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Friday, June 4, 2010
Mmadu Osa International Band
For the next song on the highlife turntable I have selected a track by the Mmadu Osa International band titled Ndu Osa. Led by Ikechukwu Izuegbu (alias the spokesman), he was a "lyrical philosopher" credited with "speaking the minds of many" on this Izuson label release circa 1985. I do not know much about Ikechukwu, but he appears to have spent several years apart from his family living in places like Ibadan, Kano, Lagos and Makurdi while they stayed in Ogwashi. This LP appears to be a dedication to his family and a thanks to God as it was released 1 year after they were reunited.
This is a deeply spiritual band. The songs are described as commentaries and they reflect on the strength that one can gain by being faithful and loyal to a family, a people and a God. The words Mmadu Osa translate roughly into the phrase: Let goodness exist God. The song I have selected is Ndu Osa and translates into the phrase: Life God.
Its a wonderful song that runs over 18 minutes and includes Ikechukwu's haunting vocals backed by a first rate band. Check out the way the horns follows and leads the vocalist through the song and the super conga and drum breaks. There is also a great guitar solo around the 15.30 minute mark. One of my desert island tracks. I hope you like it.
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Zut! Les Flics Privés
French Eyes
Brad Spurgeon 1997 essa remains one of the most definitive, online English-language guides to the subject, complete with transcribed interviews with many of France's best hardboiled writers, and other movers and shakers of the scene. "For me," he said, "...never having read anything more recent than Simenon or Malet, I saw this as a great learning opportunity. I passed a year of explosive discovery!
If you're feeling a little lost about some of the French terms used on this site, check this out.
List respectfully compiled by Kevin Burton Smith. A gros merci to Marcel Bernadac for his invaluable assistance.
| Home | Detectives A-L M-Z | Film | Radio | Television | Web Comics | Comics | FAQs | Search |


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The Social Effects of Global Trade
New edited collection with chapter by Simon Mair, Angela Druckman and Tim Jackson: Fairness and Globalization in the Western European Clothing Supply Chain
December 2017
As part of a new compilation of groundbreaking work on social indicators, Simon Mair, Angela Druckman and Tim Jackson have contributed a chapter examining how globalisation since 1990 has shaped fairness in the Western European clothing supply chain. Over this period, wages in lower income countries have risen dramatically. However, they still fall well below those paid in Western Europe and are around half that needed to live a good life.
Consequently, despite improvements in wages, globalisation has not made the Western European clothing supply chain 'fair'. One way to improve fairness could be to pay a 'living wage' to workers in poorer countries, the research finds, something that would only cost a small fraction of the annual Western European spend on clothing.
The edited collection bases the work "in the real world of politics, human rights, and business, bringing together a multidisciplinary team to demonstrate the power of Input-Output analysis to illuminate some of the world's most pressing problems". Edited by Joy Murray, Arunima Malik, and Arne Geschke, the book is designed to appeal to academic and business audience alike.
For more details, visit the CRC Press website. A preview of the book can be accessed on the Pan Stanford Publishing website (PDF).
- A fair days wage for a fair days work?—Simon Mair, summarising why wages are unfair, and what we can do about it
- The future of jobs: is decent work for all a pipe dream?—Blog by Tim Jackson
- This New World—Reframing the distribution of rewards | Huffington Post Blog by Tim Jackson


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- Home
- Welcome
- About
- Worship
- Ministries
- Kalendar
- Resources
- Announcements
- Pastoral Insights
- Contact
The Collect(s)
The lessons are preceded by a prayer called the collect. The collect is introduced with the Apostolic Greeting. ("The Lord be with you." "And with thy Spirit.") This verse and response is found in the earliest liturgies and follows the biblical custom (cf. Ruth 2:4) of greeting one another in the name of the Lord.
The collects are addressed to God the Father. An attribute or aspect of God's person or work is recalled. A petition is made. And the prayer is offered through the person of Jesus Christ. Some collects are offered directly to Christ. There will be more than one collect when there is an octave (an eight day celebration of a feast) when two or more feasts occur on the same day or when there is seasonal collect to be said after the collect for the day (Advent and Lent).
The Epistle and Gospel
The epistle is read from the right (traditionally south) end of the altar. Hence this side of the altar is called the epistle side. It is ancient tradition to have a gospel procession in which the gospel book is carried from the sanctuary (the front part of the church within the communion rail where the altar is) to the nave (the main body of the church where the people sit). This symbolizes Christ's bringing of the gospel to the people. When there is no gospel procession a remnant of it remains in the moving of the book from the right side of the altar to the left (traditionally north) end of the altar. Hence the left side of the altar is called the Gospel side.
The lessons speak to the whole Church but they also have something to say to each worshiper. Try to discern what God is saying to you each week through the lessons. Come to church expecting that God will speak to you. The lessons will have greater impact if you are in the habit of reading the Bible in a disciplined manner during the week.
In the name of
God the Father who created us and sustains the world in which we live,
God the Son who died for us and rose again to save us from a life of sin and death andGod the Holy Ghost who inhabits and guides our sacramental and prayerful worship of Him,


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"You don't have to worry about burning bridges, if you're building your own"
It is often said that every artist was once an amateur. It's her diligence, perseverance and hard work which help her advance and mature as an individual. Women since time immemorial have been treated as second class citizens and have been subjected to an endless chain of unequal treatment and challenges. Women have always been marginalized and downgraded to the status of subjugated class in the Indian society. Due to lack of specific implementation of plans, local communities, women especially have remained outside the scope and benefits of government schemes and programs.
At Chetana we realize the importance and an indispensable need of skill development in a person's life in order to help them lead a life of respect and self reliance. Therefore we conducted tailoring/knitting training program to enhance the quality of life of women and teenage girls through enhancement of their skills and knowledge.
LOCATION- Two centers – Baljeet Nagar (Patel Nagar) and Mohan Garden (Uttam Nagar)
- To promote employment oriented skill, up gradation training to the adolescent girls and ladies from the community
- To use these groups as a platform for generating awareness on social issues
- To encourage self-employment by acting support agency for providing necessary help
We involve women residing in low income urban clusters who are unemployed or are looking to upskill. The idea is to create a sustainable network of empowered women who can step into the workforce and make the image of an empowered and economically contributive woman the norm
Semi skilled and unskilled women enrolled themselves for training. These women would be given training in knitting, tailoring, embroidery, designing of clothes and products used in day to day life like pouches, floor matt etcare on machines in 4 batches daily for 6 months. After completion of training, these women would start producing finished products
These tailoring classes enabled women/Girls in rural and sub-urban areas to earn on their own, making them self-assured and self-dependent. After completing of 6 months training, some women/Girls can start their own tailoring shops, while many can secure well-paying jobs in the export garment factories in the nearby areas, or sub-contract work from large tailoring shops.
So far we have managed to empower 60+ women from the same


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Nollywood is the sobriquet for Nigeria's film industry. The industry is currently witnessing a boom as it churns out new and exciting movies. So, there is little or no argument when it is described as the third largest movie industry in the world.
Now, a good number of Nigerians are watching Nollywood movies alongside Hollywood movies. At the same, they are visiting cinemas to watch these sterling movies made by prolific producers like Kunle Afolayan, Lancelot Imasuen, Emem Isong and Tunde Kelani, among others in locations like Lagos, Calabar, and Enugu.
Easily predictable
In some cases, the title of the movie will give you a fair idea of the plot. And if you decide to watch the movie, with 100% certainty you can tell what is happening next. Often times than not, Nigerians who watch Nollywood movies do not look forward to the climax and its resolution. Thus, due to this predictability, they easily lose interest.
You must have questioned why they are wasting so much time at a particular scene. The answer is that the producer wants the film to have a sequel. Definitely, you know that the movie doesn't need one. But the thinking of the producer is different as the movie can have like 3 sequels with different titles.
No storyline or plot
Some Nollywood movies have no plot or storyline. It seems like they hurriedly gathered actors and actresses to just act a script that has no story. This leaves some Nigerian film enthusiasts to question why they wasted time watching the movie.
Some accident or shooting scenes are a write-off
Accident or shooting scenes in most Nollywood movies are a write-off. For those who are addicted to Hollywood and watch the same scene in a Nollywood film, you will be awed at the way the act is poorly done. This is a major scene that producers need to improve.
Many Nigerians now watch indigenous language movies especially Yoruba movies. But one flaw about these movies is that it is poorly subtitled. So, the movie is restricted to those who can only fathom the language.
Witchcraft has become one way to identify Nollywood movies and this not good for the image of the country. As a result, Many Nollywood enthusiasts frown at this very negative portrayal.


