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moBeat: Using Interactive Music to Guide and Motivate Users During Aerobic Exercising
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An increasing number of people are having trouble staying fit and maintaining a healthy bodyweight because of lack of physical activity. Getting people to exercise is crucial. However, many struggle with developing healthy exercising habits, due to hurdles like having to leave the house and the boring character of endurance exercising. In this paper, we report on a design project that explores the use of audio to motivate and provide feedback and guidance during exercising in a home environment. We developed moBeat, a system that provides intensity-based coaching while exercising, giving real-time feedback on training pace and intensity by means of interactive music. We conducted a within-subject comparison between our moBeat system and a commercially available heart rate watch. With moBeat, we achieved a comparable success rate: our system has a significant, positive influence on intrinsic motivation and attentional focus, but we did not see significant differences with regard to either perceived exertion or effectiveness. Although promising, future research is needed.
KeywordsSonification Auditory feedback Endurance exercising Exercise coach Interactive music
With a growing part of the developed countries' population having a sedentary lifestyle, overweight is an increasing problem. People suffer from related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. During everyday life, many people are not physically active enough to stay fit and maintain a healthy body weight. Therefore, encouraging people to exercise is increasingly important. Fitness centres are gaining in popularity, as are exertion games like Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit (2008). The consumer is becoming more conscious of the importance of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The food industry is offering an increasing number of diet products and detailed product information to enable the consumer to eat healthy. Governments and health organizations (Stichting Voedingscentrum Nederland, the Netherlands) are advocating a healthy lifestyle with expressions such as: "move at least 30 min a day", "be aware of what you eat, women need 2,000 kcal and men 2,500 kcal a day".
Products like Nike + iPod (2008), Samsung and Adidas' miCoach (2008) and Yamaha's BODiBEAT (2008) are emerging to make aerobic exercising, running in particular, more easy and enjoyable. These systems are essentially MP3 players with some additional sensors. More traditional training aids, such as heart rate (HR) monitors in the shape of wrist-top computers (Polar Electro 2008; Suunto 2008) are becoming more advanced, with the incorporation of step counters and GPS modules. Although these HR monitors are ideal for guiding more advanced training programs, they often lack true motivational components. Fitness MP3 players, on the other hand, address motivation but lack the precise and dedicated feedback and functions that traditional heart rate monitors offer.
In this paper, we present an exploration of options for providing auditory feedback in an intuitive and motivating way to guide and enhance training performance. Before we arrive at our design proposal, we present background information and theory. We conclude our paper with a benchmark of our design against existing, competing products in terms of intrinsic motivation, attentional focus, and rate of perceived exertion.
Exercise Physiology
We restrict our focus to cardio respiratory (CR) fitness because this is considered to provide a good measure of a person's bodily fitness; it has many important benefits, as we will describe later on.
When executed regularly, endurance exercises (also called aerobic exercises) can lead to increased CR fitness. In aerobic exercises aerobic metabolism (in contrast with anaerobic metabolism) is the main supplier of energy. Aerobic exercises can have a relatively long duration, employ large muscle groups, and are rhythmic or dynamic in nature. Intensity and duration are important measures of aerobic exercising. Among the recognized benefits of doing regular aerobic exercises are: strengthening the muscles involved in respiration; strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, improving its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate and exercise heart rate at a certain load (due to increased efficiency); toning muscles throughout the body; improving blood circulation efficiency, reducing blood pressure; increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen; improving mental health (American College of Sports Medicine [ACSM] 2006).
Physical activity and aerobic exercises can reduce the occurrence of cardiac events, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, several types of cancer, osteoporosis, gallbladder disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, and the risk of stroke, as well as improve life expectancy (ACSM 2006). There are also numerous performance benefits and benefits in daily life functioning.
For different fitness goals, different types of exercises are needed. To assure effective aerobic exercising, exercise physiology offers ways to perform tests (exercise testing) to obtain data about the current level of fitness that can be used as a starting point for exercising. There are several strategies to obtain this, ranging from clinical exercise testing to simple, sub-maximal tests that are suitable for the home environment. Step tests like the Canadian Home Fitness Test (Jette et al. 1976) can be performed easily and deliver satisfactory results that can be used to set fitness goals and establish individual exercise sessions. A well-defined exercise session includes a warming-up, stimulus or condition phase, possibly recreational activities and a cooling-down phase. The stimulus or conditioning phase incorporates the actual exercise, in our case endurance exercises. Endurance exercises should be performed at the correct intensity, depending on the person's level of fitness and personal goals. Intensity-based endurance exercising by means of target heart rate (intensity) zones is one of the most suitable ways to guide endurance exercises. Training heart rate expressed in a percentage of HRmax (maximum heart rate) or HRR (Heart Rate Reserve) can be used as a measure of intensity.
