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Microsoft System Center
Streamlining yourIT management
Simple and intuitive data centre management
System Center allows you to fully control your IT, across your environment and platforms, making deployment, configuration, management and monitoring easy.
Performance and efficiency
Streamline your workflows and improve the experience through simple and intuitive consoles.
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Monitor and manage heterogenous and open systems, including Linux, Hyper-V and VMware.
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Gain insight and visibility into your data and applications, provided by cloud integration.
System center features
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Examination of health, capacity, apps and workloads, including Azure and Office 365.
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Deployment of software, data protection, and enforcement of compliance across all devices.
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Deployment and management of virtualised, software-defined data centre.
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Private cloud deployment always secure with Shielded VMs and Storage Spaces Direct.
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Incident resolution and service requests management with built-in processes.More about Microsoft System Center
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Best Web Hosting
Best Web Hosting is based on a number of factors, but we found that the following hosting providers were found to be one of the best web hosting companies we would recommend. Prior making a website deposit, hiring a web developer or getting started on your website project, we would strongly suggest you look at the options available for a domain and hosting. Be it a simple landing page or a new website, the right domain and hosting could potential make or break the number of visitors to your website. Following are a number of hosting providers :
This host continues to be a user-friendly option for registering and hosting, even if you are coming from another host. It lists out all the extensions that you can use to create your domain name with different prices to register, transfer, or renew for each extension, unlike some services that bury these within the website. You just simply enter the domain name you have been dreaming about and check if it is currently available, and can pretty much be headed in the right direction with just a few clicks of your mouse! After entering your desired domain name and extension it should tell you if it is currently available or not. They have also got live chat so you can be chatting with a real person in just a matter of seconds. They also provide email, and phone even before paying for anything, which is actually rather rare.
SnapNames provides a domain name market place meaning that they deal only with domains that are owned currently by somebody else. They offer an exclusive inventory and daily deals while providing you with Top Categories of which you can pick from and find your desired domain. You can do a simple search and see if the domain that has been taken is on sale. They have over three million customers and over thirty Million domains to choose from including a significant number of small businesses, which is worth it. They also work with a large number of small businesses which makes it so easy and worth working with.
Sedo is a place where you can get a broker service, domain appraisals and even transfer services also with so much more under their belt! They have over eighteen million domains on sale along with being a reliable and very respected company. Their customer service is top of the line with phone, email and live chat with all of those in 25+ languages! With their broker services whether you want to buy the domain of your dreams or just sell the domain you have for the best price out there, the experience and enthusiasm of the brokers will get you the best deal possible whether it is to buy or sell! If you are looking to sell your domain and need to get it appraised Sedo will be your best bet as everyone respects them and trusts their intuition and experience. The transfer service at Sedo is amazing! If you are coming from a domain host that was just a terrible experience or you found a better price at Sedo you will always get the best experience with transferring! They will take you step by step until you are done a settled!
Flippa yet another marketplace for domain names. They also sell websites and apps! Their website is user friendly, you come on and right away you are greeted with instructions on how to get started whether it is to buy or sell a domain, website or app. The staff are very friendly and will help you with any questions you might have.
Our peers have found them quite reliable for heavy-duty sites. Their control panel is powerful which lets you control domains, databases, software and services, logs, files, main and other preferences. Hostgator prices are actually really competitive but compared to other hosts they are not the best you could find. Overall based on user experience we would recommend HostGator for your needs.
MDD Hosting
MDD Hosting is hands down the best hosting company we have used till date. Their server is graced with the award-winning LightSpeed technology while their storage drives are powered by the solid-state type disk drives. As an MDD hosting customer, You'll be amazed at the speed the MDD hosting staff uses to resolve real hosting problems, sometimes, you'll be attended to in less than five (5) minutes with the real solution and not just some random links that leads to no-where positive.In summary, MDD hosting servers are lightning fast, rock-solid and gives steady peace of mind. Their premium hosting plan (known as semi-dedicated in most other companies) is best for websites with huge daily traffic or that needs higher resources.
NameCheap comes in 6th on our list. They offer domain names to individuals and businesses. In addition, they provide you with a user-friendly control panel for buying domain names as well as offer hosting and tools for building your website. Finally, they are perfect if you want to transfer domains as they only take up to a couple days to process as much as 30 domains! They are my go-to processor for names I'm just looking to hold.
Hostt is a recently launched free web hosting company that includes domain name purchasing and registration. They have a suite of offerings, such as one where you'll pay $13.99 per year for domain names with extensions that include .com, .net, .org, .us, .biz, and .info., but have unlimited bandwidth, web space, sub-domains, parked domains, sub-domains and email accounts, among other things. Like HostGator, they include domain locking and automatic renewal, along with a user-friendly management portal (which, believe me, is pretty rare) and 24/7 technical support. This isn't a bad price considering the amount you get: $3.95 and $5.95 a month packages both offer fairly balanced domain-inclusive packages.
Linode is the developer's favorite, even some of the top premium hosting services are either reselling Linode services or leveraging on their fast DNS management API to deliver awesomeness. They are a perfect solution' for resource-hungry web apps and high traffic websites. It uses the solid-state type drives (SSD) in place of the slow-spinning hard disk drives (HDD) to deliver resources fast and smoothly. The support you'll normally get at Linode is fast and should never be difficult to understand for an average web developer. The only down-side with Linode is the lack of Cpanel and managed plans for average users. But then, their resource page contains real help and solution for most of the challenges you'll likely encounter on their platform.
iPages web hosting came in 7th on our list. Packages start as low as $1.99 per month and they even offer domain registration for free during the first year you register with them, which makes them a steal of a deal for very, very small businesses or one-man team. They, just like every other host website have the usual domain name search portal but they provide you with videos on how to find the best domain possible along with what to choose to get the most traffic on your future website.
As you may have already expected we have of course included GoDaddy on our list. GoDaddy used to a really bad and unreliable host but in recent time they have proven to work efficiently and improved their service. They will gladly recommend you domains based on certain keywords you have typed in, which is useful if the domain you originally wanted is taken. Furthermore, they have immensely improved their hosting service by offering an online store, website builders, WordPress management and much more. They still continue to offer weird things like "email services" that other hosting companies can provide you for a better deal and better service. Overall if you are starting out we would recommend them but other options that are easier and overall better are still available and out there.
FatCow has an amazing offering as they are pretty much one of the cheapest hosting companies you will find out there. They also offer domain names to buy just for 30 cents for the first month! After the first month, the price is a whopping $49 a year! They also provide shared hosting packages which allow you to have enough bandwidth for pretty much everyone on your plan. This is a limited promotion I found, but they still sell fairly well-priced packages (their "fat" options come with extras like marketing and advertising credits), and will gladly offer you perks for transferring your domains and hosting to them.
Squidix web hosting is one of those web hosting companies whose sole aim is delivering awesomeness; dedicating more time to their service and customer support than they do on advertising and forceful promotions. Squidix web host offers various classes of web hosting plans that are completely optimized for speed. At Squidix, you'll normally get the value for your money. They have a good number of positive reviews from real users of their hosting services. We have had only but stellar experiences with their semi-dedicated plans that's wholly optimized for high traffic website like ours. We recorded a 100% service uptime and above 100% improvement in speed and response. You can hardly go wrong with a qualified Squidix hosting plan.
All of these hosting providers offer a range of services such as email, content management systems (WordPress). These domain name and hosting providers were analyzed recently but could change in terms of service and technologically being efficient and reliable. We would suggest that you contact them or check associated websites (refer below) if you have questions regarding the services they offer.
- Best web hosting https://www.hostwinds.com/
- https://www.snapnames.com/
- Best web hosting https://sedo.com/us/
- https://flippa.com/
- Best web hosting http://www.hostgator.com/
- https://www.namecheap.com/
- Best web hosting https://www.hostt.com/
- http://www.ipage.com/
- Best web hosting https://www.fatcow.com/
- https://www.mddhosting.com/
- Best web hosting https://squidix.com/
- https://www.linode.com/
- Web Development Process – Website Design Process
Delivering the Web Design & SEO Services
Local Web Design Services
If you're looking for web design, website development, a new website or just need to revamp an existing small business website, then you've come to the right place. Notably, at Visualwebz LLC we understand business owners and the website benefits your business needs. In addition, we understand that being a website owner you will want to see immediate results. Furthermore, we can help your website reach an international, national or local customer base. Besides, we know how to get your customers to you. After all, small business websites and SEO have been our specialty since 2008!
