text:
"PICTURE THIS!" from Bishop Kusserow -
July 9, 2018
William Passavant is remembered among us with a blend of local pride and holy reverence for founding congregations, social ministry organizations and institutions of learning in Western Pennsylvania, and in several other states as well. But look: in a stained-glass window that graces the nave of St. James, Emsworth, "Wm. A. Passavant" is celebrated first and foremost as an "Editor."
William Passavant founded and edited "The Missionary" and "The Workman" journals, and was on the staff of "The Lutheran Observer" as well.
I am blessed to have a photocopy of the November 22, 1894 issue of "The Workman" in my office, an issue dedicated to William Passavant's life and work not quite six months after his death. That historical artifact, when held together with the witness of this stained glass window, helps me see in a new way the profound role that communication holds in the growth and vitality of the Church's mission.
Improved communication was identified in the Landscape survey as our synod's most pressing need, and is named by the Synod Council as the first of our strategic initiatives. This "new" direction, it would seem, is taking us back to our roots!
July 2, 2018
Sometimes pictures communicate more than words can say. But at other times, it's just not possible to capture the wonder and energy of an event in a picture. The ELCA Youth Gathering was one of those times.
About 31,000 youth and adults from all across our church assembled in Houston under the theme, This Changes Everything. When we were all together every evening, the wonder and energy of the event was nearly overwhelming. Half of the NRG Stadium was filled, floor to ceiling, with Lutherans celebrating the grace of God. Sometimes the place was deafening; and sometimes it was still, with thousands of cell-phone flashlights creating the look of the night sky indoors.
Pictured above is our synod Eucharist, a crowd of about 300, (or 1% of the whole group). Even this more manageable picture does not do justice to the lively and moving experience of being with the youth of our synod and of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod for worship. But at least it's a glimpse. It was a real blessing to church together for this once-every-three-years assembly.
Thank you for your prayers for our group. Thank you for your financial support that made it possible for youth from our synod to go. And be encouraged that our church is filled with young people eager to bear witness to the gospel in their lives, and with adults who planned and staffed this astounding event!
June 18, 2018
This spring our church elected six new bishops: Patricia Davenport, Vivianne Thomas-Breitfeld, Sue Briner, Laurie Skow-Anderson, Deborah Hutterer, and Idalia Negrón. This is the first all-female incoming class of bishops that our church has been blessed to receive. And this class welcomes the first two African American women to the Conference of Bishops.
I am thrilled, because I believe the Conference of Bishops serves our church best when our collective voice includes a wide range of insights and perspectives.
Our six bishops-elect will gather in Chicago for the summer formation event in July. While the Lutheran Center on Higgins Road will already be familiar to those who served as Directors for Evangelical Mission before being elected bishop, the office they are being called into requires learning how to carry new and different responsibilities. The Formation Committee seeks to share two powerful words with all our new bishops: You have been called. You are not alone.
Please do remember each of these new bishops in prayer, and the synods that have elected them. We are not alone; and together we all pray for the strength and compassion to answer God's call.
May 14, 2018
This picture is not posed. By which I mean to say, it is a snapshot of real life and not a few things staged in order to create a dramatic picture. I was simply cutting grass, came inside for a break, and left my gloves where I usually leave them – on the handle of the lawn mower.
When they were new, these gloves were flat and smooth. But through much use, by the dust and sweat and scrapes that come with work, they have taken on the shape of my hands, and they now retain that shape even when they are at rest.
I wonder ... when we do God's work with our hands ...
May 9, 2018
Bread does not naturally occur. Obviously! But how can I possibly comprehend the mystery that our God has promised to be present to us in something that remains entirely in our power to create? Does our Lord's sacramental presence depend on our labor? Of course not – and clearly yes! What a tremendous mystery!
The Incarnation itself bears witness to the truth of this incomprehensibly obvious situation. The baby Jesus did not fall from heaven intact, but was born of the Virgin Mary. And in this child, the product of human labor (pardon the pun), as Colossians declares, "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell." (Col. 1:19)
Popular theology would presume to teach us that anything of God that is mediated by human labor is tainted, sullied, less than authentically divine. The Holy Gospels tell a different story. God has chosen to be most present to us in things only humans can make: a human person, bread, wine, the mutual conversation and consolation of the community of saints. Imagine that!
April 16, 2018
They really did! Almost all 150 of them. And they spent all day in a church, thinking about church. Which led presenter Dave Daubert to conclude that we were all a little odd.
Actually, his point was that since so small a percentage of Americans attend services of worship any given week, those who do are already outside the norm. And those who are interested enough to spend the first really nice weekend of the year inside talking about how to make church a more inviting and meaningful community are an even rarer group. But there we were, all the same.
Church matters. And why is that? Because church not only declares, but demonstrates that Jesus is here with us. And where Jesus is, the promise of life and peace and reconciliation is close at hand, actually within reach.
Nice days beg to have you make the most of them. Turns out, we did!
March 22, 2018
On Tuesday I was invited to come and install the Vice Presidents of Glade Run – again! I was glad to do it. It's generally a low-profile event, just a few of us in the conference room, but it notes an important reality: we are partners in ministry.
So, for the record, from left to right:
• Pastor Christina Hough, Director of Spiritual Care and Community Liaison
• Sheila Talarico, Executive Director of the Glade Run Foundation
• Amy Richert, Vice President of Education
• Christopher Phillips, Chief Operation Officer
• Michelle Herr, Coordinator of Executive Offices
• Dr. Charles Lockwood, Executive Director
• Alexandra Salcido, Vice President of Clinical Services
On my way out I asked, "What would you like to share with your ministry partners in the synod?" "That we are alive and well!" came the immediate answer. Here are people actively pursuing the care of children in today's world, building on the foundation of faith with hope and courage. Thanks for your work!
February 22, 2018
Isaiah's vision of the Peaceable Kingdom is well known for its description of a world in which the wolf and the lamb live together, a community of peace where "they shall not hurt or destroy." (Isaiah 11:6-9)
The image comes across as entirely passive: the leopard lies down with the kid. The cow and the bear graze together. The nursing child plays over the den of the adder without suffering any harm. Lovely, but not much to pay attention to, really.
But the events of this week compel us to look again. Look again! (1) There, in Isaiah's ancient text, is an active image as well. "And a little child shall lead them."
I confess that I have given little thought in my study and use of this text to the leadership of this child. I suppose it's fair to say that my general impression has been that Isaiah's vision describes a community of such pervasive peace that leadership itself amounts to nothing more than child's play.
I think I have missed something important. Today, in our country, litttle children are leading, and in a remarkably active way. We would do well to pay attention.
(1) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fort-lauderdale-anti-gun-rally-today-02-17-2018-live-stream/
February 15, 2018
Can the Ash Wednesday liturgy still strengthen our people these days? Or is it the liturgical equivalent of adding insult to injury? The answer lies in the dismissal. (ELW p. 255) These words call the Church to be a people of hope and courage, even while our baptism into Christ draws the very sign of death on our faces:
Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness;
be of good courage;
hold fast to that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honor all people;
love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
(1) http://abcnews.go.com/US/18-school-shootings-us-year-group/story?id=53091125
January 18, 2018
I Peter 2:24 teaches us that "Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." In this work of art, we can see clearly both the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and the world God loved so much as to give his only son up to death for its salvation.
A closer look at this globe reveals the continent of Africa, and that the wound Christ suffered in his side has left a scar across Algeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin. There is a profound sharing of identity suggested by this mark.
The Christian vocation is not to wound further the Body of Christ, or the world which he loves enough to die for, but being freed from sins and healed by his wounds, to live for righteousness. When we consider others around the world, may our speech and our actions resemble more the love of Christ, than the point of a spear.
January 10, 2018
I finally had to ask the front desk, "What does this mean?"
In bold, brass letters, on carefully matched panels of wood veneer, the words "NO VIEW POINT" appeared just to the left of the hotel elevators. For three days I had pondered what in the world these words could mean.
During the same three days, the bishops of our church and of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada listened to three excellent presentations on the First Nations Peoples, the Native Americans of our two countries. Ms. Prairie Rose Seminole addressed spirituality; Dr. Martin Brokenleg addressed theology, and Bishop Mark MacDonald addressed reconciliation. It was because their view points were so gloriously enlightening that I had to ask why in the world the hotel announced that it had "NO VIEW POINT."
I learned that while some buildings in Vancouver have roof-top observation decks open to the public, this hotel does not. So, no point from which to view the city.
OK; fine. But now I wonder, does our church have a view point? Does my congregation? Do I? Are we, individually and together, people and places where the general public can find a view point? And I don't mean a political or social opinion, not a point-of-view, per se, but a view point?
What would it look like for us to construct observation decks open to the public, where God's mission in the world can be seen plainly, in all its splendor and grace? "Come on in," we might say, "we have a terrific view point!"
December 20, 2017
They say that optimists see this glass as half-full, while pessimists see it as half-empty. That could be; I don't know for sure. But it seems to me that if that is the case, they share the same perspective – that the glass ought to be filled to the brim.
Another perspective might assert that this glass is already filled to the brim. Partly with water, partly with air.
I wonder if this perspective might lead us to think in new ways about the Church. St. John the Baptist confessed that while he baptized with water, the One coming after him would baptize with the Spirit (Mark 1:8). In the Biblical languages, one word can mean air or spirit or breath or wind. Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus (John, chapter 3) provides an familiar example of the several meanings that one word can have. In that chapter, Jesus says to Nicodemus, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit," but he goes on to admit that it is impossible to see the wind. "You hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes."
In the days and weeks to come, if you find yourself wondering if your church is half-full or half-empty, think about this glass, and about the essential and elusive presence of the Spirit among the people of God. Can you hear the sound of it, filling spaces that appear empty at first glance?
November 16, 2017
You may find this picture familiar: a team of intrepid church basement women who have given generously of their time and effort to serve one more meal in the fellowship hall. Here's what you can't see: these women are not in their own church kitchen!
For the 100th anniversary of Bethany, Dormont, women from Trinity, Sheraden; Trinity, Mt. Oliver; and St. Andrew, East Carnegie staffed the kitchen, making it possible for the women of Bethany to attend their anniversary liturgy.
The words of Tertullian (a 2nd Century North African Theologian) came to my mind as soon as these women opened my eyes so that I could see what I was looking at, "See how they love one another!" As I see it, the love went both ways – it is no small thing to open your own church kitchen to others. But here they all were, women from several congregations of the 12-congregation cooperative, Pittsburgh Lutheran United Ministries, giving and receiving the kind of love for which the Church was once famous!
November 3, 2017
I found this pair of Greek words in a balcony window of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster. Above them is a picture of St. Paul, preaching. The event is recounted in Acts 17, especially verse 23, "What you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you." The Greek words in the window say "To an unknown god."
It's hard to know if the piety of the people of Athens at the time of Paul was so humble that they truly sought to learn about anything they did not already know for themselves, or if they were so self-assured that they figured they had covered all their religious bases by building an altar to an unknown god. Either way, Paul found an opportunity to preach Christ, and so he did.
As we seek opportunities to preach Christ in our time and place, revealing the unknown can only serve our common cause. It is in this spirit that a survey called "Landscape" will very soon be sent from our synod office to hundreds of people in leadership roles throughout our synod. Along with the ministerium, members of Synod Council and Congregation Councils will be among those invited to respond. The goal is to listen to the hearts and minds of our people in leadership roles, so that together we may better accomplish our mission.
Our shared mission is to steward the gospel and care for our neighbors. If revealing the unknown will help us do that well, I'm all for it!
October 27, 2017
A single picture can communicate many ideas and emotions – even mutually exclusive ideas and emotions – in a moment. And, somewhat miraculously, it can tell a single story that holds all these things together.
The Word of God is like this. It is one word that we encounter as Law and as Gospel. The Word of God is one person who is fully divine and fully human. The Word of God is our judge and our savior. The Word of God kills and makes alive.
This cherry tree stump bears witness to a story of collateral damage. This tree once stood close between two very large sassafras trees that had died. In the process of removing them, the living cherry tree also had to go.
I still grieve that unnecessary loss – but also rejoice in the unexpected flourish of new growth that pressed the cause of life forward in spite of the unjust loss!
