text:
Geneticists Solve 40-Year-Old Dilemma to Explain Why Duplicate Genes Remain in the GenomeSep. 30, 2014 After 40 years of wondering why, scientists have discovered that duplicate genes confer 'mutational robustness' in individuals, which allows them to adapt to novel, potentially dangerous ... full story
Blades of Grass Inspire Advance in Organic Solar CellsSep. 30, 2014 Using a bio-mimicking analog of one of nature's most efficient light-harvesting structures, blades of grass, an international research team has taken a major step in developing long-sought ... full story
High-Speed Drug Screen DevelopedSep. 30, 2014 Engineers have devised a way to rapidly test hundreds of different drug-delivery vehicles in living animals, making it easier to discover promising new ways to deliver a class of drugs called ... full story
Pollution Linked to Lethal Sea Turtle TumorsSep. 30, 2014 Polluted urban and farm runoff in Hawaii has been linked to lethal tumors in endangered sea turtles. A new study finds that excess nitrogen in the runoff accumulates in algae that the turtles eat and ... full story
Bacteria May Have Ability to Reduce Impact of Diazepam on UK River EnvironmentsSep. 30, 2014 A reaction pathway that could reduce the potentially harmful impact of diazepam and similar chemicals on the UK's freshwater environment has been discovered by researchers. Diazepam -- used to ... full story
Breakthrough Study Discovers Six Changing Faces of 'Global Killer' BacteriaSep. 30, 2014 Every ten seconds a human being dies from pneumococcus infection, making it the leading cause of serious illness across the globe. New research discovers six unique states of pneumococcus, which may ... full story
Ebola: New Therapies to Combat VirusSep. 30, 2014 New human antibody therapies have been developed for people exposed to the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses, researchers report. Researchers are using a high-efficiency method to isolate and generate ... full story
Gut Bacteria Promote Obesity in MiceSep. 30, 2014 A species of gut bacteria called Clostridium ramosum, coupled with a high-fat diet, may cause animals to gain weight, researchers report. They observed that mice harboring human gut bacteria ... full story
An Apple a Day Could Keep Obesity AwaySep. 29, 2014 Nondigestible compounds in apples -- specifically, Granny Smith apples -- may help prevent disorders associated with obesity, scientists have concluded. "We know that, in general, apples are a ... full story
Software for Automated Sorting of Genomes of Individual Microbial Species Through MetagenomesSep. 29, 2014 Microbes -- the single-celled organisms that dominate every ecosystem on Earth -- have an amazing ability to feed on plant biomass and convert it into other chemical products. Tapping into this ... full story
Sweat-Eating Bacteria May Improve Skin HealthSep. 29, 2014 Bacteria that metabolize ammonia, a major component of sweat, may improve skin health and some day could be used for the treatment of skin disorders, such as acne or chronic wounds. Human volunteers ... full story
Plants Prepackage Beneficial Microbes in Their SeedsSep. 29, 2014 Plants have a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria. These 'commensal' bacteria help the plants extract nutrients and defend against invaders -- an important step in preventing ... full story
On the Trail of the Truffle FlavorSep. 29, 2014 Truffles, along with caviar, are among the most expensive foods in the world. Because they grow underground, people use trained dogs or pigs to find them. But the distinctive smell of truffles is not ... full story
Investigating 'Underground' Habitat of Listeria BacteriaSep. 29, 2014 The literature describes Listeria as ubiquitous bacteria with widespread occurrence. Yet they only become a problem for humans and animals when they contaminate food processing facilities, multiply, ... full story
Human Genome Was Shaped by an Evolutionary Arms Race With ItselfSep. 28, 2014 An evolutionary arms race between rival elements within the genomes of primates drove the evolution of complex regulatory networks that orchestrate the activity of genes in every cell of our bodies, ... full story
Bacterial Genome Important to Fuel and Chemical Production SequencedSep. 26, 2014 Researchers sequence the entire genome of the Clostridium autoethanogenum bacterium, which is used to sustainably produce fuel and chemicals from a range of raw materials, including gases derived ... full story
Smelly Discovery Challenges Effectiveness of Antimicrobial TextilesSep. 26, 2014 Anti-odor clothing may not be living up to its promise, and a researcher is saying it could all be a matter of how the product was ... full story
High-Throughput Cell-Sorting Method Can Separate 10 Billion Bacterial Cells in 30 MinutesSep. 26, 2014 A new, high-throughput method for sorting cells has been developed, capable of separating 10 billion bacterial cells in 30 minutes. The finding has already proven useful for studying bacterial cells ... full story
Protecting the Body from Itself: How Defense Cells Fight Disease, but Not ThemselvesSep. 26, 2014 A clearer relationship between two cells that serve our body's natural defense mechanisms against diseases and infections has now been gained through new research. The findings will help the ... full story
Fertilizer and Fuel: Nitrogen-Fixing Enzyme Also Produces HydrocarbonsSep. 26, 2014 Plants need nitrogen and carbon to grow. Photosynthesis allows them to take in the latter directly from the air, but they have to procure nitrogen through their roots in the form of organic molecules ... full story
- Geneticists solve 40-year-old dilemma to explain why duplicate genes remain in the genome
- Blades of grass inspire advance in organic solar cells
- High-speed drug screen developed
- Pollution linked to lethal sea turtle tumors
- Bacteria may have ability to reduce impact of diazepam on UK river environments
- Breakthrough study discovers six changing faces of 'global killer' bacteria
- Ebola: New therapies to combat virus
- Gut bacteria promote obesity in mice
- An apple a day could keep obesity away
- Software for automated sorting of genomes of individual microbial species through metagenomes
- Sweat-eating bacteria may improve skin health
- Plants prepackage beneficial microbes in their seeds
- On the trail of the truffle flavor
- Investigating 'underground' habitat of Listeria bacteria
- Bacterial genome important to fuel and chemical production sequenced
- Smelly discovery challenges effectiveness of antimicrobial textiles
- High-throughput cell-sorting method can separate 10 billion bacterial cells in 30 minutes
- Protecting the body from itself: How defense cells fight disease, but not themselves
- Fertilizer and fuel: Nitrogen-fixing enzyme also produces hydrocarbons
- Antibacterial resistance a cause for major concern, cystic fibrosis experts say
- Genetic 'instruction set' for antibodies knocks down hepatitis C in mice
- Stem cell transplant does not cure SHIV/AIDS after irradiation of infected rhesus macaques
- Protein controlling gut's protective force field identified: Immune-system receptor encourages growth of bacterial shield during illness
- Researchers engineer 'Cas9' animal models to study disease, inform drug discovery
- Unlocking long-hidden mechanisms of plant cell division
- Structure of enzyme that makes plant cellulose uncovered
- Pneumonia bacterium leaves tiny lesions in the heart, study finds
- Celiac disease: A wriggly solution to an inflammatory condition
- Cell division: New technique reveals a role for histones
- Fossil of ancient multicellular life sets evolutionary timeline back 60 million years
- Bacterial 'communication system' could be used to stop, kill cancer cells, study finds
- Insect genomes' analysis challenges universality of essential cell division proteins
- Enzyme discovery paves way to tackling deadly parasite diseases
- Flying doctor bees to prevent cherry disease
- 'Tissue chip' to screen neurological toxins, researchers report
- Mechanics of tissue growth requires communication between cells
- Regulatory thermometer that controls cholera discovered by microbiologists
- Clues to superbug evolution: Microbiologists sequence entire genome of a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain
- Slight alterations in microRNA sequences hold more information than previously thought
- Search for better biofuels microbes leads to human gut
- Recreating the stripe patterns found in animals by engineering synthetic gene networks
- Pneumonia: More precise diagnosis method developed by interdisciplinary research team
- Termites evolved complex bioreactors 30 million years ago
- Food affected by Fukushima disaster harms animals, even at low-levels of radiation, study shows
- Multi-function protein is key to stopping genomic parasites from 'jumping'
- Critically ill ICU patients lose almost all of their gut microbes and the ones left aren't good
- Old drug may be key to new antibiotics
- Influenza A potentiates pneumococcal co-infection: New details emerge
- Engineered proteins stick like glue -- even in water
- Immune system of newborn babies stronger than previously thought
- Battling superbugs: Two new technologies could enable novel strategies for combating drug-resistant bacteria
- Program predicts placement of chemical tags that control gene activity
- Using genetic screening to improve Korean white wheat
- Genetically driven 'gut feelings' help female flies choose a mate
- Lymphatic fluid used for first time to detect bovine paratuberculosis
- For legume plants, a new route from shoot to root
- Unique waste cleanup for rural areas developed
- Quorum-sensing signals control when bacteria turn deadly
- Sensing neuronal activity with light: New way of mapping neural networks in a living organism
- Research milestone in CCHF virus could help identify new treatments
- New insights on an ancient plague could improve treatments for infections
- Monitoring Ebola in wild great apes -- using feces
- How pneumonia bacteria can compromise heart health
- Technique to model infections shows why live vaccines may be most effective
- Researchers discover how circular RNA is created, find link to degenerative disease
- NASA Ames to launch science experiments to space station on SpaceX rocket
- Everything in moderation: Micro-8 to study regulating pathogens in space
- Stem cells use 'first aid kits' to repair damage
- Tolerating, not fighting, viruses a viable survival strategy
- Want to link genes to complex traits? Start with more diversity
- 'Office life' of bacteria may be their weak spot
- Chemists modify antibiotic to vanquish resistant bacteria
- In mice, vaccine stops urinary tract infections linked to catheters
- Certain gut bacteria may induce metabolic changes following exposure to artificial sweeteners
- Counting fish teeth reveals regulatory DNA changes behind rapid evolution, adaptation
- Abnormal properties of cancer protein revealed in fly eyes
- Parts of genome without a known function may play a key role in the birth of new proteins
- Sharks' skin has teeth in the fight against hospital superbugs
- Recruiting bacteria as technology innovation partners: New self-healing materials and bioprocessing technologies
- Phylum vertebrata: New concepts based on advances in animal systematics
- Healthy humans make nice homes for viruses
- Sepsis: New, novel therapy proposed by researchers
- Bacterial communication: And so they beat on, flagella against the cantilever
- Each tree species has unique bacterial identity, microbiome research shows
- Unraveling cell division: Process of mitosis more clear, thanks to new research
- Proteins: Good networkers make prime targets
- Cats lend a helping paw in search for anti-HIV drugs
- New drug formulations to boost fight against respiratory illnesses, antibiotic-resistant superbugs
- What's for dinner? Rapidly identifying undescribed species in a commercial fungi packet
- RNA modifications discovered in some unexpected places
- Tropical tree microbiome discovered in Panama
- How bacteria ward off viruses: New molecular machinery discovered
- New producer of crucial vitamin B12 discovered
- X-rays unlock a protein's SWEET side
- Cells simply avoid chromosome confusion
- 'Most famous wheat gene' discovered, clears way for non-GMO breeding
- Decoding virus-host interactions in the oxygen-starved ocean
- Strategic self-sabotage? MRSA inhibits its own growth
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Subscribe for Free
Stay up to date with ScienceDaily's Microbiology News, delivered daily to your email inbox or RSS reader:


text:
Preston — State police on Friday were on the scene of an incident at a house on Route 2A in which two men were stabbed.
The men did not suffer life-threatening injuries in what appeared to be a domestic incident, according to state police. They are not looking for any additional suspects, police said.
Paramedics from American Ambulance accompanied the two patients to The William W. Backus Hospital. Ambulances from Preston City and Poquetanuck departments also responded.
The house, a duplex, is at 38A Route 2A. No further information was available Friday.
Tri-Town iPad mini ContestEnter for a chance to win an iPad mini
Flat StanleySubmit your Flat Stanley photos for a chance to win!
40 Under Forty 2014Nominate a deserving professional in our region for recognition in our special section.
Connecticut Family Magazine Fall 2014Tell us your favorite children's books, board games, and more. You might be featured in an upcoming issue.
Pro FootballPredict pro football winners each week for a chance at local and national prizes, including a trip to Hawaii.
Photo Calendar ContestSubmit your photos for Southeastern Connecticut for our very popular annual calendar.
Freaky FridaysEnter now! We're giving out 13 trick-or-treat bags full of goodies every Friday from Sept. 26 through Oct. 17.
What did you like most about Super Bowl Sunday?
No current items found

subset: commoncrawl


text:
xxx speeds down the track during his first run of the men's Skeleton World Cup race in Koenigssee, southern Germany, on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Raiders owner thinks Jon Gruden might call him about a job
When Dennis Allen was given the boot by the Oakland Raiders (over the phone), Jon Gruden quickly began trending hysterically on the internet (…)
The Royals waited 29 years for a playoff game. It was worth it.
On Tuesday night, the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics, 9-8, in a 12-inning contest that featured five lead changes and ended (…)
11 awesome things about the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals advanced to the ALDS with a wild, 12-inning, 9-8 win over the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card game on (…)
Kansas City Royals run wild in first postseason game since 1985
Kansas City stole six bases in the first nine innings of the Wild Card game.
Brandon Moss hits two homers in AL Wild Card game
Baseball is extraordinarily weird. Oakland A's slugger Brandon Moss hit .162 over the last two months of the regular season as he (…)
This Royals fan is getting a puppy if the team wins
Come on Royals. This is important.


text:
Thursday, June 17, 2010
French Rustic
12 comments:
- a Broad said...
I think I lost my previous comment.. so at the risk of repeating myself ( like that never happens!)
I love this. I am in winter here so the rooms look a bit chilly but they are still very beautiful to me.
I see nothing wrong in the goal of having an apartment in Paris with a country house too. I happen to have a goal like that myself..
Good luck to you in achieving your goals :)
- June 17, 2010 at 8:48 AM
- Antje´s SALON said...
So inspiring! Thanks, Antje
- June 17, 2010 at 9:16 AM
- size too small said...
so simple and pretty.
- June 17, 2010 at 10:43 AM
- TwoMaisons said...
Hi Christina, BIG dreams are the only kind to have! Keep dreaming,
- June 17, 2010 at 10:47 AM
- Greet said...
It is a wonderful house! I am as you are! I have also a dream of having a home in France! In Provence!! Maybe some day...!
- June 17, 2010 at 11:25 AM
- Kelle Dame said...
Exactly! Life would be so depressing without them. Keep on dreaming :)
- June 17, 2010 at 11:26 AM
- Style Attic said...
Dreams are what keep your mind moving forward! You have a beautiful vision :)
- June 17, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- Laura @ 52 FLEA said...
I share your sweet dreams!
- June 17, 2010 at 1:06 PM
- Charlotta Ward said...
Stunning, if not a tad too sacral. Am all for this but know that nothing would stay this pristine if we moved in.. :)
Hope you have a fab weekend ahead!
xx Charlotta
- June 18, 2010 at 2:54 AM
- Heather said...
Dreams can come true!
- June 18, 2010 at 3:42 AM
- LLH Designs said...
I was dreaming of Provence just yesterday (as I do almost everyday!). I posted a bistro photo from the small town of Mougins on my blog (a photo I took years ago), and as I stared it it, I could almost smell the food and taste the wine!
Happy Friday!
- June 18, 2010 at 6:02 AM
- alice said...
I am in love with the kitchen... lantern, flowers, chippy chairs... perfection!
- June 19, 2010 at 1:14 PM


text:
Don't Miss This Favorite Alumni Weekend Tradition!Lobster Bake Dinner with Live MusicFriday, April 25 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.Field House, Floy Lewis Bakes Center
Thank you for your interest. You must be logged in to view the search fields below. Only alumni and current students of Ursinus College may search the alumni directory.
Ursinus College | 601 E. Main Street, Collegeville, PA 19426-1000 | 610.409.3000 | Copyright ©


text:
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and New York State Accountability
Districts, public schools, and charter schools are held accountable for the performance of their students according to federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and state regulations. Districts and school are assigned a "status" based on their performance and are subject to certain consequences if their performance is not satisfactory. Districts and schools that are high performing or making significant improvements in their performance are also identified and rewarded.
- August 2011 Memo from Assistant Commissioner Ira Schwartz regarding 2011-2012 School Year Accountability Requirements
- September 2010 Memo from Assistant Commissioner Ira Schwartz regarding School and District Updates (106KB)
- June 2010 Memo from Assistant Commissioner Ira Schwartz regarding 2010-11 Prospective Accountability of Schools (49KB)
- Revised 2009-10 and 2010-11 Graduation Rate Standard and Progress Targets Memo (65KB)
- District/School Accountability Statuses
- School Safety and Accountability (VADIR)
- Schools Under Registration Review (SURR)
- High Performing, Gap Closing, and Rapidly Improving Districts and Schools
- Persistently Lowest Achieving Schools
Understanding Accountability in New York State
- Determining AYP in 2013-14 (593KB) [updated 9/12/2014]
- Determining AYP in 2012-13 (544KB)
- Determining AYP in 2011-12 (500KB)
- Accountability Rules for 2010-11 Reporting and 2011-12 Status - January 17, 2012 slide presentation (782KB)
- Accountability Rules for 2009-10 Reporting and 2010-11 Status - October 15, 2010 slide presentation (485KB)
- Flexibility in Determining AYP for Students with Disabilities for 2008-09 School Year slide presentation (50KB)
- Flexibility in Determining AYP for Students with Disabilities for 2009-10 School Year
- Differentiated Accountability
- 2009-10 District Performance Indices for Determining District Gains (544KB)
Annual Measurable Objectives
- Effective Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)
- State Benchmarks and Annual Measurable Objectives for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 School Years
- State Benchmarks and Annual Measurable Objectives for 2008-09 and 2009-10 (15KB)
Alternative Accountability System for High Schools and Special Schools
Need/Resource Capacity Categories & District List (275KB) (Revised 5/9/2012)
Accountability Appeal Application for AYP Determinations Using 2012-13 Data (73KB)


text:
Map It
Map City Services
LouisvilleKY.gov Links
Friday July 9, 2010
Mayor Jerry Abramson, along with U.S. Representative John Yarmuth, (KY-3) and other local officials, officially opened the Liberty Green Community Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning.
Located at the corner of Jefferson and Jackson Streets, the 13,400 square foot, two-story building is projected to be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building for the Louisville Metro Housing Authority (LMHA) as well as the first LEED certified public housing facility in Kentucky.
"I know this building is going to serve the Liberty Green community well," Abramson said. "It is a shining example of a facility that offers great amenities and is also environmentally responsible."
The community center was funded in part by the same federal HOPE VI grant that allowed LMHA to tear down the aging Clarksdale housing complex and build the mixed income community Liberty Green.
The approximately $3 million, multi-use center houses eight, one-bedroom public housing apartments (two are handicap accessible), offices, community meeting/training rooms, classrooms and a commercial kitchen.
Green features include:
· exterior wall insulating concrete forms (ICFs)
· geo-thermal heating and cooling
· pervious brick pavers in the parking lot
· Energy Star appliances
· energy efficient windows
· Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) and motion detectors
· No VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints were used
LMHA has applied for a LEED certification. Notification of the rating level is expected within a year. The Liberty Green Community Center will likely qualify for the "Gold" rating.
"We are happy to have this opportunity to construct a building that will not only meet the housing needs of our residents, but also one that is sensitive to the environmental needs of our community, said LMHA Executive Director Tim Barry. "We have instituted a variety of greening initiatives at LMHA and Liberty Green. The new Community Center provides yet another opportunity to demonstrate our on-going commitment to being a good energy steward."
In accordance with its commitment to strong minority, female and disabled business inclusion on each construction project, to-date LMHA reports the following levels of participation for the Liberty Green Community Center: 25% Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), 13% Female Business Enterprise (FBE), and .4% Disabled Business Enterprise (DBE).