We Deliver the Best Web Services
Our website developers specialize in delivering the best websites and nothing more. More significantly, our qualifications and experience allow us to deliver clear and concise solutions. Whether it's a simple website or one that's complex, or one that is built on PHP or ASP, we will always keep you in the loop during the whole web development process.
Immediately after the launch of your website, we will work with you in improving your online presence. For example, our SEO specialists will help drive traffic to your website. With this in mind. Visualwebz LLC is the ideal firm to hire for your next project. In fact, we will also take care of your web security - remember you will need to secure your website from hackers. Similarly, other website design services offered include website maintenance, support, and website testing.
Interested in chatting to us regarding SEO or web design? Or just have questions regarding our expertise or web design costs? Then Contact us today at 425.336.0069. You may also want to check our reviews, and learn why our customers like us! After all, our 5-star reviews clearly tell prospective customers why we stand out when it comes to service, punctuality, quality, and affordability.
Resources & Links
Our Blog covers a range of services, practices, and trends in the areas of web design and SEO.
Marketing & SEO
- YouTube Marketing.
- Ad campaigns and digital marketing tips.
- Keep your website out of trouble
- Slow websites and ranking.
- Social media content.
- Essential website tools.
- Alternatives to Craigslist advertising.
- Our Seattle website SEO company has released an SEO Multiple Page Generator so that you can efectively manage content.
Web Design & Website Development
- Website redesign.
- Web technologies such as web builders.
- Seattle WordPress website design.
- Professional Seattle web design.
- E-Commerce platform.
- Website questions
- Website services
- Left vs. right brain
- Looking for the best hosting?
- Web design trends to watch out for.

subset: commoncrawl


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No....Focus on your looks and body and don't kill yourself....make the woman be the donkey...Guys have done it for long enough now it's about time the tables turned...
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I am just wondering if people see that as jerk-like behavior - even if his comments were kind of indirect.
lefty looks great, but look how tiny righty is!
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Boxing Manager Professional Edition
The 1.8.3 version of Boxing Manager Professional Edition is provided as a free download on our website. The following version: 1.8 is the most frequently downloaded one by the program users. The program's installer is commonly called BMPRO.exe. Boxing Manager Professional Edition belongs to Games. Boxing Manager Professional Edition was developed to work on Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows 8 and can function on 32-bit systems. The actual developer of the software is AMB.
From the developer:
Boxing Manager places you firmly in the hotseat of International Boxing Management in a huge immersive boxing world with 1500 Boxers, 100 Managers, 15 Weight divisions, 2 different boxing Organisations and much more.
Not only do you control the careers of the boxers in your stable but YOU also compete against 100 other Managers for the coveted annual Ultimate Boxing Manager Award!
You may want to check out more software, such as VIP Task Manager Professional, Human Resource Manager Professional or CubeMaster Professional Edition, which might be related to Boxing Manager Professional Edition.
Please add a comment explaining the reasoning behind your vote.
Cloud Services
Editors & Converters
Database Tools


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It has given the green light for the construction and renovation of Terminal C (Phase 1) along with updated parking lot reconstruction plans.
And it has rubber stamped plans to develop a rail station in the Northern Terminal Complex.
The new master plan to 2024 has effectively commissioned the following objects:
In 2019, the airport will construct a third runway, increasing the capacity of the airport from 55 to 90 aircracft movements per hour.
Phase 1 of Terminal C construction will also finish in 2019, offering an annual capacity of 20 million passengers and multilevel parking for 2,500 vehicles.
In 2020, the airport will add a hangar complex with an aircraft maintenance area to the third runway. The complex will feature at least seven hangars for our partner airlines, and process pads for specialised ground handling and airfield service vehicles.
In 2021, Phase 2 of construction will begin on Terminal C, increasing its capacity by 10mppa, along with an additional 1,500 parking spots in the multi-level complex.
The airport will also develop a railway and rail station in the Northern Terminal Complex, which will provide passengers with a direct connection from Central Moscow to Terminals B and C of SIA.
JSC Russian Railways will lead the rail project for Sheremetyevo.
In 2022, SIA will develop an apron for the third runway that will host more than 40 parking lots for aircraft. Developers will also construct a Sheremetyevo 'Moscow Cargo' terminal with a capacity to handle 380,000 tons of cargo annually.
Chairman of the Board, Alexander Ponomarenko, noteds: "We determined the most important strategic milestones in the infrastructure modernisation and construction projects to be implemented in the Master Development Plan of Sheremetyevo International Airport until 2024.
"This will ensure the long-term steady development of airlines and business partners for the benefit of our passengers and clients.
"Implementation of the Master Development Plan will strengthen Sheremetyevo's position as the largest Russian airport, and as a competitive passenger and cargo hub in Europe and in the world.
"The new infrastructure of Sheremetyevo Airport will contribute to the effective realisation of Russia's air transport potential."


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24 Frames Cine Private Limited
|Companies: Production studios: 24 Frames Cine Private Limited
Hello, we''re 24 Frames Cine Private Limited, A creative & innovative motion pictures company based in New Delhi, India, focused on digital and conceptual productions.
We are a full-fledged motion picture organization & stand out in today's crowded entertainment space thanks to our -
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We harness the power of film and audio to help clients communicate exactly what they want to communicate in a way that's engaging, memorable and fully in tune with the intended audience. We offer a wide range of below mention production services to all the industries and we have excellent creative processes which enable us to provide best to best satisfactory services to large client base including:
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Discussion / Reviews


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About Ali Nabatchian
Honesty, Integrity & Experience //
Ali Nabatchian, with over 30 years experience, has helped generations of families with their real estate needs. He always puts his client's interests first with honesty and integrity.
Ali services Fairfield and New Haven Counties, CT & Westchester, NY and is fluent in Farsi & Azari languages.


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Free Track: Flor – Unsaid
Listen to and download Unsaid here:
Saying you have favourite bands is a bit like picking your favourite child, apparently, but quite frankly if a band consistently delivers songs that drive me crazy with excitement then screw it I'll happily label them a favourite. Flor are fast becoming one of these bands. Unsaid is a track that will be a track of the day – possibly several times. It's blissful electro-dream-pop, defiantly upbeat against the anguish stitched into the lyrics.
And they thought I'd forgotten about them! Pah!
Find Flor on Facebook.


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Legacy Of Vengenace
Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Fast Paced and thrilling, tense, percussion track suited for chase scenes, big action, epic energy and movie trailers. It features gripping and adrenaline inducing drums from around the world, mixed with intense risers, stings, impacts and cutting edge sound design. It has a futuristic and badass primal / hybrid vibe that would be excellent in Sci-Fi, horror, psychological thrillers, action and espionage!Uploaded on 10/10/13 by justincrosby


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They include Monica Nashindi, who is said to be headed to the United States and George Mbanga Liswaniso, the Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, who is said to be going to Sweden.
Others said to be close to Nandi-Ndaitwah such as Kaire Mbuende in Belgium and Elia Kayaimo in China have maintained their positions.
New comers include Oshana Governor, Clemence Kashupulwa, who is said to be going to Nigeria, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, Gabriel Sinimbo, who is said to be going to India and Permanent Secretary at State House, Samuel /Gôagoseb (Cuba).
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, Patrick Nandago makes a comeback to diplomatic service as he heads to Angola, while former Presidential Press Secretary, Albertus Aochamub and former National Council Chairperson, Asser Kapere are headed for France and Botswana, respectively.
Other anticipated appointments are likely to include career diplomats Linda Scott to the UK and Mowen Luseno as Ambassador to Austria. Secretary to the National Council, Emillia Mkusa, is said to be going to Addis Ababa, Humphrey Geiseb (Russia) while Tjijamba Kanake, Josef Keveto, Simeon Ulenga, Josef Keveto and Shoyave Haindongo have also been mentioned as possible diplomats.
Aochamub and Sinimbo told the Windhoek Observer on Thursday that they were unaware of the appointments despite pictures of them visiting AMTA this week where they had gone on a familiarisation tour of government projects.
In the past, outgoing diplomats have been required to take learning visits to different businesses and agencies from various sectors in order to be better informed as they assume their economic diplomacy duties abroad.
Political analyst Charles Mubita, who previously worked for SADC, maintained that a diplomat must know what Namibia's interests are and also help promote the country at their posting.
He said diplomats must understand international agreements that affect Namibia when they are signed in the countries where they are posted.