Can you relate to this? Do you suffer because of actions and events beyond your control? Do you also harbor the sacred hope that love is eternal, that God does bring life out of death itself? If so, perhaps II Corinthians 4:7-12 can be the motto for your life and ministry. I find myself turning to these verses all the time!
October 20, 2017
Water pressure is good; but too much causes problems for every part of the system. I learned this the other day by listening to a plumber as he installed a new pressure regulator at my house.
Social pressure is just like this – productive up to a certain point, but damaging to relationships and communities and institutions when it gets too high.
The last "Picture This" I prepared was a response to Charlottesville. But I never sent it, because the social pressure seemed too great for a medium that rested to some degree on whimsy. And the weeks and months that followed brought new calamities with such regularity that our society was pressured into reacting with outrage to every public word.
So this is a test. Let me know what you think. Is the social pressure still too high for this kind of communication? Or would you like to see, now and then, how I picture our life and ministry these days, and how I imagine it could look in the future?
August 9, 2017
Bishop Eaton addressed us this morning, calling us forward together in Christ. I trust that her four identity statements are becoming familiar to you: We are Church; We are Lutheran; We are Church Together; We are Church for the Sake of the World. Each of these statements provides an important declaration and insight into who we are, or yearn to be. This snapshot is a glimpse of our church's pursuit of being Church Together.
In a world wounded by division, there is something hopeful, and perhaps even healing, about any intentional effort to gather together. I wonder if it is not too bold to say that one of the marks of being orthodox is to remain tireless in seeking opportunities to assemble with other believers. Is this what Hebrews 10:24-25 means to teach us?
July 27, 2017
Is this a boat? (This is a trick question.) Of course it is a boat. Just look at it; what else could it be?
So, ... (and here comes the "trick" part) ... is something a boat by virtue of its form and appearance, or is something a boat by virtue of its function? I mean, is a boat that does not float still a boat?
I saw this, ... um, ... thing on a beach near Boston at low tide. At high tide it is completely covered with water. It's been here long enough, stuck in the mud, covered by water twice a day, that is has barnacles growing all over it. There's no question that it was a boat, once. But is it now?
You know that the large, central part of our church buildings, where all the people gather in their pews, is called a nave, right? That word comes from the Latin word for boat: navis.
Next time you go to church, stop for just a moment, there among the pews, and ask: "Is this a boat?"
July 19, 2017
Here's something that may be too dangerous even to talk about. Right? The "third rail" is a label we give topics of conversation that are better left untouched.
Here's where the metaphor comes from: a public transportation system like the Boston Subway uses high-voltage electricity to power its vehicles. The trains ride on wheels that follow two rails. The third rail provides the electric power source. A person who closes the circuit between the third rail and the ground by touching it in some way likely will not survive the experience.
We use this metaphor in our shared community of faith by saying that it is safer not even to get close to those "third rail" conversations: like the building, or the endowment, or the flags in the chancel.
But consider this: if the subway train never touches the third rail it goes nowhere. So I wonder, can we identify the critical power source that motivates our shared mission? And if so, can we appropriately turn our attention toward making sure that connection is made in an intentional and sustainable way? I believe we can; and I'd like to hear your thoughts about this as well.
June 9, 2017
It's not everyone who actually does have their name on their pew! But then, this park bench isn't exactly a pew. Or is it?
In today's picture-perfect dedication of the Passavant Gardens, I accepted Pastor Dutch Weber's invitation to join him for a while on the park bench given by his family. In our conversation, it became clear to me that his pastoral heart thinks of the whole Passavant community as a parish, a community of God's beloved people, and that every place in the living space they share qualifies as a place where God may be praised, where sorrows may be shared, and where comfort may be given.
What happens when we expand our imaginations to think of "church" being all around us all the time? We find the same struggles and opportunities about providing welcome that congregations face in their church buildings during the worship time.
Are there ways in which we communicate an unwelcoming, "Hey, that's my pew," message in our daily lives? How might we learn to say, "Come and join me for a while, in a place where we both belong?"
May 12, 2017
Thiel College is 150 years old, and still learning.
Are you?
This year's commencement weekend included the particular joy of the inauguration of President Susan Traverso. In her inaugural address she taught us about William Passavant. Afterwards she asked me if I thought she had got the story right. I said that I thought she nailed it. The story of William Passavant was a story she needed to learn well enough to tell, so that as Thiel's 20th President, she could appropriately honor the college's past and celebrate its future.
What joy or duty or challenge are you facing today? And what must you learn well enough to nail it?
Let me know; I'd like to learn about it.
With you in Christ,
May 4, 2017
Perhaps it is a bad habit, but I will often keep my dinner roll until the very end of my meal. I find that if it is broken apart, a dinner roll is without peer for soaking up the last bits of sauce left on my plate.
I am often profoundly aware that breaking apart a dinner roll for this purpose is just like the action of breaking and distributing the Eucharistic bread. I mentioned this to Pastor Bill Diehm last Friday, at the Lutheran SeniorLife Gala, and since at that moment I held a piece of broken bread in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, he could not resist taking a picture of the curious glimpse of our Lord's gift of himself to us that suddenly appeared before our eyes.
His devotional Invocation that night had been about the powerful and mutual gift of meaning that the Eucharist and our daily meals and fancy feasts give to each other, so we were in a sense primed to see that bit of bread and that cup of wine sitting on that table in that assembly as a sort of "under cover church." What neither of us saw at the moment was the hand of the woman at the next table, that in this picture is apparently raised in blessing exactly above the cup.
Let me invite you to see in curious glimpses like this, the presence of our Risen Lord, of whom we sing in the Sanctus, "heaven and earth are full of your glory."
April 27, 2017
This bird was built to fish in shallow water. Is that a fair description of what every feature of the Great Blue Heron is obviously made to do?
From the stilt legs and patient gait, to the harpoon beak and spring-loaded neck, this bird is built to fish – and specifically in still water a couple of feet deep.
What is the single purpose for which you were built? I use the word "built" because it has a note of intention to it, rather than haphazard coincidence. And the word, "purpose," too, is by design. It's not just a matter of what you can do, but what you were made to do; not just who you happen to have turned out to be, but who you were meant to be.
Do you have answers for questions like these? Purpose questions are worth spending time pondering, I believe. For the more we know our purpose, the more every part of our life falls into place. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he declared his purpose fulfilled (Luke 2:29). When Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, her purpose was clear enough to Jesus that he pointed it out to Martha (Luke 10:42). When Jesus finally did answer Pontius Pilate, it was with his own statement of purpose (John 18:37).
What say you? What's the single purpose for which you are perfectly built?
April 13, 2017
Tomorrow we tip into the Three Holy Days, the Triduum. In the holy observance of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil we celebrate with solemn joy that which is most central to our shared faith: God's self-giving love for our salvation. Nothing binds us closer to each other than our life together in Christian community that is created by this Gospel Word.
Today the called synod staff gathered to keep you in prayer. By name. Every congregation and ministry site of our synod; every pastor, every deacon. Those under call, and those retired. Those on-leave and those with a continuing disability. We remembered our synod support staff, our widows, and our ecumenical partners. We rejoiced with you in prayer for the joy you find in the Gospel, and we grieved with you in prayer for the heavy burdens you carry.
We began our day of prayer with Conferences One and Two, inside the fellowship hall of St. Paul, North Park. As the morning warmed, we found ourselves on the front steps of the church praying through Conference Three. We spent the afternoon in North Park itself, just a stone's throw from the boat house, where we prayed through Conferences Four, Five and Six. Ending our discipline of prayer for you with the last several yellow pages of our Bulletin of Reports, we found that we had modeled an appropriate pattern of Christian life: moving from the church building, out the front doors, and into the public square.
The events we celebrate in the Triduum began in an upper room, but quickly moved outside and into the general view. May our faith ever move us in this direction: inside-out for the sake of the world God loves so much.
March 31, 2017
In joyful commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Pastor Scott Bryte has finished an oil painting of Dr. Martin Luther in his study in the Wartburg. The painting is on permanent loan at the synod office. It hangs on the wall that you see when you come in the front door, in that space we fondly call "Carol's living room." Come and see it.
And while you're here, come in a little farther, take a right, and stroll down towards my office. There is a framed collection of Luther stamps on your left that is really quite remarkable. Around behind Sandy's work station to your right is a picture of a young Luther – not as familiar as the Cranach depiction of Luther that has become something of the standard image of the great Reformer.
Pastor Bryte's portrait of Luther presents another unique view – Luther as the Augustinian monk who found such joy in the discovery that the righteous shall live by faith.
Come by the synod office and see these fine works of art. And if you are inclined to lend us a Luther portrait you could part with for this anniversary year, we'll put together a timely collection under the title, "Luther is in the house!"
February 27, 2017
Rejoice! You who keep the discipline of praying weekly for our companion synod's president by name will be glad to know that he goes by "Modeste," and not by his family name, RAZAFIMAHATRATRA!
Our small delegation has returned home from a challenging visit. I will share more as time allows, but for now, please do keep the Tulear Synod of the Malagasy Lutheran Church in your prayers, and their new Synod President Modeste (the accent is on the second syllable, so it rhymes with "request"). The synod is very poor, and seeks genuine self-reliance – a challenge made all the greater because of a long history of transactional charity from European and American partners.
Our synod faces similar challenges of sustainable ministry, even though by comparison to Madagascar, we are very wealthy. Faithful stewardship may well be the way forward for us, and for our national and international partners, as we seek together in this 500th anniversary of the Reformation to proclaim the Gospel and care for our neighbors.
February 16, 2017
We are in Madagascar visiting our companion synod. Although our companion synod is in Tulear, Pastor Heather Lubold, Pastor Brandon Johns, and I have begun our visit in the capital, Antananarivo. We are joined by small visiting groups from three other ELCA synods, who together with us are attending to the wider relationship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with the Malagasy Lutheran Church as part of our observations of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Today we toured the Women's Center. When we were introduced to the current and past General Secretaries of the Women's Association (like the national expression of the Women of the ELCA), and the current and future directors of the Women's Center (not unlike a social ministry agency of our synod), it struck me that these four Malagasy Women reflect the face of the Lutheran reformation movement as it exists globally, 500 years after Wittenberg.
We may feel like we have more in common with people named Luther and Melanchthon than with people named Mananeto Toromare, Rabaonirene Esther, Ralivero Helene and Myriam, but to hear these women articulate the faith and mission of the church that is so familiar to us, we could well be mistaken. They confessed that the Word of God drives all their work, and that it has two wings, like a bird: preaching the Gospel and attending to human need. We say we are about stewarding the Gospel and caring for our neighbors. Our shared faith clearly speaks the same language.
The 500 year-old revival that began in Germany finds full expression these days in the global south. This anniversary year calls us to widen our imaginations, and to spread our wings with everyone formed by the Word of God, that the Gospel may preached with authority, and that people of every place may be made whole.
January 31, 2107
"No matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor."
Who might say something like this? And why?
I found this sign stuck into the front yard of the campus of Philadelphia Seminary on Monday. Close readers of the Post Gazette may also have seen this sign on the front page of Monday's paper, where it showed up among the crowd that gathered at the baggage claim of Pittsburgh International Airport. In both of these settings, it seems likely that people who enjoy positions of power and privilege have chosen to say this so that people who don't may hear a word of welcome.
For a completely different angle on this same phrase of welcome, consider Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). In this story, these words seem to fit particularly well in the mouth of "the man who fell into the hands of robbers." Left for dead by the side of the road, he was glad for a neighbor, no matter where that neighbor might have come from (even Samaria!).
The Gospel that we preach calls us always to see ourselves as the ones in need of God's grace and mercy. Can we speak words of welcome to all our neighbors as equally from a position of need as from a position of power?
January 12, 2017
You can't see all the words on this worship bulletin clearly enough in this picture, so I'll write them out for you:
at the Close of the Last Meeting
of the Board of Directors
of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
It was Tuesday of this week. On Wednesday, the Board of Directors of United Lutheran Seminary held its first meeting. Rev. Mark Oldenburg, dean of chapel and a member of our ministerium, reminded us that for ages, Christians have sung Evening Prayer at the close of the day. And also that the Hebrew Scriptures understand evening as the start of the new day.
