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In educational circles, we talk a good talk about "higher level thinking skills." But we're not very good at assessing them. Maybe because we still think the goal of assessment is for kids to show us that they know what we taught them. What would it look like if what we really wanted from assessment was to find out what kids know in a more global way? What they understand, infer, and feel about things? What connections they make to other things they know? What they value?
What if it was my job, as a teacher, to get inside the little minds entrusted to me and figure out how they think about things?
I teach grade one in a Catholic school, so of course the story of the Christian Nativity is a major focus in December. I read the kids dozens of different versions of it from a range of beautiful picture books, and from the Bible. Sometimes the story is told from different points of view (eg. that of one or more of the animals in the stable). Sometimes it is told in song. Sometimes it's not a book, but a movie or a play. Sometimes it is taught and learned through puppets, nativity figures, and rituals.
At the end of it all, what do the kids understand about the Christmas story?
I asked them to draw a picture of the Jesus Christmas story (no Santa Clauses or reindeer), on the front of a Christmas card. I decided to assess their understanding simply by counting the number of characters, settings, and details in their pictures: five or more equalling full marks. It's not the most comprehensive way of testing, but it is a quick measure of the complexity of their understanding. And it's open-ended.
More importantly than helping me quantify my student's learning, it was a task that let me see this very old story through young and contemporary eyes. It allowed me to see how each child imagined the story, which is a measure of their reading/listening comprehension, but also of their insight.
|From dictionary.com.
Here is some of what I saw. (Please read the captions.)
|Two adults, one baby, one manger, one stable, one star
(and a moon!) = full marks.
Drawing ability doesn't need to be a factor in
demonstrating or assessing learning.
|There was a long road, a big hotel, and a little stable.
|Mary had a baby in a barn. She was not having fun!
|Some people saw a big star.
They were amazed and scared.
|They wore towels on their heads.
(Different place. Different time. Different fashions.)
|The sun was out even though there were stars in the sky.
(Because there is always a sun in the top corner of a picture.)
|People in the Bible have circles over their heads.
|The Christmas story is a love story!
Note: This approach to assessment could be used with fables and fairy tales too ~ any story of which there are multiple renditions in multiple media.


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Bella Swan
Bella Swan. . Wallpaper and background images in the Bella Swan club tagged: bella swan twilight saga twilight eclipse breaking dawn part 2.
Submitted by princessbella
Keyword: bella swan, twilight saga, twilight, eclipse, breaking dawn part 2
This Bella Swan photo might contain outerwear, overclothes, well dressed person, suit, pants suit, pantsuit, and hood.

subset: commoncrawl


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Based in Gurgaon, the company is active in all fields of water and liquid waste water treatment, thus expanding a long standing association with the Indian water industry; both in Public utilities and the Private sector.
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With a team of over 300 professionals, the Indian office is well equipped to deliver a project from concept to commissioning.
Degrémont plants in India today treat about:


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At the weekend Pete and I got chatting to the staff behind the bar in the hotel that we were staying at. Both were Eastern European, pleasant, hard working and hurt. So very, very hurt by the prevailing attitude toward Eastern Europeans in the UK that they didn't think we would care that one came from Romania and the other from Hungary, or that we would have very much respect for them at all. They were at pains to say that had no interest in benefits, they didn't come here for that, they came here to work and in my experience of working alongside Eastern Europeans on more than one occasion that is certainly the truth. I have worked alongside Poles, Czechs and Latvians and they do work hard, very hard, well most of them, there was this one guy…but that's a different story and he wasn't lazy, he was in the wrong job.
While Cameron beats on the popular view that an influx of Eastern Europeans are going to put a terrible strain on the country most of the statistics do not support his arguments. According to figures quoted in the Guardian only around 6% of immigrants from the EU (that's the whole of the EU) apply for any kind of benefits in comparison to nearly 17% of British nationals. Then you have to take into account that the 'influx' of immigrants into this country is tiny when you compare to other countries in the EU, Spain and Germany see far more foreign nationals living permanently on their shores than we do. Then you must take into account that out of those foreign nationals resident here the vast majority don't even come from Europe let alone Eastern Europe.
I find myself sitting here remembering the campaign a few years ago in which the BNP showed their ignorance by advertising 'proud to be British', 'keep the immigrants' out propaganda with the use of an image of a WW2 plane flown exclusively by our Polish allies. I remember the Hungarian grandparents of a friend and, of course, the fact that my own grandfather was a migrant, having come here from Russia with his parents as a child. I think about all this and my heart aches a little.
We live in hard times and fear often makes people aggressive, we seek to defend what we have and the tendency to defend it against anything or anyone unfamiliar may even be an evolutionary trait. I would beg the British people however to remember that this nation is what is it because of immigration, because of wave after wave of nations seeking first to conquer and then becoming naturalised, because of our own conquering days, because of travel and adaptation. Our language alone shows it's roots in many many others, verbalising our multinational heritage every single day. If we seek back through our family trees, few of us will find that all of our ancestors were born on this little island. Purity is overrated.
It may also be worth remembering how lucky we are and if our luck changes we may all depend a little on the kindness of others. Take just a minute before you make a judgement and think how you might feel if you walked a mile in another's shoes, you never know, one of your ancestors may have walked that same path a few generations ago.


