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Home > All about us > The AIMS Methodology
Why do I need AIMS©?
All successful business's measure and monitor items that contribute to success, tangible items like revenue, profitability and growth are easy to measure indicators, but equally, intangible items like team effectiveness, motivation, communication and the ability to implement change need to be measured and monitored.
AIMS© helps you achieve this.
What is AIMS©?
AIMS© is a process that helps individuals and companies become more successful. AIMS© looks at the four cornerstones of success; vision, skills, communication and motivation, and implements a cohesive and measurable plan against your set objectives.
AIMS© is afour step process; firstly we assess and identify the real issues you need to address to make your company succeed (analyse), secondly, we design and support the implementation of the solutions to address these issues (intervene), thirdly, we ensure your team completely understand and buy into what they have to do to achieve your goals (measure and motivate), and lastly we ensure your team have the skills to develop further without the need to employ us (sustainability).
Sounds complicated, how is it executed?
The Oatmeal Group has been carefully constructed to meet the needs of growing companies, the consultancy division supports senior management in achieving its overall goal, the training division in equipping its staff, the marketing division in creating coherent communication and lastly, the adventures division glues the very fabric of your team together. Each division intervenes with a single goal, ensuring your organization succeeds.
How can AIMS© help me?
AIMS© is a structured, measurable process that can be used in many applications. Past uses include:
- Strategy development
- Corporate re-alignment
- Improving performance
- Increasing employee participation
- Meeting the challenge of global competition
- Decision making as a group
- Effective communication
What do I do next?
Call or email us to arrange a brief meeting with an outline of your objectives, we will then suggest some interventions tailored to your needs.
Copyright ©2005 The Oatmeal Group, all rights reserved.
Working with Oatmeal opened our eyes to the many pitfalls of poor presentations. In accessible language, they showed us what to do, and what not to do, and gave us a series of practical guidelines and tools to ensure we inform, educate and inspire our audiences.
Oatmeals commitment to providing a first class service to its customer has been second to none and I have been extremely pleased with their openness and commitment to understanding the needs of Equalities training in relation to Business Support in Wales.
Since working with the Oatmeal team our staff have increased their productivity but more importantly their confidence and self worth has really improved. The business has benefited in financial terms with increased revenue coming into the club as a direct result of adopting the Oatmeal way of working.
As a company that has benefited from Oatmeals marketing consultancy I can say unreservedly that they are second to none with regard to their knowledge, flexibility, good advice and strong management.
Oatmeal opened our thoughts and got us to work in a new, better, more exciting way. The results for the business have been beyond our expectations. Our sales presentations are now twice as effective as before. We now regularly work with Oatmeal to ensure we dont lose the edge.
The level of service has just been outstanding and Johns wealth of knowledge and experience has just shone through. The Oatmeal group not only come up with great ideas but work very closely with you to implement and evaluate them.
From the outset, the Oatmeal Group,has enlightened our views on what marketing really involves. I would not hesitate to recommend the Oatmeal Group and as a company, we are looking forward to a long and fruitful business relationship with them.
The Oatmeal Group came highly recommended to us. Their direct approach and commitment gave quick and tangible results.
John Davies of The Oatmeal Group has delivered a number of training workshops on 'Creating Presentations with Impact' for WIBF. These workshops tend to be hugely successful with an attendance of approximately 70, these events were very well presented and exceeded my expectations.
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(15) Introduction to Chapter 5
In the fifth chapter of Romans, Paul answers one of the questions that would naturally arise in the minds of those who had read this epistle to this point. He has told us that we have been saved by the redemption we have in Christ, the redemption that was purchased upon the Cross at a tremendous price. It delivers us from the guilt of sin so that the sin question has been settled. This means that we will not come before God for judgment which will determine our salvation. It means that an eternal home is waiting for those who have trusted Christ. Now, the question Paul will answer is this: What about the here and now?
In this chapter, Paul is going to show us that there are certain benefits that come to the believer right here and now when he trusts Christ, when he has been justified by faith in the redemption that we have in Christ. Actually, there are benefits that the world in very much concerned about, and would like to have them.
Many people are spending a great deal of money today trying to attain the things that are the present benefits of every believer. That doesn't mean that all believers are enjoying them. However, God has placed them on the table for you, and all you have to do is reach over and take them. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Notice, that these are spiritual blessings. The simplest way to explain this is to contrast them with the blessings of Israel under the law. In the OT, a faithful, obedient Jew was rewarded with long life, a large family, abundant crops, and protection from his enemies (Deut. 28:2–8). The blessings of Christianity, in contrast, are spiritual, that is, they deal with treasures that are nonmaterial, invisible, and imperishable. It is true that the Old Testament saints also enjoyed some spiritual blessings, but as we shall see, the Christian today enjoys blessings that were unknown in previous times. Our blessings are in the heavenly places, literally "in the heavenlies." Instead of being material blessings in earthly places, they are spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.
(16) Benefits of Salvation
Romans 5:1-11
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
In chapter 4, Paul went back to Abraham and David to explain how God declares believing sinners righteous; now he goes all the way back to Adam. Adam's sin passed sin and death on to the whole human race, but Christ's obedience gives righteousness and life to all who trust Him. In our first birth, we became condemned children of Adam; but in our second birth, we are the forgiven children of God. Make a note of the blessings that come to the children of God:
Riches (1–5). Peace, access into God's grace, joy, hope, love, the Holy Spirit—what riches we have in Christ! And trials work for us, not against us, and develop Christian character. How rich we are
Reconciliation (6–11). We are at peace with God and need not be afraid. If He did so much for us when we were enemies, think what He will do for us now that we are His children!
Reigning. Will be covered in topic 17.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace is one of the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT Paul lists in the fifth chapter of Galatians: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." (Gal. 5:22). In both the Old and New Testaments, peace is described as the result of having a right relationship with God, and with others. Spiritual peace is a sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on having His presence within. Spiritual peace is experienced by any believer who walks in the Spirit despite the turmoil that surrounds him. The true "peace of God" protects the hearts and minds of believers from worry, fear, and anxiety. It transcends all logic or rationale—"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7). The God of Peace, who offers salvation, also promises His presence and power in the lives of His children. His presence creates in us a quiet confidence, regardless of circumstances, people, or things. True peace is part of the "armor of God"—"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Eph. 6:11, 15). According to the apostle Paul, salvation produces peace that allows us to walk boldly into spiritual battle, and to survive all kinds of difficulty and danger. Where the peace of God is present, there is no room for worry.
Therefore, having been justified by faith. Paul says that at some point in the past, without our help, God justified us, that is, He declared us righteous and began to treat us as if we were righteous. It is by faith that we lay hold of God's arm and of his strength, and so are at peace—"…let him take hold of My strength, That he may make peace with Me; And he shall make peace with Me." (Isa. 27:5). There is more in this peace than just an end of hostility, there is friendship and loving-kindness, for God is either the worst enemy or the best friend.
We have peace with God. Peace with God is one of the benefits of salvation. This is not the peace of God, but peace with God. This is not a feeling of peace but a state of peace. Between the sinner and God there exists a state of antagonism, hostility, and animosity. Sinners are the enemies of God—"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled" (Col. 1:21)—until a state of peace is declared. Christ called his disciples friends—"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" (Jn. 15:13–15). Could any man need any more to make him happy than to have God as his friend!
Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have a peace treaty with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Mediator between the two parties at war—"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (I Tim 2:5–6). As our Mediator, Jesus Christ has worked out our peace treaty with God. But since He made peace through His blood, He is our peace with God—"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace…making peace…And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near" (Eph 2:13-18).
2 Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Through whom also we have access by faith. If you have ever attempted to call the President of the United States, you know how relatively inaccessible he is. To the unbeliever, God the Father is even more inaccessible than the President. He cannot be reached, since there is no common ground and no mediator between the unbeliever and God. To the believer, there is free, abundant, and immediate access to God, because He has justified (saved) us. Jesus Christ provides immediate and consistent access to God for all those whom God has declared and treats as righteousness. Also, we enjoy access into an indescribable position of favor with God. We are accepted in the Beloved One; therefore we are as near and dear to God as His own Beloved Son. The Father welcomes us as sons, not strangers. This grace, or standing in favor with God is as perfect and permanent as Christ's, because we are in Him.
Access means that you and I have access to God in prayer. Due to our standing as children of God, we have access to a heavenly Father who will listen to us here and who does answer our prayer. He will answer according to His wisdom, not according to our will.
Into this grace in which we stand. An age-old problem is this, "How can a sinner stand in the presence of a holy God?" The psalmist wrestled with this question—"If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" (Ps 130:3). We do not have a leg to stand on when it comes to a defense of our sinful actions. How is it possible for a sinner to stand before God? The Swiss reformer Robert Haldane said, "And it is by Him (Jesus Christ) they enter into the state of grace, so by Him they stand in it, accepted before God; secured, according to His everlasting covenant, that they shall not be cast down" (Robert Haldane, Romans, p. 186). The only possible way we can stand before God is by His grace.
And rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The word "hope" confuses many new Christians. Hope is not vague, it is concrete. We have joy in hope. The glory of God, of which we have fallen short, is the perfect standard of Christ's righteousness—"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:14). We can rejoice in the fact that whatever we are like today, one of the benefits of having been justified is the hope that one day we shall be like Him—"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 Jn 3:2–3). We joyfully look forward to the time when we will not only gaze on the splendor of God, but will ourselves be enveloped in glory—"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one" (John 17:22). We cannot comprehend the full significance of that hope here on earth, nor will we get over the wonder of it through all eternity.
The Hope that is mentioned here is the hope that the scriptures hold out. Paul said to a young preacher by the name of Titus, "Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). To look for the Lord to come and take His church out of this world, that's a glorious hope, and it will take place at His appearing at the Rapture.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. The person who has been justified rejoices, not in spite of his tribulations, but because of his tribulations. In explaining the progress from tribulation to hope, Paul shows that there is a natural, logical connection between these four: tribulations—patience—experience—hope. The tribulations that Paul has in mind result in patience—"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (Phil 4:12). Patience is the ability to remain strong while bearing the burden of tribulation. Patience in the midst of tribulation results in experience that is proof of the presence of the Spirit of God, which makes patience possible. The end result of this proof proceeds to hope, the certain knowledge that we will one day be glorified like the Son of God and be "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"—"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Rom. 8:17). Here is a perfect circle: we began with hope for the glory of God, then we passed through tribulation which caused us to be patient; this experience proved that we are indeed a child of God, and this proof encourages us in the hope for the glory of God. In Acts 5:41, we are told this about the apostles: "They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer." (Acts 5:41). It is a trait that is found only in Christians, that they can be happy while they are going through some type of hardship. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). Paul tells us, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13). Paul also tells us, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom 8:37). With promises such as these, we who are truly born again do not shudder or quit when we have troubles. The true believer rejoices in tribulation and trials.
4 And perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Paul now goes on to explain that perseverance produces character. When God sees us bearing up under our trials, and looking to Him to work out His purposes through them, He awards us His Good Endurance Seal of Approval. We have been tested and approved. And the sense of His approval fills us with hope and joy. We know He is working in our lives and developing our character. This gives us confidence that, "having begun a good work in us, He will see it through to completion" (Phil. 1:6). Like every other Christian grace, hope grows stronger only if we use it.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Now hope does not disappoint. If we were to hope for something but then later find that we were never going to get it, we would be disappointed. But the hope of our salvation will never lead to disappointment. We will never be disappointed or find that we have believed in error. How can we be so sure? Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts. Our hearts are flooded with God's love for us because we have been justified.
Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts. It is the gracious work of the blessed Spirit to pour out the love of God in the hearts of all the saints. The love of God, that is, the sense of God's love for us, draws out of us our love for Him. In that way, we are we drawn and held by the bonds of love. The sense of God's love for us will make us unashamed, either of our hope in him or our sufferings for him.
By the Holy Spirit who was given to us. The Holy Spirit who was given to us the moment we believe, floods our hearts with these expressions of God's eternal love, and by these we are assured that He will see us safely home to heaven. After you receive the Spirit, you will sense that God loves you. This is not a vague, mystical feeling that "Somebody up there" cares about you, but the deep-seated conviction that a personal God really loves you as an individual.
Given means to grant, impart, or put into the heart. The clear implication is that at the moment of salvation we received the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself. A justified (saved) man doesn't need to anxiously look to a future time when he will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us at the moment of justification. Then Christ's righteousness is ours, God's love is ours, and the Holy Spirit's presence is ours. They are eternally bound together in a package we call salvation.
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
In verses 6–20, Paul makes the case for the security of the believer. His logic is that if God's love went out to us when we were His ungodly enemies, will He not much more preserve us now that we belong to Him? This brings us to another benefit of our justification; we are eternally secure in Christ. In developing this theme, the apostle introduces five "much mores."
1. The "much more" of deliverance from wrath—"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (5:9).
2. The "much more" of preservation by His resurrection life—"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (5:10).
3. The "much more" of the gift of grace— "But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many" (5:15).
4. The "much more" of the believer's reign in life—"…much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (5:17b)
5. The righteousness of the believer is "much more" of pure grace—"For by grace you are saved …" (Eph 2:8).
For when we were still without strength. Paul uses this expression to show man's utter helplessness in the face of his sin. Lost sinners are spiritually dead and are incapable of doing anything to help themselves—"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn 6:44). Our problem was sin and we were utterly incapable of coping with it. In our world, those who can't help themselves, and who can't find a helper, are certain to be ungodly: darkened in their mind and degraded in their life.
In due time Christ died for the ungodly. This means that circumstances did not bring Christ to the cross, the divine plan of God did. At the time of man's greatest need, nothing but the blood of Jesus would satisfy that need—"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Gal 4:4–5). At the time of man's greatest need, nothing but the blood of Jesus would satisfy that need. It was by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, that God showed His great love for us. Christ died for the ungodly—not the good boys and girls, rather he died for those who were His enemies, and who hated Him; to whom He said when they were crucifying Him—"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…" (Lk 23:24). And, you and I were numbered with the ungodly. Our best efforts are what the prophets called them; they are like "filthy rags." For men like that—for men like us, Christ died.
Ungodly. The ungodly here are not just the flagrant and disreputable; they are all those who are not in harmony with God, the potential as well as the actual doers of sin. For them, Christ died. Clearly, Christ's death was a substitutionary death, a death in place of others.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Every Christian should know someone who lives a life marked by a high standard of godly generosity and who truly cares for others. They are determined to do all they can to help other people. They command respect; however, they are not loved. They are upstanding people, but for some reason, they are not lovable. There have always been people with this distasteful, inflexible type of personality, and Paul knew some. He, evidentially felt the same way we do about them; that even though they are approved of by God, it is very improbable that someone would lay down their life for them, although some may be tempted.
Yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. It may be that someone might be persuaded to die for a good man, that is, a man, who is good to others. Many righteous men are good to themselves, however, they do very little to help others. These good men are loved by those they help, and some of them may be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice by giving some part of their body or even their life for that good man. Paul was a very good man, and he met some people who were willing to lay down their lives for him—"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. That for his life laid down their own necks" (Rom 16:3-40). The point is not so much that perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die, as it is that we must feel that the person is worthy of the sacrifice that we make. Before we would do it, respect for their admirable qualities must turn into love. God's great love for us is apparent only when we compare it with the best that we are willing to do for one another.
Do you know anyone who would die for you? Could you count on one finger of one hand those who would be willing to die for you? By the way, could you put upon one finger those who love you enough to die for you? Well you certainly could put it upon one finger, because God loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. And if it were necessary, He would appear today to die for you again, if it would take that to save you. He loves you that much.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us. Jesus' unique love (Gk. agape) focuses on the nature of the one loving rather than on the merit of the one being loved. God's nature is self-giving love, which always acts in the best interest of His creation, and even of His enemies. God demonstrated His love for us at Calvary, but He didn't do it just to prove that He loved us, because He could have done that without it costing Him so very much. There is nothing else like Calvary through-out human history. There on the Cross, He not only showed us His love; there the blood that Jesus shed was sufficient to cover all our sins, and reconcile man to God. Before Calvary, Jesus demonstrated His love in other ways. For instance, the things that Jesus taught, he also put into practice. While they were still sinners, men and women learned that they could come to Him for forgiveness and a new life. The Publicans and prostitutes learned that they had a better chance of entering God's kingdom than some of those who were respectable.
In that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us—but not because we earned it or deserved it. God demonstrated His love by sending Christ Jesus to die for us while we were yet sinners, something no one else would even consider doing. While we were still sinners implies that we were not meant to always be sinners, there should be a change in us; because he died to save us, not in our sins, but from our sins; but we were nevertheless sinners when he died for us. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary arose out of the heart of God filled with the love of God. All these blessings are ours because at some point in the past, without our help, we have been justified by God and are now being treated as if we are righteous.
Christ died for us. He died for the ungodly; helpless, guilty, mean, worthless, vile, obnoxious, unworthy people who deserve to die—"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 6:23). God did us a great favor by dying for us, because we couldn't save ourselves. Christ died for us, and that was an unparalleled instance of love; "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (Jn 15:13-14). As he held his daughter for the last time, a dying French saint said, "I love you because of what you are; my heavenly Father, to whom I go, has loved me in spite of myself." That Jesus would die for someone like me is more than amazing, it is incredible.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood. Justification and reconciliation are benefits that every believer receives from the death of Christ: We are justified by his blood and reconciled by his death. Sin is pardoned, and the sinner accepted as righteous by receiving the righteousness of Christ. Jesus has done everything that's required on His part to be done, and immediately upon our believing we are actually put into a state of justification and reconciliation.
Justified by his blood. Our justification is attributed to the blood of Christ, because "…without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). The blood is the life, and it must be spilled to make atonement for sin. In all the Old Testament sacrifices, the sprinkling of the blood was the essential part of the sacrifice—"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" ( Lev. 17:11).
We shall be saved from wrath through Him. In addition to the blessings we presently enjoy because we are justified (saved), there is another blessing; the promise that we shall be saved from wrath through him. All men are by nature the children of wrath—"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (Jn 3:36). The prophet Nahum warns that the Lord has reserved wrath for His enemies—"…The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies" (Nah 1:2). It is comforting for the believer to know that "God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thess 5:9). One of our future benefits is the fact that we will not face God's wrath on the Judgment Day, not because we are worthy, but because we have been saved by the grace of God. We have been saved by grace; we live by the grace of God; and ten billion years from today we will still be in heaven by the grace of God. We are saved from wrath through Him—through Christ.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. What Christ has done by His death is "reconcile all things to Himself…having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Col 1:29). Reconcile means to change completely (Rom 5:6–10) from being an enemy of God to one enjoying the closest kind of fellowship. Christ is the chosen and sufficient driving force in reconciliation; nothing else is needed. Through Him Divine harmony has been restored, and all barriers and obstacles have been removed. God took the initiative. Religion is man seeking God; Christianity is God seeking and saving man.
Much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. It is the death of Christ and His shed blood which provide our atonement and redemption—"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7). It is the death of Christ which makes our salvation possible; but it is the life of Christ that sustains it. Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification and today He makes continual intercession for us—"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb 7:25). The life of Jesus Christ did not take away the penalty of our sins, His death did. But Christ ever lives to take away the power of sin over us. This is how we are continually kept saved—by His intercessory life.
Saved by His life. When we were His enemies, Christ was able by His death to reconcile us to God. Certainly, now that we are God's children, the Savior can keep us by His living power.
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We not only rejoice in His gifts but in the Giver Himself. Before we were saved we found our joys elsewhere. Buy now we are happy whenever we remember Him; and are sad only when we forget Him. What has produced this marvelous change, so that we can now be glad in God? It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like all our other blessings, this joy comes to us through Him. It was the quality of joy in the early Christians that impressed and puzzled their pagan neighbors. It was different than anything that marked ordinary human life.
Why do we rejoice in God? You can rejoice that He lives and that He is who He is. You can rejoice because He has provided a salvation for us and is willing to save us sinners and bring us into His presence someday. He has worked out a plan to save us because of His love for us. Isn't that enough to make you rejoice?
Through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Reconciliation refers to the establishment of harmony between God and man through the sacrificial work of the Savior. When sin entered the world, by way of Adam's disobedience, it brought division, alienation, and hostility between man and God. By putting away sin, which had caused the alienation, the Lord Jesus restored those who believe on Him to a state of harmony with God. We should note, in passing, that God did not need to be reconciled. It was man who needed it, because of his hostility toward God. God is the one who reaches out to man in reconciliation; not man to God. According to God's word, no one naturally wants to be saved. It just won't happen until the Holy Spirit draws a person. It's because believers are acted upon by God that they are said to receive reconciliation. They are the recipients of a new relationship of peace and harmony brought about by God.