Auditory Feedback in Exercising
The use of audio, music and auditory feedback in a sports context is not new. BODiBEAT (Yamaha) and Philips' IM4Sports (Wijnalda et al. 2005) are examples of advanced MP3 players that are capable of selecting music with a pace matching the heart rate or running pace. In the case of IM4Sports, even the tempo of the music is altered—up to a certain limit—for more accurate matching.
The aim of these devices is to support and guide users' training effort and intensity throughout a training session. Nike and Apple (Nike + iPod) launched extensions to existing MP3 players that allow these players to store training data obtained by adding a stride sensor; one that monitors running pace, stride length and overall distance. The results can be reviewed after the training session on a personal computer. During the exercise, one can listen to one's favourite music and if a motivational impulse is needed, the iPod can play a pre-programmed 'power song'. Music mixes, specifically designed to support running, can be downloaded to ensure 'runnable' music. Adidas and Samsung take it a step further with miCoach as they also incorporate a heart rate belt connected to a specially designed fitness phone. Besides helping with setting up a training schedule and providing the user with music during the exercise, it can also select songs that are motivating when you need to speed up or give real-time spoken feedback on the covered distance, time and heart rate.
Polar, Suunto and others have developed advanced training packages that include multiple sensors (like GPS, heart rate, stride, cadence, speed, etc.). Sensor data are collected and presented through an LCD screen on a wrist-top (wristwatch-like) computer. Auditory feedback can be used as an option, to mark pre-set limits to guide training intensity, and is given in the form of watch-beep like tones (that are often regarded as annoying). As opposed to exercise MP3 players and phones, these heart rate monitors allow for precise guiding using warming-up, cooling-down and dedicated intensity zones.
Looking at the growing number of existing products, there is still a gap between fitness MP3 players and heart rate monitors. Fitness MP3 players are popular lifestyle products that might enhance motivation, but often fail in substituting as real fitness coaches. Heart rate monitors have scientific backing, and could serve as advanced personal training computers, however, they do not address motivation and are merely targeted at exercise enthusiasts. An opportunity exists to combine the motivational features of fitness MP3 players with the advanced functionalities of heart rate monitors into a design that offers intuitive use and advanced training functionality backed with research and sports medical knowledge in a motivating fashion. Music can be used for motivation and guidance, given it is known for its influence on rhythmic movement (Karageorghis et al. 1999; Karageorghis and Terry 1997). Using physiological data to generate musical events is therefore an interesting way of giving people feedback and guidance, without being annoying.
Motivation Through Music
Motivation plays an important role in endurance exercising (Ryan et al. 1997). People usually perceive exercising as boring and unpleasant: a certain amount of motivation is needed to complete a training session. Motivation becomes more important if exercising needs to be maintained over a longer period of time. Intrinsic motivation is the type of motivation that occurs when people engage in an activity without having external pressure or influences. Interest and enjoyment play an important role in such an activity. Factors that are known to influence intrinsic motivation are: the interest and enjoyment a person has with the activity, the degree in which they are able to control the activity (for instance the amount of effort they put in it), the degree in which they succeed in the activity, and the relevance or value the activity has for them (Ryan et al. 1997; Deci and Ryan 1985).
Research has indicated that music has a beneficial effect in a sports and exercise context. Music has—amongst other effects—the capacity to capture attention, increase work output and encourage rhythmic movement. These effects all have a potential application in the sports domain (Terry and Karageorghis 2006). In their original conceptual framework for predicting psychophysical effects of music, Karageorghis et al. (1999) mention four important motivational qualities of music: rhythm response, musicality, cultural impact and association. These four factors are hierarchical with rhythm response as the most important. In another framework in a sports context, Karageorghis and Terry (2001) state that the main benefits for athletes would be: "(a) increased positive moods and reduced negative moods; (b) pre-event activation or relaxation; (c) dissociation from unpleasant feelings such as pain and fatigue; (d) reduced ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) especially during aerobic training; (e) extended work output through synchronization of music with movement; (f) enhanced acquisition of motor skills when rhythm or association is matched with required movement patterns; (g) increased likelihood of athletes achieving flow states; and (h) enhanced performance via the above mechanisms." (Terry and Karageorghis 2006, p. 415) Besides these benefits Szabo et al. (2001) found that the effect of moving from a slow musical tempo (in BPM) to a higher musical tempo produces an ergogenic effect.
Another relevant psychological mechanism is attentional focus. Dissociation, or purposeful focusing away from unpleasant feelings of pain and fatigue (that are often related to endurance exercising), is a frequently used strategy in exercising. External stimuli such as music and virtual reality applications (IJsselsteijn et al. 2004) are designed to lead the focus away from internal body sensations during exercise, causing less focus on distress cues and possibly leading to a lower rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Research has shown that amateur sportsmen benefit from dissociative strategies, while sports enthusiasts and competitive sportsmen benefit more from associative strategies (Brewer et al. 1996). We expect that the use of music during exercising has positive influence on (intrinsic) motivation. Additionally, music is expected to provide an external focus of attention, distracting the focus away from unpleasant sensations associated with endurance exercising.