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Alexander Zverev's appetite for five-set marathons showed no signs of shrinking and even blisters on his toes could not stop the German from storming into his first major quarter-final with a 4-6 7-6(4) 2-6 6-3 6-3 French Open win over Karen Khachanov on Sunday.
The German had survived successive five-setters in the previous two rounds, including saving a match point against Damir Dzumhur in the last 32, but his fatigued legs and blistered feet again worked overtime to carry him over the finishing line against Khachanov.
"I am young so I might as well stay on court for a while and entertain you guys," the 21-year-old Zverev, who became the youngest man to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros since 2009, told the cheering crowd.
"All the hours I have spent in the gym has definitely paid off as I was down two-sets-to-one in each of the three matches."
After looking down and out for much of the third set, Zverev was fired up by a code violation for being coached from the stands by his father Alexander Sr. midway through the fourth set and he vented his anger by instantly breaking for a 4-2 lead.
He was fortunate to survive a break point when serving for the set at 5-3, with Khachanov's blazing forehand clipping the net cord and bouncing just millimetres behind the baseline.
While Khachanov's misfiring racket felt the full force of his exasperation, with the Russian punching his strings with his clenched knuckles, Zverev fired down an ace moments later to draw level at two sets apiece.
Despite calling on a trainer to treat blisters on his left toes before the start of the fifth set, the world number three zipped around with ease to break in the opening game of the decider and finished off the 38th-ranked Russian after three-and-a-half hours of pulsating action.
Once Khachanov's forehand was caught by the net, a beaming Zverev thumped his heart with his right palm before he sank to his knees and pumped both fists into the skies.
He will next play seventh seed Dominic Thiem.
Impressive Thiem downs Nishikori to set up Zverev clash
Dominic Thiem ended Kei Nishikori's comeback to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open with a 6-2 6-0 5-7 6-4 victory on Sunday and set up a mouthwatering clash with second seed Alexander Zverev.
The Austrian seventh seed, the last man to beat claycourt machine Rafa Nadal on his favourite surface, displayed an impressive arsenal of weapons in the first two sets before regaining his composure after the loss of the third.
Japanese 19th seed Nishikori, on the comeback trail after he ended his 2017 season in mid-year because of injury, seemed to lose interest in the match in the second set but eventually managed to put up a decent fight.
"The first two sets were amazing but then he raised his level and it was 50-50. In the end it was very close and I was a bit nervous in the end as it is always hard to serve to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open," said Thiem, a semi-finalist here in 2016 and 2017.
"I love these conditions; it was the first time for me on Court Philippe Chatrier not playing against Rafa so I could enjoy the court", he joked.
Thiem had too much power and speed for Nishikori, who was overwhelmed in the opening set, which the Austrian bagged with an ace in under half an hour.
It got even worse for Nishikori in the second set as Thiem toyed with him, notably with a stunning drop-shot service return, and the Japanese could manage only nine points in the set.
In the first two sets, the Austrian won 25 of 25 points on his first serve.
In the third set, however, Nishikori stayed in touch as he served better and finished off points at the net, which unsettled Thiem who grew frustrated.
Nishikori seized his first break opportunity at 6-5 to take the set when Thiem's forehand flew long.
The Austrian, who ended 10-times French Open champion Nadal's streak of 50 consecutive sets won on clay in Madrid, broke decisively for 4-3 in the fourth set with a trademark forehand winner.
He then held serve throughout to wrap it up on his second match point when Nishikori sent a forehand long under the eyes of Nadal.
Resurgent Djokovic tames Verdasco
Resurgent former champion Novak Djokovic moved ominously into the French Open quarter-finals for the 12th time on Sunday as he subdued feisty Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-4 6-2.
The Serb, seeded 20th after a well-documented form slump, was given a ferocious fight in the early stages with the opening three games lasting 29 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.
But what looked like being a long evening for the 12-times Grand Slam champion ended up being a reasonably comfortable one as he kept Verdasco at arm's length.
One break of serve was enough to take the opening set and although left-hander Verdasco produced thunderous winners to stay in touch in the second his challenge soon faded.
After arriving in Paris with his lowest seeding since 2006 and his expectations not much higher, the former world number one appears to be rediscovering his mojo at the right time.
The draw has fallen in his favour with Verdasco having removed fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov and he had another slice of fortune on Sunday when eighth seed David Goffin was beaten by unheralded Italian Marco Cecchinato.
Cecchinato will hold few fears for Djokovic who moved up a gear against Verdasco — a dangerous opponent who has three claycourt victories over the Serb.
Verdasco saved a break point in a 22-point second game and exerted huge pressure on Djokovic in a marathon third game but could not convert two break points of his own.
The pace was getting to Verdasco and he hit a forehand long in the next game to give Djokovic a decisive break.
Verdasco recovered a break in the second set, forcing Djokovic to net a stretching volley.
Djokovic replied immediately, finding the baseline with a deep drive that forced a miss-hit from the Spaniard.
Verdasco's hopes of reaching his first French Open quarter-final were sunk when Djokovic nailed down a break at the start of the third set before cruising to victory.
No other player has reached 12 French Open quarter-finals in the professional era, although 10-times champion Rafael Nadal can match Djokovic's feat if he wins on Monday.
Italian Cecchinato upsets Goffin to reach last eight
Unheralded Italian Marco Cecchinato maintained his dream run at the French Open as he moved into the quarter-finals by upsetting Belgian eighth seed David Goffin 7-5 4-6 6-0 6-3 on Sunday.
World number 72 Cecchinato, who was found guilty of match-fixing by the Federation of Italian Tennis in 2016, had never been beyond the first round of a Grand Slam before.
Cecchinato was handed an 18-month ban for match-fixing but was later cleared by the Italian Olympic Committee because of irregularities regarding how the evidence was gathered.
He can now look forward to a clash with 2016 French Open champion Novak Djokovic.
"For me it's a dream, I'm really, really happy," Sicilian Cecchinato, who rallied from two sets down in the first round against Marius Copil, said on court.
"And now I'm playing the quarter-finals, it's unbelievable.
"Forza Italia!," he added as he addressed a small contingent of Italian fans on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The 25-year-old Cecchinato could be joined in the last eight by compatriot Fabio Fognini, who plays third-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic on Monday.
Should Fognini win, it would be only the second time since tennis turned professional in 1968 that Italy has had more than one player in the men's singles quarter-finals at a Grand Slam.
The only other occasion was at Roland Garros in 1973, when Paolo Bertolucci and Adriano Panatta reached the last eight.
Fognini was the last Italian man to make the quarter-finals in Paris in 2011.
Cecchinato found some gravity-defying angles to outmanoeuvre Goffin in the first set.
The Belgian faced more break points in the fourth game of the second set but managed to see them off and after receiving treatment on a sore elbow, he broke for 4-3 before levelling the match.
Cecchinato, however, was on fire in the third, which he pocketed when Goffin buried a routine smash into the bottom of the net.
After an early trade of breaks in the fourth, Cecchinato broke Goffin's serve with a fine backhand down the line to move 5-3 up.
Cecchinato kept his cool and won the next game to love, ending the contest with another backhand winner.


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Bonus Features for:
Living and Dying as a Witness for Christ
Air date 11/04/2016Get Social and Listen
Author Tom Doyle talks about his work as a missionary in the Middle East and the incredible risks Christians are facing as they live out their faith in a part of the world fraught with dangers that include persecution by Muslims, terrorism and war.
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Learn about 8thirty8 by visiting their Facebook page, and find guidance there for how you can pray for Christians who are facing prison, persecution and danger.Read more
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Five Ways You Can Help the Persecuted Church
Jim Daly offers practical advice on how to respond to Christian persecution around the world.Read more
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Please Urge the State Department to Help Christians in the Middle East
Christians remain a key target of ISIS in countries like Iraq and Syria. What can we do about it here in the United States?Read more
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Talking to Kids About the Persecuted Church
A conversation to have with your children about those who are suffering for their faith — when your children are readyRead more
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They Dare to Obey
Two hundred million Christians in more than 50 countries suffer persecution. They suffer in different ways, but one thing remains the same: They continue to worship Jesus.Read more
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e3 Expeditions: Go Make Disciples
Watch a short YouTube video to learn more about mission opportunities through e3 Partners.Read more


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And again I took a twist on the sketch and turned it side ways:
Here is my interpretation of the sketch:
I have used an Authentique range here. The cogs and the title are chipboard which I have inked.
Hope you enjoy the sketch ... and would be great to see your take on the challenge up on the Let's Get Sketchy blog!
Thanks for visiting!