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This blog started as my movie marathon — watching a movie a day for a whole year — and has continued as a place for me to write reviews about movies, TV, and various other items.
This is still a work in progress as I migrate from my old platform at Tumblr. For now, you can still access the whole backlog of posts there at http://reelmatt.tumblr.com
A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.
Year 3, Film #21
THE GOOD: Acting. All-around the acting was phenomenal and easily the best part about The Fisher King. Without the acting in this movie, the weirdness that is a Terry Gilliam film would be just too much and overwhelm you. The actors however are able to ground this film in some semblance of a reality and make it more palatable for you, dear viewer.
Both Robin Williams (who played Parry, a deranged homeless man) and Mercedes Ruehl (who played Anne, the girlfriend of Jack Lucas) were nominated for Academy Awards in the supporting category with Ruehl winning hers. The reason these performances are so notable is they go with the flow. Williams is probably the best at it given his famous affinity for improv and his manic energy to carry him from bit to bit, but the others including Anne, Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), and even Lydia (Amanda Plummer) in the few scenes she appeared.
I'll be getting into the weirdness-aspect of the film in the negative portion and how it hurt the film's point, but the important thing is that this acting served as an antidote to it. Most of the time when you mention how relatable a performance is or how well you can connect with the characters, it's a good indicator of being drawn into the film; getting deeper into things and move invested in what's happening. In The Fisher King, these performances which can be described the exact same way, have a different outcome. Instead of bringing us deeper into the film, it allows us to make sense of what we're seeing.
While I'm making it sound like the bizarreness makes The Fisher King beyond comprehensible, the reality is less hyperbolic. The movie is somewhat straightforward, but without this remarkable acting to help guide us through it, I would have lost interest within the first fifteen minutes and not cared about what happened next. Parry, Anne, Jack, and Lydia were all so compelling though that I wanted to keep watching despite the reservations I had.
THE BAD: Speaking of reservations, let's dig into this "weirdness". I've seen two other Terry Gilliam films — 12 Monkeys and The Brothers Grimm — and from what I've heard and seen about his others, he has a very distinct style, and that style is best described as weird. Weird can be good (as I found in 12 Monkeys) and it's important to note there can be several different kinds of "weird".
Where the disconnect is in The Fisher King is the supernatural elements. Parry is convinced he's on a mission from God to retrieve the Holy Grail and can talk with little, flying men and see hallucinations of some giant Red Knight, devil-reincarnate chasing him around. By the end, the idea crossed my mind that it could be a metaphor for his fear or arrested development after a life-changing incident that occurred earlier in his life. This theory was then strengthened once these "episodes", for lack of a better word, begin to have flashbacks of the actual event thrown in.
Whether it is some metaphor or not doesn't change the fact that, as was the case in The Brothers Grimm, "The tone… seemed a bit confused in a sense." Is the film supposed to be a drama about Jack's guilt for his radio show and how he tries to channel that to help Parry and others? Is it some supernatural quest as we look for the Holy Grail (maybe the Grail is also another metaphor)? Or is it a comedy as we see Parry break into musical numbers accompanied by fellow homeless from time to time or walking around New York City in tattered knight's clothing? There are bits of each in the film but where Gilliam's style proves problematic here is that it feels like the film is constantly changing it's mind. It would be one thing if some ratio or division of the film's efforts were established early on, that way we would know to expect a little of drama, supernatural, and comedy. But as the film is, that division is constantly changing which causes it to feel "weird" and lead to some confusion along the way.
THE TAKEAWAY: A film that's filled with superb acting that helps you ground yourself in a story that's constantly changing tone. Terry Gilliam has his name written all over this film and if your a fan, you'll probably enjoy The Fisher King too. But while I very much enjoyed his style in 12 Monkeys, here it just seems too distracting and out of place.
THE RATING: 3 out of 5