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Nov 2, 2018
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Available in three form factor/capacity options, the 4U, 5U and 7U SSD and HDD-optimized ambient, bench-top testers deliver accurate testing and consistency. With a small footprint and affordable price it's easy to provide every engineer with their own testing platform. These systems utilize Perseus, Flexstar's test operating software platform and comes with a comprehensive library of standard tests.
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- User-friendly GUI allows for easy test control (start/stop) and monitoring (status) of all Device Under Test (DUT)
- GUI allows intuitive drill down monitoring from scripts level through DUT interface commands and down to bit level write and read operations
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Factors to consider when restoring old furniture.
Furniture that has been in use over the time is better than modern furniture produced in bigger numbers. This furniture is made to be more durable since replacement of furniture cannot occur over and over. It is classic style because it was intended to stay for a longer period. Nevertheless, having been used for a long time can alter the color, appearance, and stability of furniture.
Old furniture can often be restored using the tips below. Determine whether it's necessary to repair them or to do away with them. One can consider refinishing a table where the finish has seen the stain darken over time. You should not rebuild a furniture that has been invested by pests such as termites and ants. If the wood has clear signs of severe water destruction such as rot and stains do not bother. The amount of work goes higher with the size of the piece and treasure chest with many corners and cracks can be a pain to clean out much less renovate. Note that wall-sized shelving units are in less demand in the marketplace because they are difficult to move whereas small desks have high value and strong small tables.
If you are dealing with a rusting metal piece, consider the amount of work it will take to remove the surface rust from an ornate steel table as compared to a rusted weather vane with all flat surfaces. If it will take many hours to remove the rust it is not worth your effort. Have a strategy how the piece will look like before you start working on it. You should invest time completing what you know you will put into use after the work.
Have an economical plan to avoid spending on pieces that are not substantial to your money. Your budget should contain any cost of any woodworking tools that you may lack and cannot borrow or rent. In case the cost of refinishing your old furniture is higher than buying a new one you may consider leaving the furniture and buying a new one.
Appreciate the space for your work. it is important to know the time span that you will spend to repair the furniture. For example,rust take days to eradicate. Understand when the project will either take significant time to do and when it cannot be done at all.
Plan on replacing the hardware. You should consider eliminating the hinges, pulls, handles and ornate knobs. After you complete the wood you can reconstruct it with the renovated hardware or a new hardware that matches the original piece's look. If you do not understand how to deal with compound joints like dovetail joints, leave the refurbishing work to those who can do it better.


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Promised myself not to go home today without a photo with a tribe warrior.
Cheap thrill for a first-timer hehe 🙂
I got my wish.
It's the first time I watched the tribes dance on the streets.
For the past years,I only watched the m perform on TV because I was too lazy to drag my butt on the streets.I only went out at night for the food fest. Shame on me hehe 🙂
This year I wanted to do it differently.I don't want to be too busy or too nerdy for this stuff.
Oh man, it was fun.
I'm just lucky that I'm not on-duty today.
Hala Bira Iloilo!


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Crystal Ball: Send Us Your Prediction for Alibaba's Stock Price
Each week, The Wall Street Journal's Crystal Ball feature invites readers to test their prediction skills.
Send your answer to the latest question to firstname.lastname@example.com by midnight EDT Sunday, with your full name, city, state and phone number. (While comments to this blog post are welcome, they won't be included as Crystal Ball entries.) The first reader who gets it right is named the following week.
This week's question: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding began trading on Friday and became among the 20 biggest companies by market capitalization in the U.S. What will the company's closing share price be on Tuesday, Sept. 23?
Last week's winner: Congratulations to James Yarwood of Fort Worth, Texas, who came closest to guessing home builder Lennar's closing price of $41.40 this past Wednesday.


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Legal Recreational Drugs to Face Extra Tax in New Zealand
April 30, 2014 Taxation in New Zealand
WELLINGTON – Legal psychoactive substances may soon be subject to new taxes in New Zealand.
Over the weekend the Associate Health Minister of New Zealand Peter Dunne indicated that the government may consider implementing an extra tax on the sale of legal recreational drugs, locally known as "legal highs".
If the new taxes is implemented, all legally available recreational drugs will be taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, in order to discourage use, and to raise extra funds to help offset the raised healthcare costs stemming from the use of the drugs.
The potential tax change is not the first move that has been made to reduce the use of the drugs, as only one day prior to the Minister's statement the government announcement that manufacturers will now need to provide clinical evidence that the products pose minimal health and mental risks before being allowed to be sold to the public.
Commenting on the feasibility of implementing higher taxes on legal highs, Peter Dunne indicated that it has not yet been decided on the exact nature of the tax, or when it will be implemented, but said that the tax may be given greater consideration after the current "carnage" over the recently implemented sale restrictions are cleared.
The proposal to add an extra tax on the substances has already received the support across the country, with some experts saying that sales restrictions on legal highs will only lead to greater black market activity, while an extra tax would have the same effect on reducing consumption as tax on cigarettes.
Photo by: Torben Hansen


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Everyone is going to travel at least once in their life. Whether you are an experienced world traveler or have never left your home state, learning more about the art of travel is still interesting and beneficial. This article is designed to provide you with valuable information regarding travel and how to get the most out of it.
A useful tip for travelers is to make certain to have sufficient health insurance in place to cover medical expenses in case of injury or illness while abroad. It is often the case that domestic health insurance policies do not provide extensive coverage for treatment and hospitalization in foreign countries. Therefore, it is important to procure such coverage for the entire duration of your trip.
If you travel a great deal for work, the constant change of venue and planes can be exhausting. Make it a bit easier on yourself by always requesting the same seat when you book a flight ("9A, please, or right over the wing.") Actually, over the wing is a good spot because the plane tends to be most solidly anchored and less susceptible to vibration. That way, you will feel as though you're sitting in "your" seat on the same plane back and forth, and you'll also be accustomed to working in that particular position (window at your left, etc.)
If you are taking your car to the airport and leaving it there, always make a note of where you parked it. You should write it on a piece of paper or put it in your phone. Most likely when you return from your trip, your memory will not be enough to find it.
When going on an extended trip, make sure to pack weather appropriate clothing. Go online to check out the weather channel's website and see what kind of weather is expected in your travel area. For example, don't pack mini skirts and tennis shoes if where you're going has a lot of rainfall and cold weather. It not only will prevent you from getting sick, but also from getting strange stares from the locals who can pinpoint tourists and make you feel awkward.
Make your travel plans more affordable by booking your flight through a meta-search site. It can be tempting to get your tickets from a website whose purpose is to locate cheap airfare, but a meta-search site looks through a variety of airlines and travel booking sites at the same time. It will then redirect you to the site that has the price you want, saving you money.
Know the rules for your airline's baggage check policy. Some airlines will make you go and claim your baggage and recheck it for connecting flights. Be aware of this so you can schedule flights accordingly. You do not want to get caught running across an airport to catch a flight because of baggage!
Traveling is often times something that people want to do at some point. This is the reason you can be better prepared, by using this information for any travel situations that you may come across. This article will help you have a stress free travel experience.