text:
Narrow your search
This custom jeweler made gold necklaces out of chicken bones from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Because... Kentucky!
Can wearable fitness tech make great jewelry? The Bloom necklace is the most attractive attempt yet.
Put some plant life in your fashion sense with tiny, wearable 3D-printed containers made to hold living greenery.
If your smartphone makes a statement about you, then your smartphone as a necklace makes an even bigger one.
A maker builds an eye-catching necklace that flashes to the beat of any music it hears.
A smart necklace for young diary keepers works with an iPad app and hides entries with the push of a button.
Green Resistor Triplets Necklace from Fractalspin actually look fashionable.
Darth Vader gets a new look and a sex change with a dark Victorian steampunk costume featuring an LED necklace.
Twitter becomes a high-fashion accessory with artist's Data Necklace, a year's worth of tweets laser-etched into a unique piece of jewelry.
Joystick necklace shows geek pride


text:
Let us help you find the right one.
Call 954-759-7400 for assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Broward Health Imperial Point's Man Van is taking men's health screenings across Broward. Find out more »
Broward Health offers a wide range of programs to improve the health of the people of Broward County, including: lectures, screenings and outreach, senior services, maternal and child health, school health, HIV/AIDS care, homeless services and more.
Read More
» Watch some of our top physicians perform cutting-edge surgeries
» Improve your health. Find classes & events
» Browse our KidsHealth library
Here's a brief listing of Broward Health news stories…
Wags of Comfort
Broward Health Imperial Point and Broward Health Coral Springs are mentioned in this article for their participation in the Animal Assisted Therapy Program where trained therapy animals visit patients to help cheer them up. (Humane Society Paw Prints, summer 2013)
South Florida ERs Seeing Texting/Walking Injuries
Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, Chief of Emergency Medicine for Broward Health is quoted for this article about the dangers of distracted walking. (Sun Sentinel, 7/12/13)
Broward Health Offers Free Sports Physicals for Kids Returning to School
Miami Dolphins football stars, food trucks and doctors were part of an event, sponsored by Broward Health Weston, to encourage sports physicals for kids returning to school. (Sun Sentinel, eyesonnews.com, 7/15/13, 8/2/13)
Top Ten
Broward Health Medical Center made the top ten in a survey released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine rated hospitals in Miami and Fort Lauderdale based on their number of nationally ranked specialties and their number of high-performing specialties. (Miami Herald, 7/16/13)
Hospital Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Broward Health Medical Center recently hosted a 75th anniversary celebration to mark its evolution from its humble beginnings to Fort Lauderdale's main public hospital. About 700 attendees enjoyed an afternoon of free health screenings, informational sessions and booths, children's activities and a football kicking clinic with pro football players Dan Carpenter and Brandon Fields. (Sun Sentinel, 7/19/13)
Health Fair at New Golden Heights
Broward Health Community Health Services participated in a health fair at New Golden Heights Church of Christ in Fort Lauderdale, on Saturday, July 30. (South Florida Times, 7/19/13)
Arrivals and Departures for July 19, 2013
Kimberly Ann Kisslan has been appointed to the North Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, according to a news release from the governor's office. (thefloridacurrent.com, 7/19/13)
'Help Wanted' Ads up Nearly 11 Percent in Broward
"Help wanted" ads online in Broward County rose by more than 22,000 in June, up nearly 11 percent from a year ago, according to state reports of data from The Conference Board. Broward employers with the largest numbers of ads to fill vacancies were Broward Health, Memorial Health and AutoNation. (Sun Sentinel, 7/23/13)
AHA Members-Only Town Hall Webcast
Maulik Joshi, president of the Health Research & Educational Trust and AHA senior vice president of research, was joined by Pauline Grant, CEO of Broward Health North, and others, to discuss the many quality improvement efforts underway as part of the Hospital Engagement Network. (mdlinx.com, 7/23/13)
Announcing Finalists for the 2013 Health Care PR and Marketing Awards!
The Broward Health Magazine is listed as a finalist for the category of 'Best Feature Article in a Publication.' (healthcarecommunication.com, 7/29/13)
Hospitals Hire 'Navigators' To Help Patients
More than five years after a navigator program was launched for cancer patients at Broward Health, others are following suit. Experts in guiding patients through the tricky maze of doctor's appointments, tests and treatments, navigators are what one local hospital official called "the wave of the future" in health care, holding the patient's hand from diagnosis to recovery — and saving time and money along the way. (Sun Sentinel, Florida Jewish Journal, 7/27/13)
Power Leaders in Health Care
Broward Health Leaders were recognized as South Florida Business Journal's Power Leaders in Healthcare:
Frank Nask, President/CEO of Broward Health
Laura Hunter, VP of Physician Services
Pauline Grant, CEO of Broward Health North
Calvin Glidewell, CEO of Broward Health Medical Center
Drew Grossman, CEO of Broward Health Coral Springs
Alice Taylor, CEO of Broward Health Imperial Point
(South Florida Business Journal, 8/2/13)
New Procedure Used To Deliver Baby by C-Section
For the first time in a C-section, Broward Health Medical Center was able to use a high-tech procedure to meet the religious needs of the mother. Using a device to catch the blood as it came out from the mother, clinical staff were able to avoid a transfusion by cleaning the mother's own blood and returning it back to her body. (WSVN 7 Local News, 8/2/13)
South Florida 100
Broward Health President/CEO Frank Nask is among this exclusive forum of interesting, informed and influential leaders from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties talking about the news topics. (Sun Sentinel, weekly)


text:
Share Twitter
Views: 382
He does the "crooked little smile" pretty well.
Welcome toThe Twilight Saga
Sign Upor Sign In
© 2014 Created by Hachette Book Group.
Report an Issue | Guidelines |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Cassatt String Quartet will present a recital Tuesday, March 27, at 8 p.m. in the Rooke Recital Hall of the Weis Music Building at Bucknell University.
The quartet – Muneko Otani, violin; Jennifer Leshnower, violin; Michiko Oshima, viola; and Nicole Johnson, cello – will perform Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet, Op. 81; Anton Dvorak's String Quartet in A-flat Major, Op. 105; and a selection of movements from Sebastian Currier's Quartetset, a work written for the Cassatt Quartet.
The March 27 recital, which is free to the public, is the last public performance of a week-long residency by the Cassatt Quartet. The residency is sponsored jointly by the Weis Center for the Performing Arts and the Bucknell Music Department through the Kushell Music Endowment.
Other public appearances during the residency include a lecture-demonstration (March 22), a free family matinee made possible by the Weis Center's Green Room Board (March 24), a Weis Center Series performance with Catherine Payn, soprano, and women of the Bucknell Opera Company (March 24), and a reading of Bucknell student composers' works (March 26). For more information about events during the residency, see http://www.bucknell.edu/x33705.xml
Formed in 1985, the Manhattan-based Cassatt String Quartet initiated and served as the inaugural participants in Juilliard's Young Artists Quartet Program.
Hailed as one of America's outstanding ensembles, the Cassatt has performed throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East, with prestigious appearances in New York, Tanglewood, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, and Maeda Hall in Tokyo.
The Quartet travels to Europe this summer performing at the American Academy in Rome and as artists-in-residence at Orvieto Musica in Orvieto, Italy, and two concerts in Mexico.
For more information or to hear music samples, see http://www.cassattquartet.com/.
Posted March 19, 2007
The following links are virtual breadcrumbs marking the 27 most recent pages you have visited in Bucknell.edu. If you want to remember a specific page forever click the pin in the top right corner and we will be sure not to replace it. Close this message.


text:
Best tech deals
Laptops under $500: Asus VivoBook X202E DH31T
Holiday shopping calls for some high-tech essentials at prices everyone can afford. Read on for the best laptop deals, bargain tablets, all-in-one printers and cool accessories. — Shannon McCarthy
Bing | Asus VivoBook X202E DH31T
Critics and users praise this 11-inch ultraportable for its bang-to-bucks ratio: The Asus VivoBook is generally considered the best touch-screen laptop for less than $500. Along with that cool interface you get a sleek, mostly metal chassis with a 500-gigabyte hard drive and a Core i3 processor, and all at an easily transportable 2.9 pounds.
Laptops under $500: Dell Inspiron 17-3721
Bing | Dell Inspiron 17-3721
With a big, bold, 17-inch screen and impressive processing speeds, this is one of the top picks for a desktop replacement laptop in the sub-$500 range. Dell kits out its Inspiron with a full-sized "springy" keyboard, a Core i3 processor and a multitouch track pad that reviewers love – not always the case at this price.
Laptops under $500: HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15.6
Bing | HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15.6
This dual-core laptop with a 640GB hard drive garners an impressive "Highly Rated" tag from aggregator site Decide.com, based on tech reviewers and owners ratings and reviews. The large screen is housed in a relatively lightweight body of less than 5 pounds, meaning this midsized laptop travels well.
Tablets under $300: Google Nexus 7 FHD
Bing | Google Nexus 7 FHD
Just released, the newest Nexus is the most talked-about tablet on the market. The buzz? It surpasses the current iPad Mini and is hands-down the best Android tablet available. A 7-inch screen offers super-crisp high-definition visuals, while a lengthy battery life keeps the applications rolling, and a surprisingly low price sweetens the deal.
Tablets under $300: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
Bing | Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
At less than $200, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is considered one of the top tablet deals around, and with specs like these, who can argue? Android 4.0 fuels the fun, front and rear cameras add versatility, a microSD card slot expands memory, and a clever app allows it to act as a remote control for your TV.
Tablets under $300: Wacom Bamboo CTH470
Bing | Wacom Bamboo CTH470
A real bargain for the holiday, this sub-$70 tablet is perfect for note taking, photo editing and even high-tech painting and drawing via its pressure-sensitive pen interface. Wacom loads the Bamboo with Photoshop Elements, AutoDesk Sketchbook Express and other helpful writing and drawing software.
Printers under $100: HP Deskjet e-All-in-One
Bing | HP Deskjet e-All-in-One
One of the best all-in-one printer bargains offers shoppers everything they'll need for printing crisp inkjet papers and photos, making copies and scanning documents. A wireless interface means all of this can be done via a smartphone app if desired, and the connection can be shared among roommates.
Printers under $100: Brother HL-2270DW
Bing | Brother HL-2270DW
Cnet calls this Brother model the "best laser printer under $100," while Decide.com scores it a very impressive 88 out of 100. With a speedy print rate, a durable build, wireless capabilities and a high-volume output capacity, this printer will be reliable for years.
Printers under $100: Canon Pixma MG5420
Bing | Canon Pixma MG5420
For a budget-friendly $75 or so, Canon offers a sleek little five-color ink system photo printer (9,600-by-2,400 maximum dpi) that also handles text printing, scanning and copying, so it can easily serve as an all-in-one machine. The relatively small footprint means an easy fit in cramped spaces.
Tech accessories under $50: Roku LT media streamer
Bing | Roku LT media streamer
Google's Chromecast may be getting all the current hype, but it offers only four apps for streaming, and it's sold out at its original $35 price and back-ordered for months. Right now, and for only about $15 more, the Roku LT streams scads of services that Chromecast doesn't, including Amazon Instant, Spotify and HBO Go.