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A Nation of False Perceptions
As our social environment is constantly observed without perspicacity, we naively convince ourselves of irrelevant assumptions. It is sadly a clear sign of a defective mental faculty: perception. As we all know, cause and effect are two sides of one fact. However, this order of things should not be reversed by considering the effect as the cause, or vice versa. Our concern is not weak acuity or perverse understanding, but the realization of a significant "change of perspective".
More to the point, and with reference to Bergson: "the eyes see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend". In other words, we either wrongly perceive, or do not perceive at all, what our mind does not know or is not even capable of knowing. Hence, an adequate and sufficient mental supply remains a fundamental prerequisite for the efficiency of our perceptive mechanism and analytical process.
As far as Lebanon is concerned, immense diversity and strong intersections continue to characterize its society. De facto, and within the borders of confessionalism – by definition, the Lebanese political system, individualizing it among its fellow Arab States – we cannot ignore the fact that diversity is a very fragile notion which should be managed with wisdom, care and understanding. It is a matter of crucial importance on the religious, cultural, and political levels. As it could easily shake the system, such richness might rapidly turn around to become a source of worry, disturbance and conflict.
In reality, diversity in Lebanon is not fully comparable to the American melting pot. While the former consists of discernible confessional groups, the latter is basically made of a unique ethnic blend. In other words, confessional bodies continue to place religion as their primary refuge, or by chance, equally with national belonging.
Moreover, the mere affirmation of belonging to a nation appears to be irrelevant without combining and applying its core conditions. In a conference given at Sorbonne University in Paris, Ernest Renan defined the nation and focused on "the embracement of a common legacy, and the shared desire of persistence". Transposing his thought to the Lebanese reality, we ask ourselves: if the past is controversial, and the present provocative, what kind of future is being built? No matter how unconventional, we should start from the end and pull back the future we aspire for.
Furthermore, and as previously said, diversity could show its cruel and merciless side by the one foolishness of its mismanagement. Unfortunately, radical confessional belongings and blended political connections are transforming our nation to an arena for powerful and decisive international poles. We have been hardly the directors of our own fate, and numerous conflicts might have been quasi-generated by the influence of these foreign third-parties. People must not be deceived and pushed to fight for simulated scenarios, and motions of resolution must stop approaching the artificial side of the conflict.
In conclusion, perception remains a very subjective activity, highly relative to our viewpoint. For that reason, fellow citizens should no longer be perceived as an inner threat. The other should be perceived from the positive angle of "one nation", and not negatively considered as an opposite for his only difference. It is true that he is not a substitute, but he is somehow complementary. Therefore, eyes shall aim at a common ground upon which the desire for a durable and united persistence can rest. Finally, it is impossible to standstill, witnessing the disintegration of a society where identities are tightly held in an atmosphere of panic and distress. Such carelessness would expose it to a real danger of peril: the seizure of a shattered unity.