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Party promoters, photographers, drag queens and DJs -" just about everyone connected to our bustling scene has a home on the internet these days.
From the safety of a home computer, punters can check out DJ set-lists, view photos taken at big dance party events and even plan their upcoming clubbing schedules. And by logging on to websites like pinkboard.com.au, they can discuss the clubbing or partying experience in minute detail with other likeminded clubbers and party-ers.
Overseas DJs who have played in Sydney over the past few months, such as Tracy Young and Matt Darey, have websites that are as extensive as they are impressive, complete with photo galleries and samples of their mixing or production work.
The website offerings of Sydney-based DJs are somewhat more modest, but nevertheless offer diligent web-searchers the chance to find out more about their favourite DJ.
Lukeleal.com features a discography, a biography, details of sets played at big parties and events, as well as links to various club and party sites.
I've had a really good response to the site, Luke says, before revealing that he actually designed it himself. It's a point of contact for people who are interstate and overseas about me, and it has info on my upcoming gigs.
One of the main purposes of the site, Luke explains, is to provide party promoters -" particularly those overseas, where he does a number of gigs -" with information on him which they can use for their promotional material.
But it's not just about marketing: the site also includes lists of Luke's big-party sets -" perfect for the dancefloor punter who really needs to know the name of the track played at, say, 4am.
I always write down my sets, to see what I played when, he says. Initially it was just something I did for myself, but now I put my set lists from the big events up on the site.
In the future, Luke says he might look at uploading samples of his mixing, but concedes that that's still some way off.
Jake Kilby is also fairly modest about his site, jakekilby.com.
Like Luke, Jake uses his site as a means of marketing himself to party promoters overseas. With good reason: he's played overseas four times in the past eight months, and is currently hoping to score more overseas gigs, in places as far afield as Taipei and San Francisco.
It's a really good way to access information, he says. Currently, his website features details of his regular gigs, some biographical information and a guestbook.
It's pretty lame at the moment, he warns. But just about every DJ in Sydney seems to be getting a site together now. It's like an avalanche effect.
Luke Leal plays the Stonewall Hotel on Wednesday night and has two residencies at Arq: funky stuff downstairs on Saturday night and anthems and euphoric trance upstairs on Sunday night. Jake Kilby plays UN (the old DCM) on Saturday nights and downstairs at Arq on Sunday night.
Vida Las Vegas
As lavish as the shows in which she stars, vidalasvegas.com features a gazillion photos of the reigning DIVA Entertainer of the Year, with up-to-date information about her current shows and appearances. There's also some bio information on the boy behind the showgirl, and details on how to book Vida for your upcoming party or launch function.
Joyce Maynge
There's no other showgirl like Joyce Maynge, and there's no other website like www.abitgirlie.com. Anywhere. In the entire world. It starts with a splash page with the appealingly obscure warning that, by entering the site, you agree to things. Go further and you find yourself dropped into the world of Joyce and her mates, known as The Church of Divinical Intolerance. The in-jokes fly thick and fast, but a lot of it is very funny. There's gossip, news, information on Joyce's current and upcoming shows, fashion hints and a whole load of really, really weird shit. In fact, it's so weird, it's a bit hard to describe. Check it out for yourself.
Courtney Act
There ain't much to look at on courtneyact.com yet: just a photo of Courtney half-wearing and half-falling-out-of a glamorous pink gown. A sign states courtneyact.com -" coming soon. We're excited!
© Star Observer 2019 | For the latest in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) news in Australia, be sure to visit starobserver.com.au daily. You can also read our latest magazines or Join us on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.


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School Uniform
Topic outline
School Uniform
School Uniform regulations have been confirmed and adopted by the School Governing Body in order to foster pride in the school and a sense of belonging to it. All pupils must be dressed in accordance with the details set out in this Handbook. Variations are not permitted unless specified. This is one of the School Rules.
The school is grateful to parents for their support for school uniform regulations.
School Uniform - Girls
- Gold school polo shirt with crest
- Black skirt or black straight legged trousers
- White or black socks, or black tights
- Plain flat (no higher than 4cm) black shoes - no platforms / high heels
- Black school sweat shirt with crest
School Uniform - Boys
- Gold school polo shirt with crest
- Black trousers
- Black or grey socks
- Plain black shoes
- Black school sweat shirt with crest
The school's dress code is enforced. Pupils are expected to conform to it and wear it tidily. Outdoor clothing is not to be worn in class. There are restrictions on the wearing of jewellery. One pair of stud earrings is permitted as is a watch. Hair should be neither excessively long or short. Extreme styles and unnatural colours are not permitted. Long hair should be tied back for safety in physical education or practical lessons.
Pupils are expected to present themselves smartly at all times.
Sixth form students are allowed some flexibility. Details are contained in the sixth form handbook.
Physical Education Uniform
Girls and Boys: Indoors Black shorts, white T-shirt, bare feet
Girls - Outdoors Black shorts, white T-shirt, trainers, white socks Optional extras: Black skirt, track suit, black sweatshirt or plain black hoodie
Boys - Outdoors Black shorts, black and amber shirts, black and amber socks, football boots, trainers. Optional extras: plain black hoodie


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This a continuation from A-Z Christmas Canvases.
If you have missed any of the posts, do check out on each series by clicking on the below.
Series A-F , Series G – L, Series M- U .
Luke 1:34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
路 加 福 音 1:34 马 利 亚 对 天 使 说 , 我 没 有 出 嫁 , 怎 么 有 这 事 呢 ?
This was a challenging alphabet as there were few Vs in these passages. I eventually stuck to Virgin for it's significant implications. Firstly, because Mary was a virgin that the 'conception' of Jesus was deemed supernatural. One not by human physical intimacy but happened through the power of the Holy Spirit. Papa kept it simple. Being a virgin means those who are not yet married. Ok, we are not here to judge or dictate anyone's lifestyle. We are just presenting our children the Biblical Standards (Heb 13: 4 Marriage should be honoured by all, and kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral) that we pray they will uphold. Therefore, our very simple definition was suffice for these little ones for the time being. Further explanation will be provided when the time is ripe. We live in a world where many children are seemingly beyond their age (a.ka. smart – knows a lot) but sadly lack maturity. We do believe in leaving certain subjects kept until the appropriate time to be discussed so as to keep the purity of the minds and hearts. The timing will depend on the maturity of the individual child and readiness of even the parent. Due to the abstract idea, I likened the youth purity to a blossomed flower which J was delighted to express with sky blue background. We recycled a few white flower heads for it.
|Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
马 太 福 音 2:11 进 了 房 子 , 看 见 小 孩 子 和 他 母 亲 马 利 亚 , 就 俯 伏 拜 那 小 孩 子 , 揭 开 宝 盒 , 拿 黄 金 , 乳 香 , 没 药 为 礼 物 献 给 他
This was illustrated simply by A with figures on their knees bowing down to worship Baby Jesus. I offered some materials that could represent the gifts they could give to Jesus. He selected the heart shaped 'crystal' like beads.
|Luke 2:51 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
路 加 福 音 2:51 要 和 他 所 聘 之 妻 马 利 亚 , 一 同 报 名 上 册 。 那 时 马 利 亚 的 身 孕 已 经 重 了 。
J was finding it hard to express this painting. Then I named an aunt who was pregnant which resulted in his emphatic: "Aha! So I draw a girl with a big tummy la?!" He had also wanted a dark sombre colour for the background but I gently reminded him it's a joyous occasion to have a baby! Especially baby Jesus! Which he automatically changed it to a rainbow theme. The red 'floor' was actually a cover up for his mistake – he had squeezed the paint so hard it oozed onto the canvas…. So I suggested he make do with the red for that area and continue his rainbow. Who knows, it turned out to be one of my favourite pieces of his! (I have favourites for each of their works) And I couldn't resist suggesting a collage of a beautiful chinese prints from an 'Ang Pow' (red packet) butterfly punch outs for the final touch!
|Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.路 加 福 音 2:11 因 今 天 在 大 卫 的 城 里 , 为 你 们 生 了 救 主 , 就 是 主 基 督
He came to save You. This was done by E and I gave her the liberty to make her own background colours. She chose a silver marker to draw. However, I did have a notion of using a mini 'mirror' to reflect You. So this time I gave her the idea as she was also at a lost. I just asked her to leave the centre untouched for the mirror concept. She happily drew and eventually shaded over ALL her drawings (to my dismay…) explaining she wanted to hide the flowers behind the silver colour. To which I just nodded and smiled to show I respected her wish. By now, I discovered her penchant for adding loose items onto her artworks. The final piece however had no mirror. An unexpected item took it's place instead.
24) Z for amaZed
|Luke 2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 路 加 福 音 2:18凡 听 见 的 , 就 诧 异 牧 羊 之 人 对 他 们 所 说 的 话 。
Papa demonstrated the amazed look with mouth wide O-pen. So there you go. A captured those expressions. It was interesting to note that A had also inculded a signage and wrote The Good News in the reverse direction. I thought it was a mistake until he pointed out that those words were for the amazed grp out there to 'see'. So erm, it was 'technically' correct that he should reverse the words! Ok, Now my turn to be amazed by his logic.
The last few scripture verses were actually explained by their Papa while I worked on their ideas for their paintings. He was also the motivating factor that sped up our process and got the kids to pay attention to the last leg of paintings.
During this period, there were times when I felt the weight of this project bearing me down. At that point, the Lord encouraged me through 2 Thessalonians 1: 11-12
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]
That day's prayer for the children was from this verse and the author's prayer pointers were clear.
1. Be made fit for what God has called them to be.
2. God would energize and fulfill their spiritual ideas and efforts.
3. Jesus would be glorified in them.
Thanking God for the answered prayers for this whole Christmas project!
May you be encouraged to know the Christ of Christmas. : )
As there are still many canvases undelivered, I will only reveal the full painting series in Jan 2015. : ) Thank You for your patience in journeying together with us this Christmas Season! May 2015 bring New and Fresh beginnings!
Here are the FINAL ARTWORKS.
For more of GrowingHearts, come join us at our FaceBook, Or Subscribe by entering your e-mail in the box on the top right side bar to receive notifications of new posts by email.
Have a blessed day!