text:
Music / Singing - Participation
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Union Music
Union Music Performance Space
142 Southbridge St.
Worcester, MA 01608
Google Maps - MapQuest
The Union Ukulele Club
Hi everyone,
If you're reading this then you have a uke or want to play your uke with others at Union Music in Worcester Ma.
My name is Rich Leufstedt and I organize the Union Ukulele Club it's held at Union Music (142 Southbridge St , Worcester Ma 508-753-3702)
We meet on the last Thursday of the month from 7pm till 8:30ish, so our monthly meetings will be as follows:
January 31st
February 28th
March 28th
April 25th
May 30th
June 27th
then we may take a Summer break and start up again in the Fall.
What we do monthly is have a brief ukulele lesson, learn some chords and positions for them, work on our "strum", and then play some 3 chord (easy) songs together. After that we have a chance for individuals to perform a song for the group, and then to socialize and talk about ukuleles.
It's all ages
Cost: Free with reservations appreciated
Sponsored by: Union Music
Suggested Audiences: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult, Elders
Website: http://www.unionmusic.com/events.htm
E-mail: email@example.com
Phone: 508-753-3702
Last Modified: January 12, 2013 at 6:02 AM
Add/Suggest Event | Edit Your Events |
Powered by the Social Web - Bringing people together through Events, Places, & Common Interests


text:
Cargo pants done right.
Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
Airblaster Big Mountain 3L Pant - Men's
? Share a...
Are these pants going to be really hot if...
Member since
Are these pants going to be really hot if its not really cold out?
Member since
Not really, they aren't insulated and they have good zip vents on the inside leg
Great Pant but the Gray is really Green
Member since
- Gender: Male
Just so you guys know the Gray colorway that you see is really more like a soft Green color. So if you're looking for gray look at a different pant. Love the pant but wanted a different color. Hopefully they'll make the adjustment to the color shown so it's more acurate.The photos came from Airblaster's site so techinically it's their fault for the misrepresentation not Backcountry or Dogfunk.
Keep yourself warm and dry in these bad boys.
Patrick Tullos
Member since
Airblaster Big Mtn Pant - Camo
Member since
6'4'' wearing XL.
AB pants tend to be slightly longer fitting than most which is great for taller dudes. The 3L material feels really tough and super waterproof. The quality justifies the price on these pants.


text:
Laurel Area
We're meeting on Monday evenings starting at 7:00 PM at Panera Bread, 3301 Corridor Marketplace, Laurel, MD 20724. Don't worry if you're running late, we'd still like you to join us. Jeff will monitor for cell calls at 240-671-9368.
See Google Mapsfor a location map and directions. BTW, one reason we chose this location is that Panera offers free Wi-Fi access.


text:
Earthquakes in the coal-mining region of Kentucky are rare.
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — A light 4.3 magnitude earthquake rattled southeastern Kentucky and at least eight other states on Saturday at 12:08 p.m. ET, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The USGS website said the epicenter of the 4.3 magnitude earthquake on Saturday afternoon was about 10 miles west of Whitesburg, near the Virginia line. Residents in both states, as well as West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio and Georgia, also reported feeling the temblor.
USGS initially reported the quake as 5.3 magnitude. Earthquakes in this coal-mining region are rare.
National Weather Service spokesman Jeff Carico said employees at the office in Jackson, Kentucky, which is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Whitesburg, felt the ground shake for about 15 seconds. He says the office has gotten numerous calls, but so far no one has reported any serious damage.
USGS geophysicist John Bellini said the quake is considered "light."
"It's not going to cause any significant damage," he said.
Bellini said people near the epicenter might have pictures fall off walls or books tumble from shelves.
That's exactly what happened at the Blackey Public Library, which is just west of Whitesburg in Letcher County and about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Louisville. Library worker Bonnie Asher said she was coming downstairs when she heard a big boom. Asher said the entire building shook and the lights flickered off and on, and at first she thought maybe a plane had crashed nearby.
"It was very scary," she said. "It knocked about 14 books off one shelf."
Otherwise, though, she said it happened quickly and there wasn't any lasting damage.
Whitesburg resident Charlotte Brown said she was at home and talking to a friend at her front door when she felt the ground start to shake — just a little bit at first, then harder.
"It made me nervous," she said, but the shaking lasted only a few seconds and didn't hurt anything.
"It did shake the house and the dishes rattled," she said.
In Tennessee, some workers at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge felt the temblor, but spokeswoman Ryn Etter said there was no impact to the plant.
Tennessee Valley Authority spokeswoman Jessica Stone said no problems from the quake have been reported at any plants operated by the nation's largest public utility.
(Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report)


text:
Being a trusted advisor is a place of honor. When you reach a certain stage in life, you are compensated not for what you do but for what you know.
With student loan debt nationwide at an estimated $1.2 trillion, homeownership for many recent and past graduates is a distant dream.
Throughout the years at the Advisory Board meetings I facilitate, I've heard a fair amount of laughter and grumbling from the business people who participate.
Jim, president of the top local IT company, came by the other day. He was not happy. He'd just been served with a complaint, alleging that he'd breached a new employee's contract, had wrongfully terminated her, and was guilty of breach of promissory estoppel (whatever that is?).
The bottom line, the profitability of a company, should matter to every employee but many owners tend to keep this information private. Owners then complain when profits are thin.
Even in a state with hundreds of miles of beautiful, sandy beaches, luxury home buyers in California preferred hilltop homes over ocean-front properties by a margin of four to one.
I've always liked watching team sports. Sometimes you don't even have to be watching a game to know how things are going. You simply have to listen. You can hear the winners.
Not yet using LinkedIn to help you find qualified professionals? You should be.
When we moved into our home, a row of six tall and bushy pine trees provided ample shade and privacy for our back yard.
Forbes reported that millions of employed Americans are switching employers each month.
Spring is here and many of us are busy cleaning out closets and dusting the cobwebs that may have accumulated during the winter. While you are taking on spring cleaning projects, consider taking a fresh look at your finances.
If there is one thing that makes me angry, it is the statement stuffed into my cable television bill telling me that the price I have to pay has gone up.
This past week I watched Brian Tracy's video "Success is a Journey" a total of five times as I facilitated client orientations.
If you are one of the millions of Americans receiving a refund this year, following are several ways to put your refund to work.
I don't do it as often as I should, but one of my favorite tools is asking thought-provoking questions of my clients.
Fall symbolizes the coming to a close of the year.
I've noticed that one of the qualities of top leaders is their ability to ask the right questions in the right manner at the right time.
Keeping retirement on track-or retiring at all-is much more difficult today for home owners, especially as too few own their home outright and too many have too much debt.
Some years ago an issue for discussion was brought up in an Advisory Board I was facilitating.
Until earlier this month, an individual could have a decades-long flawless credit history and debt repayment record, but due to an outstanding major medical bill would be unable to obtain a loan to buy a home because that one medical crisis shredded their credit score.
Taking my clients out of town for their annual planning retreat, a key asset comes into play: perspective.
Jim Colorado, the famous soccer player, visited me last week. It seems while in Brazil for the World Cup, he reluctantly (quite reluctantly according to him) succumbed to the wiles of the shapely football (because in the rest of the world, soccer is called football) fan, Lola Palooza, a resident of West Covina, that hotbed of drama and intrigue.
In good times and more challenging times, owners have to stand for something.
When the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" was over, my wife turned to me and asked me what I thought. I told it was one of the best movies on business and leadership I had ever seen.
With demand from consumers for home loans on the rise, multiple sources report that lenders large and small are easing credit score requirements and lending guidelines.
The National Drought Mitigation Center shows most of my home state of California is in what they call an "exceptional drought." The other levels are, in descending order, extreme, moderate and abnormally dry.
The U.S. exports a staggering 140 billion dollars of agricultural crops every year. As can be expected the U.S. is the top exporting country for agricultural products (in monetary terms) in the world, but it might surprise you to learn who the number two nation is, the Netherlands.
When you hear "I'll try" you are listening to someone with a lack of intention.
A joint federal-state task force announced a sweep Wednesday to shut down foreclosure relief schemes that duped thousands of Southern California home owners who were already struggling to keep their homes.
One of the key research findings outlined in Keith McFarland's book "The Breakthrough Company" is that there should only be one crown worn in every organization.