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|A very bright emission nebula in the constellation of Monoceros. It is often referred to as the Monkey Head nebula because of it's resemblence to the head of a monkey. This region is also known as Sharpless 252 in the catalogue named after Stuart Sharpless. This is a combination of 3 narrowband filters, Ha, SII, OIII and RGB stars blended into the final image.
|Telescope: Astro-Physics 160mm EDF f7.5 @f7.7
|Designation: NGC 2175
Mount: Astro-Physics 1200 GTO
Constellation: Orion
|Camera: Apogee U16M with Astrodon Gen II Filters
|Distance: Approx 5200 Light Years
|Guiding: SBIG ST402 via Mini Borg 60mm
|Type: Emission Nebula
|Exposure: 12+ total hours exposure 5nm Ha, OIII, SII filters
|Position: R.A. 6 hr 10 min , Dec +20030'
|Processed using CCDStack, PhotoShop CS3
|Date: January 2010
|Acquisition: CCDAutopilot/CCDSoft/The Sky 6/M1Oasys
|Location:Deerlick Astronomy Village


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To ensure food safety for thousands of athletes and sports fans from around the globe at the coming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Japan group is targeting more than 6,000 food production sites to become certified according to a GFSI-recognised certification programme or to embark on GFSI's Global Markets Programme, a pathway to certification, before the event.
The initiative is strongly supported by the Japanese government. "Food safety management based on scientific rationale is critically important. We anticipate a big contribution to food safety management systems by GFSI," said Ken Saito, Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The group's priority is public-private collaboration for harmonization and improved food safety by means of GFSI's two key tools, namely benchmarking and recognition of food safety certification programmes, and GFSI's Global Markets Programme.
"These tools are the right solutions to help us achieve our food safety goals as an industry, as a country, and beyond," said Katsuki Kishi, GFSI's board member and chair of the Japan Local Group.
"Meanwhile, the certification programmes will improve Japanese market access internationally. We have a golden opportunity ahead to ensure that all food produced and purchased for the 2020 sporting event adheres to strong food safety standards, either certified to a GFSI-recognised certification programme or benefiting from GFSI's capability building programme."
The announcement comes at a time when consumer expectations for transparency and food safety are rapidly rising in Japan. Both the industry and regulators must evolve to meet new challenges, said GFSI's Japan group, which recently held its seventh Focus Day.
Representatives from national government agencies who participated in the Focus Day took the stage to voice their hopes for increased collaboration with GFSI as the way forward for food safety in Japan. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), for example, presented the topic on Institutionalisation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), while the Kochi Prefecture spoke on Kochi HACCP Harmonised with GFSI's Global Markets Programme.
The Japan group said it welcomes these calls for increased collaboration and heightened use of GFSI tools, especially at a time when GFSI is scaling up efforts to enhance public-private partnerships as one of its current strategic objectives.
The group's priority is public-private collaboration for harmonisation and improved food safety by means of GFSI's two key tools, namely benchmarking and recognition of food safety certification programmes, and GFSI's Global Markets Programme.