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|Jim Grossmann <jimg@...>
|Thursday, March 18, 1999, 1:54
>So far, Rokbeigalmki has one discourse marker, _yeli_, meaning the same >as the Drasele'q _a"t_ above. Except it's not "until" also, which is >_wa'saur_. I originally had _yeli_ as "so that, in order to", but i >figured out that that could work as a preposition, _fa'gaur_, so i made >_yeli_ the discourse marker. It's a worn-down form of _i elyeb_, "and >coming".JimG -- Although a lot of discourse markers, especially the temporal ones, are going to be plain old adverbs and conjunctions, I'm using a single particle to derive a number of discourse markers from verbs and clauses. For instance, my particle + a relative clause specifies a topic. Particle + the verb for "return" signifies resumption of topic, and often translates as "anyway." These are just two examples: the whole system is bigger. Jim


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Air Products Leasing BV, a company of leading Tier One company Air Products, has signed a joint venture agreement with a major domestic player in Oman.
The 'conditional agreement' with Muscat Gases Company SOAG (MGC) paves the way for the US-based corporation to clinch a majority stake in the Omani company's industrial gases business.
Under the deal, it is understood that MGC will transfer its industrial gases business to a new wholly owned subsidiary LLC and subsequently sell 70% of the share capital of the subsidiary LLC to Air Products.
The transaction has the approval of MGC's Board of Directors but is still subject to the approval of shareholders, according to a release by the Muscat Securities Market.
Based in Seeb, MGC was established in 1983 to trade industrial gases throughout the Middle Eastern country. The company supplies industrial, medical and specialty gases and offers nitrogen purging, helium leak testing and cylinder requalification services.
According to gasworld Business Intelligence, the Omani industrial gases industry was valued at just over $70m in 2016. This development seeks to advance Air Products' position in the country, as Senior Business Analyst James Barr explained, "Up until now, Air Products' presence in Oman has been limited, with its only operation deriving from an onsite joint venture project located near Sohar."
"Muscat gases are one of the largest domestic gas companies active in the country, holding an estimated market share of around 30%."


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New e-learning course champions patient safety
A new learning course pioneered by two University of South Australia lecturers is aimed at raising the standard of handover of patient care in hospital and care facilities across the country.
In cooperation with St Andrew's Hospital, UniSA's Tina Holmes and Dr Jane Warland from the School of Nursing and Midwifery have developed an innovative e-learning course, designed to be used by health professionals at any stage of their career.
The launch of the course coincides with the declaration of Clinical Handover as one of the new National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. It also follows research by the World Health Organisation, identifying poor implementation of clinical handover as one of the top five patient safety problems.
Holmes said effective clinical communication is vital to ensure patient safety and quality in the provision of healthcare.
"Patients are often vulnerable when critically unwell and depend on the health team to communicate crucial information relevant to their plan of care," Holmes said.
"It was critical to develop a workable education tool that identified key issues to highlight which clinical handover situations carry the most risk and what interventions are most effective based on current research evidence."
"It was also crucial that this e-learning tool had real world applications connecting users with authentic scenarios."
The e-learning course comprises four modules including videos of real life clinical handover scenarios with assessed exercises at the end of each module. The videos show good clinical handovers and also highlight what can go wrong if structured approaches are not adopted when clinical handovers occur.
Commercialisation of the course was made possible through the support of ITEK Ventures, the technology transfer company of the University of South Australia.
Dr Stephanie Agius, the Commercial Manager of ITEK Ventures says the Clinical Handover e-learning Course has been developed by a multi-disciplinary team of people with different expertise and experience adding to the breadth and quality of the course.
"Being part of a cohesive team has allowed the development of this course to progress and is now being made available to the public to ensure all health care providers can meet accreditation for clinical handover," Dr Agius said.
IntelliLearn, a leader in on-line education in clinical health practice, is hosting and marketing the course to health services throughout Australia and New Zealand.
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Venus square Neptune
Take Your Time
You may never be certain of how this person feels about you, and the confusion swirling around your connection will wear on you. The truth is, the fault will be more squarely on your shoulders than on your partner's. You'll idealize them and the relationship, and any indication that you receive that things aren't progressing in the way that your fantasies dictate will leave you feeling sad and baffled.
On the other hand, it's quite possible that your partner will behave in confusing ways, or that they will actually be dishonest with you; they certainly did in a past life connection with you. That's where all this strange, deceptive energy comes from: You were misled in another life and relationship with this person, and that old wound still hasn't completely healed. That doesn't mean you can't heal it in this lifetime, however. In fact, if you become intimately involved with this person, you should take the chance to clear things up between you once and for all, so that this energy doesn't carry over into future incarnations and pairings. For starters, try to resist the siren call of 'love at first sight.' Take your time to get to know this person, and reveal yourself to them slowly as well.
Venus square Neptune in the Natal Chart
Venus square Neptune in the Compatibility Chart
Venus square Neptune in the Transit Chart
Venus square Neptune in the Composite Chart


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A worthy read
Europe today is facing, on the one hand, the rise of "apolitical" technocratism, and on the other, right-wing authoritarian government. The Continent needs a democratic alternative, or else we are heading towards a disaster that will bring enormous suffering to the popular classes in the name of the ruling financial and economic elites, says Vincent Navarro
One of the myths that have been peddled frequently in economic literature seeking to explain the economic depression in continental Europe in the early twentieth century has been that high inflation in Germany created such a mess in their economy that it led to the electoral victory of Hitler and Nazism. It is said and repeated constantly (and mistakenly) that the German population has a pathological fear of inflation, because they remember that it was this (ie, high inflation) that brought Hitler upon them. Even Ms. Merkel has cited this theory to justify the austerity…
View original post 629 more words


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Now that my oldest one is getting more self-sufficient — at 7, he's constantly telling me how the world works — I've noticed that moms on the playground with similar aged children seem to be planning more trips.
Without the little ones.
One couple friend took a long jaunt to California. Another went to Hawaii for two weeks, and still another recently booked a getaway to Europe.
My husband and I have gone away for the weekend alone a few times, thanks to my mom living within a two hour's drive. Next month, we're heading to Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires for some time alone together. (Psyched!) But we're yet to get on a plane, fly to some exotic locale and forget about the kids for awhile.
I have a few friends who have whispered that they couldn't do it, and when I try to pinpoint why, I've heard a mix of responses: They have no one to watch the children. They don't want to get on a plane without their kids — just in case. One confided that she worried she wouldn't have anything to say to her husband if they were alone for a week. (Of course she would, I reassured her.)
My husband, John, and I haven't traveled without our kids for one reason: When we had our first child several years ago, we vowed that we'd be the kind of parents that showed our kids the world. No matter the age, we wanted to turn them into little explorers so they could see different topography, meet people from all types of backgrounds, and we wanted them to be comfortable deeply immersed in nature and cities alike. So every time we think about going somewhere — Costa Rica, Italy, Peru — we want them there. Part of the fun of parenting is sharing this great big wide world with them. And while we're only starting to check locales off our bucket list, I can't imagine doing it without them.
Still, some of my friends swear by the rejuvenating aspects of traveling without their little ones.
I'm so curious what other people's experiences are: Where have you traveled without your kids — and do you consider it an essential part of keeping up a good marriage? Or, do you prefer to take the kids in tow?


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After doing this set of prostate exercises, notice the immediate feeling of refreshment! That refreshment is also happening deep within your abdomin and all the internal organs, including your prostate. New fresh blood with life giving oxygen has replaced the stagnant tired blood.
Stand up regularly (if you sit a lot each day) and take 3 or 4 minutes to refresh your body with this Miracle Prostate Exercise. Try it for just one day. See what a difference it can make! You'll never want to give it up!
Prostate exercises are an important part of your natural prostate health. First, start with your inputs -- -- to get on the road to prostate health. Stop the bad inputs! Second, take a good look at your and how it might be contributing to your prostate problems. Then start doing the things that your prostate loves: and prostate exercise. Yes, even your prostate loves exercise!
Wait about 1 or two minutes. Then repeat the prostate exercise. It is very important to take the little break in between the exercises. It gives the muscles time to recuperate and fill with fresh blood and oxygen again.
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For men, having the prostate stimulated offers the same type of benefits that women get with the G-Spot. This prostate exerciser is ergonomically designed to target and stimulate the male prostate. Additionally, the powerful vibration will intensify his pleasure. The curved arm will massage his perineum, at the same time. The silicone is body-safe, hypoallergenic, non-porous, and easily cleaned.
Prostate exercisestrengthens the prostate and helps cleanse it of toxins by increasingblood flow through it. After all, the prostate is both a gland thatsecretes seminal fluids and a muscle that pumps it out for ourpleasure (designed with the intent of being successful inprocreation). The prostate also removes toxins, protecting sperm andenhancing the chance of impregnating. So exercising the prostatemakes good sense.
Remember to do your prostate exercises every day. These are especially easy to do when you are waiting at traffic lights or watching TV. Put those down times to good use and your prostate will sing its praises!