text:
If you're looking for a larger place to stay, Richmond Oceanfront Hotel will suit your needs. Rated with 3 stars, this accommodation is certainly higher than average. You can get to 407 Building or Public Library on foot quite easily from here. Additionally you can walk to City Hall. Flamingo Park is recommended for a day of family fun. Fort Lauderdale Beach is nearby this property. For a visit to Columbus Monument you are wise to choose this hotel; it can be reached on foot. Access to Miami Beach Convention Centre is no problem from here.
A restaurant, a bar/lounge and a coffee shop/café are all parts of Richmond Oceanfront Hotel. A worthwhile source of relaxation, a spa tub is available on-site. Fancy water? You find an outdoor swimming pool in addition to a pool bar here. A dry cleaning/laundry service is one of the services, free for guests. A concierge service and a bell boy service are also available. There are facilities especially suitable for business guests here, such as a conference space. As this hotel has 92 rooms you are sure to find one that suits you here. One of the facets of the location of this hotel is that you can make use of a paid valet parking service.
Air conditioning makes a stay in Richmond Oceanfront Hotel more comfortable. A housekeeping service is provided in each of the welcoming rooms here. A Premium bedding set makes for pleasurable sleeping. The rooms' bathrooms are provided with a bathroom amenities set in addition to a designer toiletries set.
Show reviews
|From 16:00 Check-out: Until 11:00
|Paid Wi-Fi
|Paid Valet Parking
|General facilities:
|Extra common areas:
|Business facilities:
|Wellness facilities:
|Swimming Facilities:
|Note: It is the responsibility of the hotel chain and/or the individual property to ensure the accuracy of the photos displayed. We are not responsible for any inaccuracies in the photos.
Please provide this reference number to our customer service center representative on request, so we can help you better


text:
Food Supply Depot 1-week Family Supply Bucket
Item # WX2-293219
- Google+
This item cannot ship via any of our Next Day or Second Day Express delivery methods.
Shipping restrictions apply to this product under some jurisdictions. Known age, state and local shipping restrictions are applied at checkout and may result in changes to an order. PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept returns of Ammunition for safety reasons. NEVER use any Ammunition unless it is specifically designed for your firearm.
This item cannot ship to Canada.
This item cannot ship internationally.
- Details & Specs
Food Supply Depot Emergency Food / Supply Buckets, the essentials for health and safety in a disaster!
Be prepared when a natural disaster or other emergency hits. That's what these American-made Food Supply Depot Kits are all about... making sure that the smart "prepper" has all the right stuff for survival, to keep yourself healthy and ready to deal with any situation. All the foods here are freeze-dried or dehydrated for excellent taste, and have a 20-year shelf life. No competitors match their affordability and quality.The ingredients of all this top-shelf camping and emergency food:
- Meal plans are based on the calorie and nutrition needs of 2 adults (1,600 calories / day each) and 2 children (800 calories / day each), or 3 adults
- Individually packaged in family-sized pouches. The 3-ply Mylar pouches have the sealing power to keep freshness in and pests out
- Oxygen extraction while packaging further protects nutrition and taste
- Easy preparation, just add water and cook for a few minutes
- All are vegetarian, actually making them more dense in nutrients
- All come in a resealable bucket that's easily portable and keeps things fresh and protected
- Even after opened, the food has a 1-year shelf life.
The buckets are based on food for 2 adults and 2 children or 3 adults. A total of 35,510 calories, for a longer-term trip, or emergency.
- 1 pouch each of Artisan Oatmeal, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Rio Grande Beans and Rice, Black Beans, Pinto Beans
- 2 pouches each of Harvest 6-Grain Cereal, Honey Almond Granola, Texas Sunrise Skillet, Rotini la Marinara, Wisconsin Cheddar and Pasta, Southwestern White Bean Chili, White Rice, Nantucket Potato Soup, Tomato Florentine Soup and Creamy Stroganoff
- 3 pouches each of drinks... Refreshing Grape and Chocolate Milk. 4 pouches each of Real Milk and Refreshing Orange.
Check out the offers here, for an individual or a family. Then order yours ONLINE for camping, a deep-woods trip or an emergency!
- Reviews
Customer ReviewsNo reviews exist for this item....
You May Also Like
Food Supply Depot 72-hr. Food, Fire and Filter BucketBuyer's Club $116.99 Non-Members $129.99
Food Supply Depot 72-hour Emergency BucketBuyer's Club $26.99 Non-Members $29.99
56-serving Grab & Go Meal BucketBuyer's Club $107.99 Non-Members $119.99


text:
You searched for "Material Good"
- Sweater Style
- Sleeve Length
- Size
- Color
- Price
- Brand
- Store Availability
- Black
- Black/ Brown Mole
- Blue Mazzarine/ Black Stripe
- Blue Raindrop/ Heather Oatmeal
- Grey/ Caribe Green Stripe
- Grey/ Coral Orange Stripe
- Grey/ Purple Radiance
New MarkdownMOD.lusive by Bobeau Open Front Cardigan (Regular & Petite)Was: $42.00Now: $29.9025% OFF(139)
No items match all your filter selections.
Clear all to see unfiltered results.
Did you know …
We have lots more in your local store! Every Nordstrom store has a unique inventory, and many items are sold exclusively in our stores, never offered online. Head to your nearest Nordstrom and check it out!
Complete Looks with "Material Good" See more


text:
Blue Book® Suggested Retail Value
Fuel Economy (city/hwy)
Quick Facts
There are no 2002 Dodge Stratus reviews. However, the following might be helpful:
User Reviews
The community thinks...
Good Car to get from A to B by EnergyMonkey from Denver on 04/05/2010. Trim: 2002 Dodge Stratus Sedan SXT, Owned 3 years.
Pros: It's pretty comfortable, even with cloth seats, and very spacious so you can easily fit others in the back. The ride is nice too, not too hard or too soft. Interior quality is good, no rattles or anything falling apart after 101k miles, everything feels solid. The car looks good too, the unique looks and alloy wheels give it a cool sporty appearance. Pretty much maintenance free other than oil changes and usual stuff, had some issue with something to do with the engine's air flow (don't remember exactly what was replaced). But one unexpected repair in 40k miles is nothing to worry about.
Cons: No ABS, steering feels disconnected, interior could be better, 4 cylinder version somewhat underpowered, MPG, size. No ABS. There is no feeling of connectedness to the road through the steering wheel, doesn't matter if I'm driving on snow or asphalt, I can't tell the difference. The interior is kind of dull and boring to look at, but what can you expect for the price. If you're going to be carrying people all the time the 4 cylinder does feel underpowered, just get the V6. There also isn't much difference in MPG between the V6 and 4 cylinder, I'm getting 23-26mpg highway and 21-19 city. The size of the car can make it cumbersome to park and it isn't always easy to see out of the back.
Overall review: It's a good reliable car with good looks. There is not a-lot that has gone wrong with it. You might want to look for something else though if you want better MPG.
Review ID: #546467 Is this review offensive?
Recently Viewed Cars
Related Articles


text:
We're here for you. Our specialists are available to assist you in finding the perfect ring.
A handsome band with contemporary detail, this distinctive ring features a soft matte finish balanced with two polished beveled edges.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews Express
Best Uses
Reviewed by 3 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-3
Best Uses
Comments about 18K White Gold Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring:
The ring is excellent and very attractive. It fits perfectly. A perfect match!
Service and delivery comments:
I couldnt be more impressed with the service and delivery. It has been another great experience with BE.
Best Uses
Comments about 18K White Gold Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring:
This is my wedding band and first ring. I wanted a white gold that did not require a white coating such as rhodium. They blended a 14k gold where the remaining karats are all Palladium. This resulted in a ring that is white enough for my taste, doesn't require re-plating (real not fake in my view), strong, and light. I am very pleased with my ring purchase!
Service and delivery comments:
Customer service was very patient when dealing with my numerous questions about this custom alloy ring. They gave quick responses, and were even kind enough to provide a complementary resize my ring when it didn't fit on the first try. Excellent service!
Best Uses
Comments about 18K White Gold Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring:
This was such a great choice for a men's wedding band. It's great quality, and a great fit. Most importantly, the Brilliant Earth representatives were more than helpful regarding sizing and custom engraving. They were so pleasant to deal with when we needed to re-size the ring, and so helpful along every step of the process!
Displaying reviews 1-3
Outstanding and highly personalized customer service is the hallmark of the Brilliant Earth experience. When you contact Brilliant Earth, you will be assisted by your own non-commissioned jewelry specialist who will guide you through the purchase process help you make the ideal selection for you.
At Brilliant Earth, we take pride that our jewelry is crafted with the highest standards of quality and excellence. We offer a 30 day money back guarantee, so you can make sure your purchase is just right. Learn More
We offer free FedEx shipping on all US, Canadian, and Australian orders. We're also pleased to offer free return shipping on all ring or loose diamond orders shipped to the US, Canada, or Australia.
Learn More
Each piece is handcrafted to order with the highest quality and beauty.


text:
The Band Perry 's new video for "Chainsaw" premieres on CMT and CMT.com Tuesday. The clip features the Perry siblings yelling "timber" as they cut down the trees where their heartbroken clients have carved their initials with their exes.
"Chainsaw" was filmed in Oregon and also includes dynamic live footage from The Band Perry. It's the latest single from their album Pioneer .
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