And so it was, like so many significant moments in our lives turn out to be, that Tuesday evening was both a solemn farewell to what lies behind us and an expectant welcome of what lies ahead.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening!
January 3, 2017
Deacons exercise a threshold vocation: one foot planted firmly in the Church, one foot stepping out into the world.
On Sunday, January 1, five of our synod's sixteen deacons gathered together with me for worship at Bethlehem, Glenshaw, to mark the day on which our church brought Associates in Ministry, Diaconal Ministers and Deaconesses into one Word and Service Roster with the title of Deacon.
I believe the future into which our church is moving will be blessed by the active ministry of deacons, serving alongside ministers of Word and Sacrament, keeping our congregations connected to their communities. In a Post-Christendom world, the Church will look more and more like it did in its earliest years: people of Word and Sacrament and Service serving as salt and light in the places they live.
See you there!
December 1, 2016
Over the last two or three weeks I have been asked by a number of people if I will provide a public word about the election. I have been reluctant to do so, thinking that the public proclamation of the Church is at its best when it points to Christ rather than when it provides opinions about matters of the kingdom on the left.
But the texts of Advent II, on which I preached at today's Ministerial Eucharist, so lent themselves to such a word as some in our ministerium had waited to hear, that at their request I have decided to post the sermon and quote it ever so briefly here:
"Paul, leaning on the Septuagint and interpreting ever so slightly declares: The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope. (Romans 15:12) ... The stump of Jesse, a hope lying between root and branch, has endured through the rise and fall of [many] earthly kingdoms ... that have come and gone. ...
How might we prepare the way of the Lord? ... [Perhaps] by refusing to give any earthly kingdom the ultimacy that it desires. No earthly kingdom can save the world, or separate the world from the saving love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, for that matter. Preparing the way ... might well be a refusal to be either enthralled or deflated by any earthly kingdom!" The whole sermon may be found below (or you may wish to download the document).
Perhaps as important a public witness to Christ is the gracious hospitality that our ministerium received from the Sisters of Divine Providence, making the chapel of the Kearns Spirituality Center available for our use. My hope would be to add our voices to all those in the Body of Christ who cry every Advent, "Come, Lord Jesus!"
Ministerial Eucharist with Region 7 and 8 DEMs – December 1, 2016 (Sermon)
The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all.
Listen to this. Listen to this! This is what the coming administration will be like:
Defending the cause of the poor,
giving deliverance from oppression. (Ps 72:4)
Judging with righteousness and equity. (Isaiah 11:4)
Bringing back the abundant prosperity of the earth. (Ps 72:3)
Delighting in the fear and knowledge of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:3)
Ending all hurt and destruction. (Isaiah 11:9)
Bringing world peace through diplomacy. (Isaiah 11:6-8, 10)
The Isaiah text is all about this coming administration. The Psalm is all about this coming administration. Even the Epistle is about this. Paul, leaning on the Septuagint and interpreting ever so slightly declares:
The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope. (Romans 15:12)
Now, I realize that my vote on November 8 was not about this coming administration. Neither has any American presidential election held the promise of establishing this coming administration. This is because this coming administration is bigger than what happens in America.
The root of this coming administration is deeper than the civilization that built the pyramids in Egypt. And its promised branch reaches out to the end of time itself. Between root and branch sits the stump of Jesse, the picture of a hope that seems clearly to have failed.
And yet, a hope that has remained active in the hearts and minds of people for a very long time. A hope that has been taught and learned, treasured and handed on, while empires have come and gone.
Listen to this! The stump of Jesse, a hope lying between root and branch, has endured through the rise and fall of the Late Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, and the Third Reich, just to name a few of those earthly kingdoms most familiar to us that have come and gone.
And all the while, the root held its place, and the branch held its promise, and the stump sat there, a sign of what had been, and what was not, now. But also a sign of hope, a sign of what is yet to be.
Because for those who have eyes to see, there is already a shoot growing out of that stump. A tender sprout there, in the very place and from the very form that most clearly bears witness to failure, to an ending. That promised shoot sprouted long ago, in the incarnation of the Son of God.
So, leaving aside metaphors for the moment, and turning to the purely historical, the reign of the sons of Jesse, King David and his son, King Solomon, was just like every other earthly kingdom. Glorious for a moment. And in that moment human civilization flourished in a particular time and place, and also real people in the same time and place suffered in very real ways. The kingdoms of this earth are like that. Their glory comes at a price paid by the poor and by the outsider.
So also, when the kingdom of David and Solomon weakened and divided and grew weary and fell, it was just like every other earthly kingdom. A catastrophe. A terrific loss of good and beautiful things, and a deep sorrow for real people, living in a particular place and time. But also a victory and a new day for another people, from a different place, whose national glory found a timely occasion to rise in the untimely falling of another earthly kingdom.
This is the pattern of earthly kingdoms. They rise and fall, and each, in turn, glorifies its own people, its own way of life, at the expense of the other.
But there is something different about the stump of Jesse. There's something eternally compelling about the residual memory of this particular earthly kingdom. And that is that it bears within itself a character and a nature that belong to God, the eternal, the heavenly, that which rises and does not fall, a day after which no night follows.
The thing to which the Church bears witness is the curious claim that within the historical narrative of a certain people and their particular way of life is embedded an eternal, heavenly story that belongs to all people of every time and place. The Christ was born to Israel. That's our curious claim. And the long-cherished metaphor for this confession is the stump of Jesse with a new shoot growing out of it.
What makes this heavenly reign different from all the earthly Empires that have risen and fallen around it?
For one thing, its character. Listen to the language of the Scriptural witness to this coming administration: this is a kingdom of righteousness, of equity, care for the poor, welcome for the stranger, delight in the fear of the Lord, and peace among those as different as wolves and lambs are.
Earthly kingdoms reach for these things, sometimes, or claim that they do, but in the end they cannot manage them. Earthly kingdoms, in the end, serve "our way of life" at the expense of the other. This coming administration is not like that. It is different. Its holy character sets it apart.
And secondly, it is an administration that belongs to all nations. Earthly empires extend the influence of one people over many others. This heavenly reign draws all peoples together into one community of peace. And inasmuch as the coming administration can be epitomized by the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, it is a heavenly reign that offers the self for the other, a new kind of life that finds its own life in the life of the other, springing up precisely from the place where the life of the self was brought to an end by wickedness of the other.
This is the polar opposite of childish bullying or adolescent dominance or a subtle and polished exertion of power over the other. This coming administration gives the self for the sake of the other, and from that gift springs life from the very stump of wrongful death.
Advent is a celebration of this coming administration. And it is an invitation to participate in preparing the way for its coming. How might we do that? How might we prepare the way of the Lord?
John the Baptist tells us: "Bear fruit worthy of repentance." So, we might understand that to mean that we should pursue righteousness, equity, care for the poor, welcome for the stranger, delight in the fear of the lord, and peace among people as different as wolves are from lambs. Who could argue with that?
Or, we might prepare the way for the coming administration by refusing to give any earthly kingdom the ultimacy that it desires. No earthly kingdom can save the world, or separate the world from the saving love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, for that matter. Preparing the way for the coming administration might well be a refusal to be either enthralled or deflated by any earthly kingdom!
But I think there is another bit of wisdom that John teaches us, that we might take home with us today. John declares, "God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham." (MT 3:9) Just as surely as God can bring forth a living shoot from the age-old stump of Jesse, so also from subjects as unlikely as stones can God provide children to Abraham. Preparing the way of the coming administration may best be accomplished by confessing that we are, by our own wisdom and strength, no more likely than stones to usher in world peace! And then in faith suitable to those redeemed by Christ, to live and work firmly convinced that even in and through a people such as us God's purpose may yet be fulfilled.
In our day, and in our time, as the Empire to which we belong rises or falls, we teach and learn the hope that is embodied in the metaphor of the stump of Jesse. We treasure it and we hand it on, so that the hope of all the ages may find faithful stewards in us, in this place and in our time, until that shoot branches out to all the world, to the end of time, to bring to all people that peace which the world cannot give.
This is our prayer and our confession of faith. A shoot shall rise from the stump of Jesse, and all people shall find in it their hope and their peace.
Downloadable document:
Bishop Kusserow Sermon from Ministerial Eucharist Dec 1 (48 KB)
November 17, 2016
Yesterday's newsflash reads: "The Rev. Elizabeth A.
Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
participated in a ceremony Nov. 15 at the Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago at which the seminary returned a rare 9th century Greek
manuscript of the complete New Testament to the Greek Orthodox Church.
... His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Exarch of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate in the United States, received the manuscript from the Rev.
James Nieman, president of LSTC." Our Bishop Emeritus, Don McCoid, on
the far left, provided me with this picture of the event.
Think with me about where the world was in the 9th century, when this Greek New Testament was written! Rome had fallen about 400 years before, and Germany was only just being evangelized. It was a time we now call the Dark Ages.
And yet, even in dark ages, the witness to Jesus Christ, the light of the world, was proclaimed and preserved for future ages. 1,200 years later, living members of the same Body of Christ gather around an icon of their Lord Jesus in a context of joyous light. Our faith teaches us that in the long view, Dark Ages have no staying power!
October 20, 2016
Ah, Donegal Lake! When Wednesday morning's chilly
rain gave way to a warm and sunny day, my hopes to kayak on the way home
from the Theological Convocation looked to become a certain reality.
But then I saw that the lake had been drained, and my hopes dried up
too. Oh, Donegal Lake!
I got out of the car and stood on the dry gravel of the boat launch ramp to get a closer look. But instead, my mind flooded with thoughts about people whose dashed hopes are so much more profound than a lost afternoon. When a lifetime of hopes and dreams suddenly or slowly turns into a dry lake bed, human spirits experience a dry and weary longing of Biblical proportions.
I know individuals, families, and whole communities who live with faint hearts of the kind that Psalm 63 describes: "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." What refreshes this kind of thirst?
The psalmist calls this thirst a yearning for God, but I wonder if we do well to think of the thirst also as the yearning of God. The One who is true, eternal refreshment, took on our nature and our lot and cried out from the cross with us and for us, "I thirst!" Perhaps genuine refreshment is only ever found in the joyful reunion of God and humanity.
October 13, 2016
If Church bells ring, and there is no one there to hear them, do they make a sound?
Sorry, I couldn't resist! The weather was so perfect yesterday on the campus of Gettysburg Seminary that I had to take this picture on my way into chapel. Looking at the picture later, I saw that there were no people in it! That made me think about the classic "tree falling in the woods" conundrum. (Ten minutes later, the yard was filled with a grade-school class listening to a Civil War interpreter.)
The book of Ecclesiastes tackles the perplexing questions and curious realities of life. I don't think it takes up the question of whether trees falling or bells ringing make a sound when there is no one present to hear, but there is an insight in chapter 9 that provides a reliable compass to guide our lives of faith, even in the most perplexing times:
How might your congregation change lives by speaking quiet words to those ready to hear them?
October 10, 2016
Behold the Praying Mantis, who "preys" without ceasing! Can this intriguing insect teach us about our faith?
I Thessalonians is likely the oldest of Paul's letters. In chapter 5 we find his exhortation, "Pray without ceasing." This instruction comes in a string of imperatives that give primal shape to the Christian life. They can feel like a heavy burden of obligation. But what if we imagined our praying to be as critical to our survival as this mantis' "preying" is to its survival? Would these commands then sound inviting to us? Delicious even?
What is prayer, after all, but joining our life to God's coming kingdom in hope and faith? We pray for God's kingdom to come. Let us do so without ceasing.
September 22, 2016
"The wall," a year later. And to my
astonishment, there is a very large toad rather completely at home on a
little shelf of the wall that results from each higher course of stones
being set back just a bit from the course below it for strength and
longevity. Who'd have thought? I built more than a wall last summer: I
created an ecosystem.
Suddenly, it became clear that we probably do this all the time, whether we mean to or not. We set about to build one thing, and it becomes an environment for things we could not have imagined. This insight is probably true both literally (as in the case of this wall), and as a metaphor for relationships within a community.
Which makes me wonder about our life together in the Church. What are we working hard to build together? Communities of safety and faith? Places of welcome? Mission centers where the name of Jesus is at home? I think so. As we do so, I wonder what else finds a home in the things we build. It might be worth looking closely once in a while to see.
Looking for a prior "PICTURE THIS"? Go to the "Picture This" Archive HERE.