We named our design concept moBeat, which is a contraction of the first two letters of motivation and movement/move/motion, and the word beat, which refers to heartbeat and the beat of music. MoBeat provides users with interactive music during exercising. This music guides users to train in the correct intensities to optimize training performance. It provides feedback on performance by means of rewards. The music tempo adapts to the users' training pace, informing them to speed up or slow down when going too slow or too fast, and rewards users with richer music when training at the correct intensity.
Our design aims at persons who need motivation to succeed in maintaining the habit of endurance exercising, and who are willing to exercise in a healthy and effective way. This motivation may help them to overcome the boring character of most endurance sports and to distract them from negative physical sensations. Also, moBeat is suited for exercising at home. In the following section we describe the system architecture and functional model of the prototype that was developed and tested.
System Architecture
We designed and developed a research prototype for use on a stationary bicycle. It consists of hardware, software and MIDI music. Below we give a description of the components in each category.
To obtain cycling (rear wheel) speed and cycle cadence (both measured in rotations per minute), we used a commercially available cadence sensor and speed sensor. These sensors, normally attached to cycling computers, are essentially reed switches (electric switches operated by applying a magnetic field) that are closed by a magnet affixed to a spoke in the wheel and one of the crank arms.
To obtain heart rate, a commercially available heart rate belt is used (a Polar T61 coded heart rate belt), because these belts are designed to be used with HR monitors during exercising. The HR belt is connected to a receiver (Polar RMCM-01) that is specifically designed to read Polar HR belts.
In the current prototype the software is written in Max/MSP (Cycling '74 2008), a graphical programming environment that is well suited to manipulate (MIDI) audio. The software handles the serial communication and takes care of the main functionality of the system.
Functional Model
- 1.
To make sure that the music is always in sync with the training pace (frequency of the repetitive movements that are the basics of the exercise), the music pace expressed in beats per minute (BPM) is defined by the training pace. In case of cycling the BPM of the music will be the cycling cadence (in RPM) multiplied by two.
- 2.
Feedback on compliance to the prescribed training intensity—the training HR being in or outside the HR zone prescribed by the training program—is provided in the form of musical richness. Layers of similar musical features define musical richness. In the current prototype, layer one is the basic rhythm of the music defined by one or more drumbeats. Layer two consists of additional percussion sounds (cymbals and drums). Layer three consists of a base synthesizer and melodic synthesizer notes. The higher the level of compliance, the higher the musical richness.
- 3.
Users are guided in their training intensity by receiving auditory feedback if they either need to speed up or slow down. This happens in two occasions: when the user is outside of the training intensity zone (below the lower or exceeding the upper limit), or when there is an upcoming change in training intensity due to the prescribed training program. In each case, synthesized tones are played (integrated in the music) with a rising pitch to speed up, and with a decreasing pitch to slow down.
Pilot Investigation
We conducted a within-subject experiment in which the auditory feedback was the independent variable with two conditions; interactive music and audible alarms. System effectiveness, intrinsic motivation, attentional focus and rate of perceived exertion were the dependent variables. Traditional HR monitors commonly use audible alarms and these were replicated to serve as a reference.
- 1.
Exercising with the music-based moBeat system will lead to a higher intrinsic motivation (assessed with the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, IMI), which is assumed to be accompanied by increased external focus of attention (measured with the Attentional Focus Questionnaire, AFQ) and lower perceived exertion, as assessed with the perceived exertion (RPE) scale, when compared to an existing system.
- 2.
The effectiveness of the moBeat system will be comparable to the effectiveness of using audible alarms, as is currently the golden standard in HR monitoring.
26 Philips employees—5 women and 21 men—participated1 in the study. The age ranged from 23 to 51 years, with an average age of 33.7. All 26 subjects completed both exercise sessions successfully without any problems. At least all subjects had some exercise experience and a few of them were sports enthusiasts. Due to NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) issues, participants were restricted to be Philips employees.2 Before participation, subjects agreed with, and signed a written informed consent form.
To benchmark moBeat, we compared it to the audible feedback many of today's HR monitors are capable of providing. These systems generally use both a graphical display and simple audible alarms to indicate noncompliance with the predefined intensity zones. To assure that only the difference in auditory feedback was investigated—instead of audio-visual versus audio—participants were only able to listen to the systems.