Mubita, who has a PHD in International relations, lamented that Namibia has few career diplomats to head diplomatic missions.
"We don't have many career diplomats. Most who go out on missions in the top posts, are political appointments," he said.
Mubita said a head of mission who does not understand issues will be a disadvantage to Namibia because they will not participate in international discussions.
"They need to understand issues, sometimes they attend meetings alone, and they can't be spoon feed all the time by embassy staff."
In April, the Windhoek Observer first reported that 15 Ambassadors and High Commissioners appointed by former President Hifikepunye Pohamba had their tours of duty coming to an end this year.
In September 2013, Pohamba appointed Peingeondjabi Shipoh as High Commissioner to Nigeria, Steve Katjiuanjo as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Wilbard Hellao as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Balbina Daes Pienaar as Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pius Dunaiski as High Commsioner to India, Sophia Nangombe as Ambassador to Japan, Dr Jerobeam Shaanika as Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba.
Morina Muuondjo was appointed Ambassador to Sweden, Sabine Bohlke-Moller as Ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other International Organisations in Switzerland and Simon Maruta as Ambassador to Austria.
In 2014, Pohamba further appointed Vilio Hifindaka as Ambassador to Congo Brazzaville, Bonny Haufiku as Ambassador to Finland, Mbapeua Muvangua as High Commissioner to Botswana, Charles Josob as High Commissioner to Ghana and Trudie Amulungu as Ambassador to Senegal.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's, close allies are headed for influential diplomatic missions abroad observers pointed out this week.
They include Monica Nashindi, who is said to be headed to the United States and George Mbanga Liswaniso, the Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, who is said to be going to Sweden.


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People who know their value, value people.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." Galatians 2:20
Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me". Hear the words he is saying, Being crucified with Christ means that we have partaken with Him in His death and resurrection. We have been made a new creation, and now instead of living as we were, being who we were it is Christ who lives in us. We are to identify ourselves with this single statement, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."
Can you come up with any greater statement of worth? If then we no longer live but Christ lives in us, shouldn't we then live as He lived, love as He loved and give as He gave?
I have noticed that people who understand and know their value, I mean really know their value, always (and I mean always) value other people. It's like knowing who you are gives you permission to treat those around you with respect and dignity. People who know who they are in Christ don't need to establish a pecking order or earn respect via their status, appearance or possessions. They know who they are, so that kind of attention doesn't matter to them.
In Matthew, Jesus is asked by the pharisees', "what is the greatest commandment", to which Jesus replies. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 28:34-40
I have had the opportunity to share this scripture several times over the past week and it continues to inspire me. Jesus is stating that you love God first, (yes Betsy we all know that part) but second is not to love others, as it is often quoted. The second part is to, "love your neighbor AS YOURSELF". Yes, my dear ones, we are to love ourselves, we are to know our worth, only from loving God first and knowing who He is can we know who we are and thereby be able to love others.
This statement needs to ring true for all of us, regardless of where we are in life, what we face, what we've done, how much money we have or don't have. You matter! Knowing who you are, really knowing who you are is the key to being able to show Christ's love for others. Christ died for us, He died for you. You are worth more to Him than you could ever imagine. You should never settle for less than what you know God would want for you.
I want to shout out to several of my dear friends, and to some others that I know this is meant for. If you are currently struggling with a decision, I would ask you to consider the situation as if Jesus was physically standing there with you. Not because I want you to feel guilty, on the contrary, I want you to see the love on Jesus face as you make your choices. What decision would you make then, standing face to face with your Savior, knowing how much He loves you? How might that change the way you chose?
I'd love to hear from you. Come back and visit at "Connectthedotblog".
Jesus's Emergency Room
Hospitals, I grew up in one, and no that is NOT an exaggeration. It's also not a stretch to say that it was partly because my mother worked there and partly because I was the clumsiest tomboy that ever waltzed through the Verde Valley, (notice the emphasis on was).
My mother worked at our community hospital for over 37 years. She held just about every non-clinical position possible. From unit clerk, nursing assistant and financial services representative to patient advocate. Needless to say if you ever found yourself there, you would have probably met my mom. The most memorable of her roles, for me, was when she was the admissions clerk in the Emergency Room. She would come home with stories, (never sharing identifying information as my mom has the highest of integrity when it came to hospital rules even before HIPPA was HIPPA), that seemed almost too odd to be true. We often joked that one day she needed to write a book because reality is so much more interesting than fiction.
She would enthrall us at the dinner table with stories about people with strange pets hidden in their clothing, obscure illnesses, gory injuries and sometimes people who just wanted someone to talk to. My mom was the first person they met when they walked through the sliding glass doors with "Emergency Room" written in big red letters. I can still remember the sound of those doors, both coming through as a patient as well as visiting my mom.
I was talking with a friend this week about how churches today are like hospitals. Jesus didn't come to heal and save the well, but the sick and broken. In Matthew, Mark and Luke Jesus stated that it was not the healthy that needed a doctor but the sick. This same statement is made in three of the Gospels, perhaps it is an important concept He wants us to grasp?
Matthew 9:11-13 – When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Mark 2:16-17 – When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?" On hearing this, Jesus told them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Luke 5:30-31 – But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
We all need to see our churches for what they are, hospitals, full of the sick and the broken. Our front doors should read "Emergency Room" in big red letters.
Most of the time mom's stories were of the usual suspects, drunk driving, sick children, motorcycle accidents, and the occasional broken bones, injuries and illnesses that were easily diagnosed and treated. Then there were the stories that baffled, the patients who come in covered in blood that would bring everyone running to the rescue, only to find the cause to be a small cut that was quickly repaired, no stitched required. Then there were those who came in looking ok, walking in on their own looking relatively healthy, who then collapse on the floor, almost dying in the waiting room from internal bleeding.
"You just never can tell", she would say, "until the doctor can take a close look."
Our doctor is Jesus. The Healer, The Great Physician, He raised the dead to life and restored the broken to their families and communities. Hospitals are no place for the faint of heart, they are messy, often loud, emotional, chaotic, and full of sick people. But, that is what we are here for isn't it?
Luke 6:32-36 – "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."
We talk about being accepting, we create ministries to reach out to the broken and lost of our communities, but then we complain about the mess. The Kingdom needs more hospitals, we need to be ready, willing, and able to accept everyone who walks through our doors, no matter how bloody or messy they are. It's not easy, Christ told us it would not be easy. However, He was also very clear with our job description.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
As a follower of Christ, this is my job! It's not always easy. I ask daily for God to give me His heart, His eyes and His hands to work in His hospital. I love nothing more than to see His people turn to Him and be healed. That, in and of it's self, is worth every uncomfortable, chaotic and messy moment.
I'd love to hear from you. Come back and visit at "Connectthedotblog".
Hands and Feet
I was driving to work this morning, on the rare occasion that I was not making multiple school drop stops. I was thinking through my day, and planning some upcoming events, praying and asking God for guidance and discernment. I pulled into my office parking lot about an hour earlier than normal and I got out of my car. To my surprise there was someone wrapped up in a sleeping bag lying on the sidewalk, blocking the door.
Complete transparency, I did not react the way I would have liked. My thoughts were uh oh, what now? They could be dangerous, they could be mean, they could yell at me if I disturb them…I could go around to the other door? Wait, I have to run to the store because I need to get flowers for one of my staff for their birthday. Ok God, I'll go to the store and if they are still there when I get back, I'll talk to them and see how I can help.
I went to the store, got the card and the flowers and returned to the office…yup they were still there. OK God, I'll walk around to the other door and put all my stuff in my office, and come back down. If they are still there I'll talk to them and see how I can help.
I went to my office and put my things down, and plugged in my computer. I grabbed my phone and my keys and walked down the stairs to the door…yup they were still there. OK God, I get it.
Trying to open the door, there was dead weight. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. I panicked, what if they were hurt, or sick or dead. "Excuse me, are you OK?" I Pushed the door a little more, "are you OK?" A man sat up, and began to apologize for being there.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sleep that long, I'm so sorry it was just so cold last night." He sat up and began to put on his shoes and continued to apologize. I noticed he didn't have any socks as he put his shoes on. "Really I'm so sorry I'll move, I was robbed and I have a job but they took my cell phone, I'm so sorry, really, I'll go."
I was so wrecked! "Please don't be sorry, come inside and get warm the building is now open."
"Really, thank you, my name is Tony." He reached up his hand to shake mine, I took it.