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How many people do you interact with at work during a typical week or month?
Most leaders I know don't count the relationships involved in their work. However, if they wrote a list of the people with whom they regularly interact, many would be able to go beyond a simple list and could tell you something about each person. Some information may be work-related (such as how each team member prefers to receive feedback), and other notes would be broader (such as which sports teams matter to the support staff and that a key vendor has a new grandchild).
More from Daniel Goleman:
Why optimism matters
The chemistry of connection
Driven to achieve… Too much?
Fundamentally, leadership involves relationships. Whether you're the leader of a small team, the manager of a large retail store, or the CEO of a global corporation, you conduct work through your relationships with others. To be effective in those relationships, leaders must understand the perspectives of the people with whom they are working. What leaders need is Empathy, one of the twelve Emotional and Social Intelligence Leadership Competencies.


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Decades after the deaths of three infants, police have charged a Wisconsin woman with murder.
The three victims were originally believed to have died between the years of 1980 and 1985 from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), reports FOX 6. Their identities were released:
Justin Brunka, born March 1980
Brad Steege, born September 1983
Katie Kozeniecki, born December 1983
Despite the original theory, Nancy Moronez, 60, of Oshkosh is now accused of their deaths.
In March 2015, Moronez's daughter reportedly contacted Waukesha Police Department to tell them of her mother's actions. According to the daughter, Moronez "admitted to her that she had killed her son" via suffocation with a garbage bag.
Her own son, Brunka, was less than a month old when he died in Franklin. The other two victims, Steege and Kozeniecki, died in Milwaukee. They were six months old and two months old, respectively.
In an interview with investigators, Moronez admitted to holding Brunka underwater in a bathtub. She admitted to smothering Steege while babysitting him after becoming "frustrated" and killing Kozeniecki in the same way. She added that shouldn't couldn't "take kids that constantly cry."
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Moronez reportedly told a firefighter who responded to at least two of the deaths, "I told my husband I didn't want to babysit anymore."
According to investigators, Moronez said "that when her daughter was born she made a promise to God that should would not do anything to her daughter to hurt her if she was crying." Later in the interview, the defendant stated, "I made a promise, but I broke it." She reportedly knew her own wrongdoing and said "that she is sorry."
Moronez is currently charged with three counts of second-degree murder.
RELATED: To teach his kids about poor decision making, a firefighter allegedly took flames to their hands


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Newday "We Are Yours" & Soul Survivor "We Are The Free"Posted: November 17, 2011 Filed under: Songs Leave a comment
2 new releases this month from Newfrontiers own "Newday" event and also from "Soul Survivor".
There are some songs that have crossed over both events with Matt Redman's "Here For You" and Jesus Culture's "One Thing Remains" appearing on both albums. Perhaps a sign that these songs are impacting the wider church rather than single movements. Definitely thinking of introducing both to RFC at some point if possible.
It's great seeing both CDs containing fresh new songs rather than repeating from other events as it ensures that both albums feel unique rather than simply a youth version of the Passion or Worship central album.
Songs that stand out for me from the 2 albums are:
WE ARE YOURS: "We Are Yours" – such a brilliant song, would love to play this at RFC but not sure how it would work, still definitely a highlight, "Father Like No Other" – a great tune from Simon Brading, love how the first and third song kind of reverse words and a very catchy chorus, "Christus Victor" – such fun singing that pre chorus of "Who are ya, who are ya, o death where's your sting, who are ya, who are ya, you're not singing anymore" not sure how it would work in the context of our Sunday mornings but still gotta love the song. People have mentioned that "Our God Is Holy" is worth a look in as a good congregation song as well. Some other songs i'm sure are making their way onto people's "love" lists, but for now those are the ones that stood out to me… (not to say the others are good)
WE ARE THE FREE: "Once in Darkness" – a fast song talking about Jesus, always going to be a winner for me, some interesting melodies and it's great after hearing an acoustic rendition of the song seeing how it translates with a full band, "Spirit Break Out" may not be a Soul Survivor specific song but it shows once again it's strength as a song on the album, "Your Love Reaches" ends the first CD and it's progression from quiet verse 1 to big bridge works well fairly congregational which could be handy! Plenty of other great songs on this CD so well worth a listen
O Holy Night… David Crowder Band's versionPosted: December 17, 2010 Filed under: Songs Leave a comment
The lovely guys from David Crowder Band are giving away a live version of the song "O Holy Night" made famous by the Reading Family Church choir (:P)… grab it here and enjoy
RescuerPosted: November 3, 2010 Filed under: Songs Leave a comment
New song to learn for this week, Johnny Parks & Nick Herbert's "Rescuer" this is the version done by Chris McClarney
Worship matters – song give-awayPosted: October 26, 2010 Filed under: Songs Leave a comment
The kind people at worship matters are giving away three songs (Your Great Renown, Behold the Lamb & The Glory of the cross). Grab them here while you can!
Holding Nothing Back – Electric riffPosted: October 21, 2010 Filed under: Songs Leave a comment
how to play the intro riff from the Jesus Culture version of "Holding Nothing Back"
Forever ReignPosted: October 20, 2010 Filed under: Songs, Uncategorized Leave a comment
New song to introduce this coming sunday. It's a cracker!
Our God is MercyPosted: October 7, 2010 Filed under: Songs | Tags: free songs Leave a comment
Our God is mercy – Brenton Brown
Been listening to this song a bit on spotify. Sign up to the Kingsway website and download the song for free here (for a limited time). A website well worth signing up for as they have a new free song regularly!