To take physiological differences between the subjects into account, the intensity zones were calculated using the Karvonen method (Karvonen et al. 1957) instead of using absolute values. The Karvonen method (THR = [(HRmax−HRrest) × %Intensity) + HRrest] uses resting heart rate (HRrest) and maximum heart rate to calculate the target heart rate (THR). Example: for someone with an HRmax of 180 and an HRrest of 70: 50% intensity: [(180−70) × 0.50] + 70 = 125 BPM. 85% intensity: [(180−70) × 0.85] + 70 = 163 BPM. The intensity varied between HRrest to 50% for the warming-up, and intervals of 60, 65 and 70% ±5 heartbeats for the exercising stage. For the cooling-down stage, there was no strict heart rate zone because this is not relevant from a physiological perspective. Keeping the heart rate below the lower limit of the previous interval was rewarded by means of auditory feedback. With the help of a physiologist, we chose these values to physically challenge the subjects to simulate a realistic training session without exhausting them. HRmax was calculated for each subject using the age-related formula: HRmax = 205.8−(0.685 × age). Research (Robergs and Landwehr 2002) on 43 different formulas for predicting HRmax (including the one above) concluded that this is the most appropriate formula. This was found to have a Standard Deviation of 6.4 BPM and was still considered to be acceptable for the use of prescribing exercise intensities. The subjects were asked to measure their resting heart rate in advance of the experiment. If the participants failed to do so, they were asked to sit and relax before the exercise and their resting heart rate was measured.
The two sessions took place on different days to eliminate possible fatigue due to earlier exercise. The order of the different exercises was counter-balanced. Exercise data were logged automatically. Additionally, after the exercise session subjects were asked to fill in questionnaires to obtain data for intrinsic motivation, attentional focus and rate of perceived exertion, supported by an informal evaluation.
- Out of training zone
layer 1: base rhythm
- In training zone
layer 2: base rhythm + additional percussion
- In training zone > 10 sec
layer 3: base rhythm + additional percussion + bass synthesizers and melody
When users were training outside the prescribed zone, they heard either: four notes with increasing pitch to indicate that the current intensity was too low and they needed to speed up, or four notes with decreasing pitch to indicate that the intensity was too high and they needed to slow down. To indicate an upcoming change in training zone, the system played the four notes with either increasing or decreasing pitch, depending on the next zone being at a higher or lower intensity.
Reference System
The two leading brands for heart rate monitors are Polar and Suunto, both in the form of wrist-top computers (watches) that provide the same fitness functionality as moBeat does. All HR watches are able to give audible feedback in the form of watch-like beep sounds. Each of the brands utilizes its own way of providing feedback.
Most Polar HR watches beep when exceeding the upper or surpassing the lower limit at every measured heartbeat. This results in a slow beeping sound below the lower limit and a fast beeping sound when exceeding the upper limit. Although there is a small difference in interval time between the beeps between both cases, this might be hard to perceive during exercising, especially when the HR zones are relatively narrow (10 BPM in our case).
- - - - - - - - -
High-frequency beeps (150 Hz) to indicate that the user is exceeding the upper limit
- - - - - -
Low-frequency beeps (75 Hz) to indicate that the user is below the lower limit
In order to use the HR monitors in interval training (as needed for the experiment), multiple intervals with different intensities can be set. To warn the user when the interval changes, timers can be set. Usually these are timers, counting down from ten to zero at the end of the interval. To indicate an upcoming change in training zone, the reference system counts down, beeping at 10, 5, 3, 2 and 1 seconds before zone change, and sounding an alarm (- - - - - - - -) when the zone change occurs.
Intrinsic Motivation Inventory
The participant's intrinsic motivation was assessed using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) developed at the University of Rochester ("Intrinsic Motivation Inventory" 2008). The psychometric properties of the IMI questionnaire was assessed in McAuley et al. (1989), who found strong support for its validity and it was successfully used in comparable studies (IJsselsteijn et al. 2004). It comprises the subscales: interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, effort, value/usefulness, felt pressure and tension, and perceived choice when engaging in an activity. We selected three of the subscales based on their relevance to the study as well as their relevance to this specific activity. The interest/enjoyment subscale provides a self-report measure of intrinsic motivation. The perceived choice and perceived competence subscales are theorized to be positive predictors of intrinsic motivation as these are important motivational factors. The value/usefulness subscale is used to assess if people internalize and become self-regulating for activities that they consider useful for themselves, which could lead to a higher long-term motivation. We added the usefulness/value subscale to assess the value people assign to the exercise that might lead to a higher motivation (also in the long term). In total, the questionnaire we used in the study had 20 items: interest/enjoyment (7 items), perceived competence (6 items) and value/usefulness (7 items). Respondents were asked to rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale, based on how true the statements were for them.