Tony is down on his luck, he'd had a rough night and was cold. He just wanted to be warm and my response was fear, excuses and procrastination. I took a few minutes to talk with Tony, who was from Tucson and was coming home from California after his job had ended. He told me that each day since he got back things kept getting worse, the culmination was the previous day when he was robbed, loosing his lifeline to his job when his phone was taken. He was sober, articulate, appreciative and polite. After giving him some food, hot coffee and some money. He went on his way, to his job.
I'm not making any claims to the truth or validity of his story, but to mine. I was praying in the car for discernment on what youth curriculum to use, my parent's upcoming anniversary party and whether to spend money on a new or used drum set for my son.
Tony slept in the cold, on the sidewalk out in the open, and had no socks. My response was not Jesus', it was the worlds. As I began writing this, a Micah Tyler song came on. He sings:
"I want to be different,I want to be changed,till all of me is gone and all that remains is a fire so bright the whole can see, that there's something different, so come and be different in me."
How can we claim to be God's hands and feet if we're too afraid to step out of our own comfort zone? We pray for God to give us opportunities to reach people, to help in tangible ways, then when it happens we come up with every excuse.
God wouldn't want me to do something dangerous. Didn't God send Ananias to Saul, the self proclaimed destroyer of Jesus Disciples? (Acts 9:10-19)?
God wouldn't ask me to jeopardize my standing at work. God was clear that all we do we should work as if for him not men. (Colossians 3:23)
God wanted me to meet Tony, to help him, but more than that to show me…yet again…that His will, His good and perfect will will never fall short of His glory. God loves all people, and not in an out there, for other people to act on, kind of way. Each and every person is precious to Him, so each and every person MUST be precious to us.
Regardless of what they've done, NO ONE is unredeemable! We are Jesus to this world, to every person we meet, it doesn't matter if we like them or not, if they are rich, poor, clean, dirty, sick, healthy, young or old. That is who we are called to be, period!
The wold is full of Tony's, full of people who need what we have, it's time we shared with everyone.
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Out of the mouth of Marcus
Marcus is my 7-year old son (almost 8). He is bright, energetic (to put it mildly), intuitive and quite often very insightful. Right now, he is into watching bible movies, and to be honest, I'm loving every minute.
Last weekend we watched the animated story of Joseph the King of Dreams and Moses back to back. While watching these movies, Marcus noticed that the Egyptian gods didn't look quite human.
"Mom, did the Egyptian gods actually look like animals?" he asked. "I mean, in real life were they part animal, did they actually look like that?"
To which I replied, "no son, they didn't look like that in real life. The Egyptians fashioned their gods out of a combination of human and natural/ animal characteristics."
Marcus lifted one eyebrow (which I LOVE that he can do), and said the most amazing thing…"if the Egyptians made them, then how can they be god?" A pretty deep yet accurate question for my 7-year old.
I find myself lately in more and more conversations with individuals who seem to have a sincere desire to experience God, however they are incredibly uncomfortable with committing. They tell me that they believe in a supreme power but think that there is a lot of "truth" in all religions. They begin to fashion for themselves a 'god' that aligns with their wold view; part Buddha, part Christ, part Native American or New Age, whatever fits into their perception of a reality they craft for themselves. Then they are unsatisfied that this 'god' they have created doesn't fulfill their desire to connect to the divine.
Exodus 20:2-4, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth…"
If you can create it, it's not a creator. If you can chose it's name, it's name has no power.
John 1:1-4, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
We create our idols/gods as a result of an innate desire to connect to the divine, that desire is from God. But out of our fear, we design a version of god that doesn't challenge us, or hold us accountable or to whom we must be accountable. A god that allows us to continue with the status quo, not telling us what to do or how to do it. Never expecting us to be more than what we are. We create an idol to say we believe in something, then become disgruntled when that idol does not fulfill our deepest need to connect.
Then we talk about how, "we tried religion" or "we gave God a shot, but it didn't work out for us". Did we really give God a chance? More likely than not we were too afraid of what He'd ask of us so we backed off, created our own version of truth and when that didn't fulfill us, blamed it on our own man made macaroni sculpture.
Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light…"
God doesn't want to ruin or control your life. He wants you to come to him of your own free will. He doesn't want you to settle for less that the very best He has for you. Choosing Jesus is choosing a life of love, abundance, peace, joy, fellowship and fulfillment. It isn't a choice to make lightly as it will change your life. Consider the alternative, a life with your favorite macaroni sculpture and endless one sided conversations or a life fulfilled with a loving God, personally involved in your life every day.
I saw a sign on social media recently, it simply stated, "If you are right and there is no God then I've wasted my life, if you are wrong and there is a God then you've wasted your eternity." (unknown author so I ask for forgiveness if I've misquoted).
I chose eternity, and apparently so does Marcus.
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It's not about the bread!
In Matthew 4 we find Jesus being "led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." We know that he fasted for forty days and nights, and that the bible clearly states (as I checked this against 5 different versions) that, "He was hungry." Forty days and forty nights, yea, he'd be hungry. He'd have a hunger inside of him that would literally make him sick, weak, faint and at this moment of weakness what should happen… The tempter came. "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." Remember how hungry He must have been… his reply?
Matthew 4:4 – But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'".
I don't know how many times I've read this part of scripture, but when I was reading it this weekend something struck me, one word, shall.
Just last night, I was having dinner with my parents at an Italian restaurant and of course there was bread, I love bread. Mom asked me, "would you like a piece of bread?" Of course I'd like a piece of bread, but you know man can not live on bread alone. Yup, that's what I said. It's what I've heard and I'm sure you've heard, lots of people say. "You know what the bible says…man can not live on bread alone."
WAIT! The scripture says, man SHALL not live by bread alone. BIG DIFFERENCE FRIENDS! I thought to myself when I read this again last night… how did I miss it? So I went searching through every version of the Bible I have in my house, and do you know what I found? They all say the same thing.
King James: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
New International Version: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Revised Standard Version: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
New Living Translation: People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the Mouth of God.
The Message: It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth.
Yes, I am telling you that man can live on bread alone, it's not healthy, and I don't recommend it. Bread may feed our bodies but not our souls. Only the word that proceeds from the mouth of God can feed our souls, make us whole, bring freedom, forgiveness and salvation. Bread may keep your body alive but will not give you life.
One of the definitions of the word 'shall'; expressing an instruction or command, "Man shall not live by bread alone", Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 8:2-3 where Moses is exhorting the people of Israel to remember how God cared for them in the desert for 40 years stating in verse 3, "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your father know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."
It's not about the bread! It's about living by the word of God. His promises are many and cover ALL our needs. We don't need to focus on the immediate hungers of the flesh, we need to keep our eyes, hearts and hopes on him. Everything else is just a distraction and will keep us from fully living the life He has planned for us.
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He is doing a new thing
"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19
Over the past 12 months so much has happened, it's difficult not to take a minute to reminisce. I'm not one for grandiose new year's resolutions however I am a strong believer in new beginnings. Each new day, each moment can be a new beginning. Christ's birth was the beginning of human redemption, a new beginning for everyone.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" 1 Peter 1:3
This year has brought growth, and restoration, it has brought blessings and challenges (also blessings but messier); through it all God has remained Sovereign! I am constantly reminded that through it all (and I mean ALL) God is, and will always be sovereign, His hand is on everything and in everything.
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all." 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
It seems natural on January 1st that we look ahead; what will this next year hold for us, what will we do differently, what will define who we are, who we want to be, how will we grow? I have been thinking over the past several weeks what this year will mean for me and my family. The one word that continues to come to my heart is simplicity.
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-15
This year I start back to school to complete my Theological studies after an almost 15 year hiatus. I continue in my role on staff at Tucson Central Church working alongside God's people in obedience and expectation of the amazing things He will accomplish, humbled that I get to be part of it.
If I have any words of encouragement to offer it is this, you are not alone. The sovereign God of the universe is deeply in love with you. He cares about the large and small things in your life, in fact there is nothing too large or to small to escape His notice or his attention. There is nothing you are going through now or that you may go through in the future that He can not handle, if you let Him.
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Challenges come in many forms, none of which are unique, all of which have been experienced before. I don't say that to in any way minimize your struggles, but to give you hope in the knowledge that you are not alone, that you can find comfort in knowing that whatever challenge you are facing, they have been faced and overcome through God's faithfulness.