text:
Philemon 4-7
November 24, 1991
Listen using Pop-Up Player
For our study this morning I draw your attention back to the wonderful little book of Philemon. Turn in your Bible, if you will, to Philemon. It is sandwiched neatly in between Titus and Hebrews, the book of Philemon. This morning our text from Philemon is taken from verses 4 through 7. We are in a four-part series entitled "A lesson in forgiveness." And this morning is part two. Let me read you verses 4 through 7 as the setting for our message.
"I thank my God always making mention of you in my prayers because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake; for I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother."
We live obviously in a society that knows little about forgiveness. We live in a society that cares little about forgiveness. In fact I would think that one of the major contributors if not THE major contributor to the destruction of relationships in our culture is the absence of forgiveness. Our culture pushes us to be unforgiving. It celebrates and exalts people who are not willing to forgive. We make heroes out of the Dirty Harrys and the Rambos who murder people out of vengeance.
As a result of the sinfulness, the wickedness and the lack of any kind of Christian social restraint in our culture, we have a society filled with bitterness, filled with vengeance, filled with anger, filled with hate, filled with hostility toward others. This can be seen in the retaliatory kind of crimes that become so commonplace in our day. It can be seen in the suits, law suits against everyone for everything conceivable and inconceivable. In fact, it is frightening to think about the fact there are more people in law schools today than in all other professional graduate schools combined. We are going to proliferate an almost endless number of attorneys to take care of an endless number of law suits as people retaliate back and forth for every minuscule and major issue of life that has been foisted upon them.
Even counselors today are telling us it's not healthy to forgive. That's a new one. There is a new popular book written by Susan Forward and it is titled Toxic Parents. The thesis of the book is really the prevailing attitude of our present day culture and that is it has a negative attitude toward forgiveness. There's one chapter in the book entitled "You don't have to forgive." In other words, you are a victim of some toxic parents who poisoned you and until you put them blame on them where it belongs, you're not going to be a healthy person. We live in a retaliating vengeful hostile angry culture that wants to make everybody else the perpetrator of a crime against us and us frankly responsible for nothing except vengeance. Certainly ours is the most hostile, the most angry, the most unforgiving, the most vengeful culture that I have ever experienced in my brief life time.
Now for a Christian, a failure to forgive is unthinkable. I don't care what the issue is, I don't care what the offense is, a failure to forgive is a blatant open act of disobedience. We have been told as explicitly as we could possibly be told that if anybody offends us we are to forgive them. How many times? Seventy times seven, or that is an endless number of times. And that the reason we are to forgive is because our Father in heaven has forgiven us and will continue to forgive us as we are faithful to forgive others.
To look at this issue from the negative side for a moment. If we buy into this culture, a culture that says you don't have to forgive, you have a right to your pound of flesh, you can sue anybody and everybody for anything and everything, you ought to blame somebody else for your responsibility and make sure they pay painfully for what they've done to you, if we buy into that mentality here's what it will produce. I'll give you just four things that will happen in a life of a Christian. Number one, it will imprison you in your past. A failure to forgive will imprison you in your past. As long as you fail to forgive an offender, an offense committed against you, you are shackled to the past. Unforgiveness keeps that pain alive. Unforgiveness keeps that sore open. Unforgiveness never lets that wound heal. And you go through life reminding yourself of what was done to you and so you feed that open wound, you feed that open sore, you stir up that pain and you accumatively build up the larger and larger degree of anger. You go through life accumulating bad feelings.
Now think about it. What's the point of that? What virtue does that give or render? Unforgiveness just imprisons you in the past and for all the time that you go back to the past and regurgitate that unforgiving attitude you will accumulate in your life the tragedy of anger and hostility escalated, built on, accumulated, piled up which will rob you of the joy of living. You will go through life feeling just as bad as you do now or worse with no relief in sight. On the other hand, forgiveness opens the door and lets the prisoner out.Forgiveness sets you free from your past. As soon as you forgive it, it's gone, you're free. If you insist on remembering the offense and never forgiving it, then you allow the person to go on offending you the rest of your life and it's your fault, not theirs.
Secondly, unforgiveness not only makes you a prisoner to your own past but unforgiveness produces bitterness. It produces bitterness. The cumulative effect of remembering without forgiveness some offense done against you no matter how brief the time or long the time is that you become a bitter person. The longer you remember the offense the more data you accumulate on it, the more recited memory you have for it the more it occupies your thinking. And the more it occupies your thinking the more it basically shapes your person. Bitterness is not just a sin, it is an infection. And it will infect your whole life. And bitterness can be directly traced to the failure to forgive. It makes you become caustic, it makes you become sarcastic. It makes you condemning. It gives you a nasty disposition, harassed by the memories of what you can't forgive, your thoughts become malignant toward others, you get a distorted view of life and you have literally diseased your whole existence. Anger begins to rage in you and it can easily get out of control. Your emotions begin to run wild. Your mind becomes the victim of that. You entertain continuing thoughts of revenge. And what happens? Even casual conversation becomes a forum for slander, a forum for gossip, a forum for innuendo against the offender and your flesh, that horrible remnant of your old self, has gained control.
I suppose this happens most notably and most frequently in marriages. Two Christians married to one another should never be divorced. They should never be separated and they should enjoy a happy relationship. That's by God's design. Now when I got married I married a sinner. What is even more unthinkable is so did my wife. And the fact of the matter is that it is an utter impossibility for us not to offend each other. It doesn't just happen now and then through the year, it happens quite regularly. But where forgiveness operates an offense is one moment in time come and gone. Where there is no forgiveness for that there is the accumulated bitterness that begins to turn you against your own partner, that makes you caustic and sarcastic. You shut off your affection, you shut off your kindness. You look for ways to get back and the bitterness results in the devastation of the relationship. Forgiveness, on the other hand, dispels bitterness and replaces it with love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. Why would anybody want to live in the prison of their past? Why would anybody want to live with accumulated bitterness that makes them violate every relationship?
There's a third thing that unforgiveness does. Unforgiveness gives Satan an open door. Unforgiveness throws the welcome mat out and invites the demons in. Where you have unresolved anger, where you have unresolved bitterness, where you have an unforgiving spirit, you have given place to the devil. Ephesians 4:26 and 27 says, "In your anger do not sin, do not let the sun go down while you're still angry and do not give the devil a foothold." The point is if you go to bed at night and you haven't fully forgiven so that your anger is gone, you will give Satan a foothold. In 2 Corinthians chapter 2 there is a very direct statement made by the Apostle Paul. In chapter 2 verse 10 he says, "I forgive, I forgive...in verse 11...in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan for we are not ignorant of his schemes." The devil moves in to an unforgiving heart, to an unforgiving life. It is no exaggeration to say, listen carefully, it is no exaggeration to say that most...most of the ground that Satan gains in our lives is due to unforgiveness. We're not ignorant of his scheme to move in on an unforgiving attitude and destroy relationships. And frankly, you can evict all the demonic trespassers by an act of forgiveness. Why would anybody want to be in prison to their past? Why would anybody want to have the disease of bitterness to skew and discolor their life? And why would anybody want to throw the door and put out the welcome mat for demons?
Fourthly, unforgiveness hinders your fellowship with God. Unforgiveness hinders your fellowship with God. Jesus said if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. In the ongoing relationship with God if we don't forgive others He doesn't forgive us. So if I'm not right with you then I'm not right with Him. Why would I sentence myself to being anything less than in the place of maximum blessing from God? Right? What kind of foolishness is that? How idiotic can I be? Do I find some value in having God angry with me? Is there some virtue in cutting off the purity and the joy of my fellowship with God?
You see the idiocy, don't you, of an unforgiving attitude? It makes you a prisoner of your past. It gives you the all pervasive disease of bitterness. It opens the door for demons and it alienates you from the full rich fellowship that God desires to have with you. There is plenty of good reason then to be a forgiving person. If you refuse to forgive others, you forfeit fellowship with God. You open yourself to Satanic involvement. You pollute your life and steal its joy and you make yourself a victim of your own past.
This matter of forgiveness because of its significance and importance then is dealt with at great length in Scripture. There are, in fact, at least seventy-five different word pictures in the Bible about forgiveness. There are at least 75 word pictures about forgiveness in the Bible. And they're all there to help us grasp the importance or the character, the nature, the effect, something about forgiveness. Let me just give you a few of the biblical word pictures about forgiveness.
To forgive is to turn the key, open the cell door and let the prisoner out. To forgive is to write in large letters across a debt "nothing owed." To forgive is to pound the gavel in a courtroom and say "not guilty." To forgive is to shoot an arrow so high and so far that it can never be found again. To forgive is to bundle up all the garbage and all the trash and dispose of it, leaving the house clean and fresh. To forgive is to loose the moorings of a ship and release it to the open sea. To forgive is to grant a full pardon to a condemned criminal. To forgive is to relax a strangle hold on a wrestling opponent and give him his life. To forgive is to sandblast a wall of graffiti, leaving it looking like new. To forgive is to smash a clay pot into a thousand pieces so that it can never be put together again. This matter of forgiveness is very important and it's right at the very crux of your spiritual health and mine.
Now because it is so essential the Holy Spirit has devoted one entire book of the Bible to forgiveness. Not a very long book, but one book, the book of Philemon. Here in this little book of just 25 verses is the spiritual duty to forgive emphasized, not in principle form, not in parable form, not in word picture form but in a personal true story.
Now you remember the story, don't you? A man named Philemon lived in Colossae. He was married to a lady named Apphia and they had a son, Archippus, who was in the Christian ministry. They had a house. He must have been a fairly wealthy man. And in his house the church met. They had a slave. The slave was named Onesimus. Even though Philemon was a good master Onesimus wanted his freedom so one day he ran away. His master had paid a very high price for him. This was fraud. Not only that, he stole some things from his master and took them with him. And so he had committed a felony criminal offense for which imprisonment or even death could be the just sentence.
Onesimus ran from the little tiny town of Colossae to get lost in the massive humanity in the city of Rome. Thinking he could hide in the underground of Rome as another of the faceless runaways, the homeless street people who occupied the back alleys of that great city, but it wasn't long, we don't know exactly how long until this runaway slave came face to face with the very formidable man by the name of Paul. So here is the runaway slave Onesimus, he is confronted by Paul. Paul has the privilege of leading him to Jesus Christ. He becomes a Christian. Paul, of course, then finds out that Onesimus is from his friend Philemon, that he belongs there, that he is runaway. And even though Onesimus is a Christian and helpful to Paul, Paul knows he has to send him back. And so he sends Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter explaining what has happened. And in the letter he is saying I want you to forgive this runaway slave. Society says don't forgive him, society says press charges against him and imprison him, society says make him pay back every dime he stole and then waste it in Rome, society says put on him the stigma of fugitivus, the runaway slave, and brand his forehead with a big "F" so the rest of his life he is scarred as a runaway slave, not trustworthy. But Paul says just forgive him... just forgive him. No matter how much it costs you, you forgive him.