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Wednesday, February 28, 2007
39 weeksWe had a hospital appointment this morning at Colchester, because Mum's tummy is rather big. We were a bit late being seen, but the consultant was very nice, and very unconcerned by Moo's size, given her history. But the plan is now definitely a C-section at 39 weeks. So, we've got a likely date - a week earlier than expected - and we know the method of delivery. That's fine, and it means we can plan a little more. We've got another appointment on the 21st March, and we should get a definite date then. All's well.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Work, work, work(backposting) Which is good. Pleased that I'm able to.
I was reading the nativity story to Jo today (yes, I know it's Lent). We got to the birth, and she said: "I love baby Jesus." "That's nice," I replied, thinking how well she's got got the point. Then she said, "I _love_ angels." "Hmm, I thought - fair enough - but not _quite_ as theologically positive." It was when we turned the page and she said, "I _LOVE_ camels," that I began to realise that the theological wasn't top of her list.
Labels: Jo, love, theology, work
Monday, February 26, 2007
Magnificat"He hath showed strength with his arm..." - thank you, Herbert Howells (St Paul's service). Just doing my 10 minutes in front of the (muted) TV. Mary really had some things to say - not that Simeon didn't, of course.
I was back at work today, and got lots done, although my voice still isn't entirely sorted. I was supposed to have a supervision with Keith today, but he's not well either, so we've postponed for a while.
Forgot to post yesterday that we had a midwife visit yesterday. Yet another midwife - we've had very little continuity this time, but it doesn't bother us particularly. On her advice, we're off for a check-up at Colchester Hospital on Wednesday. They're not particularly worried, but the deal is that if you're measuring more than 3 weeks off what your expected size is, you're supposed to go and have a check-up. Jo was big, too, but not as big as this one. Moo's 32 weeks now, and measuring 39. No wonder people are asking her how long she'll be at work for - and that she's beginning to get more uncomfortable.
A good friend of mine from school emailed me today to catch up. We've talked a few times over the past couple of years. She suffers from mental illness (there are more people around who do than you might expect), and not all of her family know. She has a supportive husband, though. I'm really pleased that she keeps in touch - she was such a good friend at school, and one of those people it would be a shame to lose touch with.
Labels: friends, Mary, Moo, music, pregnancy
Sunday, February 25, 2007
A tortured soulNo, not mine, I'm pleased to say. I thought I'd try to do my 10 minutes of devotional music today (as per my Lenten resolutions), and decided to listen to a little Gesualdo. He was a fascinating man - and, indeed, a tortured soul - and his music is at times heart-breaking. Just the stuff for Lent, so I'm sitting here with the Antiques Roadshow on mute in the background, typing and listening to "Ave Regina Coelorum" at the moment. I may have problems with some of the theology behind much of the Marian devotional music from the Roman Catholic church, but fewer problems than I did, and it doesn't stop the music from moving me.
I had a chat with Edward from ERMC tonight, about placements. It seems that things have gone rather quiet, so he's picking up the baton. There's a problem with finding anything on the mental health side, where I'd been thinking about spending my non-ecclesial (or social) placement, and we've decided to look instead at a placement to do with death and dying - an area where I have very little experience, and which I'd already identified as needing work. We're going to see if we can find a suitable funeral directors or hospice who might take me on. I'm very happy about this, and look forward to seeing what we can sort out.
Went to church (Communion) today for the first time in weeks - I've been away, or ill, or both, and missed out, which I've not been happy about. Dad, Kate and I all went to the 0800 BCP service at Great Yeldham, which I was very pleased to have made. All in all, it's been a more theological weekend than I'd expected. Partly because my Dad, my Mum and Kate all read the draft of my personal assessement - which I'll also be discussing with Keith tomorrow, hopefully. They asked some interesting questions, and I feel that I've managed to make pretty much all the points I'd wanted to make in it. We also spent some time over supper and before discussing who we'd have on our "5 people for Lent" list (which I blogged on yesterday). This led to some interesting suggestions, including Judas (!), Luther, Pope John-Paul I (not the second), Bill Shankley, Rafa Benitez, Kevin Keegan (the last three from Mac, my father-in-law), Gerald Manley Hopkins (yeuch!), John Donne, Shakespeare and Johnny Cash. I urge you to try it with your family and friends - it was quite an interesting exercise to find out what people think that they _should_ be doing, and what they ought to saying!
Labels: death, ERMC, Lent, music
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Journey through LentFrom Sally's blog: "As we take the beginning steps of our journey through Lent, who would we take as a companion? Name five people, real or imaginary, you might like to have with you as guide or guardian or simply good friend."
- John Calvin: I think he was a fascinating theologian, and is much maligned. I think part of the problem he had was that he had too much faith in human nature. I'd be very interested to spend some time with him talking, debating, and learning.
- Alasdair MacIntyre: I've read some of his theology, and it's very good: really based in the social, which resonates strongly with me.
- William Byrd: for the music, always the music.
- Archbishop Rowan Williams I'd like to talk and debate and pray about the issues of homosexuality in the Communion, and how it fits into the broader picture. I'd take Archbishop Peter Akinola as an alternative, if Rowan's a bit busy.
- Moo: as a Christian: I don't know if it'll ever happen, but it would be great.
Jo's birthday partyWe had a lovely time. Kate and Mac turned up in time for lunch, and we were raring to go for 1400 (despite Jo announcing, dead on the hour, that she wanted to go up to her bedroom for a sleep). Milly (+ Kate and Graham), Digi and Kalila (+ Nik and Tosha), Ruby and George (+ Jason), Max (+ Elizabeth) and Sennen (+ Victoria) all turned up, as did Mel. Everyone got on pretty well (helped, for the adults, by some beer and wine - important that it was the policeman father who brought some of the former and started things off), and we had very few tears (none from the adults, as far as I could tell). The food was good, as was the company, so a good time was had all round.
Wish I could say the same about the rugby. We're 57 minutes in, and it doesn't look like we're going to win. In fact, a white-wash is still a distinct possibility.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Parents hereMine arrived yesterday afternoon, so were around today. I went to the doctor's again today. The appointment was to check my blood pressure - which is down to 120/80 (a huge improvement), and I also asked for help as to what to do about my throat and voice. Nothing other than a throat spray, and rest, so I'll do what I can.
Had a sleep in the afternoon, and then helped Moo a bit preparing for Jo's party tomorrow. Oh, and there's the rugby, tomorrow as well...
Thursday, February 22, 2007
VoiceIt's gone again. B*gger.
Had a cup of tea with Dorothy, Keith's wife, and whispered at her. Then went for a drive and visited the churches of Belchamp Otten (darling little cheery organ) and Belchamp St Paul (a jewel of a high Anglican parish church). In the former, played "My Song is Love Unknown", "Sleepers Wake" (Wachet Auf) and "The Day Thou Gavest", which cheered me up no end.
Labels: music
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Bits and pieces - 2 and Lent(backposting) The big news of the day is that today is Jo's 2nd birthday. Moo had to spend 5 minutes convincing her of this when she woke up, as we seem to have been saying for ages that it was coming soon. She finally got into it, however, and had lots of presents and cards to open, so she's been a very happy girl today. She was very good at saying "thank you" on the phone to various people, as well, which made us very proud.
I did some work today, as I've been feeling better, and had some voice. A few calls with a customer, and a few emails. I'm still not 100%, but definitely feeling better than I was. Let's hope this continues. I also got close to finishing my personal assessment for the year. This is important, as it goes to the bishop to check that all's on course for ordination, and to help in the selection of my title post (where I'll spend 3-4 years after I'm ordained, which is planned for Spring - well Petertide, actually - next year). I've printed off a copy for Keith to look at to see if he's got any comments or other thoughts.
Lent starts today. Moo asked me if I'm planning to give anything up. I'm not. I've got two resolutions, which are quite timely: to look after myself a little better, and to try to listen to some devotional music (whether classical or not, whether "officially" devotional, or just devotional for me) every day. That's what I need in terms of formation at the moment, I think.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
"So poorly based" - reflections on Christianity and homosexualityAdam commented on my post the other day on Dar Es Salaam, saying:
- I'm not Anglican, but it troubles me deeply that the Episcopal Church in the U.S. is taking this stand against the entire Communion on a matter so poorly based in Scripture and tradition.
I take a different view, as I think is probably clear from other posts. I think there are a few points here. All of this post is, of course, my opinion. I could be wrong on points of fact, and you may disagree with my theology.
First of all, I believe that one of the interesting things about the Episcopal Church in the U.S. is that it is run along much more democratic lines than most of the other provinces of the Anglican Communion. For instance, it is committees who choose bishops, rather than other bishops, and so it's difficult to "impose" solutions on a set of people who are not all ordained, and not "under the discipline" of the church. There are arguments here that lay people may be more prone to being over-influenced by secular society. But the other side of the coin is that if the Holy Spirit _is_ moving through society, then people who are more free of the strictures of a fairly rigid hierarchy (the church), and will be better able to reflect God's revelation as expressed through the wider world.
The second point is that I disagree that they are taking a stand against the entire Communion. There are other provinces - the Church of England, for instance - where the issue of homosexual priests, bishops and lay people is becoming an vexed one.
Third, I don't agree with the suggestion that this is an issue "poorly based in Scripture and tradition". I would say that the view _against_ homosexuality is much less strongly based in Scripture than has generally been presented. And the tradition is fairly modern - there was a much greater acceptance of a variety of homosexual expressions certainly up to the Reformation than there has been until very recently.