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So, the Loudoun County libraries are awesome about having tons of free programs and activities for both adults and kids. They recently had the Storybook Festival. The kids were encouraged to come dressed as a prince or princess.
They had a ton of super fun activities. Face-painting, hopscotch, live music, etc. However, I think E's favorite part was looking at all the other little girls dressed in their finest princess attire. It was literally as if the Disney Store had exploded inside the library!
Here's Miss Priss with what I guess is the mascot of the library system. She just marched right up to him like we were still at Disney World.
Here she is trying to be oh-so still while the artist draws her caricature...
Unfortunately, it looked nothing like her, so I stuffed it in the top of her closet when we got home.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
2 comments:
- GG said...
If anyone wants to see a REAL PRINCESS, they need to see these pictures! She is just breathtaking!
- October 28, 2009 at 11:44 PM
- GG said...
Ladies & Gentlemen, may I present Princess Eleanor??
- October 29, 2009 at 2:59 PM
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Bu yüzden her birine, bütünün muhtaç olduğu şeyi gösterir.
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Film, standart bir insanın beyninin yüzde 10'unu kullanabildiği sözde-teorisinden yola çıkarak, bu oranın artması durumunda elde edebileceği güçleri ve yapabileceklerinin sınırını sorguluyor.


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Elation, Inc.
We help people and organizations achieve extraordinary outcomes by elevating the ways they think.
- Stage Product In Development
- Industry Business Products
- Location Cody, WY, USA
- Currency USD
- Founded April 2012
- Employees 14
- Website elation.com
Company Summary
We provide educational materials and exercises in a structured format for the development of personal potential to employees and work teams that help them consistently function at higher levels of effectiveness and satisfaction. We do this through direct engagement and will soon provide it through an innovative software platform to deliver small increments of content in a steady stream to participants with a tightly integrated feedback mechanism.
Stephen P. ShanderaChief Learning Officer
Steve began his civilian healthcare career in 1987 at St. Vincent Healthcare. In 1997 Steve joined the executive leadership team as Vice President of Clinical and Support Services, a position he held until 2010. His military career, which began in 1979, spanned more than 27 years of combined active and reserve service and included two deployments and three years as Commander of Montana's only Army Reserve Hospital.
Joseph SoriaDirector of Software Engineering
Joe has a deep history in software development and database management. His most recent role as a manager of Systems Engineering at Bresnan Communications built on prior experience at ICG Communications, Latis Networks and Jato Communications. Joe is particularly good at managing teams of developers in highly complex engineering projects. Joe attended Central Christian College.
Erika WillisDirector of Business Engagement
Elation was fortunate to attract Erika away from her former position as CEO of S.T.E.P., an organization that for more than 35 years has been instrumental in the evolution of care and support to individuals and families impacted by developmental disabilities. Before joining S.T.E.P., Erika was the Chief Development Officer for the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming. She has a Masters of Science in Mental Health and Rehab Counseling from Montan
Mike NicholesSenior Coach and Curriculum Developer
Mike is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. He has worked at Saint Vincent Hospital since 1981, and until joining Elation, served as the Clinical Coordinator at St. Vincent's Behavioral Health Department. Prior to joining Saint Vincent Healthcare, Mike worked in Child Protective Services in Billings. Mike's areas of expertise include teaching, facilitating, and group interaction.
J. Jeff OxleyGeneral Counsel and Secretary
Jeff served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for both Integra Telecom and Eschelon Telecom, which he joined in 1999. Previously, Jeff served as Asst Attorney General for Minnesota and product-marketing manager at Oracle Corp. Jeff has a BA in Economics from Stanford, an MA in Economics from Yale University and a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School. Jeff clerked at the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Brad Bonner (Cody) & Duncan Peete (Moulton Law Firm in Billings)LawyerUnconfirmedLeo O'Brien & Co.AccountantUnconfirmed
Previous Investors
Karen & Russell FaggUnconfirmedFitzsimmons Energy, L.L.C.UnconfirmedMike WoodsUnconfirmed


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Leading Christchurch chef and entrepreneur Darren Wright, has been named Chief Judge of the prestigious Nestlè Toque d'Or student culinary competition.
A former floor judge for the competition and member of the New Zealand Culinary Team, Darren sees the competition as an ideal launching pad for culinary students to begin successful careers in the hospitality industry.
"Nestlè Toque d'Or encourages and inspires excellence in the students. Through the competition, students have the opportunity to pit their skills against other top young chefs and restaurant service students from around the country.
"Competitors are given the chance to learn from the best. They spend quality one on one time with their tutor, an extremely experienced culinary professional. They need to use this time wisely and always be ready to learn," Darren said.
A born and bred Cantabrian, Darren trained as a chef at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) which is a regular competitor at Nestlè Toque d'Or. In the competition's 20 year history in New Zealand, CPIT has taken home top honours 13 times. This year, the Institute will make a welcome return to the competition floor after students were unable to compete last year due to the earthquakes.
Darren's career included a stint at the Christchurch Park Royal, before opening and running his own restaurant in his home town of Akaroa for over 10 years, with wife Leanne. The award-winning Harbour 71 was a well-known destination for foodies across the country and further afield.
Despite the Christchurch earthquakes temporarily halting Darren's plans to open another restaurant in the city, he remains committed to launching a new venture before Christmas this year.
Darren's advice to students preparing to compete at Nestlè Toque d'Or in August is to practice, practice and practice.
"You really can't practice enough. Getting the details right is crucial to a successful result. Students need to know their dishes and how to get them to their very best. They need to know the processes to follow to get excellent results because at Nestlè Toque d'Or we're looking for the best," he said.
"The competition environment can be nerve-wrecking like a real kitchen, but my advice to the competitors is to practice as much as they can and then they'll be able to relax and enjoy the experience."
Darren will take centre stage at the 2012 Nestlè Toque d'Or when he leads a panel of 16 of the country's leading chefs and culinary professionals. He along with the other judges will be responsible for assessing the abilities of the student teams representing 12 culinary schools from around New Zealand, as they prepare and present six covers of a three course meal in the live kitchen cook off.
Darren said he is thrilled to have a key role in the competition and is looking forward to seeing how the students respond to the pressure of competing in such a hard fought culinary battle.
"Nestlè Toque d'Or is the premier culinary competition for culinary students and it's a real buzz to see them rising to the occasion – striving for excellence," he said.
"It is inspiring to see the depth of talent a small country can produce. The young people that participate in the competition do so with the knowledge that they are the emerging stars in the industry.
"Only the top students at each culinary school come to compete at Nestlè Toque d'Or, we're seeing the best of the best – that's exciting."
Nestlé Toque d'Or Event Manager and President of the New Zealand Chefs Association, Anita Sarginson, said Darren's wide range of experience and knowledge made him the ideal choice for Chief Judge.
"Darren is a highly successful chef whose expertise is widely sought after both in New Zealand and overseas. He has successfully competed on the international stage and regularly mentors young up-and-coming chefs."
She said for the competing students, the event provides an ideal forum for them to test their skills and expertise against other top competitors.
"This competition is synonymous with forging the pursuit of excellence within our industry. Young chefs are continually raising the bar, demonstrating skills above those currently being displayed in the industry."
This year's Nestlè Toque d'Or competition will take place on Monday 20 August at the ASB Auckland Showgrounds. Nestlé Professional is the main sponsor of the event, other sponsors include: Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Akaroa Salmon, vegetables.co.nz and House of Knives.