The plea of this letter then is a plea for forgiveness. Now as the letter unfolds it becomes apparent that Paul is asking Philemon to forgive a man who is repentant. Onesimus has done his part, he is repentant. He is coming back, as it were, hat in hand asking for forgiveness. God has done the right work in his heart and now it is the turn of Philemon.
Now last week we looked at the first three verses which was the introduction and I kind of laid out the importance of the story. This morning we're looking at verses 4 to 7, the second section in these four sections, and this section deals with one of the three main thrusts. Verses 4 to 7 give the spiritual character of one who forgives. Verses 8 to 18, the spiritual action of one who forgives. Verses 19 to 25, the spiritual motivation of one who forgives. So we learn a lot about a forgiver here. We learn how to be a forgiver. We learn the principles of forgiveness and that is the intention of the Holy Spirit in writing this wonderful letter.
Now for this morning we're looking at verses 4 to 7, the spiritual character of one who forgives. I don't want you to get lost so I want you to listen to what I say. If you read verses 4 to 7 you're not going to necessarily see Paul identify 1-2-3-4-5- 6, the principles of a forgiving person, but you're going to see them come out in what he says. They're not what we say explicit but they are implicit...they're implied here, very very clearly. In this section Paul refers to Philemon in very very glowing terms. He commends him from verse 4 through 7 on his Christian character. And as he does that he is describing the kind of man who will be a forgiver. This is the spiritual character of a man who will be a forgiver. So in effect he's saying...Philemon, I know you're the kind of man that I can trust to forgive Onesimus. He's really setting him up by reminding him of his own character. I mean, it's part of wisdom, isn't it, to deal out praise whenever and wherever it is possible for praise itself becomes a nourishing food for virtue. Did you understand that? Praise itself, legitimate praise, becomes a nourishing food for virtue and a strong antidote against sin. If someone comes to you and says, "I want to tell you, I look at your life and I just thank God that you're a godly, virtuous, holy Christian." Believe me, that's food that nurtures virtue. And at the same time, that's an antidote against sin, isn't it? Cause if you know people see you that way and believe you're that way, that accelerates your desire for virtue and your desire to stay away from vice.
And so, Paul speaks of the great virtue of the character of Philemon as the foundation for his appeal to forgive. I know you have the kind of character that will forgive. Now what kind of character is this? Well we see it in verses 4 through 7. Here as Paul gives this wonderful warm kind of exposure to the character of Philemon, we see the kind of person who forgives. Now he says so many good things about him you have to ask the question...how did he know all this? One, they were acquainted personally. They knew each other. In fact, in verse 1 he calls Philemon "our beloved," our agapetos, our loved one and our sunergos our fellow worker. So they worked together. They loved each other. I told you last week Paul had led Philemon to Christ. He knew about the man. Furthermore, the church at Colossae met in his house so a lot of Christians knew about him. One of those Christians was the leader of the church at Colossae, a man by the name of Epaphras and Epaphras, according to verse 23 of Philemon, was with Paul in Rome. So whatever Paul knew about him, Epaphras could have enhanced because Epaphras was the leader of the church in Philemon's house. And then there was Onesimus, the runaway slave, he must have affirmed all of this. He didn't run away because Philemon was a bad man, an evil master, a hard driving forceful kind of taskmaster. Not at all. Everybody would have affirmed the character of the man. And so Paul had good knowledge of the man's virtue.
Now as we look at these verses, verses 4 and following, we're going to see the kind of person who forgives. What kind of person has the capacity to forgive? Let's look at verse 4 and start there. "I thank my God always making mention of you in my prayers." Now we'll just comment on that very briefly. He says, in effect what he's saying is, every time I pray about you it is with thanksgiving, that's what he's saying. Always in my making mention of you in my prayers, I thank my God...that would be another way to frame it up. Always when you come up in my prayers I express my thanks, always. I mean, I don't have anything other to say to God than thank You for Philemon. I don't know any negatives about you. Everything I've ever heard about you and everything I've ever experienced with you is good.
Furthermore, verse 5, "Because I hear..." Literally, I continue to hear. The word keeps coming to me, Philemon, about you that makes me pray for you and in my prayers I just say thanks. Paul is saying I pray and in my prayers you come up and every time you come up I thank God for you because every time I hear something it's positive. What a wonderful statement. All the news about you, Philemon, is good. There's nothing in this letter to correct Philemon. There's nothing in this letter to suggest that he was out of line. There's nothing to suggest that he had an error in his theology, that something wasn't right in his home, something wasn't right in his marriage. I mean, everything just was as it should be in this man's life. So he says everything I know about you makes me say thanks to God for you.
And what did he hear? And what did he know about him? Several things, number one, he had a concern for the Lord...he had a concern for the Lord. Please note the first thing is in verse 5. He says, "Because I hear...follow me now...of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus." That's the phrase I want you to grab first. The first thing I hear about you is that you have a true faith in the Lord Jesus, you have a concern for the Lord. I know I can come to you, Philemon, and ask you to forgive because you are concerned about the Lord, you have a true saving faith, you're a genuine real Christian and therefore you have the ability to forgive. You have been forgiven so you can forgive. You have the impulses of the new life. You have the prompting of the indwelling Holy Spirit. You experience the conviction of the Word of God. You are a true believer and a true believer desires to do what is right and what honors the Lord and so I can appeal to you to forgive because you're concerned about the Lord.
By the way, that verb "you have", present tense, you continue to have. An ongoing continuous nature of concern toward the Lord. You have continuing trust toward the Lord Jesus. You have unwavering faith. You are a faithful true genuine believer.
He says, "Philemon, you walk by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You exhibit trust in Him in everything. You seek His will. I know you can forgive." You see, we are those for whom much has been forgiven and we can forgive much. We are those, you remember, of whom Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13 that we are to forgive one another because God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. We are those, like the parable of Matthew 18, who have been forgiven an unpayable debt and should go out and forgive others. Philemon, you have a real faith, you're a true believer, you can forgive. And what he's really saying here is that the first characteristic of a forgiver is he's a Christian. He has a concern for the Lord.
The contrast for that is back in Romans 3. Just very briefly I call your attention to Romans 3:10. Here the Apostle Paul describes a non-Christian, an unbeliever. In verse 10 he says here is the basic description of the nature, the character, the disposition of a non-believer. "There is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless, there is none who does good, there is not even one." So the first thing he says about an unbeliever is they're just not good, they're bad, wicked, sinful, unrighteous, can't do anything good. Even their good is bad-good because even what they do that may be humanly good is motivated by their own pride not the glory of God so it's bad-good. So I have told you in the past, unbelievers can only do bad-bad, or bad-good.It's all bad.
Then in verse 13 he talks about relationships. "Their throat is an open grave." In other words, when they open their mouth, out comes filth and stench and rottenness. "Their tongues are used to deceive. Their lips are filled with the poison of asps. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood." Now there's a description of unregenerate people. You open their mouth and out comes filth. On their tongue, deception. On their lips...moving from the inside to the out...on their lips the poison of a snake. Out of their mouth cursing and bitterness. And you give them a chance, if they catch you they'll kill you. There's no forgiveness there. That's the bitterness and the vengeance and the anger and the hate and the hostility of unregenerate people. They are driven by hate. They are driven by bitterness. They'll curse you out of their bitterness. They'll kill you if they get a chance.
On the other hand, those who have been reconciled to God and those who as Paul says of Philemon have faith toward the Lord Jesus are prepared to forgive, and only those. It doesn't surprise me that our society is so litigious that we sue each other. It doesn't surprise me that people kill each other. It doesn't surprise me that if you pull in front of somebody on the freeway they'll pull alongside of you and make obscene gestures at you, if not shoot you. It doesn't surprise me that the hostility and anger of our culture is what is is because that's in the human heart and we have moved so far away from any kind of Christian aura of Christian social restraint that that now is tolerated, more than tolerated, advocated. That's because that's the way unbelievers should be expected to act. That isn't surprising. Sometimes what does surprise me is when somebody pulls up beside me and does that and then speeds on by and I notice a fish sticker on the back bumper... and I figure it's a Christian car but not a Christian driver. Those who are reconciled to the Lord Jesus Christ, however, forgive because we have the capacity to forgive. This world is ripped to shreds everywhere from marriages to nations because people can't forgive. Only Christians can really forgive from the heart, as Jesus said it.Only Christians can really forgive from the heart.
So, a forgiving person has a concern for the Lord. He is very concerned for the Lord. He loves the Lord, wants to honor the Lord, is desirous of that which expresses his faith in the Lord. And because his faith is real he has the capacity to forgive. He has a new nature, a new creation, the indwelling Spirit... gives him that ability.
Second, a forgiving person also has a concern for people...a concern for people. Verse 5, Paul says, "I hear also of your love which you have toward all the saints." Now you'll notice that I've kind of explained that verse and it's a little bit jumbled up. This is in the Greek language what we call a chiastic arrangement. In other words, the words and the thoughts in the verse are arranged in a crisscross fashion. And the first expression...I hear of your love...goes with the last expression. And the second expression of faith goes with the first expression toward our Lord Jesus. So you have to look at it as a crisscross, that's chiastic in the Greek language. So when he says faith, he's talking about the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus. When he says love he says the love which you have toward all the saints. That's the second characteristic. You love the saints. This is agape love, this is love of choice, love of the will, love of self-sacrifice, love of humility, this is the love that says I don't care about myself, I care about you. This is the love that says I'll make any sacrifice to meet your need. This is the love that says it's not emotion with me, it's obedience. I'm not compelled to serve you because there's something about you that's attractive, I'm compelled to serve you because there's something about the power of God within me that moves me that way. This is what Paul said in Galatians 5:6 as faith working through love. You remember 1 Thessalonians 4:9? Paul says I don't have to teach you how to love, you're taught by God to love. Romans 5, the love of Christ is shed abroad in your heart. First John 3:14, he simply says if you're born again you love the brothers. If you don't love the brothers you're not born again. In other words, you're a Christian, you have a capacity to love. You have the love of God shed abroad in your heart. You've been taught by God to love. You've been given the capacity. It's there. It's the love of the Spirit that's in you.
And so, he says to Philemon, I know you can be a forgiver. Why? Your faith is real so you have a concern for the Lord. Your love is real so you have a concern for the people. You cannot ask an unbeliever to forgive. They don't have any love toward people. They don't have any passion, self-sacrificing, love of will to do what is right toward someone as something innate within them. If it's self- serving they'll do it. And the love they know about is the love of feeling and the love of emotion, not the love of choice and the love of commitment. So he says... Philemon, you're a forgiver because you have a concern for the Lord, you know God, you walk with Christ, your faith is toward Him and it's continuing and you have a love for the people.