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Warner Dedicated to Digital Copy on Blu-ray Releases?
July 30, 2008 by James Segars · 5 Comments
We're mildly ecstatic to see that WB has been pulling out the stops with regard to their upcoming BD title releases (Speed Racer, Run Fat Boy Run, The Matrix), and their most recent inclusion of Digital Copy (DC).
Amazon Video on Demand Store Launched
July 18, 2008 by Mehar Gill · 4 Comments
Our friends over at EngadgetHD are reporting that Amazon has launched a new video service called Amazon Video on Demand, in turn abandoning its Unbox service.
Pioneer Lowers BD Drive Price and More!
June 24, 2008 by Mehar Gill · Leave a Comment
Engadget is reporting that Pioneer has lowered the price of the BDC-S02BKZ Blu-ray Disc Combo in China by 41% , bringing the price down to 999 yuan ($145).
Comparison: Apple TV 2.0 HD vs. Blu-ray vs. HD Cable vs. DVD
February 13, 2008 by Tyler Pruitt · 2 Comments
The guys over at iLounge have put together an excellent article that compares the new Apple TV 2.0 HD movie downloads, to Blu-ray, HD cable VOD, and good ol' DVD. What they found out (all pale in comparison to the Blu-ray) didn't come as a surprise to us, but we were expecting better PQ with [...]
Seagate CEO Attempts to Predict Your Digital Future
January 29, 2008 by James Segars · 8 Comments
In a recent interview with Wired, Bill Watkins — of Seagate CEO fame — was quoted as saying that even if Blu-ray manages to win the format war, "it's a meaningless victory." Naturally, Bill states that physical distribution is on the way out, and that digital distribution is the wave of the future. It should [...]
Steve'd: HD Movies Play Only On Apple TV
January 15, 2008 by Tyler Pruitt · 5 Comments
John Gruber over at Daring Fireball has snooped through the new iTunes TOS, discovering that HD Movie Downloads will only be playable on the Apple TV. WTF? Every single MacBook/MacBook Pro has an HD capable display, as well as Plenty of horsepower for HD playback. Heck, every Intel based Mac should have no problems with [...]
Apple Announces HD Movie Downloads, All Major Studios On Board
January 15, 2008 by Tyler Pruitt · 3 Comments
Steve Jobs has just announced HD movie rentals are coming to iTunes. The price points are $3.99 (catalog), $4.99 (new releases), and include 5.1 audio. You have 30 days to start watching the movie, then 24hrs. once you press play. All major studios are on board, so it looks like Steve beat Blu-ray to the [...]
HD 1080p Apple Movie Downloads to Kill HD DVD/Blu-ray?
January 10, 2008 by Tyler Pruitt · 19 Comments
While Robert X. Cringely was thinking the Apple TV might be a worthy opponent to HD DVD/Blu-ray, I think the whole iTunes user base could be the real threat to both HD formats. If Steve announces 1080p HD movie/TV downloads at Macworld in a few days, we would have a new huge group of people [...]
Hitachi Shows Off HD DVD/Blu-ray Combo Drive w/ SATA
June 12, 2007 by Tyler Pruitt · Leave a Comment
Hitachi has joined LG in offering a Blu-ray writer/HD DVD reader combo drive for PCs. The new GGW-H20N features DL 50GB Blu-ray recording, as well as DVD/CD recording. The drive also includes a SATA interface! No price or ship date has been set. Read
HD DVD Authoring on the Mac and PC
May 12, 2007 by Tyler Pruitt · Leave a Comment
Microsoft's HDi Guru Peter Torr, has a great article on HD DVD authoring options for both the PC and Mac platforms. He covers everything from $40 applications, to the $40K+ applications that the big studios use. Read