Attentional Focus Questionnaire
The Attentional Focus Questionnaire (AFQ) is designed to measure attentional focus directly rather than just to assume that an external focus is being induced. The AFQ has been used extensively in association and dissociation literature, Lind et al. (2009) discuss the psychometric properties of attentional focus. The AFQ (Brewer et al. 1996) is a 30-item questionnaire assessing focus of attention during endurance exercising (originally designed for an endurance run). It contains three subscales: association (11 items), dissociation (12 items), and distress (7 items). Respondents were asked to rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale, with 1 being "I did not do this at all" and 7 being "I did this all the time"). Items on the association scale include "monitoring your pace," "monitoring specific body sensations (e.g., leg tension, breathing rate)", and "paying attention to your rhythm." Examples of items on the dissociation scale are "singing a song in your head," "writing a letter or paper in your head," and "thinking about pleasant images." Items on the distress scale include "focusing on how much you are suffering," "wishing the run would end", and "thinking about how much you want to quit." Some of the items have been slightly altered to make a better fit for the activity performed in this study (e.g. run/running was changed in exercise/cycling).
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
RPE, also called the Borg scale (named after its inventor Gunnar Borg) (Borg 1970) is a self-report scale of perceived exercise intensity. It is a well-established scale that has been widely used for assessing perceived exertion both in medicine and sports training and is considered to have a high reliability and validity (Skinner et al. 1973). The scale is a linear scale ranging from 6 to 20, starting with 6 "nothing at all' and ending with 20 "exhaustion".
Data Logging and Analysis
During the experiment the following data were recorded automatically: time in the correct intensity zone and total time; number of times out of the zone; time of interval change; heart rate; RPM and rear-wheel speed. The total time (in seconds) of heart rate zone compliance was compared between the two systems as well as the number of times (count) subjects got out of the zone. The data obtained from the questionnaires were processed by calculating the mean scores of each subscale. A p value of 0.05 was used as the statistical threshold to indicate statistical significance.
System Effectiveness Comparison
We conducted a reliability analyses on the IMI and AFQ scales. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.940 for the IMI and 0.752 for the AFQ. According to Nunnally (1978), these values are well above the threshold of 0.70.
The results showed no significant difference in compliance and times out-of-zone between our moBeat system and the reference system, indicating that both systems were comparable with regard to effectiveness. A higher score on the fun/enjoyment subscale indicates a higher measure of intrinsic motivation in the interactive music condition with our moBeat system. This is backed by a higher score on the perceived competence scale, which is considered a positive predictor of intrinsic motivation. A higher score on the value/usefulness scale can be considered as a positive property of a system, as people internalize and become self-regulating with respect to activities that they experience as useful or valuable for themselves ("Intrinsic Motivation Inventory" 2008).
On the AFQ subscales dissociation and distress; the subjects scored significantly lower in the condition with interactive music while the level of association remained more or less equal. Despite the fact that the association remained the same (in both conditions they focused equally on the exercise itself), they engaged more in dissociative strategies in the condition with the reference system. This indicates that musical coaching with interactive music causes natural distraction, away from the exercise itself. A lower score on the distress scale indicates a lower focus on physical pain and discomfort in the interactive music condition. These differences are to be considered advantages of moBeat over its competing heart-rate-based guidance systems. Despite a lower score of moBeat on the perceived exertion scale, (mean values) no significant difference was found between the systems, in contrast with the findings of (Karageorghis and Terry 2001), who stated that music can lead to lower RPE ratings.
From the results we conclude that our moBeat system provides higher intrinsic motivation. Users engage less in dissociative strategies and focus less on distress cues. However, the perceived exertion is not significantly lower with moBeat. Still, the moBeat system is as effective as the reference system, which is currently the golden standard in exercise guiding. Informal evaluations after the test sessions revealed that moBeat was more pleasant to use and was as easy to use as the reference system.
We confirmed the results of Terry and Karageorghis (2006) that music in an exercise context has a motivational effect, distracts from unpleasant feelings and suppresses boredom. Additionally, feedback on training pace by means of music tempo seemed to positively influence the consistency in cycling pace.
Using company employees as test participants, however, inevitable at the time due to the NDA, might have biased the results. To limit this, we did not inform the participants about the nature of the research until after finishing both sessions. Further, they were not informed which of the two stimuli was the one being developed.
We cannot make any firm conclusions about long-term motivation of the participants, however, higher scores on intrinsic motivation and a reduced focus on physical pain during the exercise are in favour of improved long-term motivation.
Future Work
Future work includes system improvements and more rigorous evaluations over extended time periods.
Currently a personal computer is needed to run the software. In future applications, the PC will preferably be replaced with a wearable hardware device like a smart phone, PDA or MP3-player-like device or a dedicated wearable hardware device.