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I am just so sad. Just so very sad. Why am I sad? A long time ago as a teenager just dipping my virginal toes into the romance pool, I discovered Harlequins, Silhouette Desires, Loveswept and Candlelight Ecstasy category romances. They were cheap, short, and fun to read. These books always had the tall, dark, handsome and somewhat cynical older hero paired with a sweet young ingenue and were chock full of exotic locations. I wasn't much into analyzing why I liked them, I just gobbled them up like an unending supply of M&Ms. Books by Violet Winspear, Ann Mather, Dixie Browning, Heather Graham, Penny Jordan, Charlotte Lamb, Jayne Krentz, and Diana Palmer littered my bookshelves. But of all Diana Palmer was my favorite.
I really loved her stories of high-powered businessmen, cowboys, ranchers, and even a politician or two thrown in. Of course the heroes were all a little TOO alpha and the heroines were a little too naive to be credible, but I didn't reach that realization for many years. I kept buying her books even after she branched out from categories into hardback contemporary romances. It's been a love affair that's lasted longer than most anything else in my life. But there's an old saying - what's seen cannot be unseen, and a few years ago, my eyes and heart were opened and though I kept going through the motions because it's comforting and comfortable I can't unsee this.
My beloved DP books are not what they used to be. They all seem stuck in a time warp of 20 years ago. The heroines and the heroes feel like they've been kept in a bubble without any of the modern sensibilities or influences. Fashions are dated, women seem to be stuck doing the "feminine" things like cooking and caring for children, the men are sexually experienced but expect the heroine to be as pure as Ivory soap. The dialogue seems recycled, stilted and definitely outmoded. Worse, especially in the last few years, the author has begun to insert her personal views on abortion, the plight of Native Americans, the trials and tribulations of cattle ranching, raising organic beef, and other societal issues in the midst of her stories at the expense of moving the story forward. It's not that I don't appreciate differing opinions, but I resent the "preachy" tone taken to get a point across and the books are blatantly being used to put forward her opinions without regard to differing points of views. It's become so bad that at these points in her books, I have a mental image of a character taking out a box to stand on, tapping the microphone and then letting loose on various topics. In my mind I think, "And .... here's the soapbox", and find myself skipping more than I read. Isn't that sad?
And this brings me to Wyoming Bold, set in the West and featuring a former border patrol agent who is still recuperating from an ambush in which he suffered grave injuries and memory loss. Meet Dalton "Tank" Kirk. Yes. Tank. Why "Tank"? Because he took out a tank in the Gulf War and saved lots of men's lives. He's paired up with Merissa Baker, an eccentric, shy, elfin-like heroine. She is a bit different in that she has "visions", and her psychic abilities have left her isolated and bullied. Bullied to the point that she withdraws from high school, is homeschooled and manages to graduate with grades "that shamed" her heckling classmates. She couldn't find a traditional job due to "conservative businesses" feeling "unsettled" about her visions. So she stays in a cabin with her mother, whose abilities to "talk out fire and talk off warts" aren't as magnified as Merissa's, and assists her mother with a little "fortune-telling" in addition to her own side venture into online website design.
There's just so much wrong with this set-up that I don't know where to start. How about that moralistic theme in which the mean boys and girls who victimized Merissa were eventually "shamed" by her excellent grades? Or the narrow-minded businesses who eschewed offering Merissa employment and get their comeuppance because now she has a very successful web design business? The "fortune-telling" is even more problematic. She and her mother live in a very isolated area, are deemed "peculiar" by the locals yet they apparently tramp up into the woods to find out who they'll marry or if a spouse is cheating or if that investment is going to triple. And apparently this fortune-telling is lucrative enough to care for the needs of two women.
Merissa's visions are problematic also. They read mostly like a rather desperate hook to bring Merissa and Tank together. She tramps more than a mile in a blowing snow storm with a foot of snow on the ground to tell Tank that he's in "terrible danger." Her vision is not only prescient but is detailed enough to discern motives and frame of mind of the villain. But wait that only comes and goes. Other "visions" are not so clear and are, in fact, rather vague. In fact, there are two occasions in which her abilities failed her completely resulting in lots of melodrama and forcing Tank to realize how much he loves her.
There was the also too ridiculous to be believed incident of reviving an electrocuted squirrel including making a trip to a special wild life vet. And the fact that Merissa picked up an injured timber rattler in her arms, put a bandaid on its cut, and then, worried the bandaid wouldn't stay put, takes the snake to a vet. But the piece de resistance in this book is the attempted murder by Malathion plot. I'm not sure this pesticide has ever featured as a poison of choice in novels I've read. I have heard of arsenic, belladonna, hemlock, mercury, wolfsbane, and cyanide but not Malathion. The villain uses it not once but twice -first by tampering with her migraine medication and then commercial strength laced in the roast beef at the hospital - in an effort to take Merissa out because she's helping Tank to remember the rogue Federal agent who's responsible for ambushing him. It's so unusual that at least two characters question it. Merissa's doctor acknowledges the rarity of this kind of poisoning, and another character wonders why the villain chose Malathion over poisons undetectable by taste or smell. I am not kidding. This was so far OTT that I had a fit of uncontrollable snort-laughing.
Do you remember how Jack tells Ennis in Brokeback Mountain that he wished he knew how to quit him? That's what I've been muttering for the last few years when reading a Diana Palmer book. Who knew all it would take is a murder by Malathion plot to push me over the top. So now I'm sad. Sad that a long-term author-reader relationship has ended and ended badly. Sad that I'll no longer be able to open one of these books and feel that warm, snuggly comfortable feeling I used to have while reading Diana Palmer books. Sad that that part of my teenage years feels diminished now and much further away than it did just last year. Oh I know I can pull an old DP book out and get a very close facsimile of that feeling, but it still makes me feel I've lost something I treasured for so long.