Fourth, we should bear in mind that the church is splitting largely down what we could call "interpretational" lines. Those who are of a fundamentalist - or at least literalist - bent tend to interpret the Bible in one way, and those of a more liberal theological background (broadly of the "historical-critical" school) tend to be less literal. Of course, there are issues around tradition, as well: some of those who take a view which foregrounds tradition will tend to take an "anti-homosexual" view. That's the standard Roman Catholic view. But we should be aware that a number of the fundamentalist parties - often evangelical - are seeking to use the homosexual (which tends to be very emotive) debate as a point of contention. It's sometimes less about this particular issue, but more about how the Bible is read. We should remember that there is a broader political agenda (sometimes) at work here.
Last of all, one thing that ECUSA are doing is treating homosexuals with respect and love. Not just clergy, but laity as well. The rest of the Anglican Communion (with a few exceptions) have agreed that they should listen to homosexuals and treat them with love and respect. I don't see that happening. With rare (but heroic) exceptions, the message to gay people - lay and clergy - is that they are _not_ listened to, not respected, and not loved.
And I _know_ what Jesus Christ would have said about the last point, if nothing else.
A declarationI'm fairly safe. Maybe I should keep my mouth shut until I'm ordained - I've certainly been counselled to do that - but I'm from a "safe" church background, I've got an solid, safe academic theological background, I'm (very happily) married with a child (and one on the way), and I don't even have a family axe to grind. But I care about this, and I hate the fact that Christ's love is not being shown. And I need to stand up.
And there are more important issues. Violence against women, povery, global warming, persecution of Christians, persecution of non-Christians, despair, mental illness - where do you start? Not, for Christ's sake, with what people do in bed.
Labels: church, sexuality, theology
A church, and some musicJust when you think you're getting better, your body shows you that you might be wrong. I went back to bed this morning and slept for 3 straight hours. My voice is still wrong, and the coughing's still there, too. In the afternoon, I escaped to Sudbury and went to a little cafe run by a charity for people with learning disabilities. Popped into a couple of shops, and then headed back home. I found a church on the way, and sat and listened to music on my MP3 player. Tallis, Vivaldi, Whitacre. Don't know how long I stayed there, but it gave me some peace, which is what I wanted. There was a good Green Man carved into the font.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Another weekThe doctors have given me another week off. Hopefully that'll be enough to get me fighting fit again. I've got some voice back, but still don't feel great, and have a pretty terrible barking cough. I've agreed to be available for the odd conference call here or there if required, as the guys really need some support, but I'm going to try to be careful. On top of everything else, I've now got a bad shoulder, too, which is seriously annoying. I suspect it'l go as soon as I'm well enough to spend some time walking around and taking some light exercise.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Dar Es SalaamAt the moment, the Primates of the Anglican communion are meeting in Dar Es Salaam to consider what to do about the fact that ECUSA (the Episcopal Church of the USA - US Anglicans) have appointed an openly gay bishop and have sanctioned blessings of gay partnerships in churches. Lots of the other parts of the Anglican church (which doesn't have a central power-base, or legal authority, unlike the Roman Catholic church) are very upset about this, and have threatened schism (a break in the church). In particular, a part of the Anglican church calling itself "the Global South" has set itself up against ECUSA, although there are groups within the US (e.g. CANA) who are also against the steps taken by ECUSA.
There are a number of blogs around on this, including a good videoblog and recordings of press conferences at AnglicanTV. You might also want to check out Thinking Anglicans, which has lots of links, and Changing Attitude blog. The last, by the way, assumes quite a lot of existing knowledge about the people and positions - it's worth reading back.
One of the really hard things that's happened this time round is that a group of 7 Primates have refused to participate in Holy Communion with the others. This is down from 14 on a meeting at Dromantine 2 years ago, but is a shocking, shocking move: it's hard to think of a stronger statement that people could make as Christians.
You might also want to look at the Anglican Communion Official Website.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Yet again, sleepSlept all morning. No, really - got up for breakfast, went back to bed, slept all morning. Feeling better in some ways, but it's scary stuff.
Labels: sleep
Friday, February 16, 2007
Shocking, shocking result
Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!
Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes
Thanks to Sally for this one. I wonder how Ted would do...?
Labels: bible
Thursday, February 15, 2007
A bit about JoI've been concentrating on myself a little too much, so here's some fun stuff about Jo over the past few weeks. Random facts, mainly.
- she's forming more and more full sentences
- she's got very good at talking on the phone, although she'll still often refer to things that she can see, but which the person on the other end of the phone can't
- she seems to think that every picture of a snowman is the one that she made: it appears that there's only room for _one_ snowman in this world!
- she get when something's an accident - but seems to believe that this means that it wasn't her fault
- some favourite phrases at the moment: "was an accident", "not my fault", "never mind", "not 2 yet", "want a cuddle Daddy", "want a cuddle Mummy", "me put my welly boots on", "shall we?", "you come upstairs, too?", "me want a poo"
- she's very good at taking herself off to the loo, and can manage standard trousers and pants, but dungarees are _just_ too tricky
- she can dress and undress herself almost completely
- she tends to start sentences with "me" ("me opened the fridge door"), but, if prompted, will correct herself ("I opened the fridge door")
- she's excellent with "please" and "thankyou"
- she's got the girl pink gene. We tried, we tried. But Moo took her shopping today, and told her she could choose whatever paper plates she liked for her birthday party. She chose Disney princess plates. Well, at least the napkins she choose were Pooh ones (OK, Disney ones, but still...)
Labels: Jo
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
More recovery(backposting) Still with the temperature, but no hallucinations today. Which was nice.
Oh - yesterday was Moo and my 14 year engagement anniversary. I gave her some very random books and bits and pieces, including this book, which is hilarious (and not what you may think):
Moo gave me three DVDs
- Scooby-doo - watched this today, and enjoyed it despite myself
- March of the penguins
- Ultraviolet
I'm being very good, and only checking work email once a day. How's about that?
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
HallucinationsI really don't like hallucinating, which is something that happens quite regularly to me when I have a temperature. So, the last couple of nights/days have been interesting. I don't tend to see things, just know that all's not quite right: for instance, all I wanted to do last night was sleep. But no - the "helpful Christian voices" wouldn't let me. Sounds lame or scary, but it's just a bother, to be honest: I know what's going on, and I'm not ill enough to be taken in.
Having been awake most of the night, this came along. Don't know whether I should really be posting it, but hey...
The Conversion of Saint Raul, or "reclaiming a poster boy"(Coming to us in the near future, if we're not careful...)
Raul sat on the train, feeling rather pleased with himself. They'd got 6 new ones in London - of which 4 were down to him, and 1 of which he'd claim as an "assist" - and he had a good lead in Bristol, which is where he was going now. He'd got the relevant bishops' emails (sometimes, it seemed, provided somewhat unwillingly, but OAfJ knew how to pull the relevant strings), and he had some good contacts in the local media. In fact, the national - and even international - media were beginning to take notice of the work of Outing Anglicans for Jesus, and there'd been quite a scrum when Raul had thrown the last incumbent's vestments onto the muddy street outside the church and ritually burnt them, before handing him over to his bishop. Of course, it wasn't all high-church Anglo-Catholics, so you had to pick your desecration carefully, and one of Raul's favourites had been a nasty piece of work called Stephen, who'd finally confessed when the OAfJ had thrown his copy of "The Message" onto a bonfire in the church hall car park.
Just then, as the train passed through a tunnel, there was a flash of light. Raul was blinded, and ducked down onto the floor, sure that the train had hit something, and that the carriage would at any moment start to buckle. However, nothing of the kind happened, and he was about to get up, when suddenly he heard a voice.
"Oi, Raul. Why are you picking on me?"
"Jesus Christ," blasphemed Raul, "who the hell's that?"
"Right first time," said the voice, "it's Jesus, who you're persecuting. Now, get up, get off at the next station, and you'll get your instructions."
The other OAfJ officers with Raul were flabbergasted - they'd heard the sound, but couldn't see anyone. Raul, trying to rescue something of his dignity, got up from the floor of the carriage, but when he opened his eyes, he couldn't see anything. So they helped him off at the next stop, which was Bristol Temple Meads, the city station. They found a hotel, but he was completely blind for three days, and didn't touch a morsel of food or a drop of drink.
Now, in Bristol, there was a rector of a church in the city who was called Andy. The Lord called to him while he was tidying up after youth club, "Andy!". Andy took his mobile out of his pocket. Caller ID showed "THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY", which he was pretty sure he'd never set up in his contact list, so he decided to go with it. "Yes, Lord?" he answered.
The Lord told him "Go to the Hotel Judas on Straight Street and ask for a guy called Raul Tarsus, as he's praying. In a vision, he's seen a man called Andy come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
"Lord," Andy answered, "you've got to be joking. I've seen this guy in the news, and all the harm he's been doing to the community in London. And he's come here with authority from the bishops to out and defrock anyone who's even remotely queer."
But the Lord said to Andy, "Get off your backside! This guy's my chosen instrument to present me to that post-Christendom society you're always on about, the media, and all those so-called "God-fearing Christians". I'll show him how much he'll have to suffer for me."