My challenge to you, to all of us, is to lean on God's promises more than ever before. If we did that one thing, simply put God first, then all else will fall into place, His place, which is far better than anything we could do on our own.
I would love to hear from you, your comments and thoughts. Please take a minute to follow me and share with your friends. Come back and visit at "Connectthedotblog".
Be careful what you ask for…
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13-14.
I loved growing up in the 80's. We had great music, awesome clothes, less than awesome hairstyles and the best movies ever! I know, I know, what does this have to do with being careful what you ask for, well there is a saying that is quoted throughout one of my favorite moves, The Princess Bride these words are spoken by a poor young peasant to his beautiful young mistress. At a point early on in the movie she miraculously realizes that every time he responds to her requests with these words, "that what he is really saying, is I love you", deep sigh. How romantic right? Yes teenage girls across the nation swooned and dreamed of their Wesley finding & rescuing them and falling madly in love.
The words spoken in this movie express more than just the romantic love we associate with these characters. These words express a willingness to sacrifice everything for each other. Walking away from what is secure, known and safe. Wesley will sacrifice his very life for the opportunity to be together…sound familiar? The love that Christ feels for us is such that He gave up everything…EVERYTHING, so that we would not be separated from Him. He left heaven, came to earth as a man, lowly and simple, sacrificed Himself in the most unimaginable way, so we could experience real relationship with the Father.
And if that weren't enough, he promises to give us whatever we ask for in His name. He wants to give us exponentially more than we could ever comprehend. Jesus' love is such that He sacrificed Himself to reunite us with the Father, but also such that He WANTS to give us every good thing, not everything we want, but every good thing.
Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17
His love is such that he won't give us any less that what is the very best for us. We ask for what we want and His response is, "as you wish". However, just like when our children ask for a second helping of ice cream or an extra hour after curfew, we aren't going to give them what we know is NOT in their best interest…no matter how much they beg and plead for it.
"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:9-11
Recently my prayers have been along the lines of, "God give me patience!", or "Jesus make me more like you", or my best one yet, "Lord give me your heart toward others". These prayers, He loves, these prayers, He answers…sometimes in ways that aren't comfortable or easy. You know what His answers have been, here are the children I gave you, now let's stir them up into a frenzy…practice that patience. You want to see people, to love them as I do, go to where you are uncomfortable going, see how they live, see their struggles, now go and love them, right where they are.
He is answering my prayers by refining me, allowing me to enter into situations that will test my patience, bringing me into relationship with people who may stretch my comfort zone. Showing me how He sees the world and not allowing me to judge with my own eyes but to love with His. My heart has been broken, my eyes have seen what I cannot un-see, my patience has been tested to the point of breaking…I have grown.
I used to be afraid of these kinds of prayers, I would make them halfheartedly then wince at what I expected to be the ensuing pain of it all…it didn't come. Oh don't get me wrong, when you ask God to refine you, He will and it's not always comfortable, but He isn't out to hurt you or break you or beat you down. He wants you to grow strong and mature into the person He created you to be. He will never allow you to be pushed beyond a point you can bear.
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Scripture also tells us how God will work alongside us to help us on our journey toward becoming more like him.
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30
Never be afraid to ask God for anything. His answers will shock and amaze you, no prayer will go unanswered, sometimes the answer may be no, or not now or, OK hang on to your hat and see what I will do. No matter what you ask, expect an answer…always.
Apostles Eternity War
"Mom, I want to be spider man", "mom can I be wonder woman?", "mom, mom, can a girl be baby Groot?" This is what I hear on an almost weekly basis these days. My children are obsessed with super heroes. They love the idea of heroes; those who are willing to do whatever is necessary for the greater good, despite the personal pain and sacrifice they must inevitably endure. Several years ago, when my oldest son was 8-9 years old he was obsessed with Indiana Jones and dressed up as him for three years running. I still have the cloth whip he carried that plays the Indiana Jones Theme Song. Da da dum dum da da dum! Yea I play with it sometimes too…truth be told it's in my office and my whole team gets a kick out of it.
He loved that Indiana Jones had a seemingly super power where his whip was concerned however, his real super power was actually that he was smart and cared about keeping people safe. I remember when we watched the last Indiana Jones movie together, Nik kept telling me, "Mom it will be ok the hero always wins." Then there was the scene where Indiana got a bit of a beating and Nik covered his eyes and began to worry if Indiana would still be victorious…of course he was, and Nik looked at me beaming…"see I told you the hero always wins." Such faith he had in his hero.
It's funny how we crave the idea that there are those in the world who are willing to serve a greater purpose than themselves, even to the extent of sacrificing their lives for it. We believe that honor, and nobility are something to be admired and looked up to. It's almost like we were born with the innate desire to seek out that which is greater than ourselves.
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20
Perhaps it not that surprising after-all. Being made in God's image we have the ability through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to share in God's divine nature. We are created to be like Him who is noble, loving, forgiving and full of mercy. It is natural then that we look for these 'invisible qualities' here on earth.
The question is, why do we feel the need to create imaginary and fantastical versions of heroes to worship, as opposed to worshiping the one who embodies everything we seek?
In Philippians 4:8 the apostle Paul writes, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
Does this list of characteristics sound familiar; true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? Is Paul describing Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, or Spiderman? The list of characters could go on and on, none of them exemplify all of these characteristics, all of them represent some. The one difference seems to be that each of our heroes is mortally flawed. Whether its pride or vanity or kryptonite or a relationship or greed, we imbue each of our heroes with characteristics that make them more like us. It's easier to believe that a hero could exist if they weren't perfect. So, we worship the flawed over the flawless. Is it because we want to make our heroes more like us, bringing us to a more equal footing? Or is it simply because we can truly comprehend flawlessness?
God is flawless, sovereign, omniscient and omnipotent. He is perfect, He is love, He cannot make a mistake and will not cause harm. We can trust Him completely and be confident that He is who He says He is; always has been and always will be.
While heroes remind us of our innate desire to experience the divine in humanity, there is only one true source for that divinity, Jesus Christ. He is the one hero who embodied all that is divine. His flawlessness, purity, nobility is what we truly seek, Jesus was fully human and fully God. Why would we seek something less, why would we worship that which is flawed and broken when we have what is perfect.
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"We praise You when we win, and we praise You when we lose."
Winning and losing, successes and failures, raises, promotions, houses and cars it's how we keep account of how we are doing in life. Are we getting ahead are we falling behind? James writes, " My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to you him." (James 1:2-5)
No, it doesn't mean we are supposed to be happy when trials happen to us. What James is telling us is to consider the trials as a means by which the Lord can work in our lives to help us grow and become the people He created us to be. I know that the thought of considering the hardest times in our lives as blessings, is difficult. I have lost a child, she was 13 when I lost her, and I did not consider it joy. I did not praise God for that trial, I did not see how anything good could come from that single event. In my wounded heart I felt only my pain. It took me many years…many years, before I was able to look at that trial as something God used to make me more like Him. God not only used that experience to do His perfect work in me, he also fulfilled one of His many promises to, "work all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
What I have found is that in times of trial, disappointment, confusion, or anxiety we need to praise God, not for the circumstances but because He is God! It is in and through those moments that God shows us what He can and will do in our lives. He will provide; a way out, triumph, clarity and calm if we ask it of him. "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let no that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord." (James 1:6-7)
Recently I was driving to the office and i received a phone call. One I had been very anxious to receive. I had been working on a project for months, and this call was going to either let me know that my team and I had been successful or unsuccessful. I will let you know that there was a lot riding on this project, so my anxiety level was a bit high. The phone call unfortunately did not turn out the way I'd hoped, we were not awarded the project. It was in that moment I felt compelled to praise God. No, I did not jump for joy, no I did not skip or dance or throw my hands up in the air. I simply thanked God for what He was doing. I know that He has greater plans for me, plans far greater than I could imagine. I praised and continue to praise Him for what He is doing with my life. Yes, that contract would have been remarkable, something never done by my division. I would have received many kudos and much recognition. Even knowing that, I know that what is in store is better.
I love movies and there is one from which I frequently show clips for team building and motivation. There is a scene in 'Facing the Giants' where Coach Taylor explains his new team philosophy. In this scene he is explaining to his team of high school football players that life is all about God, not us. He stated toward the end that "if we win, we'll praise Him, if we lose, we'll praise Him." Coach is resolved to give it all to God and by doing so accept everything God has for him.