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Welcome to SmithvilleChurch.orgA WEBSITE DESIGNED TO BE A RESOURCE OF CHURCH BULLETIN ARTICLES
Nurturing people in the image of God since 1868. POB 397/520 Dry Creek Rd./Smithville, TN
The apostle Paul wrote many years ago that he lived in a crooked and perverse generation (Phil. 2:15), and things haven't changed much since then. If you read Romans 1:26-32, you would realize that those verses could very well be the headlines of today's paper. I am especially aware of the impact the world has on teenagers. Teenagers NEED Christ! Nothing is held back from teens in our world. In our days as a teen sin was kept pretty much in the closet. But, now, it is as wide open and flagrant as it can be. Pornography, homosexuality, prostitution, alcohol, drugs, and every other vice is available to them. To give you an idea of how this crooked and perverse generation has affected our teens, consider the following statistics:
**Every 78 seconds a teenager attempts suicide in the U.S., and every 90 seconds one succeeds.**Every 80 minutes a teenager is murdered.**Every 31 seconds a teenage girl becomes pregnant.**Last year there were over one million teen abortions. **Over 80% of all teens raised in the church will fall away.
To me, those statistics are frightening. And there's more to be found. My reaction to all this is that Teenagers NEED Christ! They need to know there is a better way to live. They need to know there is a Savior who cares for them. They need the open arms of a church family united by a cross. Here are some reasons why teenagers need Christ:
1. TEENAGERS NEED CHRIST for direction in life (Luke 9:23). Jesus demands commitment to Him. He gives purpose and meaning to life. He gives us a heavenly goal and an earthly path.
2. TEENAGERS NEED CHRIST for acceptance (John 8:1-10). This means that no matter who you are, what you look like, what others think of you or what sins your past may hold — Jesus says you can be one of God's children. He sees the good in the worst of people. He will accept you!
3. TEENAGERS NEED CHRIST because they need the church (Heb. 10:26). They need a group of people to associate with, love and be loved. They need encouragement and positive influence. The church should fulfill this need.
4. TEENAGERS NEED CHRIST because the Christian lifestyle is ultimately the only productive lifestyle. The life which leads to heaven is the only life that can be led that has eternal benefits. What we all want most is happiness and security. The Christian lifestyle is the only one that offers true security and lasting happiness.
Thank God for our Christian teenagers! They are showing their friends and their world that being a Christian is important. TEENAGERS NEED CHRIST!
For His Cause, Tim Woodward


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text: But don't sympathize too hard for us. A sprawling vineyard in Illinois is already a rare experience but they even got a private wine tasting and better yet, we got private access to where they age and store the wine! Brings new meaning to Rose' all day! Which that was both their favorites by the way if you ever stop by for a tasting. Cheers you guys! Can't wait for the big day!


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One of the pleasures of my Monday mornings is sifting through the weekend email and discovering an utterly intriguing image. Call it a good omen for the week. Reef Madness (above) is such a piece. Dawn Siebel, a painter based in Boulder, CO, sent along this bold, hyperreal painting as an example of a fresh direction in her work.
The brilliant colors belie a subtle, provocative message. The eye travels around the lush fish and coral underworld until it finally rests on a discarded Coke can. Trash amid the beauty. "My new paintings are all rooted with an environmental commentary but it is oblique or even humorous," Siebel says.
A few months ago Siebel sent an image of a polar bear (Afloat, at right) as one of the very first examples of her new direction—an image that still haunts me. The animal appears to be in shock or hollering in a fashion reminiscent of Edvard Munch's The Scream. "Help. My home is melting," the bear cries.
Siebel says that although her paintings are full of commentary, it is up to the viewer to interpret the meanings. What do you think about the fish, the polar bear and the Coke can paintings? And is it my imagination or are there more and more messages of concern for the environment popping up in artwork these days?


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Themed Acoustic Nights are my favorite. So join us for a lovely holiday edition of Acoustic Night (hopefully featuring latkas and christmas lights.) Summer Roberts can't save Chrismukkah all on her own this year, she'll need you there. So come on out- in your best Holiday outfits! :)
Fun/Free7:30 PM


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Quick thoughts and arguments:
I miss the times when India was known as the land of snake charmers.
Being known for call centers and tandoori chicken was also not demeaning.
It was way better than the 'land of rapists' that we have shamefully earned.
Watching Sunny Leone dance to vulgar songs is not obscene.
But a documentary about the misogynist mindsets of Indians is obscene.
Net picking things like 'she was good in English' is said to be a symptom of 'an attempt to reflect white supremacy'.
Looking at the context of the scene, it was mentioned to describe that Jyoti Singh (the victim) was able to work at a call centre because of her language skills.
The film is an attempt to 'shame India' globally. I thought India is already quiet ashamed, wasn't it? And if it isn't, then with or without the documentary, INDIAN POLICE AND JUSTICE SYSTEM as well as members of society must be ashamed.
India did not reach here because of one horny man. It's the collective thinking of Indian men and women; a generation divide is a fairer word. A generation that taught us that men are superior and can enjoy freedom while women are nothing more than flowers for decoration and gems to be kept locked out in the locker of a bank.
What did Indian politicians think? Can they really put a ban on a movie and in this age of internet, people wouldn't have access to it in other ways?
If the director was not Leslee but an Indian woman residing in India, by now her family would have been attacked, she might have raped or attacked and in fact she would never have been able to come this far. Not because Indian women lack talent but they definitely lack access to freedom. They lack access to respect from authorities whom Leslee would have approached for bureaucratic permissions and paperwork.
Banning this film is in itself an act of misogyny, shutting down the movement that reflects attitudes of Indian men towards women. What an irony?!?
The Defense Lawyers compared women to gem, flowers, everything but human being. I wonder which school he went and what would be the life of his daughter and wife like?
My question to the lawyer is;
If you think women are flowers, why don't you keep your wife in the temple instead of home?
If you think women are gems, why don't you keep your wife inside the locker of your bank instead of home?
Because if she is in a temple or inside the bank, how would she pick after your dirty dishes, cook you food, wash your dirt and provide sex, right?
Condemning rape is not enough. Many people I spoke to were horrified at how dangerous Indian men really are and said that they wouldn't let their daughters out. If you think that way, congrats again, you have done exactly what the rapist wanted. Teach women a lesson for thinking they are free.
So it takes two hands to clap is the excuse to rape?
Well if one hand wants to clap and another doesn't, then you cut off one hand from some human being and hit your hand on it to clap? And then blame the slaughtered hand for being involved in clapping?
If you agree that women must be blamed for rape, good news: YOU THINK LIKE A RAPIST.
You may not have known that before, but now you do. You are part of the problem. Chose your sides wisely.
A woman's worth is not flowers or gems or gold or god damn diamond. A woman is worth any other human being. Period!