subset: commoncrawl


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Lehigh man destroys his semi-automatic rifle with sledgehammer
Lehigh Acres resident George Kilmer is destroying his M1 Carbine semi-automatic weapon. He is doing it to stand in solidarity with the Parkland school shooting. He says this is one weapon that will never be used to hurt anyone. Patricia Borns/news-press.com


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Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice;
(Ph.D. University of Tennessee)
Phone: (904) 620-3877
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Office: Building 51, Room 2120
Books & Edited WorksMiller, J.M., Schreck, C.G., Tewksbury, R., & Barnes, J.C. (2015). Criminological Theory: A Brief Introduction, 4th ed. New York: Pearson.
Copes, H. & Miller, J.M., Eds. (forthcoming 2015). Handbook of Qualitative Criminology. Oxford, UK: Routledge.
Miller, J.M., Ed. (2014). Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology (Volumes I-II). Malden, MA: Wiley- Blackwell.
Miller, J.M., Ed. (2009). 21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook (Volumes I-II). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Scarpitti, F.R., Nielsen, A.L. & J.M. Miller, Eds. (2009). Crime and Criminals: Contemporary and Classic Readings in Criminology, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Glick, L. & J.M. Miller (2008). Criminology, 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Miller, J.M. & R. Tewksbury, Eds. (2006). Research Methods: A Qualitative Reader. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Wright, R.A. & J.M. Miller, Eds. (2005). The Encyclopedia of Criminology (Volumes I - III), New York: Routledge.Journal ArticlesMiller, J.M. (2014). Identifying Collateral Effects of Offender Reentry Programming Through Evaluative Fieldwork. American Journal of Criminal Justice 39 (1).
Stogner, J., Gibson, C.L & Miller, J.M. (2014). Examining the Reciprocal Nature of the Health Delinquency Relationship: Results from a Nationally Representative Sample. Justice Quarterly 31 (3).
Stogner, J., Miller, J.M., Fisher, B.F., Stewart, E.A., & Schreck, C.J. (2014). Peer Group Delinquency and Sexual Victimization: Does Popularity Matter? Women and Criminal Justice. 24 (1).
Gibson, C.L., Swatt, M., Miller, J.M., Jennings, W.G. & Gover, A.R. (2012). The Causal Relationship between Gang Joining and Violent Victimization: A Critical Review and Directions for Future Research. Journal of Criminal Justice. 40 (6).
Firestone, J. M., Miller, J.M. & Harris, R. (2012). Implications for Criminal Justice from the 2002 & 2006 Department of Defense Gender Relations and Sexual Harassment Surveys. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 37 (3).
Miller, H.V., Tillyer, R. & Miller, J.M. (2012). Recognizing the Need for Prisoner Input in Correctional Research: Observations from the Texas In-Prison DWI Reduction Program. The Prison Journal, 92 (2).
Tillyer, M.S., Miller, J.M. & Tillyer, R. (2012). The Environmental and Situational Correlates of Victim Injury in Non-fatal Violent Incidents. Criminal Justice & Behavior. 38 (5).
Miller, J.M. (2011). SCJA Presidential Address - Southern Culture & Crime: Toward a Theoretical Research Program for the 21st Century. American Journal of Criminal Justice. 36 (4).
Rapp-Paglicci, L., Stewart, C. Rowe, W. & Miller, J.M. (2011). Addressing the Hispanic Delinquency and Mental Health Relationship through Cultural Arts Programming: A Research Note from the Prodigy Evaluation. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. 27 (1).
Miller, J.M. & Miller, H.V. (2011). Considering the Effectiveness of Drug Treatment Behind Bars: Findings from the South Carolina RSAT Program. Justice Quarterly. 28 (1).
Miller, J.M. (2011). Becoming an Informant. Justice Quarterly 28 (2). - FBI Library Subject Bibliography reading list selection.
Maddan, S., Walker, J.T., Marshall, I.H. & Miller, J.M. (2011). Utilizing Criminal History Information to Explore the Effect of Community Notification on Sex Offender Recidivism. Justice Quarterly 28 (2).
Barnes, J.C., Beaver, K. & Miller, J.M. (2010). Estimating the Effect of Gang Membership on Nonviolent and Violent Delinquency: A Counterfactual Analysis. Aggressive Behavior 36: 437-451.
Miller, J.M. & Tewksbury, R. (2010). The Case for Edge Ethnography. Journal of Criminal Justice Education 21(4). - reprinted in Advancing Qualitative Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice (2011), Heith Copes, Ed.. Taylor & Francis.
Miller, J.M., Shutt, J.E. & Bernstein, B. (2010). Offender Military Enlistment as an Emotionally Intelligent Justice System Intervention. Journal of Criminal Justice 38 (4).
Barnes, J.C., Miller, J.M., Miller, H.V., Kaminski, R. & Kurlychek, M. (2010). A Partial Assessment of South Carolina's Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy: Evidence from a sample of supervised offenders. Journal of Criminal Justice. 38 (4).
Miller, H.V. & Miller, J.M. (2010). The Value of Community In-reach through Jail Reentry: Observations from the Auglaize County Transition Program Evaluation. Justice Quarterly 27 (6).
Hartley, R. & Miller, J.M. (2010). Crack-ing the Media Myth: Reconsidering Sentencing Severity for Cocaine Offenders by Drug Type. Criminal Justice Review 35(1).
Gibson, C.L., Miller, J.M., Jennings, W.G., Swatt, M., & Gover, A.R. (2009). Using Propensity Score Matching to Understand the Relationship between Gang Membership and Violent Victimization: A Research Note. Justice Quarterly 26 (4). - selected for the ACJS Invitational Research Showcase.
Barnes, J.C., Miller, J.M. & Miller, H.V. (2009). Identifying leading characteristics predictive of juvenile drug court admission and success. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
Copes, H., Kovandzic, T., Miller, J.M. & Williamson, L., (2009). The Lost Cause? Examining the Southern Culture of Violence through Defensive Gun Use. Crime and Delinquency 55(4).Miller, J.M., Kurlychek, M.C., Wilson, K., & Hansen, A. (2008). Examining Child Abduction by Offender Type Patterns. Justice Quarterly, 25(3).
Miller, J.M., Miller, H.V., Zapata, J.T. & Yin, Z. (2008). Mexican-American Youth Drug Use and Acculturation: A Note on the Mitigating Effects of Contextual Dynamics. Journal of Drug Issues, 38(1).
Maddan, S., Walker, J.T. &. Miller, J.M. (2008). Does Size Really Matter? A Reexamination of Sheldon's Somatotypes and Criminal Behavior. The Social Science Journal, 45(2). - reprinted in The New York Times, June 17, 2008.
Miller, H.V., Alvarez-Rivera, L.L., Jennings, W.G., & Miller, J.M. (2008). Explaining Substance Use Among Puerto Rican Adolescents: A Social Learning/Differential Association Approach. Journal of Drug Issues, 38(1).
Schreck, C.J., Burek, M.W., Stewart, E.A. & Miller, J.M. (2007). Distress and Violent Victimization Among Young Adolescents: Early Puberty and the Social Interactionist Explanation. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 44(4).
Miller, J.M., H.E. Ventura & Barnes, J.C. (2007). The Effect of Demeanor on Juvenile Drug Court Admission: A Research Note. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 18(3).
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In 2017, the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced in eight states, debated in three, and ratified in one– Nevada. The Arizona Legislature was one of the bodies that debated the ERA. (Watch the video.) I have vowed to introduce the ERA every year until it is ratified by the states. Only two more states are needed. This could be the year the ERA is finally sent back to Congress to become an amendment to the US Constitution.
On Thursday, January 11, 2018, I dropped the ERA– with the help of some of my Democratic sisters. All of the House Democrats signed the bill. I stopped asking Republicans to sign the ERA, when I confirmed that Republican Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita also has introduced the ERA this year. Ugenti-Rita and Rep. Heather Carter were the only two Republicans who voted to hear the ERA in 2017 (rather than shutting down debate, as the Republican leadership wanted to do.)
You'll remember that in 2017 the Democrats forced the ERA debate by using parliamentary procedures. We did this because Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, chair of the Judiciary Committee, refused to hear it in committee. (Committee chairs often kill bills with this parliamentary procedure.)
In 2018, the ERA is coming in the front door of the Arizona Legislature.