So Andy, somewhat against his better judgement, made sure he still had his mobile (in case God changed his mind on the way), put on a rainbow bracelet (might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb) and headed off to the hotel. They showed him up at reception - he had his dog-collar on, after all - and, full of trepidation, he entered Raul's room. He placed his hands on Raul, and said "Brother Raul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the train here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something seemed to fall from Raul's eyes, and he could see again.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Christians: choosing who to loveI'd hoped to spend some time on this, but as readers of entries passim will realise, I'm not at all well (update below), so I'm going to keep it short.
My intention had been to write from two directions:
- as Christians, we don't get to decide who we should love: we're supposed to love everyone (including ourselves). This includes people of whom we may not approve - and I'm thinking in particular of gay, bisexual or lesbian people. And gay, bisexual or lesbian Christians, too.
- we should maybe realise that other people don't get to decide who they love, either: and I'm thinking in particular of gay, bisexual or lesbian people. And gay, bisexual or lesbian Christians, too. God made each of us the way we are, and we must remember that Jesus told us to "love your neighbour as yourself", which means that we must realise that people must love the selves that God made them.
Sorry to be blunt - I expect comments (though I may delay responding to them all until I'm rather better).
SynchroblogToday is a "synchroblog" on the subject of spiritual warfare. If you've liked what you read here, or, more particularly, if you didn't, and you'd like to read some other opinions, please visit one of the other participating blogs:
- Christian Sexuality as Ritual Worship at Phil Wyman's Square No More
- Christians: choosing who to love at Mike's Musings
- Loving God, Loving others, loving self- responding to the Goddess- a feminist perspective at Eternal Echoes
- Trinity by Mike Crockett
- Prophet's Passion at Adam Gonnerman's Igneous Quill
- A Love Supreme from Fernando's Desk
- What is this thing called love? at Steve's Notes from the Underground
- Love as it should pertain to us missionally? at Webb's Stumbling into the Kingdom
- Divine Eros by Handmaid Leah
- Loving the Other by John Smulo
- The Conjunction Between Sensuality and Spirituality by Matt Stone
- The Blogger Whom Jesus Loved at Jamie's More Than Stone
- Love Them Patriots at Calacirian
- I'm a better lover than I used to be... by Billy Calderwood
- Young people in on love by Tim Abbot
- The Art of Making Love....and Soap at Cindy's Tracking the Edge
- Being Missional: Love Comes Before Power by David Fisher at Be the Revolution
UpdateFor those of you with an interest, I'm definitely still ill. Got around 2 hours of sleep last night, woke up with a temperature and alternate shakes/sweats. Doc gave me antibiotics and the week off.
Labels: illness, love, sexuality, synchroblog
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Still ill(backposting) Title says it all. Moo's being a real stalwart, particularly as she's not 100%, either.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
No postI'm only blogging because I do. Feel crap, low ebb, don't want comments, don't want email.
Intend to get anti-biotics, instead.
Labels: illness
Friday, February 09, 2007
HomeI've got:
- no voice. At all
- lots of give-aways from the show which I've distributed between the 3 of us. One of the exhibitors had a bin into which you could dump give-aways that you didn't want, and which they'd donate to needy children (with some money on top)
- a sore throat (see above)
- lots of snot
- plaudits from colleagues for my booth hosting
- permission to take Moo out for a seriously good meal on the company as a thank you
- some good books to read
- some badges and bracelet things (you know, like the "make poverty history" ones) in rainbow colours
- some fun presents for Moo for our engagement anniversary (14 years)
- a personal assessment to write...
Labels: home
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Homewards bound todayI was a bit worried, given all the snow that there's been, that I might not be able to get home tomorrow (the flight leaves today, gets in tomorrow), but it appears that the thaw is already beginning, and I should be OK. Well, OK to fly, at least. But I've managed to lose my voice again, which isn't particularly useful, as I'm supposed to be the booth host, giving out prizes, talking the talk, etc. Well, we'll see if I have anything voice-wise by 1500 local.
Moo's taken some lovely pictures of Jo in the snow, which I've seen, and I had a little chat about it with her (Jo) on the phone this morning. She told me that she'd made a snowman, which is cool, and then offered me cake, which was a little surreal. But nice, of course. I'm very much looking forward to seeing both of them. I'm supposed to be traveling next week, as well, but at this rate, I'm just not going to be well enough, so we'll see how it goes.
I'm aware that I've not been very theological recently, but there we are. If you want something that's likely to raise your ire - for one reason or another - you might want to look at this open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury and associated petition.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Yes, cold(backposting) Except this time, it's about the cold that I've got, and which is re-establishing itself. I'm feeling pretty crappy, and generally streaming. Apart from not feeling very well, things went well today, and I had some good meetings. Bailed on supper - again - as I just couldn't cope with the thought of going out and being with lots of people in my current state.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Cold?(backposting) Apparently it's quite cold. -6C? Don't know what people are on about: we're forecasted 12C here... However, if there really is snow on Thursday at home, it might make my return journey home rather interesting, which would be bad.
Went to buy a new case today, as mine finally died on the way over. Didn't think to report it, so won't get any money for it, but a new one over here only cost $34.99 + tax (under $38 - around £18-£19), so I'm not complaining too much. I do, however, love to complain about the fact that over here in North America you never know how much something is going to cost you until you take it to the till! Sorry to shout, but this really exercises me. They don't put tax-inclusive prices up, and as taxes vary from state to state, you've basically got little chance to know what you're actually paying. Aaaaaaaaargh!
The show continues busy, and my MC work is winning plaudits (just being loud and myself in front of lots of people isn't _that_ difficult, but hey), so people seem happy. I'm full of snot and not sleeping well, but apart from that...
Monday, February 05, 2007
RSA 2007(backposting) I'm at RSA 2007 this week. Started yesterday evening, went well. We've got a great booth, and had lots of visitors: let's hope it continues busy for the rest of the week.
In the morning, I went for a long walk around San Francisco, encompassing the areas of Mission, Castro and some of Market. Castro was very interesting: it's the gay culture centre of San Francisco. Found some good books there, and got some badges, as I'd hoped.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
If you're going to San Francisco...... be sure to check with your boss whether he actually _did_ arrange an upgrade for you. Oh well, paid a small fee for some extra legroom, which helped, had a bit of a sleep, read, listened to some music, and watched the excellent film The Queen, in which Helen Mirren really stole the show. Rather a lot funnier than I expected, too.
So, it's 0207 tomorrow (or 1807 here, depending on your view of time), so time for a freshen up, then hopefully meet some colleagues for a beer and some food.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Jo's new bedSi and D came round today, and Si (and Morgan, a bit) and I put together Jo's new bed, the last piece of furniture for her new bedroom. We've been clean to get her into her new room as part of her "turning 2" (soon) celebrations, because we didn't want her to think that she was being turfed out of her current room by the arrival of the new baby. She slept in it for her nap this afternoon, and we made the decision to move her into it today. We went to see our friends Kirsty and Matt in their new (well, in July) house in Cambourne, and Jo had a lovely time, but we got back quite late, and she was therefore very sleepy. It meant that she went down quite quickly - we'd been concerned that she might be a bit over-excited. So, she's now in her first proper bed. She looks so _small_ in it.
The midwife came to visit this morning (coincidentally, arriving just before Si and D had to head off, so we didn't get so say goodbye properly). It was Debbie, who looked after us last time: she's not been around before for any of the appointments, and it was lovely to see her again. Moo's 29 weeks today or tomorrow. And measuring 36 weeks. She was measuring 34 weeks this time last pregnancy, and second babies do measure bigger, apparently, but still...
Labels: baby, friends, Jo, travel
Friday, February 02, 2007
Things to think aboutHad a very good supervision with Keith today, mainly about the reports that he and my tutor have written for this year, and what I'm planning to write as my personal assessment. He brought up some really interesting points. It's important, because it's as a result of this process that I'll end up in a title post (which I've mentioned before here). Here are some of the things that came up:
- as well as agreeing that I need to find somewhere with good music, Keith reckons that I should also find somewhere where I can make the most of my skills and interests in the online, as 'twere.
- he feels that my strong theological commitment to justification by faith is something worth nurturing. Although I'm of a liberal bent, theologically, in many ways, my core beliefs are very Reformation Protestant.
- I talked about how important this blog has become to me. Although, quite often, there's nothing theological going on, I do try to keep at least one post a week in that vein, and the opportunities to discuss, swap comments and the rest with others - including the SynchroBloggers - gives me lots.
- I made sure that my answers to some of the questions on the relevant forms - and what I'll say in my personal assessment - make it clear where my sympathies lie in terms of ("dangerous liberal") issues such as women priest/bishops and homosexuals. Although I've been warned off taking too strong a stance on the latter issue until I'm ordained, I'm feeling the need to step things up a little. It's a little thing, but I'm intending to get and wear some sort of brooch/badge to the next ERMC weekend. Just a rainbow. It's more about standing side-by-side, rather than being in people's faces, but it's time to make a little bit of a stand, I think.
- I need to keep looking after myself. I've not been well, and I have responsibilities to my colleagues, my course, my family and myself, not to mention God. Need to keep well.
Labels: blogging, homosexuality, theology