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Mia Neumann
French. Born on Mar 26 to Adeline and Benjamin Neumann at Beijing United Family Hospital.
Grisha Koirala
Nepalese. Born Dec 31 to Garima Pokhrel and Shailesh Koirala at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.
Diederik van Lawick van Pabst
Dutch. Born on Mar 30 to Elisabeth and Albert van Lawick van Pabst at Beijing United Family Hospital.
Hensley Bowen Reardon
American. Born Apr 29 to Holly and Derick Reardon at Beijing United Family Hospital.
Faris Romeih
Syrian/Russian. Born on Nov 15 to Katerina and Khladoun Romeih at Amcare Women's and Children's Hospital.
Christopher Noah Yee
American. Born on May 31 to Lillian and Bruce Yee at Beijing United Family Hospital.
This article is excerpted from beijingkids September 2011 issue. View it in PDF form here or contact email@example.com to find out where you can pick up your free copy.


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Text Messaging: A Simple Approach to Engaging and Activating Patients
Patient engagement and positive outcomes go hand-in-hand—it is hard to have one without the other.
When providers work to keep healthcare consumers engaged, the consumers respond in kind: they become actively involved in their respective treatments and do their best to adhere to prescribed treatment plans and stay informed. In fact, when healthcare consumers are fully active in the treatment process, hospitals end up saving time and resources. Active patients are committed to recovery, and this helps boost medication adherence rates and lowers overall hospital readmission rates. In fact, a study of 30,000 patients noted that patients with low activation scores—in short, healthcare consumers that weren't engaged and were not actively involved in their treatments—incurred more costs for healthcare providers to the tune of 8 percent to 21 percent higher than those healthcare consumers with high activation scores.
How exactly does a healthcare provider drive patient engagement? Boosting engagement, first and foremost, requires reaching a vast majority of the target patient population - regardless of age or socioeconomic status. Technology can facilitate the communication process, but to be effective these digital tools must be simple and easy to use —and that is why healthcare providers must consider text messaging as a strategic patient engagement tool. Over 90 percent of Americans own a cell phone, and over 80 percent of those individuals text regularly. For Americans under the age of 50, texting is the top form of communication. Providers can use texting to quickly and cost effectively reach large swaths of their patient populations. The following are some examples of the role texting can play in engagement and activation:
Patients who are informed and educated about an upcoming medical procedure, for instance, are far more likely to take the steps needed for a successful recovery free from complications. For example, for a recent Gallup poll, researchers asked healthcare consumers who underwent a device implantation to share whether or not they agreed with statements about three aspects of their surgery education:
- Did consumers know what to expect?
- Were they prepared?
- Did they follow the post-surgery treatments?
Surprisingly, only 37 percent of respondents agreed with all three and 17 percent stated that they did not agree with any of the statements.
When healthcare consumers do not understand their treatment plans, issues such as low medication adherence or readmissions are bound to occur. Texting represents an opportunity to provide concise information, education and reminders at precisely the moment it is most relevant.
Treatment Plan Adherence
Half of all the patients in the U.S. do not take their medication as prescribed. One out of every five prescriptions never gets filled, and every year poor medication adherence claims the lives of 125,000 Americans.
Healthcare consumers often miss appointments—no show rates average around 40 percent—and these missed appointments cost the U.S. healthcare system roughly $150 billion annually. Why do patients miss appointments? Often, it is simply due to forgetfulness or conflicting responsibilities.
However, some healthcare consumers miss appointments for the same reason as other patients fail to adhere to proper medication treatments: they have doubts or questions, and they are unsure or nervous on moving forward. Re-thinking how we communicate with and engage patients can play a role in answering these questions and assuaging these doubts. By making texting part of a comprehensive communication strategy, providers can easily and cost effectively:
- Send appointment reminders and alerts when it is time for a patient to take their medication
- Provide links to more in-depth information (that includes pictures and videos)
- Determine if patients understand their treatment plans and be notified if there are potential issues
Texting is one of the simplest solutions to a problem that undermines patient care and costs healthcare organizations significant money and time.
Patient Satisfaction Insights
Texting platforms are ideally suited to send patient satisfaction assessments after an encounter. In fact, anytime a healthcare consumer interacts with a provider, the provider can use that opportunity to immediately send along a brief satisfaction assessment, allowing for a steady consumer-to-provider conversation, which can help generate positive results. More sophisticated, rule-based platforms can respond with follow-up questions based upon specific responses, and even clear the way for a phone call to learn more about their experience. Information received this way makes it easy for analysts to transform the data into insights that can inform continuous improvement activities.
The bottom line: Texting represents a golden opportunity for providers to rapidly, effectively and cost-efficiently engage and activate patients. Accomplishing this is a win for both patients and providers.
Something Powerful
Tell The Reader More
The headline and subheader tells us what you're offering, and the form header closes the deal. Over here you can explain why your offer is so great it's worth filling out a form for.
- Bullets are great
- For spelling out benefits and
- Turning visitors into leads.


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He Raps He Sings EP
Lil Slugg x DC Baby Draco
DJ Banks, BeatsbyHT, and Emirates
Lil Slugg and DC Baby Draco release their new EP "He Raps He Sings". The album boasts 5 dope tracks on the project. The album is produced by DJ Banks, BeatsbyHT, and Emirates.
Make sure to check out Lil Slugg and DC Baby Draco new music video off the project "Shit Brazy", directed by CEO Visualz. The album is available on all digital outlets.
Download the album, "He Raps He Sings". Out Now!
Spotify Stream: http://goo.gl/NRxDs9
Apple Music: http://goo.gl/Zu15zS