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£28,000 benefits cheat from Sedgley ordered to carry out unpaid work
A benefits cheat fraudulently claimed nearly £30,000 in three years, a court heard.
Samantha Turner netted a total of £28,465.39 in Jobseeker's Allowance, housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support between November 2012 and January 2016.
Mother of four Turner, of Downfield Drive, Sedgley, told authorities her husband had moved out and she was the sole earner in the household, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
She had said her husband was living with his father during the period – but when quizzed by investigators Turner's father-in-law said he had lived alone for more than a decade.
Turner's deceit was finally uncovered last year, but only after she had already stopped fraudulently claiming, the court heard.
Mr Richard Davenport, prosecuting, said: "She was in receipt of all these benefits on the understanding she was living as a single person with four children and no other income.
"The benefits were paid automatically to her bank account on the understanding that if there was a change in her circumstances she would notify the Department for Work and Pensions."
Turner, 33, had claimed her husband had moved out of their family home and was living in Tipton with his father, Mr Davenport said.
However, when DWP investigators spoke to Turner's father-in-law, he said he had 'lived on his own for 12 years'.
Mr Davenport added: "These offences came to light in 2016 after intelligence information was received, but after she had ceased to claim."
Turner had claimed her relationship with her husband 'was volatile and he often left for long periods of time', which meant she 'couldn't rely on him financially and claimed benefits as a safety net', he said.
Miss Kam Shergill, defending, said: "Miss Turner is 33 and of previous good character.
"She is a single mother of four children – ranging from 13 down to seven.
"The burden of care is entirely her responsibility."
Recorder Paul Bleasdale QC ordered Turner to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
She pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing.
Recorder Bleasdale QC said: "You are a single mother of four children.
"You had stopped claiming benefits before these matters were found and have admitted your responsibility."


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Author has written 25 stories for Inuyasha, Final Fantasy VII, Naruto, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Fable, Bleach, Avatar: Last Airbender, Firefly, Pitch Black / Riddick, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy X-2.
Right! So, Big changes, now in the home stretch of my BFA - Hooray for Fall '14! Story updates are going to be infrequent and unpredictable, totally not sorry.
Having said that, guess what I did? We -as in my roommate and I- did the My Immortal Monday challenge, and managed not blowing our brains out!
Cloud in Wonderland - Finally Reworking
Home - Hiatus - Firefly fic in which Jayne is a well to do young man who got really bored and through a series of events, ended up on Serenity, and then had to take them back to his old man's moon.
Tatsuki: Vampire Slayer - Reworking, now has a solid outline going for it. Still funny, I swear. Trying to eliminate the last dregs of angst and bring in some 'quality time' between Tatsuki and Ichigo.
This was Not in the Cards - Outline in the middle of a revamp. I don't entirely remember where i was going with it, but it's Fable II Reaver/Sparrow pairing.
Down by the Reeds - Hiatus - Possible adoption
Many Scarves - Reworking, Outline in Progress - Hiatus - InuYasha/Bleach
Jack of Hearts - Ongoing - rough outline for chapters outside of the Firefly/Riddick timeline
Summer to Sumer - New Outline nearly done - Ages adjusted for the sake of propriety - Buffy/Stargate
Forever and Ever...Also Forever - still in rough stage, outline is very rough - Kinda funny little bit between Ichigo and Tatsuki
Simply put, if I didn't list it above, I'm probably going to delete the story. If you want them, tell me, I'll give you my blessings.
- Inara's dress for the chapter 'Taken!'
That Dress isn't going to pop up for a fair bit, but you'll know exactly which Chapter it is!
|Shinigami and Miko, a match made in heaven
|Anime/Manga Bleach


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My Father, Lt Col George L Newton, lived a full life. He was 87 when he died, and saw as much as a working-class kid from Rochester, NY could see with his own eyes–as a pilot stationed all over the world–first with the US Air Force, and then as a commercial pilot. But this shot is about my Mom, Earlene Merkel Newton, his wife of sixty-seven years. She's also seen it all. She's the survivor of survivors–the eldest of 12 siblings herself, some of whom have passed on, and now as the widow of the warrior. The iconic, archetypical image, unposed and real, is as personally profound an image as I've ever been behind the camera to take….mainly because that's my Mom and that's the flag that draped my Dad's coffin .
Kambria Newton June 2, 2012 Austin, TX
Okay, I've been posting way too much music-related stuff. Time for Grandkids. This is Kambria Z. Newton, the youngest of my granddaughters…. She's not the same as everyone else. For one thing, she's my only blue-eyed grandkid…and, frankly, she's a charismatic human non-sequitur. I can never tell where she's coming from. Truly Original. Grandkids will make you aware of the future. Knowing Kambria, I have one. They're our hope… Oh, yeah; watch out, World….Kambria's coming.
The Shins. Austin City Limits, March 18, 2012
This is James Mercer of the Shins. Actually, The Shins is him and whoever he's playing with. He's the heart and soul of it. A great craftsman of catchy songs, like, A Simple Song. Actually, I wanted to post this so I could briefly talk about backlighting. Photographers, do it when you can for more interesting results. In performance photography, put the very bright light completely behind the subject's head… Not always, of course, but when you can…if you can get close enough.
Bon Iver. Austin City Limits, April 25, 2012
Wow. Unique. Lushly emotional music. Once again, ACL's producer has booked an amazing talent, and that talent delivered something really special. Justin Vernon, the heart of Bon Iver, is a significant artist; as good as anyone I've seen in quite a while….and really, really different.
Al Green @ ACL-Live, April 26, 2012
Ah, yes. The Reverend Al. He is a Trip… He still has the great voice with the soaring falsetto, all of the great love songs, and he must give away several hundred dozen red roses to the ladies. They just love him for it. Hasn't lost hardly a thing.
Unveiling Willie's Statue, April 20, 2012 4:20pm Austin, TX. Corner of Willie Nelson Blvd and Lavaca
This is my take of the unveiling of Willie's bronze immortalization for the people of Austin and the world. That's the real Willie on the right with the black cowboy hat. Willie Nelson is one of the finest humans I've gotten share the planet with. It's a pleasure, and an honor, to be alive the same time as him, in the same space, at the same place, during some of (70's-'12) the same decades. This statue will become one of the symbols of Austin, TX to the World. And for the best of reasons…
Willie Nelson Statue Install, and Scott Newton (self portrait). ACL-Live April 17, 2012, Austin TX
So, they've installed a fine likeness of Willie Nelson, sculpted in bronze, at the entrance of ACL-Live–the home of Austin City Limits, and ACL-Live. That's me, raising my arm in toast while they're still hoisting him into position, and saluting the man who is, after all, being commemorated before he's done touring and performing and making them all happy… Here's to Willie Nelson..
Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes @ Austin City Limits. March 13, 2012
SXSW is going full blast in Austin right now; Spring has sprung. The best new thing I've seen is Alabama Shakes, and this woman is a Force of Nature…the last time I've seen a woman singer this powerful is when I first saw Aretha Franklin. Brittany Howard. Remember that name… Oh, and Alabama Shakes is a very tight and tasty band.
Radiohead @Austin City Limits. March 6, 2012
Thom Yorke is brilliant. Radiohead is about the best there is, to my ear. They're totally different and on their own path. I don't know enough about them to say anything revealing or deep, but I have learned to recognize brilliance when it's right in front of me. Yow!
Civil Wars. @Austin City Limits Feb 29, 2012
Here's a wonderful duo of performers you should know about. It's hard to believe they can fill the room like they do with just two voices and one guitar. Amazing.