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Sara Rood-Ojalvo, Pavel Kamaev, Marc Friedman, David Muller; Papain Digestion Method for Analysis of Cross-linking in Corneal Flaps. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013;54(15):5280.
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To evaluate the use of papain digestion and spectrofluorometer analysis as a means to quantify the amount of cross-linking in porcine corneal flaps that have undergone various UVA-RF based corneal cross-linking protocols.
Fresh whole porcine eyes were obtained <24 hours postmortem in saline on ice from Sioux-preme (Sioux City, IA), de-epithelialized, soaked for 20 minutes with 0.1% riboflavin in distilled water, and exposed to 30mW/cm2 of UVA light for 3 minutes (5.4J/cm2) or 4 minutes (7.2J/cm2). Using an Intralase femtosecond laser (Abbot Medical Optics, Santa Ana, CA) corneal flaps of 380 µm were excised after cross-linking. The thickness of the corneal flaps was checked using ultrasonic pachymetry. To prepare for digestion the corneal flaps were washed with distilled water 15X to remove remaining riboflavin, and dried in a vacuum until the weight change became less than 10%. Each flap was digested for 2.5 h at 65°C with 2.5 units/ml of papain (from Papaya latex, Sigma) in 1 ml of papain buffer [1x PBS (pH 7.4), 2 mM L-cysteine and 2 mM EDTA]. Papain digests were centrifuged for 20 seconds at 2200xG (Mini centrifuge 05-090-100, Fisher Scientific) and diluted .5 times with 1x PBS solution. Fluorescence of the solutions was measured with excitation of λex = 360nm in a QM-40 Spectrofluorometer (Photon Technology Int., London, Ontario, Canada).
The spectrofluorometer recorded fluorescence of the corneal flap digested solutions from 375-650nm. After subtracting out the increase in fluorescence from 450-650nm due to remaining riboflavin, the fluorescence at 450nm is indicative of the amount of cross-linking in the corneal flap. The fluorescence readings increased as total energy increased, as expected. Statistically significant results (P<.05) are observed between the groups.
Papain digestion and spectrofluorometer analysis of cross-linked corneal flaps is an effective method to evaluate the amount of cross-linking in a flap. Multiple flaps can be excised from one cornea to analyze the amount of cross-linking at different depths. The method can be used to help determine the optimal protocol for corneal cross-linking.
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My name is Sarah Roche, I am a senior at the University of Mary Washington majoring in biology and double minoring in chemistry and neuroscience. This will be a blog that compiles all the work I complete for my Digital Storytelling course. I've dabbled in photography and I'm a Twitter veteran, but otherwise the digital world is somewhat foreign to me. Follow me as I tell the story of my summer in sunny California, scroll on to see how I got here.
Last summer, I spent four sweltering months in a sixty year old apartment in Charlottesville, Virginia. The conditions were less than ideal. I was living with my twin sister who was having trouble finding a job, we didn't have air conditioning, our sinks and shower never seemed to drain properly, rent was expensive and every afternoon I had to clamber into a pair of khaki skinny jeans and earn minimum wage decorating donuts in a shop that also lacked air conditioning. I can only describe that summer as "sweaty." Regardless of the humidity, I had a lot of fun exploring a more southern portion of the state I was born and raised in. I learned how to live on my own, pay bills and even saw what it's like to act as a parent to a rebellious teenager (read twin sister). Virginia has lots of beauty to offer and the Blue Ridge mountains will always feel like home to me, but this summer I've embarked on a different adventure.
Immediately after the spring semester of my junior year at Mary Washington, I set out on a six day bike ride with my Dad. We rode a total of 334 miles beginning in Washington D.C, rolling through Harper's Ferry West Virginia, Cumberland Maryland, Confluence Pennsylvania and eventually ending in Pittsburgh.
We rode about 65 miles the first four days and 45 miles the last two days. We rode through several inches thick muddy terrain and 25 mile an hour headwinds that slowed our pace to about 6 miles an hour, we met Trump supporters sitting on their front porch drinking from mysteriously dark mason jars and talking about their unemployment, we met wannabe-cosmopolitan West Virginians and numerous other bikers. On our final day of riding, we were able to watch our beloved Washington Nationals get absolutely crushed by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After a few days of recovery, I began to prepare for my true summer plans: A job as a camp counselor at a park at Lake Tahoe in California. This job somewhat serendipitously fell into my lap thanks to my best friend, Ian. Having spent several weeks of my spring semester arranging for this job, Ian's family agreed to allow us to stay in their vacation home in Tahoe City. On June 7th, we embarked on our California trip, starting off with a two nights stay in San Diego.
Having visited San Diego last year, I already knew of the beauty of the Sunset Cliffs and the boardwalk by the famous beaches. But we enjoyed our brief stay there and eventually headed up the coast on the 101 to Huntington beach in Orange County, staying with a wonderful friend of Ian's.
The next day we rolled through Los Angeles, Sea Cliffs, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and finally ended our evening in San Mateo. The drive was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. To our right stretched amber fields at the foot of lush green mountains, and to our left the pacific ocean licked at the feet of monstrous cliffs jutting out from the highway. Every few hundred miles the landscape changed dramatically. We saw beaches and desert mountain scapes, farmlands and the beginning of the massive forests of northern California. The next day we explored the amazing city of San Francisco before finally making our way up to the famed Lake Tahoe.
Hitting our fair share of California traffic, we finally made it beyond Sacramento and began gaining elevation. As we climbed, the temperature dropped and snow began to fall. Eventually, we were blindly driving through a blizzard in June, the snowfall was significant enough to block our view of Donner Lake (which I took to be a bad omen given the story of the Donner Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donner_Party). We spent the night shivering by a wood-burning fire, temperatures dropped below freezing, a 70 degree temperature difference from my previous summer.
But once the snow cleared up, we began our work as camp counselors and have been having the adventure of a life time. Tahoe has a unique kind of beauty beyond the crystal clear water and snow caps of the Sierra Nevada. Here, everyone slows down. Everyone is in a state of relaxation, there's a sense that there is no rush and that every moment is a good one.


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Nevermind, using a heartbeat detector, becomes more difficult the faster your heart rate becomes.
When Nintendo unveiled its Wii Vitality Sensor several years ago, no-one really knew what to make of it. Even Nintendo later admitted that they were basically grasping at straws. But a terrifying new horror game, Nevermind, is using a similar technology to determine how frightened you are while playing. Simply put, the more scared you are, the more difficult the game is. If that's not frightening enough, Nevermind can also learn what you are most afraid of, and use it against you.
"The more scared you are, the harder the game becomes," says Erin Reynolds, who started the project as a USC grad student in interactive media and was heavily inspired by the movie The Cell. "To complete the game, you have to get pretty good at learning how to manage your anxiety on the fly."
Players take on the role of a "neuroprober," who is a kind of trauma psychologist that helps patients overcome their fears by literally delving into their most disturbing memories. The goal is to "solve" a level before your fear, measured by heart monitors, catches up to you. An example given was one level where a player must solve an anagram in a creepy kitchen. As the player gets more frightened, the room starts filling with milk. If it completely fills up, the player drowns and you die (it looks like Matrix rules apply).
But possibly the most horrifying aspect of the game, is that through dialogue choices and gameplay, it learns what frightens you the most, and begins to use those aspects more regularly. For example, if the player becomes uncomfortable around sexual dialogue, the monsters will become more sexual in nature.
Reynolds says that she isn't just trying to scare the pants off of her players, but believes Nevermind can have a tangible benefit on people's real-world lives. "The tiniest tight feeling in your stomach is a very biological response and the game will acknowledge that," she says, "Which then forces players to figure out what stress management techniques work for them."
If this sounds like something you'd want to try out, you should head over to the official website for more information.
Source: Fast Company


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Plan your Bhutan Travel ahead with us now. Travel to Bhutan is an exciting destination for all visitors. Some of the most significant religious and historical sites are included here. The Trongsa district is very important to the political leaders in Bhutan because of its availability to command the nation in the center while district of Bumthang has the most important monasteries and temples.The Buddhist temple Swayambhunath is one of Kathmandu's most important tourist attractions. This temple stands on a hilltop west of Kathmandu, with great views over the city. Swayambhunath is also known as Monkey Temple due to the large colony of lively resident monkeys, who like to run and play around the temple complex and are happy to eat any snacks offered by visitors. Next continue visit Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah Kings who ruled over the city.
Bhutan Travel 6D5N Nature's Paradise-Nepal – INP
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Product & Research Executive – Ultra-Luxury Brand (Mon-Fri). This is an excellent opportunity to join a unique & highly prestigious business specialising in luxury life-style, goods and experiential travel. The Luxury Product & Research Executive role would ideally suit a candidate from a luxury tailor-made or a travel product background, who sees this as step up to a specialist role. The successful candidate will work with and assist the Product Director in creating exclusive, high-end experiences around the world. Working with exclusive hotels, DMC's, and other suppliers to ensure the best quality and margins are obtained for our luxury specialist client.
The Luxury Product & Research Executive Role:
Now Let's Talk About You:
Last but not least, this luxury travel brand employs some of the nicest, brightest and most interesting people in the travel industry. Because they only employ the best people, they offer a very competitive basic salary, as well as the travel perks you should expect working for a leading travel company.
What You'll Get in Return:
Fantastic opportunity to join a unique, progressive business, with the opportunity to have direct impact on the direction of the company. This position comes with a competitive base salary of £30,000 - £32,000 per annum, based on experience, plus lucrative company benefits.
Sounds Like You?
If so, we'd love to hear from you!
Important, Please Note: It is unlawful to employ a person in a UK-based role who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. You should make yourself aware of how immigration laws apply to your situation prior to applying.