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Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
Is there any way to detect fetal heart beat after ten days of pregnancy?
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Question: hi, my last menstrual period date is september 8,2013.i took clome 100 for five days and had fertigyn injection on day 20(sep 20,2013).Had susten for ten days(day 16 to day 25).conformed pregnancy with doctor (both urine and blood test) on oct 18 (day 41).On that day with vaginal US doctor said a small sac is seen let us wait for ten days. hcg count was 656.3mlU/ml on day 41(oct 18).Doctor advised me to take folic acid and susten 200mg tablets. today we went to doctor for second check up.she said the sac has grown but heart beat is not seen. she had written in the report that sac increased in size .no yolk sac or fetal pole. she had asked to come after 10 days to check heart beat again.she also told if heart beat is not seen in next days then it means its not a healthy baby. she advised to take ecosprin75 along with folic acid and susten 200.what for ecosprin 75 is given??? is there chance of heart beat after ten days.today i m on day 55 from last menstrual period.
Brief Answer: MISCARRIAGE LIKELY Detailed Answer: Hello Thanks for trusting us with your health concern. Going by your last menstrual period, you are now 55 days, or 8 weeks ( 7 weeks and 6 days to be precise ). I would think there is a slight error in the question that you have typed out. If your last menstrual period was on the 8th of September, then that would mean that you had Fertigyn injection on 20th September, which would be day 13 of your cycle. However, you have mentioned it to be day 20. So please do clarify that. At 8 weeks, today, there should be a definite presence of fetal pole AND a proper heartbeat. Please upload the ultrasound report if possible. A missed miscarriage is the term employed when the pregnancy is not destined to be viable or grow normally. The term is employed when there is - Absence of any growth of the gestational sac or fetal pole over a 5-day period of observation. Absence of a visible fetal heartbeat when the CRL ( length of the embryo ) is greater than 5 mm. Gestational sac larger than 12 mm mean diameter without visual evidence of a yolk sac. So, I would opine that the pregnancy is less likely to grow normally now, and mostly you would require termination of pregnancy. If you upload the report, I can be more precise in guiding you. Ecosprin 75 contains low dosage of aspirin which helps in improving blood supply to the baby and increasing chances of successful pregnancy. Susten contains progesterone, which also supports the growing embryo. Please continue taking the medications as advised. Also, avoid exertion, stress and sexual intercourse. Have a review scan as advised, and still if no growth is seen, then you would need termination of pregnancy. About 1 in 5 pregnancies fail, and the most common reason is chromosomal abnormality in the baby. Please do not worry, as most such women go on to have successful deliveries the next time around. If termination of pregnancy is done, ensure that the products are sent for chromosomal analysis . Wishing you lots of luck. Please feel free to ask for further clarifications.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you doctor. today (nov 4th)we took a hcg test which shows 1192.8mlU/ml .previous report was taken on oct 17 where the result is 656.3mlU/ml . what should i conclude from this low level of hcg.
Brief Answer: GET AN ULTRASOUND SCAN TO DIFFERENTIATE. Detailed Answer: Hi again. The very low HCG level could indicate - 1. Miscalculation of pregnancy dates - pregnancy occurred later than expected, if this is the case, then the scan scheduled ahead would definitely show signs of viable pregnancy. 2. Ectopic pregnancy - pregnancy outside the uterus. In this condition, there is no rise of the B HCG levels as expected. 3. A miscarriage - which has been suspected all along. To differentiate again between the three, the next logical step would be a pelvic transvaginal ultrasound scan, which will let you know what the exact condition is. Please get that done and do revert with the results. All the best. Please do discuss further anytime you wish to.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The User accepted the expert's answer
|Question is related to
|Diseases and Conditions
|Folic acid, Fertigyn
|Medical Topics
|Gestational sac, Fetal pole
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Title: Whoever Disowns Me Before Men, I Will Disown Before My Father In Heaven
Text: Matthew 10:32-39
Time: May 2nd, 2013
We are presently engaged in one of the fiercest moral and spiritual struggles all of us have seen in our lifetime. It's the battle for morality and decency and Christian spiritual truth against the immoral, secular force of homosexuality. I'm tired of talking about this subject. I wish I could move on and talk about all the other important things God teaches us from his Word, but this is where the battle is at this specific time and place. Whether we like it or not we are in the midst of a moral and spiritual war for the hearts and souls of Americans. We're also in a battle over whether Christianity and the Christian Church will stand for its own truth, or whether it will compromise so badly that it doesn't deserve to even be called Christian. It's not just that more and more people in society are sympathetic to homosexuality and gay marriage, it's that Christians of all strips are beginning to question Christian moral teachings on the subject. And from the looks of it, many or even most are starting to become sympathetic to the homosexual agenda! So in other words, it's simply not the case that Christians and the church are merely battling against a secular and anti-Christian secular society for the truth of the Bible in respect to moral values; it's more the case that Christians are trying to convince fellow Christians to stand on the courage of their own convictions in respect to morality in general, and against homosexuality in particular. The problem is that large segments of Christianity are caving in on the moral values of the Bible, and compromising on basic rights and wrongs. While society in general is overturning the basic Judeo-Christian prohibition against homosexuality, Christians are largely silent on the whole topic. Worse still, many Christians are actually beginning to support the right of gays to marry on the grounds that it's only fair that we grant them the same rights as others. Hardly any Christians are speaking up very strongly in opposition to this immoral revolution taking place in society. When I think of this situation, I think of the biblical passage in the New Testament, the words of Jesus spoken in Matthew 10:32-33, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." What does it mean to confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Does it merely mean affirming a narrow gospel definition that Jesus died on the cross for sinners? Or a specific and wholly personal experience of asking Jesus to come in to my heart? Doesn't it also mean not only confessing Christ in words, but also in deeds, morally and ethically? If so, how can a Christian confess Christ while at the same time defending or even promoting immorality, like homosexuality? If Christ isn't Lord of all, he's not Lord at all – as the saying goes. We need to realize that confessing Christ means standing for the truth of God even in a hostile environment. That's what made the martyrs of the past so special – they stood for Christ even when it cost them their life. Let me explain what I believe it means to confess Christ in the midst of our present day moral meltdown in the United States.
First, it means not joining in with the present day moral meltdown. Matthew 10:32-33, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." What's so confusing about today is that people are speaking in Jesus' name in favor of homosexuality and gay marriage! Entire denominations of Christians, for example, the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to name a few, actually promote homosexuality and gay marriage. These groups actually ordain openly homosexual leaders and pastors! These denominations issue statements supporting homosexual relationships. Some of the pastors perform gay marriages and civil unions. Many church members are actively in favor of gay marriage as well – and vote for political leaders who favor the homosexual agenda in society. In addition, even many evangelical churches and church members actually favor gay marriage as well. But how can this be? Isn't the Bible crystal clear on the immorality of homosexual relationships? Hasn't it been the universal teaching of the church in all its branches and locations that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian morality? Yes, certainly, these are all true. Then how can there be Christians and Christian churches that actively promote homosexuality? Because it's done in direct disobedience of God, and because there is no hierarchy, no final decision-making body, and because there's no Protestant pope they get away with it, and nobody can hold them accountable. It's wrong, it's totally out of bounds, it's absolutely an affront to all biblical moral and spiritual truth; yet in the absence of any higher accountability, nothing can be done to stop it. The Episcopal Church carries on in corrupting itself and also others it influences by betraying God and God's Word by supporting immorality in general, and homosexuality in particular. In the whole debate being carried on in society today, not a few mainline denominational churches, like the Episcopal Church, are actually doing the work of the devil. There is no such thing today as a united and universal Christian voice against, for example, gay marriage. Some Christians are for it, others against it. It's the same with churches – some churches are for it, others against it. The witness of God on earth through Christianity today is muddled, self-canceling. You'd think there would be unity among Christians around the Bible, since it's so clearly against homosexuality, and therefore, against gay marriage. But no, there is no unity, because many Christians don't even believe the Bible anymore. And even some that believe the Bible, read it in such a personal and subjective way, they can find their way around clear moral commands by suggesting each person is free to read the Bible in whatever way they feel. But there's another way to see it – it's called failing to confess the Lordship of Christ. "Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in heaven," says Jesus. Confessing Christ today means standing with him against an anti-Christian culture that seeks to pervert spiritual and moral truths. Homosexuality today is a direct attack on God and God's Word. Anyone who stands against God and God's Word cannot possibly be confessing Christ, no matter what they call themselves. God is calling all Christians today to choose whom they will serve (Joshua 24:14-15).