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Spring 2017
Tuesday, Jan. 17
and afterwards Mondays 6-8:40 p. m.
Don King's Literature Page
Phone 828-545-3293
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course offers a comprehensive view of the life and works of C. S. Lewis with a focus upon how his imagination helped to shape his apologetics. In addition to reading selections from his letters, journals, poems, fiction, non-fiction, and apologetics, students will view and discuss important new video productions in order to gain a perspective on the ideas, thoughts, and opinions of the most popular Christian author of the twentieth century. Because Lewis has powerfully influenced so many people, this course will explore his approach to making Christianity intellectually reasonable, theologically winsome, and spiritually compelling.
COURSE OBJECTIVE: The central objective of this course is to discover the relationship between Lewis' imagination and his apologetics. As a part of our study we will focus on Lewis' poetry as well as letters and diary entries that reveal something of his imaginative life. Furthermore, we will consider how his prose, particularly his fiction, reflects a poet's eye, ear, and hand. In a related manner, we will see how his love of logos may have led him to a love for the Logos.
In addition, we will discuss several questions as we move through the readings, including but not limited to:
1. That you read and analyze important imaginative and apologetic works of C. S. Lewis.
2. That you journal regularly regarding the Lewis works we are studying.
3. That you write a literary analysis on Lewis and demonstrate your ability to gather information and present it effectively by combining summary with analysis, application with theory, and research with synthesis.
4. That you engage in sustained research on Lewis.
5. That you complete a creative project.
6. That you learn to value the literature covered in this course as something that can enrich your life, revealing the complexity of the human experience and informing your spiritual life.
LIBRARY: All students are encouraged to take advantage of the services and resources available from the library. You can search the online catalog and the library's databases by going to http://www.montreat.edu/library/. Select "Catalog" to search the online catalog or "Electronic Resources" to search the databases. The catalog lists all of the books in the Montreat College library as well as the holdings of five other colleges. You may check out books from all of these libraries. In addition, you may request books or journal articles via interlibrary loan. From the online catalog, you can also check on reserve materials by selecting "Reserve Desk" and searching by instructor name or course name.
The list of databases at http://www.montreat.edu/library/completeelectronic.asp provides links to a variety of databases containing journal articles, online reference sources, and electronic books (ebooks). These databases are accessible both on and off campus. You can search for journals at http://www.montreat.edu/library/electronic.asp.
Ask the library staff for a password for remote access if you live off campus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: As you begin to do research, following journals may be helpful:
The Bulletin of the New York C. S. Lewis Society, Journal of Inklings Studies, The Lamp-Post of the Southern California C. S. Lewis Society, VII: Journal of the Marion E. Wade
Center, Mythlore, and Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal.
The two major collections of Lewis material are located at the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, and at the Department of Western Manuscripts at the
Bodleian Library, Oxford University, Oxford, England.
In addition, many of the books listed below are on three-day reserve in the Bell Library, and the library holds other journals that may be of help in doing research for this course. Of much interest to you, however, will be the multiple resources available via electronic databases, especially JSTOR.
Into the Wardrobe: A C. S. Lewis Website: http://cslewis.drzeus.net/
The Chronicles of Narnia: http://www.narniaweb.com/
The C. S. Lewis Society of California: http://www.lewissociety.org/
C. S. Lewis: 20th Century Christian Knight: http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2006/04/cs-lewis-20th-century-christian-knight.html
The C. S. Lewis Institute: http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/
The C. S. Lewis Society of Madison: http://www.cslewismadison.org/conference.html
The C. S. Lewis Society of Chattanooga: http://cslewischatt.blogspot.com/
C. S. Lewis News: http://www.topix.net/who/c-s-lewis
C. S. Lewis Society of Frederick: http://frederickcslewissociety.blogspot.com/
Essential C. S. Lewis: http://www.essentialcslewis.com/
The C. S. Lewis Reading Room: http://www.tyndale.ca/seminary/mtsmodular/reading-rooms/theology/lewis
The Magic Never Ends (see http://www.crouseentertainment.com/
The Life of C. S. Lewis (http://dod.org/Products/The-Life-of-C-S-Lewis-%28DVD%29__NV571.aspx).
Shadowlands (the 1983 BBC version; see http://www.episcopalmedia.org/).
Books about Lewis' life:
Brown, Devin. A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2013.
Como, James T. C. S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table and Other Reminiscences. New York: Macmillan, 1979.
Davidman, Joy. Out of My Bone: The Letters of Joy Davidman. Ed. by Don W. King. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009.
Downing, David. The Most Reluctant Convert: C. S. Lewis's Journey to Faith. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.
Green, Roger Lancelyn, and Walter Hooper. C. S. Lewis: A Biography. London: Collins, 1974.
Gresham, Douglas. Jack's Life: A Memoir of C. S. Lewis. New York: Broadman Holman: 2005.
Jacobs, Alan. The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis. HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.
King, Don W. Hunting the Unicorn: A Critical Biography of Ruth Pitter. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2008.
Lewis, C. S. All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis. Ed. by Walter Hooper. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1991.
------. Boxen: The Imaginary World of the Young C. S. Lewis. Edited by Walter Hooper. London: Collins, 1985. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985.
-------. Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume 1: Family Letters 1905-1931. Edited by Walter Hooper. London: Harper Collins, 2000; Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 2 : Books, Broadcasts and the War, 1931-1949:2004; Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950-1963: 2006.
-------. Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1955.
Lewis, Warren. Brothers and Friends: The Diaries of Major Warren Hamilton Lewis. Eds. Clyde S. Kilby and Marjorie Lamp Mead. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1982.
McGrath, Alister. C. S. Lewis: A Life. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2013.
Poe, Harry Lee, and Rebecca W. Poe. C. S. Lewis Remembered: Collected Reflections of Students, Friends, and Colleagues. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.
Sayer, George. Jack: C. S. Lewis and His Times. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988. Revised, Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994.
Zaleski, Philip and Carol. The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2015.
Books about Narnia:
Brown, Devin. Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005.
-------. Inside Prince Caspian: A Guide to Exploring the Return to Narnia. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008.
-------. Inside the Voyage of the Dawn Treader: A Guide to Exploring the Journey beyond Narnia. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010.
Ditchfield, Christin. A Family Guide to Narnia: Biblical Truths in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2003.
Downing, David. Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
Ford, Paul. A Companion to Narnia. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1994.
Hooper, Walter. Past Watchful Dragons: The Narnian Chronicles of C. S. Lewis. New York: Collier, 1979.
Karkainen, Paul. Narnia Explored: The Real Meaning behind C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1979.
Lindskoog, Kathryn. The Lion of Judah in Never-Never Land: The Theology of C. S. Lewis Expressed in his Fantasies for Children. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973.
Manlove. Colin. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Patterning of a Fantastic World. New York: Twayne, 1993.
Schakel, Peter. Imagination and the Arts in C. S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2002.
--------. Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005.
Ryken, Leland and Marjorie Lamp Mead. A Reader's Guide Through the Wardrobe: Exploring C. S. Lewis's Classic Story. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.
--------. A Reader's Guide to Caspian: A Journey in C. S. Lewis's Narnia. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Vaus, Will. The Hidden Story of Narnia: A Book-By-Book Guide to C. S. Lewis' Spiritual Themes. Cheshire, CT: Winged Lion Press, 2010.
Ward, Michael. Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
For Out of My Bone,
Other helpful books:
Adey, Lionel. C. S. Lewis: Writer, Dreamer, & Mentor. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
Curtis, Carolyn and Mary Pomroy Key. Women and C. S. Lewis. Oxford: Lion Hudson, 2015.
Davidman, Joy. A Naked Tree: Love Sonnet to C. S. Lewis and Other Poems. Ed. Don W. King. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015.
Dickerson, Matthew and David O'Hara. Narnia and the Fields of Arbol: The Environmental Vision of C. S. Lewis. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 2009.
Dorsett, Lyle. Seeking the Secret Places: The Spiritual Formation of C. S. Lewis. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2004.
Downing, David. Planets in Peril : A Critical Study of C. S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1992.
Edwards, Bruce, Ed. C. S. Lewis—Life, Works, and Legacy. 4 vols. Westport, CN: Praeger, 2007.
-------.The Taste of the Pineapple: Essays on C. S. Lewis as Reader, Critic, and Imaginative Writer. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1988.
Glyer, Diana. The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2007.
Hooper, Walter. C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide. London: HarperCollins, 1996.
Howard, Thomas. The Achievement of C. S. Lewis: A Reading of His Fiction. Wheaton, Illinois: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1980.
King, Don. C. S. Lewis, Poet: The Legacy of His Poetic Impulse. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2001.
-------. Plain to the Inward Eye: Selected Essays on C. S. Lewis. Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2013.
-------. Yet One More Spring: A Critical Study of Joy Davidman. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015.
Kort, Wesley A. C. S. Lewis: Then and Now. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001.
Lindsley, Art. C. S. Lewis' Case for Christ: Insight from Reason, Imagination and Faith. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Martindale, Wayne. Beyond the Shadowlands: C. S. Lewis on Heaven and Hell. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005.
------- and Jerry Root. The Quotable Lewis. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989.
McSwain, Robert and Michael Ward. The Cambridge Companion to C. S. Lewis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Menuge, Angus, Ed. C. S. Lewis: Lightbearer in the Shadowlands: The Evangelistic Vision of C. S. Lewis. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1997.
Miller, Rod. C. S. Lewis and the Arts. Baltimore: Square Halo Books, 2013.
Mills, David, Ed. The Pilgrims' Guide: C. S. Lewis and the Art of Witness. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
Myers, Doris. Bareface: A Guide to C. S. Lewis's Last Novel. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2004.
---------. C. S. Lewis in Context. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1994.
Nicholi, Armand M. The Question of God: C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life. New York: Free Press, 2002.
O'Flaherty, William. C. S. Lewis Goes to Hell: A Companion and Study Guide to The Screwtape Letters. Hamden, CT: Winged Lion Press, 2016.
Payne, Leann. Real Presence: The Christian Worldview of C. S. Lewis as Incarnational Reality. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1988.
Phemister, Mary Anne, and Andrew Lazo. Mere Christians: Inspiring Stories of Encounters with C. S. Lewis. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009.
Root, Jerry. C. S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil: An Investigation of a Persuasive Theme. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2009.
-------- and Mark Neil. The Surprising
Imagination of C. S. Lewis. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.
Schakel, Peter and Charles Huttar, Eds. Word and Story in C. S. Lewis. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1991.
Schakel, Peter. Imagination and the Arts in C. S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2002.
--------. Reason and Imagination in C. S. Lewis: A Study of Till We Have Faces. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.
Schultz, Jeffrey D. and John G. West, Eds. The C. S. Lewis Readers' Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.
Schwartz, Sanford. C. S. Lewis on the Final Frontier: Science and the Supernatural in the Space Trilogy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Van Leeuwen, Mary Stewart. A Sword Between the Sexes? C. S. Lewis and the Gender Debates. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2010.
Vaus, Will. Mere Theology: A Guide to the Thought of C. S. Lewis. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.
Walsh, Chad. C. S. Lewis: Apostle to the Skeptics. New York: Macmillan, 1949.
--------. The Literary Legacy of C. S. Lewis. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1979.
Werther, David and Susan. C. S. Lewis's List: The Ten Books that Influenced Him Most. New York: Bloomsbury, 2015.
In addition, the summer 1998 and summer 2007 issues of The Christian Scholar's Review are devoted to Lewis.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: For all individual assignments students are expected to present their own work; documentation of research should follow the specific criteria as outlined in the MLA Handbook for Writer of Research Paper. Cases of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating and plagiarism, will result in either of failure of the assignment or of the course.
FINAL COMMENTS: This syllabus and other details about the course, including your grades for the course, are available through the college's online platform, Moodle. Please feel free to contact me at 828-545-3293 or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com if you need help with any aspect of the course.
All students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources available in the Writing Center, located adjacent to the Bell Library computer lab.
I reserve the right to make minor changes to the syllabus and course requirements as we move through the semester.
Back to Don King's Literature Page
Dr. Don King > Course Syllabi >