Back in that moment in my car, it would have been easy to feel discouraged, disappointed, be angry, yell out 'why not, we worked hard, we deserve it'. Instead, I chose to pray and to praise. God is always God, not just when times are good, and everything is going our way. In fact, often times it's when things seem the darkest, the most unbearable that God's love, light and blessings flow out in ways we could have never expected.
I choose to praise Him when it's good and when it seems bad, because I know that He is sovereign. There is nothing that escapes His notice or care. I know He wants only what is best for me and loves me too much to do less. Laura Story's song 'Blessings' says "We pray for blessings, we pray for peace, Comfort for family, protection while we sleep, We pray for healing, for prosperity, We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering, And all the while, You hear each spoken need, Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things."
Once we can start to see past the immediate pain, fear, anxiety and discomfort of our situations and begin to recognize that God is at work in those moments, we will be able to consider it joy that He is active and working in our lives.
Speaking for myself, I wouldn't want it any other way.
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No word from God will ever fail!
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
If God is for us, who can be against us…Powerful words, words full of promise and commitment. Words to encourage and assure us, words that fully express God's passion for His children. Just a few verses later it states, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? – Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37
So, if God is for us and nothing can separate His children from Him, then why are we so fearful? Why do we doubt His love and His care? Why do we think and act if things are either out of His reach, to big for Him to handle or too small for Him to care?
Is it a lack of faith? I believe that, at least in my life, it's a lack of understanding. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9
I don't understand why I had to struggle so much in life; death, loss, more death, trials and tribulations…why? I asked that a lot. What I have experienced recently however, is a growing sense of who God is, through my relationship with Jesus Christ, and through that, a better knowledge of how little I know, or as Socrates put it, "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing."
Isaiah 41:10 – "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
I can't comprehend the passion and fullness of God's love, or of Jesus's sacrifice for me. I can only understand through the lenses of my life's experiences, without the Holy Spirit. And there it is…with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in my life I can begin to experience and understand God's ways, who Jesus is, and through that the unthinkable grace that's been given to me.
Cory Asbury expresses this so well in his song Reckless Love. "Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine. I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God."
God is sovereign. Nothing gets by Him, nothing is beyond Him, nothing surprises Him, and He can and will work ALL things for His Glory and our good. More than that, there is nothing that will surprise Him, shock Him or rock Him.
Jeremiah 32:27 – "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
So, back to my point, if God is with us who can be against us? Knowing that there is nothing God can't do, nothing is too big or too small for His attention and that He will always provide for our needs, then why do we still doubt and fear? I believe it is because we have a very hard time, without the help of the Holy Spirit, fully comprehending who He is.
The remedy is easy, get to know Him better. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom to discern His ways, pray for understanding, read His words. None of us would attempt to write a biography on a famous individual without spending considerable time with that person, reading about them, studying their actions and decisions. Why then do we throw our hands up in the air and yell, "why Lord", when we haven't been intentional in our efforts to know him better?
The key is being intentional, you can't read a scripture, pray Sunday morning then throw your hands up that it's not working. It takes time, effort and commitment…the fruits of which however, will be immeasurable; thirty, fifty and a hundred-fold more than you could ever imagine.
I'd love to hear from you. Come back and visit at "Connectthedotblog".


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J M Gormley - Moon Waves Lapse
Listen to "Moon Waves Lapse" by J M Gormley from Los Angeles Ca. Activity breeds activity has achieved top recognition as journalist record company executive artist manager music supervisor marketingpr expert.
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Stuck parquet
The glued parquet is usually composed of solid wooden boards installed forming different designs, Herringbones, Checkerboards… It's an artisan installation so it's necessary a very qualified worker for installing them.
The common size is over 250/300×50/60×10 mm and 500x70x15 mm. Also the checkerboards, tiles 8 mm thick.
The Industrial Parquet is characterized by hardness and stability, composed of little planks 20 mm thick and 11 mm wide.


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Ice cream & Chocolate for breakfast? Why not!
June 26, 2010 § 13 Comments
When I woke up this morning, I had a craving that I have every other morning…chocolate.
Usually I can get by that craving by making myself a giant bowl of oatmeal, a sweet smoothie, or simply some PB&J. I went for the oatmeal route today and made some chocolatey oats today that consisted of cocoa powder, chocolate whey protein powder, and a large scoop of ChocoDreams.
I contemplated on snapping a picture of my breakfast. On second thought, my breakfast looked kind of gross to put up here.
I inhaled my breakfast in no time. But guess what, that chocolate craving was still there.
My next resort?
When life needs chocolate, you give it chocolate. 🙂
No, I haven't finished this so delicious thing since then. Shame on me.
My tummy happily went dormant again after a few scoops of peanut butter chocolate goodness and a few more licks of ChocoDreams.
Speaking of chocolate, I need to share a couple of my new findings when I visited a local gluten-free shop last night:
Cutest packaging ever.
On the Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate package:
Dark semisweet chocolate, whole dry roasted almonds and sea salt.
At first bite, crunchy almonds release their flavor in a swirl with chocolate. The sea salt crystals continually reset your sweet taste buds and make a tantalizing taste combination that keeps you wanting more.
No joke! I had a good three squares of it right after I bought it last night.
I haven't tried the Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate, but here's what it says:
Crystallized Australian ginger in rich Belgian dark chocolate crafted from a blend of Caribbean and African cocoa beans.
Upon eating, tangy dark chocolate gives way to soft, moist, sugar-coated chunks of hot-spicy ginger. The sweet and spicy transitions are delightfully stimulating.
Sounds tantalizing and mouth-watering to me!
I have no intentions of going to the gym, or running outside, or doing yoga, or doing any exercise for that matter. My body is calling out for a rest day. I think it caved in yesterday because I pretty much exercised 3 times. Well, four if you count bustling around in the lab all day as exercise.
Morning 5.35 am: 2 hr Ashtanga yoga
Afternoon 4.00 pm: 50 min fast walk to and from Yogurtland! (Lemon-Passion Fruit tart, Chocolate Coconut Truffle, and Mango)
Evening 6.15 pm: 1 hr and 10 min of sand volleyball
We could have gone on playing for up to two hours if it wasn't for the dangerous sand volleyball court! Two people yesterday got injured at the same spot on the court. One got seriously scraped on the knee when he dove to get the ball. The other got jabbed deeply on her big toe. We tried digging around that area and couldn't find anything. We proclaimed it the Demon's point.
I've played on that sand court several times, but it's never happened before! In consideration of everyone else's safety, we decided to call it quits for the evening and would inform our school's Facilities and Maintenance staff to check on that area (the court is on our campus).
Needless to say, I was starving by then too. Dmitri and I headed down to Pita Pit to use our buy one get one free coupon!
Hummus, grilled spinach/tomatoes/mushrooms, sprouts, pepperconis, cucumbers, olives, shredded lettuce, and Dijon mustard.
It's like Subway, but wrapped in a pita! Also, they have much more vegetarian options (not just to boring Veggie Delite), including Babaganouj, Garden, Falafel, Feta, and Hummus, and more veggies to choose from! It definitely fills me up way better than Subway does!
I was totally pooped when we finally got home at around 9. Dmitri and I set up to watch a movie, but my eyes just felt soooo heavy. At 9:40, I asked Dmitri to tuck me in.
Yes I still need to be tucked in with a bedtime story 😀
'Twas a glorious 8 hours of sleep!
- BBQ at a professor's house! With 40+ other guests including profs and students
- Read
- Bake (?)
Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!
+ What fun reads have you been doing lately?
+ Do you ever wake up craving chocolate? If so, how do you quell it?
HAIIIIIII-YA! to a productive Saturday
June 19, 2010 § 15 Comments
First of all, I want to give a shout out to my mom. It's her birthday today! Well, technically yesterday since she's in Taiwan. She reads my blog too, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! 🙂
Hope the rest of the family gave you a FABULOUS birthday!
In case you were wondering, yes I did watch The Karate Kid yesterday evening at the same drive-in theater. Having learned our lesson last time that arriving there at 8:15pm when the movie starts at 8:30pm is not a good idea.
This time, we raced to the line at 7:30pm, and the box office opens at 7:45pm. Great family movie, by the way. And can I not emphasize enough how cute Jaden Smith is?!?!?! ❤
Dmitri and I spent the majority of time while waiting for 8:30pm to roll around playing Mr. Egg. I totally dominated that game! If you haven't heard of this game, basically one person thinks of a well-known or famous person (can be an artist, singer, actor/actress, writer, scientist, etc.). And the other person must ask yes or no question to lead him/her to guess the person. For example, the person I'm thinking of is Jennifer Aniston (which I did think of yesterday). You can ask me questions like: Is your person a male? Is your person an actress? Is your person blonde? So on, and so forth. It's a game just for killing time's sake.