Second, it means not remaining silent in the midst of today's moral meltdown. Matthew 10:32-33, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." While some Christians actually support the work of the devil in promoting homosexuality in society today, most don't go that far – but they remain silent or passive concerning the whole topic. This is most disturbing when it's seen among Christian leaders, pastors, evangelists, denominational leaders and others with influence in Christianity. It's frustrating to see and hear the battle over holy matrimony being waged in society, only to look around for Christian leaders and not see or hear any in the fight. It's shameful to see the only visible, vocal, and public advocates for biblical marriage are politicians, like Rick Santorum, for example, making the strongest case for marriage and opposing gay marriage. Where are the high profile pastors? Where are the mega-church leaders that seemingly like to talk about anything and everything, appearing on this TV interview or that radio talk show, and so forth, yet nowhere to be seen or heard when addressing opposition to gay marriage and the moral meltdown of contemporary society? It's pathetic that the only public leaders defending Christian marriage are a handful of conservative politicians whose primary job isn't explaining spiritual or moral truths, but the more mundane issues of politics. They are doing a courageous and admirable job defending traditional marriage against the assault of gay activists, but we must ask the question again – where are the Christian leaders in this battle? It is their job to articulate and defend Christian truth. It is their job to refute spiritual and moral error. Why aren't they doing it? Now some Christian leaders do defend marriage and do oppose gay marriage, but mostly from behind the pulpit in the private confines of the church, and hardly ever in public. There is hardly any public voice of opposition to gay marriage coming from America's pastors. And this sets a bad example for church members because it serves as a bad role model for Christians to remain silent in public on these issues. Most Christians are silent about their opposition to gay marriage; they simply won't talk about it. This is an example of denying Christ in a more subtle form. "Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in heaven," says Christ. What does it mean to disown Christ in public? Doesn't it mean to remain silent when it is our responsibility to bear witness to Christ and his truth? It's really bad for Christian leaders to remain silent in public when it is their specific calling to speak, but it's also bad for regular Christians to refuse to bear witness for Christ in public because they are also called to spread the truth. It's nothing less than denying Christ, disowning the Lord, to fail to oppose immorality, including gay marriage. It's wrong. It's wrong to embrace evil, but it's also wrong to passively tolerate evil when it is in our power to oppose it. There's no excuse for Christian silence in opposing gay marriage.
Third, it means speaking out publicly in the midst of the present moral meltdown. Matthew 10:32-33, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Christians have a moral obligation to speak out against so-called gay marriage, because in doing so we are confessing Christ, standing with God and God's Word, against the forces of spiritual and moral evil. Yes, gay marriage is evil. It's an attack on holy matrimony. It has nothing to do with gay rights. For example, in California, gay couples have nearly all the same rights as married couples, as far as legal and social arrangements. But that wasn't enough. Gays had to have the name "marriage" in order to be happy. They couldn't settle for so-called civil partnerships or civil unions, granting them almost identical rights as heterosexual married couples. No. They had to attack holy matrimony by demanding the right to marry. And they are willing to destroy Christian morality to get it. So now, today, we see a full-scale assault by the secular mass media in the form of TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet in order to literally change people's moral values away from biblical Christianity. Some Christians are beginning to wake up and realize exactly what is happening. There is a full-scale advertising campaign to change the moral values of Americans, away from Bible-based Christian marriage to a new, secular view of marriage that includes homosexuality. Gay activists know that the biggest source of opposition to their agenda for total homosexual acceptance in society is the conservative Christian church. So they are making every effort, aided by the liberal political establishment, the liberal media, the education system, corporate America, and so forth, to overthrow two thousand years of Judeo-Christian morality. And the immoral campaign is working, because many churches and church leaders are coming on board to the homosexual agenda, as well as many church members and Christians in general. That's why Christians who know the truth and who are committed to the Lord Jesus must speak up publicly against gay marriage and in favor of biblical marriage. The problem is this – it will be difficult, it will cause problems, it will be painful, it will cost a lot. Today, the population of America has tipped in favor of almost all of the gay agenda activists have been pushing for years. The tipping point was probably when the president came out and endorsed gay marriage last year. Since then there has been an immoral flood of gay propaganda in society from every direction that, frankly, is overwhelming at times. It seems, this is the perception at least, that nearly everyone is jumping on board the gay agenda, even some conservatives.
But, of course, it isn't true that everyone is in agreement with the gay agenda for America. There are still plenty of people who oppose it, but they are mostly silent. They are intimidated from speaking by threats and retaliations by gay activists. That's why so many Christians are silent, and why so many pastors are even reluctant to speak out. But this situation must change. We must speak out. If we don't speak out against moral insanity, against the dirty, filthy, immoral gay marriage, then nobody else will. I believe that many Christians would speak out boldly against gay marriage and the normalization of homosexuality in society if they would only see Christian leaders doing so. So the first thing we need to see is Christian leaders taking a visible and public stand against gay marriage, and stop hiding behind polite and evasive comments. We need to see Christian leaders speaking lovingly, yet with force, explaining why they oppose gay marriage. I believe other Christians would be bold enough to start speaking out against gay marriage if they had role models for doing so. It's hard to speak out when you are the only one doing so. Where are the moral and spiritual leaders of today's church? We need them to live up to their callings from God to the ministry by teaching and preaching God's Word. Confessing Christ in the context of today's moral and spiritual breakdown in society means professing God's truth in the midst of a hailstorm of immorality. To fail to stand with God and God's Word in the midst of today's immorality is to fail to confess Christ. "If I profess, with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity. Where the battle rages the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-field besides is mere flight and disgrace to him if he flinches at that one point." This quote is attributed to Martin Luther the Reformer, although it's original source may be elsewhere. But the point is powerful – it isn't enough to confess Christ generally, we must confess him specifically, especially in areas that are under attack. Today, Christian spirituality and morality are under attack by a hostile, secular, anti-Christian culture. How will we as Christians respond? Will we lay down our precious Christian truths, surrender to the enemy, and even fight on his side, doing the devil's own work? Will we show cowardice, remain silent, and play it safe, keeping to ourselves or not rocking the boat? Or will we speak out boldly, confessing Christ and his truth in the midst of a hostile world? There is only one response. We must speak boldly for Jesus Christ even though it will probably cost us dearly. Do we really confess Christ? If so, we must be willing to do so publicly and bear the consequences. Let's pray.