Thirdly, one who is a forgiver has a concern for fellowship... a concern for fellowship. He says, "I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus Christ and toward all the saints that the fellowship of your faith may become effective." Now here he adds another concept. He is saying you have true saving faith, you have true spiritual love and you have a desire for fellowship. Your faith pursues fellowship. He calls it the fellowship of your faith. And he says I'm hoping that the fellowship of your faith may become effective. That's the word powerful... powerful. I know you care about the fellowship. Now that's true of Christians. If you're a Christian you care about the fellowship. You care about the body of Christ... is what he's saying. You're concerned about others. You say, "Look, I want to forgive you because I don't want chaos in the fellowship, I want harmony, I want peace, I want unity." There's no individualism that says I really don't care about you, I'm going to take what I want and I'm going to ask what I want and I'm going to give only what I want and I'll do things my way because I'm the one that I care about. You know, a Christian doesn't say that. A Christian says I care about the fellowship, I care about you, I care about our unity, I care about our ministry, I care about our mutual sharing. The word fellowship, koinonia is a hard word to translate, actually. It most often is translated fellowship but when we talk about fellowship we usually mean enjoying somebody's company, we say we had fellowship together, we mean we just had fun or we talked, or we had a little bit of time together, a sort of shared a little bit of kibitzing or a little bit of food or refreshment. But that's not what we're talking about here. What we're talking about here is belonging, that's the word that I like best, belonging. You belong to somebody else and somebody else belongs to you in a mutual partnership. So he says I know that your faith is concerned with how important is this mutual belonging.
And what's his implication here? Well, Onesimus is coming back. You know now that Onesimus from reading this letter is a Christian. And that makes him in the fellowship and he belongs to you now not only as a slave but as a brother in Christ and you belong to him not only as a master but as a brother in Christ and I know you care about the belonging. That's the idea. I know that's important to you. And then he says, I want your fellowship, the fellowship of your faith to become effective, to have a powerful impact. And what he's saying is if you forgive this guy it's going to have a powerful impact because this was a serious felony for which the slave could lose his life and if you just flat forgive the guy that's going to send a strong message to the church about the priority of belonging. This man now belongs to me not as my slave but as my brother and my brother needs forgiveness. That's going to be a powerful statement of fellowship. It doesn't matter what a man does to you or what a woman does to you, if you can take that person back and embrace that person in love, you have made a strong statement about your concern for fellowship, have you not, for the mutual belonging. You're not concerned about you and your isolation and your individualism, you're concerned about the partnership, the mutual participation.
So, a person with true saving faith is concerned about the Lord. A person who has had the love of God shed abroad in his heart is concerned about other people. And a person who cares about the fellowship and has the priority of the mutual belonging of believers in his mind is going to be the kind of person eager to forgive. If you love the Lord, if you love people, if you love the fellowship, you'll be a forgiver.
There's a fourth... a fourth concern and that is this, he had a concern for knowledge. Paul wanted him to be reminded of this so Paul says in verse 6, "I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become powerful through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you," stop at that point. Through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you. Now let me ask you a question. When you became a Christian did God put good things in you? Yes, you've been blessed with... what... all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Do you know you have a new creation in you? Do you know there are a lot of good things in you? Many good things. And he says to Philemon, "Philemon, I want you to have the knowledge of every good thing in you." So how do I learn them? How do I know about the good things that are in me? Do I read about them in a book? No. The word for knowledge is epignosis, not just knowing, gnosis, but epignosis, deep knowledge, rich knowledge, full knowledge, listen to this, experiential knowledge. It's the knowledge through personal acquaintance with truth. It's the knowledge that comes through experience.
Now listen to what he's saying to him. He's saying, "Philemon, if you forgive this guy, listen now, if you forgive this guy you're going to immediately experience the good thing in you called forgiveness. You could read about forgiveness in a book, but you wouldn't really know it because you haven't experienced it. You could hear somebody preach about forgiveness and how wonderful it is and how blessed it is, but you really wouldn't know it until you did it. You know how to get the knowledge of the good things that are in you? Exercise them. You find out the tremendous goodness of what God has placed within you when you walk in obedience to the will of God and you do things and you see and experience those things in your own life. God has given you the capacity to forgive. Forgive somebody and experience it." That's what he's saying. Once you do it, Philemon, you're going to experience the forgiveness.
I mean, we've all sat down and read the books that showed some guy skiing down the Swiss Alps on a sunny day and the snow flying by and the beauty and wonder of all of that and the thrill and exhilaration. But I'll tell you, there is a lot of difference between looking at the picture in the book and coming down the mountain. There's a certain one-dimensional flat knowledge that you get out of the book that cannot even be related to what you experience when you're flying down the mountain on the skis. And the same thing is true in the spiritual realm. I can read the flat words on the pages of the Bible that define forgiveness but I will never have the epignosis or the deep knowledge of forgiveness until I... what... forgive and experience it. And that's how I learn to know every good thing that God has put in me.
So, the person who can forgive is concerned about the Lord. He's concerned about people. He's concerned about fellowship and he's concerned about knowledge. He wants the full rich deep knowledge of every good thing that's in him. You know, just follow that through. I want to do what God wants me to do because I want to experience the power of the goodness that is in me through Him. It's not my own goodness, but it's the goodness that He's put in me. Don't you get a joy out of that? Sometimes when we have the opportunity to give, for example, and to give generously and to give sacrificially, we feel this thrill, this exhilaration, this joy, this exuberance because we have experienced the deep rich goodness that God has put in us that causes us to be able to give sacrificially. And so he is reminding Philemon and us of the priority of being concerned about knowledge.
There's a fifth component, I think, in the character of someone who forgives and that is a concern for glory...a concern for glory. At the end of verse 6 is this little phrase, "For Christ's sake." Actually in the Greek it says, "Unto Christ...unto Christ." In other words, he is saying, "Philemon, I know you have fellowship as a priority, I want it to be powerful. I know you're concerned about knowledge and I want it to be the knowledge of every good thing that is in you and I know you want all of this for Christ's sake," that's implied. In other words, you're concerned about the glory of Christ. You do it unto Him, as unto Him. The Christian life with all its deeds, with all its joys, with all its works, with all its responsibilities is for the glory of Christ, it's for Christ's sake, it's for Christ's name, it's for Christ's praise, Christ's glory. And frankly, if you're devoted to that you're going to forgive, right? I can't say in one moment I want to do all to the glory of Christ but don't think I'll forgive you. You can't say that. Be honest. What you have to say is I'm not going to forgive you so, Christ, I'm not interested in Your glory, I'm interested in my vengeance. That's what you're saying. But if you want to honor Christ then you'll forgive as He forgave you, right? If you want to honor Christ you'll obey what He told you to do. Surely Philemon was concerned to glorify Christ. Surely he would do it unto Christ or for Christ's sake. The one who forgives then is marked by a concern for the Lord, a concern for people, a concern for fellowship, a concern for deep experiential knowledge and a concern for the glory of his Lord.
There's one last note. The person who forgives is characterized by a concern to be a blessing. He's characterized by a concern to be a blessing. And this again is implied, verse 7, Paul says, "I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love." Stop there at this point.
This man had a reputation for love. And Paul says your love has brought me joy and comfort. That's what he says. Not just joy and comfort, much joy and comfort. I have come to the point where you have given me reason to rejoice. I have come to the point where you have encouraged my heart by your love. In what way? Verse 7, again the middle of the verse, "Because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother." What a statement. The hearts...he uses the word splanchna, actually the bowels, the feelings, the seat of emotion and feeling. He says people in trouble, people with feelings, people suffering and hurting and struggling have found you to be a blessing, you refreshed them. It's a military term used for an army that takes a march, stops and rests. You bring people rest. You're a peacemaker. You renew people. Your care and your service and your refreshing heart brings solace to troubled folks.
Nothing indicates that he was an elder in the church. Nothing indicates that he was a deacon in the church. Nothing indicates that he was a teacher in the church. Obviously he was some kind of business man. He was not a calculated diplomat. He was just a man of instinctive kindness. He was a blessing to everybody. That kind of person will forgive, the person who is concerned to be a refreshing person. I don't want to bring trouble in your life, I don't want to make unrest, I don't want to bring disturbance, I want to bring rest. Listen, those are the kind of people that bring me joy. There are people in my world, believe me, there are people, more than I would like to think about who bring me trouble. And it's usually fairly constant. And you look long and hard to find those who just refresh you all the time because they resolve everything, because they bring peace to everything, because they exercise wise direction and leadership, because they serve and care and minister and because they just bless everybody. Those are the kind of people who are going to forgive because all they want to be is a blessing.
Well, Philemon by now is got to be saying to himself, "Boy, I'm quite something. Wow." And that's exactly what Paul hopes he's saying because in verse 8 he's going to hit him between the eyes with what he needs to do. And now he's going to feel so good about what a wonderful man he is he's going to have to do or he won't live up to his press releases.
Anybody who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, anybody who loves the saints, anybody who loves the fellowship, anybody who loves true knowledge, anybody who loves the glory of Christ, anybody who loves to be a blessing is going to be a forgiver. That's the character of the kind of people who forgive. And so Paul establishes that character as the character of Philemon. And then as we shall see next Sunday, asks him to forgive.
I was reading through an old poetry book that's a favorite of mine. And I came across a poem and I don't know if it will affect you the way it did me, maybe because I'm a father of four children and have such wonderful and cherished memories about my children, it struck me and even made me very emotional and every time I've read it I've had the same kind of response. But it's just a little reminder of the simple qualities of forgiveness. See if you can follow what the poet says.
"My little son who looked from thoughtful eyes and moved and spoke in quite grown-up wise, having my law the seventh time disobeyed, I struck him and dismissed with hard words and unkissed. His mother who was patient, being dead, then fearing lest his grief should hinder sleep, I visited his bed but found him slumbering deep with darkened eyelids and their lashes yet from his late sobbing wet. And I with moan kissing away his tears left others of my own, for on a table drawn beside his head he had put within his reach a box of colors and a red veined stone, a piece of glass abraded by the beach and six or seven shells, a bottle of bluebells and two French copper coins to comfort his sad heart. So when that night I prayed to God I wept and said, Ah, when at last we lie with tranquil breath, now seeing thee in death and rememberist of what toys we made our simple joys, how weakly understood Thy great commanded good, then fatherly not less than I whom thou hast molded from the clay thou leave thy wrath and say, I forgive thy childishness."
If God can do that for us, can't we do that for each other?
Father, thank You for this reminder this morning of the kind of person who forgives. We want to be that kind of person. We long to be that kind of person. We find no virtue in being any less than that. And so we ask that Your Spirit would make us like dear Philemon, those who have the character of a forgiver. If there's anything we have yet unforgiven in our lives, resolve it this moment and free us from the bondage of the past, the disease of bitterness, the open door to Satan, and the forfeiture of sweet fellowship with you, for only forgiveness can do that, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
Return to Top
or browse by Topic or