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June 2017 Newsletter
Click HERE to read the June newsletter!
Congratulations to Jonique Dennis, Craig Perrine, and Tim Wilson on passing their BSCM exam!
We've had quite a few people sign up for APICS membership this last month. Don't be shy, we'd love to see you at some of our upcoming events, and we'd like to hear your ideas for future events too! We've got our Annual Meeting on June 21 at The Blarney, join us!
We have a final offering of BSCM, Basics of Supply Chain Management, starting June 15th. If you take and pass your exam before January 7, 2018, the current format BSCM is transferable as equivalent to the new CPIM structure Module 1 that we'll be launching in October! We'll be offering a new CPIM structure Module 2 in October so people taking this BSCM class can transition right into the next step for their certification. The deadline for registration is June 7th!


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Imagine this scenario: You wake up after a decent night's sleep, throw on your robe and head to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. But your coffee maker is BROKEN. Like, completely out of service. Not only do you not get your morning cup of happiness, but now you need to buy a new coffee maker.
Sorry to put you through that nightmare scenario, but it's a situation that could happen, and you should be prepared. So whether you're looking to find a new coffee maker just in case your current one breaks, or if you're in the market for a new one because you want to upgrade your life, we've got you covered.
Check out these coffee makers that'll brew you some seriously delicious coffee.
Nespresso VertuoLine Evoluo
This particular Nespresso model has more to offer than any other model. The VertuoLine Evoluo can brew both coffee and espresso with one touch of a button, and it easily froths hot and cold milk. It comes with a removable 54 oz. water tank and a removable container that can hold up to 17 used capsules.
The only downfall is that it doesn't brew as hot as most people would like. But if you're not super interested in burning your tongue, this might be the maker for you. Available on Amazon for $170.
Video of the Day
Ninja Coffee Bar
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Bonavita Thermal Carafe
The Bonavita Thermal Carafe is a great option for a drip coffee maker. It's compact, easy to clean and just as easy to use. It may not be as pretty to look at as more expensive makers, but you really can't beat the price.
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The downfall is the price and that it takes up quite a bit of room on the counter. But if those things don't bother you, check it out on Amazon. It's going for $308.


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text: Brad Pitt is texting Jennifer Aniston again?! The texting began with Brad texting Jennifer "Happy Birthday," and since have exchanged a few texts reminiscing about the past. Sources are saying he is having a hard time dealing with the split. Do you think Jennifer should be weary of Brad's interest in reconnecting with her OMGOSSIPERS??


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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Some pics of our three beautiful girls!
Sydnee loves to go to "Jump on it" She has been there three times in the past few weeks! She has been such a good big sister to the twins. We try and make sure we make special time just for her. Things get kind of crazy with the twins but she has had Sloan & I to herself for so long, we want to make sure that she feels special.
Here are some pictures of our cute twiners! They look exactly alike except Kilee is about a pound smaller than Aubree, so we can tell by their size who's who, but just to be safe Aubree wears a purple bow and Kilee wears a pink one!
2 comments:
- Jane said...
They are beautiful Holly!
- October 15, 2008 at 6:37 PM
- Danielle said...
They are so cute! Hum, I wonder if there has ever been a case where identical twins have gotten their names switched on accident?! Keep those bows on!
- October 15, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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|Annual Meitheal Exhibition
|The current and past Staff Artists of the Signal Arts Centre are an eclectic group from a wide range of artistic practices and mediums who come together every year to take part in this annual event. The theme for this year is Equinox.
From Mon. 23rd October to Sun. 5th November
Signal Arts Centre
1A Albert Ave. Bray
Phone: (01) 2762039
If you have an event or exhibition to publicise please use our contact page or email us.


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ZORRO Branding & Collateral - Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre
BRANDING PROJECT: CLIENT: RAMONA BOWL AMPHITHEATRE YEAR: 2013 CONCEPT: BRANDING FOR EVENT COLLATERAL The purpose of this poster was to promote a production of "ZORRO" . The typography and the images used created a dramatic, exciting poster for a production that was to be held in an outdoor amphitheatre on natural terrain. The design was to bring to live the production - to hear and feel the thundering hooves and the cry of "Zorro". To design a poster and advertisements in print and digital for promotion with the excitement and drama of an outdoor amphitheatre production of "Zorro". The horse and actor were brought in for a photo-shoot and a photo used of the dramatic Southern California sunset for the background. The orange and golden hues of the sunset added to the drama without taking away from the stars of the show.


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Text is in English. Part of the Discovery book series, number 3.
Size: H: 7.5", W: 5.25", D: 1"
There are smudged thumbprints on pages 94-98; pages are otherwise clean and unmarked. Front free endpaper has a large piece of paper adhered to it, identifying this book as For Slow Readers. Inside front cover is written on in pencil. Bumped corners, some discoloration on back cover, light edge wear. A nice, sturdy copy.
Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this page are of the actual product and are property of Firefly Bookstore. If you need additional photos before purchasing, please contact us.


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List Entry Summary
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Name: ASHLEY MANOR HOUSE
List entry Number: 1106892
The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
County: Devon
District: North Devon
District Type: District Authority
Parish: Atherington
National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.
Grade: II
Date first listed: 03-Oct-1975
Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.
Legacy System Information
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System: LBS
Asset Groupings
This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.
List entry Description
Summary of Building
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Reasons for Designation
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
5/1 Ashley Manor House
House, used as school until 1984, presently unoccupied. Circa 1830-40, extended in late C19. Painted stucco. Lead rolls to hipped slate roofs with deep eaves. Off ridge stacks of yellow brick. 2 principal rooms on the garden front to right (E) of hall passage with entrance on south front and stairwell on the left and service rooms in 2 storey late C19 right- angled extension on left (w) side forming overall L-shaped plan. 2 storeys and basement. Entrance front to south has 3 window range of hornless 12- paned sashes. Ground floor has 6 over 9 paned hornless sashes flanking brick porch with carved stone console brackets supporting slate roof surmounted by decorative cast iron balcony. Rusticated surround to round arched doorway with 4 panelled door. Quoin pilasters. Garden (S) front of 3 bays, with 2 storey bow window with conical slate roof. Tripartite sashes on each floor with 12-paned sashes to centre and 8-paned sash sidelights. 12-paned sashes to each side above 6 over 9 paned sash to left and 2 over 3 paned sash to right with margin glazing bars. Plain moulded pilasters to each end and to each side of central bow. Short recessed bay at right end has 4-paned sash to ground floor. Tall round-arched stair window to west side. Interior much of the internal joinery is intact including 6 panelled doors, shutters and dado panelling to hallway and main staircase with lozenge motif. Greek key motif to soffit of hall doorway. Hall has cross-vaulted ceiling. Main dog-leg staircase has wreathed handrail with decorative cast iron balusters. Room at north end has round-arched window with internal eared architrave above heavy marble mid C19 chimneypiece.
Listing NGR: SS5850723587
Selected Sources
National Grid Reference: SS 58507 23587
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text:
I'm 19 years old and was diagnosed with 'mild' endometriosis last year although I have severe symptoms. I have been treated using contraception but nothing seems to be working!
Last night I was taken to A&E with severe abdominal pain and it took tramadol, IV paracetamol, morphine and diclofenac (taken up the bum) to relieve the pain and was discharged this morning with just paracetamol and codeine (which won't work)
Doctor's aren't taking it seriously and don't realise how painful it is and I'm constantly being told to go from the gynaecology department to my GP (and vice versa)!
Does anyone know of any good hospitals or specialist endometriosis clinics where I can be taken seriously as it's literally destroying my life?
Thank you