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Since 1983, Schlagel & Associates, P.A. has provided civil engineering services for a variety of land development and public works projects for local, regional, and national developers, corporations, and other private sector entities and for local, regional and federal public agencies. Projects range in size from a single parcel or small public improvement to several hundred acres or several miles of new infrastructure. Our civil engineers, registered in multiple states, utilize their experience and technical knowledge to prepare quality civil engineering designs that are compatible with the client's goals, budget, and schedule. Familiarity with the regulatory requirements of federal, state, and local reviewing agencies combined with their knowledge of construction enable the civil engineers to efficiently prepare designs and documents for projects of any size or complexity.
We only collect this data to help us provide better service to our clients. We do not distribute or sell this information.


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Three Years In: A Self-Assessment and the Work to Come
by Tasha
Three years ago, in the midst of a torrential downpour - Matt in the moving truck, me in my Honda Fit, and my dad in his car - we made our way from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to our new home in rural North Carolina. The traffic around D.C. and Northern Virginia was horrendous, with accidents littering the roadways every few miles. Despite the total lack of visibility and flooded pockets of pavement, drivers were cutting each other off to get a few feet ahead, driving too fast when the traffic picked up, and slamming on their brakes repeatedly as if they were intentionally hoping to cause an accident too.
As sad as I was about leaving our friends and family, that drive to our new life had felt like an affirmation of all the reasons why change was necessary. When we finally made it to Lowgap, I remember having a great sense of relief. It wasn't just because we survived the drive, but that we had actually done "it." We said goodbye to a way of living that felt destructive and silly but somehow stable, and had taken our first step towards something we hoped would be meaningful and regenerative, but that was also far more speculative than the beaten path.
In the days that followed, that sense of relief gave way to a question that we are effectively still trying to answer three years later. We had all sorts of plans about what our life here would look like. We'd studied a bunch of books, visited farms, talked to farmers, watched videos, made notes, and planned projects. As we started developing our food systems and installing infrastructure, it became clear that we had a made a pretty good road map for how to transform our landscape, but we hadn't thought much about what it would take to be kind of people to best inhabit it.
Despite our progress, we have not yet answered the question "How do we become self-sufficient people?" I've spent most of my life thinking that solutions came from stores, answers were out there, and professionals are necessary because I am only qualified to handle certain things on my own. One of the side-effects of a consumer culture is that our knowledge and skills have been narrowed down to what we get paid for and are considered qualified to do. We've become our jobs and our degrees, rather than a citizenry of well-rounded people with a high level of autonomy.
Certainly, our initial challenge has been to overcome those market dependencies by gaining skills through doing and developing effective replacement systems. To date, we've spent much of our time here experimenting, reading, trying, failing, improving, and eventually succeeding in the following areas.
- Providing our own food in a greenhouse, in an annual garden, in food forests, on hugelkulturs, using aquaculture, with the use of livestock, mushroom cultivation, foraging, etc
- Building structures like animal shelters, a smokehouse, a pizza oven, and a greenhouse
- Installing fences to keep some animals in and others out
- Water management – e.g., pond building, swales, hugelkulturs, diversion channels, rain depressions
- Ecological restoration and wildlife and pollinator habitat creation
- Building community
- Food preparation – cheese, vinegar, wine, fermented foods, bread, pizza, etc
- Developing a mix of homestead products for sale to local markets
- Miscellaneous skills like welding for Matt and soap-making for Tasha
- Writing about our experiences
Yet, the more skilled we become, the more we understand that it isn't just our loss of skills that inures us to the system - it's the very way we frame our questions and answers. We think in terms of goods and services. We are habituated to transactional living. And our choices are colored by addiction to products and services that we can't, and shouldn't try to, reproduce at the homestead level.
It is evident that even our notions of what constitutes problems, and how we go about solving them, stems from consumer culture. For example, a while back, our dishwasher broke. My first thought was, we'll have to buy a new one. But then I reminded myself I was now a competent homesteader and should try to fix it. I tried and failed. Matt and I contemplated whether we really needed a dishwasher. We can't run it on solar panels. We know it's not sustainable. But the alternative of hand-washing when we have limited counter space, painfully shallow sinks, and use so many dishes for all food preparation activities seemed unmanageable with all our other time commitments. We decided a new dishwasher was a luxury, but one that we would indulge in for now and try to wean ourselves from down the road. We effectively did a cost benefit analysis and chose perceived convenience.
I say "perceived" because when framed in the context of becoming self-sufficient people, it was a totally wrong answer. We're now newly invested in an expensive technology that requires the use of electricity that we cannot generate ourselves. Regardless of the propaganda by dishwasher advocates, we know it is far more energy efficient to do dishes by filling a small tub of soapy water for washing and scrubbing and just rinsing quickly under running water. And the fact that we use so many dishes is an indication that we still have some simplification to do to become self-sufficient. A new dishwasher isn't a convenience on the road to self-sufficiency, it's a lengthy and unnecessary detour.
A dishwasher is an expensive item and obviously not sustainable, so it's an easy example to point to. The real challenges though are not in the big decisions; we know the right answers on those even if we choose otherwise. The small and daily decisions have a larger cumulative effect than a one-time purchase of a dishwasher. And these, are in fact the habits we find most difficult to change.
We started this adventure with the notion that we would use the easy availability of consumer products to fast-track our way to self-sufficiency. And that philosophy has served us well to a point. But now we need to make the next step in our transition and cut our ties to consumer culture, even if it feels like a hardship until we adjust. In truth, we don't know exactly what this looks like because we have not seen it in our lifetime.
Matt and I both have early memories of being marketed to as children watching Saturday morning cartoons or re-runs of The Dukes of Hazard. If you doubt the pervasiveness of the messages, then think back to your favorite toy. Was it home-made or store bought? How long was it your favorite? How many other toys did you have? If are in the forty-something age bracket (like us), did you have a big wheel or a cabbage patch doll, or know someone who did? There's a high probability that many of you in our age range have similar memories and experiences. And that's not just a coincidence.
Even though Matt and I both rebelled in our youth becoming "alternative," we each have stories of owning Creepers and Doc Martens, and other similar brand-named alternative attire. That too is not an accident. Fashion took over punk rock before we knew it existed. Nearly anything that starts as an authentic movement eventually gets co-opted by the market.
Now with the internet, marketing has become even more pervasive and directed. As I click through websites on homesteading, animal husbandry, building a gray water system, composting toilet, DIY anything… related ads start to pop-up. Recently I was reading a post on "What Homesteading Really Costs…" I could only read a short section without scrolling because most of the screen was covered by advertisements for chicken coops and cattle panels (since I'd recently been searching those). In the post, the author wrote about having to pay for fences, roads, rebuilding structures, how she started blogging to make some money, but then she became an essential oils saleswoman and her husband was able to quit his job and build their dream home. And you can become a sales rep too, and support her dream of homesteading, while also supporting yours…
It is clear that the idea of the self-sufficient life has now also been usurped by advertising and an alternative product list. But Matt and I don't want a simulacrum of a self-sufficient life. We genuinely want to opt out, not just to buy into an alternate version. And we know the only real way to do that is to learn to live without spending money.
When we first started this journey, I didn't understand why so many homesteaders also focused on developing their primitive skills. For us, this transformation was about using existing resources to make a transition to something more sustainable without being uncomfortable. The longer we are on this path though, the more we realize that in order to make ourselves self-sufficient people we need a total mind-shift from the mentality of consumerism. I am beginning to see how learning primitive skills, and being able to conceive of living with a pre-industrial perspective, can help free us from the trap of believing that everything we consider normal these days is necessary in the first place.
You can't unravel healthcare when you believe it's an entitlement and a necessity. You can't end war in the Middle East when you see your life as dependent on fossil fuels. You can't rail against the stock market when you support the underlying corporate systems with your purchase dollars. And we can't keep one foot in both worlds and at the same time expect to live up to our ideals.
I don't know if Matt and I will be building our own teepees or tanning a deer hide with brains any time soon, but we do plan to get back to more primitive ways by learning to live with fewer modern comforts. And we are planning to intentionally live on much less money than we currently use and see how far that limitation gets us towards truly becoming more self-sufficient.
That torrential drive here was a starting point. These last three years have been good preparation and training. We have a few more projects we've allowed on our list. Those will take financial resources, but will be wrapped up quickly.
The road beyond this last project list is unpaved, unknown, and likely to be much harder going, but we are totally looking forward to it!
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Featured Car
Rich's Thunderbird
Owned by Rich Kaminski
Story & Pictures by Rich Kaminski
Description of vehicle = 390 cubic inch V-9, power steering, power windows, automatic transmission, air conditioning, California front bumper, sequential turn signals, tilt-A-way steering wheel and an AM/FM radio. It still has the original ultra violet marks for quality control and production numbers on the firewall for the production date. It came across the built line on May 24, 1967.
My partnership with this car came almost by accident. It was a Friday afternoon and I had plans to take my mother out to dinner. Afterwards I wanted to take in a movie so I stopped to pick up a New-Herald to see what was playing. After checking out the movies for the day, I decided to glance through the car want ads. That's when I saw the ad for the "67" Thunderbird.
The seller, who was the executer for a woman's estate, told me that the car came from a San Francisco dealership called Cecil Whitebone Ford and the owner had lived in Tiburon, California before moving to Mentor. She had taken ill and the car had sat about eight years until the owner passed away.
I have been to many car cruises and shows, but there is one that stands out the most. at the Mentor Car Cruise about 10 years ago, Dennis Gage from My Classis Car TV Show attended the show. He was riding around in his golf cart and I was in the middle of the . parking lot with my friends. Dennis stopped his cart, got out, and walked around my car and started looking at the interior. He then asked who owned the car and I told him it was mine. When he asked if he could look under the hood, I told him absolutely and lifted the hood to allow him to look at different parts. After checking out my car, he told me he had a 1967 Thunderbird at his home in Las Vegas . I asked him if I could take his picture, but he told me to come join him for the photo, so one of my friends took the picture. Afterwards we talked 15 or 20 minutes. Meeting him and having the chance to talk with him was great.During one of my later trips to Reno for a Hot August Nights Car Show, I bumped into him and we talked about his car. He remembered my car and asked if I still had it. Before he left he even gave me his personal e-mail address.
It was another really nice visit with Dennis Gage that I'll always remember.