From the observations and informal evaluations after the experiments, we found potential bottlenecks and points for improvements. They include enriching the feedback and providing more precise feedback to the user about how well the exercise is progressing. The music used in the current prototype needs to be improved. In future versions, musical layers would preferably be in other widely available formats such as MP3, and time-stretching algorithms could be used to perform time stretching without adjusting the pitch. Layering MP3 music could be done beforehand; algorithms might process the users' own music database to make it suitable for exercise use to assure users can have their own favourite music. Another approach would be to remain with MIDI or develop a similar format and to invite artists to compose custom-made tracks for exercising purposes.
The system is currently set-up for use on a stationary bicycle in the home environment. Due to the intended portability of the system, it would also be very suitable for outdoor sports like outdoor running and cycling.
- 1.
Participants were employees of Philips coming from different departments within Philips and had various backgrounds. They participated voluntarily and did not receive any payment.
- 2.
The project was a cooperation between the Department of Industrial Design and Philips Research Eindhoven. Philips Research is a part of Royal Philips Electronics Inc. and served as an industrial partner, which is common in the Industrial Design discipline due to the commercial aspect of the field. Philips Research gave financial support for the development of the prototype and provided the necessary equipment.
We would like to thank: people from the MCBL project team and the DSP department (Philips Research) for their help and input, Mathias Funk (TU/e) for his help and feedback on developing the music/prototype and all the participants of the experiment for their time, effort and constructive feedback.
Open Access
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
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This past weekend we had a very good reason to travel all the way up to Kansas City and celebrate. Our oldest niece on my side, Kayley, was getting baptized! This is a momentous occasion because she is the first ever baptism on the Bell side. Now that she has done it, there are many more younger cousins heading that way soon.
We headed up to KC on Thursday night (after celebrating John's birthday). I specifically planned it this way because I thought we would have a nice enjoyable drive while the kiddos slept in their carseats. I don't know why I even bother "planning" these things. They didn't sleep....at all. Instead they were still good and just watched movies. It's a good 3 1/2 hour drive so they are known to get a little antsy when we are almost there. Every.single.time. Luckily, Aunt Michelle was awaiting our arrival (although her kids had to go to bed) and she had quite the accomodations waiting for us as well. Addison and Jonas got to sleep on a nice airbed in her living room while we slumbered in the cold, crisp air of the basement bedroom. This is one of John's favorite places to sleep folks.
We were lucky enough to have Daddy take Friday off so we got to spend an extra day playing with cousins. And we ALL love playing with cousins. Well mostly Addison and Jonas and I love that they are entertained and out of my hair with constant questions/needs. Brooklyn even got some good bonding time in with Aunt Michelle. We had nowhere to go so we just stayed home and had a lazy relaxing day. Bliss. We were very spoiled.
Especially so because Friday evening, Grandma Bell came up and helped watch kids while John and I (and Kyle & Cassie) got to enjoy a temple session. It's heaven really. The Walker's live about 10 minutes from the Kansas City temple and they are always happy and willing to babysit so we can visit the temple. Every time. Thankfully Brooklyn was cooperative as well since she has now mastered the bottle and was able to eat without having Mommy there. It was a nice relaxing evening followed by a quick family birthday celebration at the park. Cousin chaos and lots of catching up between us adults. Especially hearing the exciting news that another cousin will be joining our crazy family soon. :)
The following day was Kayley's baptism. We were very excited but I was a little nervous because she had asked me to be one of her speakers. I was beyond flattered that she picked me! But, I was also nervous since I have never spoke at a baptism before. Luckily, my subject was on Kayley and how proud I was of her example she was setting for all of her other cousins. It went well and I managed to choke back most of the tears. I was so glad we could be there to support Kayley on making such a good choice.
As with all Bell get-togethers we managed to spend the evening celebrating Kayley and Cora's birthdays with a special swimming pool party. It was so fun to hang out together. Addison even got brave and started swimming more than she ever has. She was jumping in the water left and right and even going under.....on purpose! We were very proud of her accomplishment.
By the time it was time to go home our kiddos were exhausted and so were we. We set off on our adventure back home and luckily were able to nap a little. We were very grateful to crawl into our own beds that evening and catch up on some much needed sleep.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
A Beautiful Baptism
Posted by John n Shannon at 10:54 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Daddy's B-day
August is a busy month for us but we always like to block out some time and spend it celebrating this guy....
He is quite a special Daddy and Husband and we are lucky to have him. Why is he special you ask? Just let me tell you.
A Great Dad: He works so hard for our family and provides for us so Mommy can spend her days at home with the kiddos. He has such a special relationship with each child and it's so fun to see them interact together. He loves his kids and will do anything for them....including always trying his hardest to be a better Daddy than he was the day before. He's always quick to change when he sees something in his own behavior that he doesn't like. He plays with the kids all the time, especially after a long day at work, he's always quick to get on the ground and wrestle with Addison & Jonas. He even makes it a point to take time and spend it with just Brooklyn since she can't quite join in on the wrestling matches. He plays Candy Land with Addison and she loves him for it. He gives the best snuggles.
