marine research station located on the vast Simca Island, also known as Isla de Canales de Tierra.
Angelina Jolie and husband Brad Pitt visited recently to view the Frank Gehry designed Bridge of Life Museum, currently under construction in the Amador neighborhood of Panama City. Jolie reportedly returned to attend the exclusive party that brought Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas here.
Football player Jeremy Shockey is often spotted in Panama and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has confessed to our staffers that Contadora Island is one of his favorite getaways (the same island that hosted the Shah of Iran when he was in exile). And how much did John Wayne love Panama? An entire island has been themed-out in his honor. Located just across from the town of Punta Chame, Taborcillo Island belonged to the actor before he passed away, and was purchased and developed into a western-themed resort when sold by his estate.
But it's not just the rich and famous who enjoy a vacation to Panama. Because of the low cost of living, travel in Panama can be very affordable. Panama is a tourist wonderland just waiting to be discovered. The country's expansive rainforests are among the richest and most complex on the planet. Panama boasts two full coasts of pristine palm-lined beaches, vast national parks and reserves, eco-systems ringed by mangroves, and primary rainforests.
And thriving Panama City has great shopping, theater, jazz clubs, casinos, bars, and night clubs, so there's a lot to keep you entertained. There are also plenty of hotels to suit all budgets.


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RIO VISTA — As part of an ongoing effort to revitalize its waterfront and surrounding downtown, this Delta city will soon boast a new boat dock and boat launch ramp.
The existing boat dock is located at the end of Main Street next to Rio Vista City Hall, and the current boat launch is situated at the rear of the city's headquarters. Both public waterfront facilities are used daily by boaters and anglers and draw visitors to the city, according to City Councilman Jim McCracken.
"It is going to change the complexion of the city and make it more viable for tourism and help the general economy of the city," he said.
The city hopes to have the new dock and ramp completed within two years.
For the boat dock revamp, the city is required to match a $225,000 state grant with $75,000 in community contributions through monetary donations or in-kind services.
Local residents and merchants are being asked to purchase lightweight concrete sections or panels of the future dock and have their names engraved as contributors to the project. The cost will range from $50 to $100 for individuals and families, more than $100 for businesses.
Area businesses such as crane operators, welders and heavy equipment companies can help out by taking part in the removal of the old dock so the new one can be installed, according to David Melilli, Rio Vista's director of Community Development and Public Works. The metal ramp, built in the 1950s, is rusted and has been repaired several times, he added.
"The bottoms and the sides of the old boat dock are all rusted out now," Melilli said. "We already have commitments of $7,000 from the community and more coming in all the time."
McCracken said the community contributions have helped Rio Vista residents to get involved in the downtown revitalization. He noted that the boat launch is another popular waterfront feature that is used often by anglers with a $10 daily fee, which is $10 to $15 less than surrounding private boat launches.
The city has acquired a $300,000 state grant to complete the design, planning and environmental studies associated with a new ramp. Melilli said the current launch was built by the state in the 1960s along with a fishing pier and is in need of an upgrade.
"The width of the launch is small compared to the boats out on the water now that are bigger," he said. "There is a narrow walkway to get to the boats, and the boats are bigger. The wood is also rotting and needs to be replaced."
Melilli said city leaders have committed to maintaining the future launch for 20 years, and it will take another grant or outside contribution to build it. He added that the launch is heavily used by California Fish and Wildlife employees and the Army Corps of Engineers.
"We have a lot of synergy items that are creating some new activity for construction and sustainability," Melilli said.
Contact Paula King at 925-779-7174.


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Portland State University's School of Music presents its largest student production of 2013. Over 200 students that comprise its Chamber Choir, Man Choir, Vox Femina and Symphony Orchestra will combine to perform Mozart's Requiem — one of the greatest oratorios of all time. The PSU Symphony Orchestra will begin the program with "Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus" by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
WHEN: Friday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 24 at 4 p.m.
WHERE: Portland's First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson Ave., Portland
COST: Tickets are $15 general / $7 students and are available at the Portland State University Box Office: www.pdx.edu/boxoffice or 503-725-3307 or at the door.


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Rosetta spacecraft sees possible 'double' comet
ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA
The comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may actually be two objects stitched together. New images from ESA's Rosetta spacecraft show an odd constriction near the middle of the comet, suggesting that two clumps of matter may have merged in what scientists call a contact binary.
The conclusions are preliminary, as Rosetta was still roughly 12,000 kilometers away from the comet when the images were taken. The comet could also have had a more regular single shape with parts carved out through impacts or ice melting as the object circled the sun, mission scientists say. They will have more details about the comet's shape and how it could influence Rosetta's landing on the object next month when the spacecraft arrives at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.