Now let's rewind a bit. Before the movie, we stopped by Souplantation–basically a big salad/soup/pasta/bread bar. I had never heard of this place till one of my friends told me about it when she visited me over my spring break this year. It's now one of my fave restaurant!
Hidden under all the veggies included raspberry-walnut slaw. So yummy!
To-die-for honey-whipped butter.
And of course, no meal is complete with some sweet ending.
Stewed apples and peaches, topped with apple mousse, cottage cheese, peanut sprinkles, granolas, and chocolate syrup.
Then it was movie time!
This morning started out like any other Saturday. Waking up to the sunlight streaming through my blinds, lying in bed for 20 more min, then rolling out of bed leisurely. Usually I'd go for a run soon after getting out of bed, but this morning I was feeling lazy. So I had a bowl of oatmeal and read some blogs. Ahhh…I love these kinds of leisurely mornings!
At 10am I stepped out for an easy run. I was tired today, and my legs just didn't want to move fast. I stopped and walked two times, but still managed to finish 4 miles within 45 minutes.
Does anyone feel that after a good workout there's no other perfect way to recharge but with a ginormous green monster smoothie?
❤ my Buddha bowl!
With chocolate cheerios!
Green, green, brown, and red!
And of course other snackage ensued.
Mini Chinese-styled steamed buns and Sweet BBQ Vegetarian Pork Buns. You can probably tell I got too excited and dug in before I remembered to take a picture.
Mini BBQ-vegetarian pork buns. With one bite taken.
Growing up, I loved the sweet BBQ pork buns, but turning vegetarian sort of worked against me. If you've ever had those BBQ Pork Buns at Dim Sum places, you'll know what I'm talking about. When I went back to Taiwan last winter, I discovered these vegetarian versions! I loved them so much I brought about 1.5 dozens of them back here to California.
More food to come after this:
From the package Dmitri's mom sent him.
Not bad. Does not have the most stellar ingredients list though. 😐
The rest of the afternoon was spent on doing productive stuff, including grocery shopping, baking, cleaning the apartment, prepping dinner, making Mama Peas Tofu Ricotta Gnocchi for tomorrow's dinner.
Let's talk about my favorite: baking!
"You Got Peanut Butter in my Chocolate" Cookies from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. This is just like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. It's amazing how soft and crumbly these cookies are, even without the butter! Dreena Burton once again made my day! 🙂
After messing around more in the kitchen and cleaning the apartment, scrubbing bathrooms, the kitchen, etc., it was time to prep dinner. Since it was such a hot day, I decided on a chilled dinner.
Chilled Noodles with Peanut Sauce & Lentils
Makes 3-4 servings
- 3-4 servings of noodles of your choice, cooked
- two small carrots, or one large, chopped into small pieces (or pulse in food processor)
- half a large cucumber, again chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup cooked lentils
The Sauce (makes about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (I used chunky, but creamy is fine too)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1-2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
Mix the ingredients of the sauce in a food processor until well blended.
In a large bowl, mix the noodles, lentils, carrots & cucumbers, and sauce until the noodles are coated in the sauce. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
The results:
These may not be the most aesthetically pleasing noodles, but they were darn good!!! The noodles remind me of these traditional Taiwanese chilled noodles that is paired with sesame sauce, shredded carrots & cucumbers. It brought me back to my home country! When I was whipping up the sauce, I didn't even have that Taiwanese noodles in mind, but the taste turned out exactly like that. I guess the sesame oil, peanut butter, and the lentils combined brought out the same nutty taste as the sesame sauce.
One more You Got Peanut Butter in my Chocolate Cookies later (I've had a total of 3 today!), I sat down in front of my computer and realized how tired I was! The running, errands, cleaning, baking, cooking sure got to me today! I also had a cheesecake that I planned to bake tonight, but I'm now debating whether I should make it tonight or tomorrow. Maybe I should take the night off 🙂
Dmitri and I got some exciting plans tomorrow! Can't wait! 😀
+ What are some foods that remind you of your childhood?


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Short Programmes Spa Massage
ShortProgrammes of spa
Head, Neck & Shoulders Massage in Madiwala
Muscle tension, aches and pains can often hold us back from doing the things we want or need to do. Our head, neck and shoulder massage is beautifully relaxing and targets all the places you hold the most tension – the head, neck and shoulders. Choose your desired level of pressure, whether you need a strong massage to relieve built up tension, or a gentle and tranquil experience if you just need a break from busy life.
Foot Massage in Madiwala
The benefits of foot massage are not specific to one part of the body; rather, they are spread across the entire body. For instance, they are known to not only relieve a sore neck, but also provide you with improved liver health. It is surprising to hear that, I know; but you probably have heard a bit about reflexology and how it works.
Neck, Shoulders & Back Massage in Madiwala
A Back, Neck and Shoulder massage is a shorter treatment than a Full Body massage, and is typically 30mins long.In a Back, Neck and Shoulder massage, sometimes the back, arms and legs are smoothed prior to the body massage using a 'body brush', rough mitt or exfoliating scrub to slough off dead skin cells on the skin surface and to stimulate lymph circulation to help the body's natural detoxifying process.


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Comprehensive Intellectual Disability/Autism + mtDNA + Fragile X Repeat Expansion & Methylation
Test Details
|NGS; Repeat Primed-PCR
|2 - 4 weeks
|81470, 81243, 81244, 81471, 81302, 81304, 81404, 81405, 81406 x2, 81460, 81465
Clinical Information
|Clinical Significance
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired cognitive functions, significant below-average intellectual ability, and functional limitations in adaptive behavior with onset prior to the age of 18 years. ID is affecting 1-3% of the general population, and 2-3% of Americans are diagnosed with ID.
Causes of ID can be contributed by both environmental (non-syndromic) and genetic factors (syndromic). Environmental factors include intoxication during pregnancy, viral infections, premature birth, complications during birth, malnutrition, childhood diseases, and metabolic disorders which are responsible for damage of the nervous system.
It is estimated that up to 50% of moderate-severe cases have genetic causes including chromosomal abnormalities and monogenic defects. Chromosomal abnormalities are: aneuploidies, duplications and submicroscopic deletions. Of the autosomal trisomies, trisomy 21 is the most common chromosome abnormality associated with ID. Approximately 10% of syndromic cases are due to X-linked intellectual disability disorders (XLID). More than 100 XLID syndromes have been described in the literature to date. Fragile X is the most common XLID syndrome (~1 in 4000 males) while other syndromes can be quite rare with only a few patients reported in the literature. Males can have moderate to severe intellectual disability depending on the diagnosed syndrome. Carrier females can also be affected, but typically have milder clinical symptoms.
|Relevant Diseases
Specimen Information
|Acceptable Sample Types
|Sample Preparation:
|(1) Blood specimens: Draw blood in an EDTA tube. Preferred volume: 4 milliliters (adults and pediatrics), Minimum volume: 2 milliliters; (2) DNA extracted from leukocytes, muscle, or fibroblasts: Preferred quantity: 4 micrograms, Minimum quantity: 3 micrograms (Genomic DNA should be eluted in sterile Dnase/Rnase free water or TE. The A260:A280 ratio should be 1.8-2.0.); (3) 2 T-25 flasks of fibroblasts; (4) 50-75 milligrams muscle snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and maintained at -80°Celsius or below. (5) Skin biopsy (Fibroblasts will be cultured from skin specimen for genetic testing): Skin biopsy may be taken from the inner forearm with a sterile skin punch (2-5 millimeters) or at incision site of muscle biopsy. Site is sterilized with alcohol swabs only (other reagents will inhibit cell isolation/growth). Biopsy site may be anaesthetized with 2% lidocaine with epinephrine. Depth of punch is 2mm. Transfer skin biopsy into 15 milliliter conical tube filled with sterile culture media. (6) Buccal cells.
|Shipping Condition:
|MNG SmartKits are available for free shipping of specimens. Please see our website for details. If you are not using a MNG SmartKit: (1) Blood specimens should be shipped in a secure container at room temperature. (2) Extracted DNA should be shipped priority overnight at ambient temperature. (3) T-25 flasks containing fibroblasts should be shipped in an insulated container at room temperature. Flasks should be completely filled with media and cells should be ~90% confluent. Fibroblast samples must be certified free from Mycoplasma. MNG is able to perform this service for a small charge (See TC05). (4) Muscle samples should be shipped frozen in an insulated container with 5-7 lbs dry ice. (5) Buccal cells should be shipped in a secure container at room temperature. (6) Skin Biopsy: Conical containing the skin specimen should be shipped in a secure container with cold pack (DO NOT FREEZE). All samples should be shipped overnight at the proper temperature for receipt by our lab Monday thru Saturday (No Sunday or holiday deliveries accepted).