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Develop and Keeping up-dated an Account Plan, develop business plan for HORECA.
Working with the chefs ,including F&B Manager,Chefs and Purchase decision makers of esteemed chain and group for local tie ups.
Prabhat is one of India's leading Milk & Milk Products company with a motto of health... & happiness for all. From the beginning, Prabhat has worked with dedication to bring prosperity to the marginal farmers and offer value proposition to its quality conscious consumers and associates. This is being achieved through continuous process of innovation and involvement of all the stake holders. Read full description


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21-25 June, 2016
Thomson Foundation, International Institute for Regional Media and Information, supported by the European Union, invite regional journalists to apply for field production workshops, focusing on internally displaced people (IDPs). Trainings for TV and online journalists will be held in Vinnytsia (14-18 June) and Odesa (21 -25 June) within the framework of the Regional Voices project, aimed at the local media support.
On the first day of workshops participants will discuss how to put one-off incident in a context, the importance of human angle to IDPs stories, build a story board, learn tips about working with sources, and many other things needed for an impactful, balanced, and objective story. Next two days participants will be working in groups, filming in the field, the remaining time will be for editing and final packages presentation. By the end of the training, each participant will have a real time publication for immediate release/broadcast on regional media.
These are already 7th and 8th broadcast workshops check out Regional Voices' latest stories from Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi.
In the long run, created network of regional journalists and produced stories will serve as a basis for linking Ukraine's regional media to EU countries newsrooms directly.
To apply for any of the workshop, fill in online form by 27th of May
The organizers will provide accommodation, meals and reimburse tickets (train economy fare and buses).
For more information about the workshops contact Regional Voices Project team at (044) 498- 51-75 or by email email@example.com
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About trainers:
Deborah Kelly is Thomson Foundation Editorial Associate, specialist in live production at the BBC, ITV and Al Jazeera and programme editor. Deborah is an experienced broadcast executive and trainer who has held senior editorial roles at ITV and worked as a Programme Editor for Al Jazeera English in Qatar. She oversaw output, supervising a multi-disciplinary team in the TV gallery, producing several hours of live television and breaking news every day.
She previously worked for the Reuters news agency and as a reporter and presenter in TV and radio for both ITV and BBC. Deborah has trained journalists in the Balkans, the United States, Middle East and UK.
David Hands, experienced producer, cameraman, editor and soundman. He worked for ABC News (US) during the former Yugoslavia war, for BBC and Swiss TV in East and Central Africa, for Dutch and German TV in Jerusalem. In 2003, he moved back to Cyprus and became a partner at Crewhouse Media, a film and video production house specializing in documentaries, news production and short fiction films. He produced a number of bi-communal documentaries and PSA's with the aim of bridging the gap between the two communities of Cyprus. Since 2007 David has been a regular consultant for the Thomson Foundation.
Ivan Charalambous, Cyprus, producer, editor, cameraman, cinematographer has been working in various video productions, including news, documentaries, advertisements and public service announcements, for local and international clients. Has cooperated with many major international news networks, such as ARD, Al Jazeera, PBS, Euronews, Bloomberg and others. Covered the Iraqi-Kurdish fight against ISIS in August 2014 for PBS Newshour.
Olena Astrakhovich (Odessa, Ukraine) – IRMI expert, a moderator of the course, a journalist and author of programmes for "Grad" broadcasting company.
Ihor Holub (Vinnytsya, Ukraine) – IRMI expert, a facilitator of the course, Director of "Misto Nad Buhom" Radio Station.


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Make an Appointment
New Appointment
To make a new appointment with the the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program call our program assistants at 919-966-9700 or 919-843-8843.
We will request basic demographic information as well as information relating to the patient's disease, diagnostic workup and, if applicable, previous treatment. The program assistant will work with our nurse coordinator to make an appointment with the appropriate physician. To more efficiently serve the referring physicians and patients we will assemble all medical information including operative reports, pathology slides, and most recent diagnostic tests and scans before the patient's first visit. Preliminary evaluation of this information will help us better choose the most appropriate initial physician for the patient. The program assistant will contact patients with their appointment time. If patients need additional tests prior to their initial visit, the nurse coordinator will discuss this with them.
Return Appointment Information
To make a return appointment, please call:
Hematology Oncology at 919-966-7990
Surgery Oncology at 919-966-4086 or 919-966-3552
Radiation Oncology at 919-445-5295
For Questions
For additional questions, please call one of the nurse navigators for the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program:
Judith Maloney RN, BSN, OCN 919-843-9085
Sonja Henretty BSN, RN 919-843-9185
Please bring the following to your clinic appointment:
- physician's name, address and phone number
- patient identification card if you have been seen before at UNC
- insurance card and any other related forms required by your insurance company
- list of allergies and medications you are taking with the dosages


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The South Florida Shomrim Society was formed in 1984 to satisfy the needs of the Jewish Law Enforcement Officers, and support personnel, in Miami-Dade County. With only a handful of members, the originators slowly made progress in recruiting new members. The dream of an expanded membership was realized in the early 1990's when there were over 100 members. The Founding Members along with Irving "Red" Heller, Chairman of the Board of Directors, forged ahead with establishing the legitimacy of the Society. They worked tirelessly with a few dedicated members and limited technology to get the word out and keep the organization directed toward helping Jewish causes. Under this leadership, the first Dinner Dance was held, scholarships handed out, and many Jewish charities were supported, with donations and physical labor.
Late in 1999, the leadership of the Society was passed to Steve Leibowitz. Building upon the foundation that had been laid and using technology not available in the Society's beginning the membership grew. Today, the membership numbers almost 300. Many members living in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe, Collier counties, and a couple in Lee County. There are also members who live in Israel, Canada, New York, Philadelphia, Massachusetts Ohio, Illinois and California.
The Society regularly supports more than 30 charities each year. With the expanded membership, fund raising projects, and corporate sponsorships the funds raised by the Shomrim Society have dramatically increased, and with it so have the amounts given away each year. The South Florida Shomrim Society Scholarship Award was up to seven awards in 2008, from one just seven years ago.
The Annual Dinner Dance and Awards ceremony is held each year in November, at the beginning of the Veteran's Day Weekend. For many years this event went unscheduled, now it is the Society's flagship event attended by over 300 guests and supporters, this year celebrating the Silver Anniversary of the South Florida Shomrim Society. The free Kosher Picnic (fondly referred to as "Machin A Piknik") is held each Spring and it too brings together 300 plus members, family and friends and Supporters.
The revitalization and evolution of the Society is continuous. In the words of the organization's Spiritual Leader, Rabbi Pinchas A. Weberman, "This is truly an organization of inclusion rather than exclusion".
The South Florida Shomrim Society was born from the need to have a place for Jewish Law Enforcement Officers to turn. The seeds were planted and it now represents the dreams of those that forged it, setting the standards that future Fraternal Jewish Organizations will strive to match.