Honestly, I could go on and on about why John is such a great Dad and Husband but I need to save some room to give the details of his birthday celebration.
Daddy's birthday was a little busy this year. We were lucky enough to get to go out for breakfast with him to Ihop on his big day before he had to go to work. We were going to meet him for lunch but the poor guy had to play golf later that afternoon with some customers at work. Poor thing ;) And later that night we were planning on heading up to KC for some weekend festivities with my family so our birthday celebration time was cut short so we could hit the road.
He's never been a big fan of cake and ice cream (at least the cake part) so we surprised him this time with his very own Creme Brûlée. He LOVES this stuff and luckily we have a yummy place around here that I can get it from until I learn to make it myself. He was quite pleased with the little treat. Then we got to move on to the presents. Addison and Jonas each got to give him the tie that they picked out for him, we got him a shirt and some nice workout shorts, and some earphones for his iPhone (since I think Jonas has devoured all our other ones) and we also got him a Ear, Nose, and Beard trimmer. Yes, random but he requested that out of everything we got him. And yes, he REALLY likes it. So needless to say he was happy with his bounty. Mommy even gave him a "Dalmuti Date Night" with some friends. It's one of his favorite things to do...eat smoked pork, and hang out with close friends, and play one of our favorite games.
I hope he never forgets just how much we appreciate and love him. And I hope we will always show him and remind him for years to come. We are lucky to call him ours.
Happy Birthday Daddy!
Posted by John n Shannon at 10:56 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Mommy Daughter Date
It's no secret that Addison and I have been struggling with our relationship. Nothing crazy of course but we do spend most of our days butting heads. I'm stubborn and she's stubborn. We are very much alike and sometimes this can be a great thing but it can sometimes drive us bonkers with each other. I love Addison very much and am trying my hardest to improve my patience with her and give her the love and attention she needs in the way that she needs it. I realize that I do expect a lot of her and have to remind myself that she's only four years old. She's so helpful and smart and mature for her age that it's an easy mistake to make.
Lately, I've been spending some time thinking about what I could do to improve our relationship. One night, I had a wild idea that I just knew she would love. After Jonas went to bed one night, I whispered to her that she and I (and Brooklyn of course since she's still mastering the bottle) should go on a girl's date together. Of course, she LOVED it. Mostly because she loves anything that involves staying up late (past her 8:30 bedtime) and anything that allows her to soak up some undivided attention. After relaying our plans to Daddy we headed out. It was a quick trip to the McDonald's across the street from our house but it was a great time to just sit and visit with her and actually LISTEN to her. She loves to talk...a lot...and I'll confess that most of the time when she's jabbering away I don't pay much attention to what she's saying. But this time, I made sure to just listen and talk to her about the things she liked to do, things that are important to her.
She loved it and I loved it. It helped remind us just how much we love each other. I need to do these more often. We sat and talked about everything under the sun....boys and how they are gross (thank heavens), about how preschool is getting ready to start (she's sooooo excited), and how we were the only ones in the restaurant because as she said "everyone else is at home asleep, Mommy!" Technically, it was only 8:30 but it's fun to imagine it was true. I need to spend more time looking at things from her eyes and listening to her. She is my twin and I'm grateful for her.
Posted by John n Shannon at 11:44 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Sinking In
Now that we've survived our first month as a family of five I feel like I'm finally starting to get the hang of things. Don't get me wrong, life is still crazy busy, but I think the insanity is at least somewhat structured and calming down a bit.
I've never had a good history of being sane during the early days of newborn-ness. My babies have ALWAYS been easy but I've been a bit of a basket case. Call it hormones, anxiety, or trying to figure out our new normal - but I'm usually all over the place. Luckily this time around it seems to have settled down a little earlier than it did with Addison and Jonas. We still had our chaos but I'm finally figuring out that no matter what happens I can keep a baby alive (after all, I've done it twice successfully). I've also witnessed that as each day passes it gets a little bit easier. So, in the moments of crazy I just keep telling myself this little saying. I'm also a little less hung up on sleep than I was before. Maybe I'm more mature about the whole process? Don't get me wrong, we still have some sleepless nights around here and a lot of trying to figure each other out (Brooklyn and I) but each day that I'm exhausted I just tell myself that I'll make up the sleep somewhere down the road. Am I the only one that has conversations with myself? Also, am I the only one that does a head count each time I'm leaving in the car - just to make sure we have all three kids? Either way it's nice to know that I can coach myself through the crazy times and learn to enjoy the happy times more. It's been such a fun time enjoying and getting to know Brooklyn and just basking in the life that is three kids.
I'm a very grateful Mommy. I'm lucky to get to call these cute kiddos mine.