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Extended Trip - Friday 11 August 2017 to Monday 21 August 2017 (11 days)
Photo Archive - Antal Kalocsai
What a popular mid winter destination - once Christine had formulated plans for her trip, it was full before it was advertised, and with enquiries continuing, what better way to spread the muddy fun than run a second trip in the reverse direction - Tony's party.
So there we were, 8 of us travelling from Auckland to Oban arriving on a Friday afternoon, already a long way from home, in many respects. Great hospitality and food at the South Sea Hotel, including a heaped platter of deep fried savouries. And Stewart Island backpackers was one of the best ever, including very efficient radiators in every room. Confirmed the shuttle pick-up for the next morning ...
The next morning ... no shuttle.. island time. Bush telegraph aka the backpackers owner being very helpful, soon rustled it up, and we were on our way to the start of the track at Lee Bay. Great weather, easy going, on the Great Walk section to Port William Hut. A sea lion lazing on the sand at Maori Beach near where there is a short side trip to relics of the sawmilling days. . After a short stop at the spacious Port William Hut, it was very quickly onto the real NW Circuit track, with some good mud, and everyone soon learning that they would not be ending the day with clean boots !
After our first bush and mud adventure, a more relaxed stroll along Big Bungaree Beach to the hut, where soon enough our master fire lighter Robin had the hut warming up to counter the cool afternoon and evening sea breezes. Sniega, our hardy Lithuanian, opted to sleep on the deck, and was duly rewarded by the first kiwi spotting of the trip - those in the hut had to be content with hearing the kiwi calls.
Each day saw the track alternating between delightful beaches and then tracks undulating through the bush - with conditions ranging from an easy walking surface through to rough sections with large muddy patches ... but all the time superb bush, Sunday was just that - bush sections then along Murray beach, with a lunch stop at the hunters hut beside the campsite. A very comfortable, well looked after 4 bunk hut too. From there the track follows an old tramway formation on a very gradual ascent, with some assistance to avoid stepping all the time in the continuing mud. Undulations continued, scruffy gullies, then a side track took us to the Christmas Village Hunters Hut down near the see - an interesting assortment of skulls - probably from trampers who had not managed to escape from mud holes. Not much further from there was the side track down onto a rocky beach, and then along the beach to the Christmas Village trampers hut.
The next day's feature was the side trip to the top of Mt Anglem 980m and back. A cool morning breeze, so "wait at the first track junction". Ummm ....it took just 5 minutes for the party to find various ways to leave the beach from where we had come the previous afternoon, not all correct ... and so 30 minutes later we were all back together again.... Then a good 3 hour climb on a track with some real bogs - Mark up to his middle at one point, Tony having the odd dabble too. Our surroundings changing as we went - out of the tall trees, into leatherwood, into colourful alpine vegetation, and finally a snowy landscape in cool clag. Noticeably cold at the top, so a quick stop on the helipad for photos, then back down the hill away from the snow to where we could enjoy a relatively sheltered lunch spot surrounded by alpine vegetation, with views up and down the coast and inland. No lake view for us - that was in the claggy area. A slow descent because of the roughness of the track, and Catherine's pack acquired some dry firewood for the evening rituals - just as well, it was a cold night with the hut directly collecting the sea breezes.
Next day's progress marked by arrival at Lucky Beach for an extended lunch stop in the warm sun - unappealing camp site - back from the beach, in a shady spot, soft puggy ground. Beach foraging introduced Robin to the joys of paua hunting to supplement his dinner that evening. Masses of kelp and deer prints on the beach. Great bush track for a while, then it reverted to its usual muddy state. Yankee River Hut in a very pleasant location beside a wide river, set back a short distance from the sea, so a more sheltered location than our previous seaside spots. Our night kiwi hunters were not successful - typical of the week - kiwi spottings were unexpected, and deliberate searching was never successful !
Weather continuing fine - think - mid winter in the very south of the country ! - so next day up and over the hill down to the sand dunes of Smoky Beach and a welcome sunny rendezvous with Christine's party, and a chance to catch up and share all of our experiences to date. Found out that we were the incendiarists party and they weren't, but later on they eventually succumbed - we must have corrupted their moral fortitude ! On along the beach and then over the next hill to Long Harry Hut perched on a high point above the beach - cellphone reception was a bonus. A dead seal pup on the beach, a cave with a sea tunnel, and Mark spotted a kiwi on the track coming down to the hut.
Next day more kiwi spotting along the way and then down onto a long rocky beach, with a bit of quick footwork required to avoid waves from the incoming tide at one point. Up onto the next headland and now turning the corner from a generally NE direction to a southerly one. Descent down to the stream near East Ruggedy Beach, with no one managing to find the possible quicksand. A few squalls about as we climbed away from the beach on sandy tracks to East Ruggedy Hut - aka The Ritz. Well provisioned with essential provisions such as 5 ply toilet paper and even magazines - but don't tell DOC (the magazine removers) about them.
Friday again - over a saddle via easy an gradient and down through the sand dunes to West Ruggedy beach right on high tide - so followed the marked high tide route over a small bluff. Walking down the beach the sky to the west over Codfish Island was a dramatically dark stormy blue, increasing in intensity as it headed towards us - must get off the beach asap and into the shelter of the bush. Amazingly although we did get showered on from time to time, the threatened dumping of rain did not eventuate. The bush track wound its way on through some great rough and muddy spots, gradually ascending to the point where having crossed the top of sand dune slope at 200m elevation above Big Hellfire Beach we arrived at the hut. This time a different outlook - the hazy views were eastwards into the middle of the island, not out to the western sea.
The final day's tramp involved a lot of rough mud and a track with some great H&S risks to life and limb (Oops - I forgot to bring my DOC H&S plan - this was much more of a hazard than anything in the Kaimais). Soon enough we had views out to Mason Bay in the distance, so we knew we were reaching our journey's end. Spectacular surf with high spray as the waves broke at Little Hellfire Beach, and then our final headland up, up, up and over down, down, down to the top end of Mason Bay. Impressive sand dunes, and now a flat beach walk through to our final hut, 20 minutes back from the beach up Duck Creek. Two little aircraft popped in further down the beach at one point - in all of our time on the track, the only people activity seen were Christine's party and those 2 planes. At the turnoff inland to the hut, evidence of rubbish collection work - the west facing beaches were so disappointing for the amount of rubbish about (principally fishing related), just so different from the pristine NE facing beaches from a few days ago.
Our final day on the island required a late afternoon low tide departure via a 9 seater plane from the beach, so time to explore the old homestead area, a couple more hunters huts, and in some cases find an interesting round walk over Big Sand Pass with its extensive sand dunes back onto the beach. Time in the afternoon near our pickup point to check out another hunters hut, fill supplied heli bags with beach rubbish, and wait while watching squally conditions not too far away that never quite managed to reach our spot. A spectacular flight back to Invercargill not too far above a number of the beaches and headlands we had walked over the last few days.
Favourite hut - Yankee River
Favourite dehydrated meal - none
Birds spotted - kiwi (roa), shag, tui, bellbird, kaka, kereru, fantail, grey warbler, red billed gull, black and red oyster catchers, albatross, godwit, dotterel, tomtit, pied stilt
Most impressive - all arrived at Mason Bay safely - thanks everyone !
Styles of mud navigation - acrobatic (Fay), sinking in slowly (Antal), second best choice (Vicky), avoiding faceplant - just (Sniega), slipping in (Tony), mudbreaker - straight through (Mark), testing with trekking pole (Robin), what mud ? (Catherine)
Notable track markers near beaches - washed ashore fishing buoys, some with faces cut in them. The whole party each day was walking close to DOC standard track times, meaning the faster members were capable of being under those times.
Our party was Antal Kalocsai, Catherine Doyle, Fay Zhong, Mark Abela, Robin Houston, Sniega Radzeviciene, Vicky King and Tony Walton