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|Thu 1 Nov 2018, 6:30pm–8:00pm
Additional fees may apply
Find your beat!
"Rhythm is the soul of life. The whole universe revolves in rhythm. Every thing and every human action revolves in rhythm." - Baba Tunji
What is 'Beats for Beginners'? 16+
Beginner... a person or thing that 'begins'.
- Suitable if you have never drummed before
- If you have been drumming for a very short time
- Or if you haven't drummed for a while!
I will help you:
- Learn beginner African drumming techniques & strategies
- Learn solid technique practises
- Find your joy through the drum
I am an award winning & highly experienced musician and fully trained teacher. I am passionate about providing opportunities for all to experience the sheer joy of music, through accessible music making.
Pre Payment only. No casuals. This is a capped workshop with limited places available.
Please make contact to pay for your place: email: email@example.com
Need a drum to use?... I'd be delighted to let you use one of mine!
"Jennifer teaches with contagious enthusiasm and positivity."
Before you go, would you like to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with events happening in your area, competitions for free tickets and CD giveaways?
No thanks - I'm already an Eventfinda member (or I don't want to join)
Enter your email below, click on the Sign Up button and we'll send you on your way
Continuing confirms your acceptance of our terms of service.


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By Robert Nicastro
Gannon University Student Contributor
The average office worker uses approximately one sheet of paper every twelve minutes (Tufts, p.2). Although there is no such thing as a "paperless" office, businesses and individuals can save money and make a positive environmental impact by reducing paper usage.
There is no "one right way" to reduce paper usage. Many companies are converting to electronic billing and storage, in which all documents are stored via computers. This ensures less printing and efficiently begins with a "vision" for future paper reduction. Other companies have incorporated double sided printers, reused paper, or created policies to curtail unnecessary photocopying.
Why is the Reduction of Paper Important?


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Fox News: "I'm not making this up"
This is from a couple of days ago, but it is, nonetheless, instructive.
Think Progress reported that Fox News claimed that a fake Onion-like story from the folks at Associated Content was the real thing. In other words, the phony story about the establishment of an "anti-ham response plan" at a school wherein students had taunted Muslims peers with a ham steak was believed by the clowns at Fox. They reportedly checked in on-line, no doubt consulting the wisdoms of Instaputz and Michelle Malkin. To the folks at "Fox & Friends" that was all that needed checking.
Without a doubt, the item is laden with schadenfreud, as the spoof-suckers went on to proclaim that they couldn 't believe it; that it sounded like it was "almost from The Onion." Howls of protest emanated from the multitude of dumb-asses in front of the camera and on the screen: "I'm not making this up," was the theme of the morning outrage.
No. Someone else did.


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Piper Jaffray Launches MM Lending Arm With $1B Equity
Piper Jaffray formed Piper Jaffray Finance, a wholly owned lending subsidiary that will provide committed debt facilities for middle-market clients based in North America.
Piper Jaffray Finance has been backed with $1 billion of equity commitments, with capital commitments from a group of investors including Piper Jaffray Companies. Piper Jaffray Finance will underwrite debt facilities for Piper Jaffray's investment banking industry coverage universe, leveraging expertise across all of the firm's verticals including healthcare, energy, consumer, industrials, technology, financial services, and agriculture, clean tech and renewables.
Piper Jaffray Finance will primarily underwrite middle-market loans between $75 million and $250 million for firms with EBITDA of $15 million or higher. The group will focus on first lien and stretch unitranche, but also has the ability to underwrite second lien and mezzanine loans, for sponsored and non-sponsored transactions.
Len Sheer, head of the Piper Jaffray capital advisory group, will serve as president of Piper Jaffray Finance. Along with executive team members Amrit Agrawal, James Chiarelli and Bob Lauria, the group brings more than75 years of combined experience in the middle market and debt capital markets.
Sheer said, "We are thrilled to launch Piper Jaffray Finance and we look forward to underwriting middle-market debt facilities for Piper Jaffray's client base. This capability differentiates us from many of our competitors and translates into greater flexibility and speed – as well as a more streamlined deal process – through a trusted, established partner."


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Published Oct 9, 2008
"Excellent drinks, wonderful atmosphere, superb food...there are not enough superlatives to describe this place!"
via Michelle R.
"…Excellent drinks, wonderful atmosphere, superb food...there are not enough superlatives to describe this place!…"
"…Awesome food and a large array of bourbons! The Bluegrass Mimosa is bar far my favorite…"
"…Best live blues in town monday through saturday with no cover except Friday and Saturday.... very friendly staff and reasonable drink prices, a terrif…"
"…This is our favorite restaurant in - and out - of St. Matthews. The food is consistently excellent and the martini list is full of fun - and delicious…"
"…Who is putting together these nominations? Cafe K has been out of business for more than a year now.…"
"…I love this bar because it is so clean. They have wine down Wednesdays - half price bottles!…"
The 2008 Best of Kentuckiana awards are based on more than 27,000 votes from local Louisville-area experts.
See the full results →
Connect with Louisville A-List
© CityVoter, Inc.


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With all the resources out there that can help someone put together a DIY website, it might be tempting to consider having your website built by someone other than a professional, like a freelancer or even your really bright 15-year-old cousin. All these available resources do make it easier to create a decent-looking website. The problem is that while taking this route can give you a website, it won't give you a protected one, and if something goes wrong and there is a security issue, you won't have avenues for support.
Security is a serious shortcoming inherent in homemade websites. Someone who puts together an e-commerce site without a thorough knowledge of all the security measures needed to properly lock down the site leaves it (and its customer credit card information) very vulnerable. How vulnerable? A client of mine hired a freelancer to do his e-commerce website. In about 10 minutes, I was able to hack into the site and get all the credit card information stored on it. This was really not good because I am by no means a hacker.
Security has become a much deeper issue for all sites. Hackers can steal your URL, recode your website, start sending out viruses using your website, and steal your identity information. They are very crafty and will have no problem getting whatever they want from and doing whatever they want to an unprotected or improperly protected website.
By having your site professionally created, it will be better able to fend off these attacks. You'll be guaranteed that a team of professionals will be looking out for the best interests of your site. They know the measures needed to keep the hackers from having their way with your site and to help protect all the information you have stored there.
I know people who provide freelance services and some of them are very skilled, but even the most gifted freelancer is by necessity a "jack of all trades, master of none." Creating and maintaining a professional design that functions correctly without compromising security requires a variety of skill sets. Here at LEAP, these skill sets encompass the activities of four distinct departments, so how could you possibly expect one person to possess this level of expertise?
For peace of mind about not just the security of your website but also that there will be someone who'll have your back if anything else goes wrong with your site, it's worth the investment to go with a pro when you have your site built. This extra expense will provide you with the benefits you receive when working with professionals. You'll have a group of people with different facets of experience coming together to build a website for you. And because this team has the forethought to think of things that might happen or be needed down the road, you'll have the security of knowing you will receive a site that will be safe and secure and able to benefit you for a long time.