Posted by John n Shannon at 11:20 AM 0 comments
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Blessed Day
Not only are we blessed to have Brooklyn in our family - but we were also able to bless her at church. It was a great day and we were lucky to have so many family and friends join us in the special occasion.
We are grateful to have a Daddy who is a worthy priesthood holder and is able to give each of our children a special blessing after they are born. Family and friends (aren't they the same thing really?) came from far and wide to celebrate in her special day. She may not have known what was going on at the time - but luckily she can look back and read this post and see the pictures and will know just how much she was loved by so many.
My side of the family drove from the four corners of Missouri and joined us on Saturday morning for a weekend 'o' fun before the special day. Almost everyone was able to come, except poor Aunt Natalie (who had to work) but luckily she was able to meet Brooklyn later at another family event.
Once everyone arrived we all did what we do best...sit and visit and eat and sit. We also were able to throw in a pool party at the hotel just to spice it up a bit. And lets just say that our family alone most likely took that pool to it's maximum capacity. And 98% of those occupants were children under 8 years old. It was chaotic and fun. These cousins just love getting together and playing. And we adults just love when they do as well. I'm very grateful that my kiddos get to grow up being so close to their cousins on both sides of the family.
|Pool time!
|Eating dinner with cousins. "The Boy Table"
|Eating dinner with cousins. "The Girl Table"
|Trying to line up from oldest to youngest - epic fail.
|Sisters, hanging out together before heading off to church.
|The milk coma - I'd say she is prepped and ready to go!
Grandpa Fields
Grandpa Bell
Tom Allred
Mark Hufford
Brad McKasson
Nick Bell
Quentin Bell
Kendall Walker
Kyle LaBrue
It was a big circle! I didn't have the energy to corral them all afterward for a picture so hopefully listing their names for history is just as good.
Daddy gave a great blessing and she did pretty good during it. She did manage to cry a little at the beginning but luckily the combined forces of the bouncing hands was enough to calm her down so we could all hear the special words.
After Sacrament, we were all able to dine on a delicious luncheon at our neighborhood clubhouse and all of the kiddos had some time to get some energy out as well. We were sad to see the fun come to an end but were so grateful for so many who came to support Brooklyn in her special day. She is blessed and we are blessed.
|Jonas with his buddy (Grandpa Bell) at the luncheon afterward. This boy LOVES his Grandpa Bell.
|Bradley and Brooklyn
|Megan and Brooklyn. Modeling the hat Megan sewed all by herself for her little cousin. Love it.
|Brooklyn and Mat
|Hufford Family with Grandpa Bell
|Hufford Family with Grandma & Grandpa Fields
|Hufford Family with Grandma Bell
Posted by John n Shannon at 11:20 AM 1 comments
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Our Cute One-Month Old Girly
Our little babbling Brooklyn turned 1 month old today. :) She's growing so fast and getting so big. She is a perfect fit into our little family and we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her over this first month of her life. I think it's almost safe to say that we've somewhat survived the craziness that comes with a newborn. Each day gets easier and for that I'm grateful. Learning to juggle three kids age 4 and younger is quite the challenge some days.
We didn't have an "official" celebration of Brooklyn's 1 month birthday but we did enjoy having family come and visit and celebrate her blessing day (which was also her 1 month birthday) so we will call it her party. ;)
And usually I'm so diligent about dressing up each child and posing them for the camera. However, I'll be honest and say that life has been chaotic lately and I never managed to find the time (or the sanity) to take individual shots of Brooklyn. Besides, they are hard to prop up at this age anyway. So here are a few random shots of her at 1 month old. She's still just as adorable even if she isn't all dolled up and posed.
Milk drunk on her blessing day.
|My little sleeping swaddled monkey.
|This is what happens when she's not swaddled. We like to mix it up a bit around here folks.
|Resting by Mommy. We went through a little spell of Mommy and Brooklyn taking naps together and it was divine. Who wouldn't want to wake up next to this cuteness?
|Hanging out in the swing. She LOVES the swing. Which is good considering she spends a lot of time in there while Mommy chases around her siblings. Such a big girl!
|Every once in awhile we bust out the bows and she gets even cuter - whodathunk?! Love her serious face here.
Honestly Brooklyn is SUCH an easy baby so far. She is very mellow and just hangs out and observes everything around her. She naps easily and we are figuring out the eating thing together. She's taken to the eating process even better than her older brother and sister did. Once we master all that she's golden!
Happy 1 month old birthday Brooklyn!
Posted by John n Shannon at 10:55 AM 0 comments

subset: commoncrawl


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Kislev 7, 5766 * December 8, 2005
Parshat Vayeitzei
The Responsibilities of an Employee
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Rambam states the following law in Hilchos Sechirus : Just as an employer is forbidden to steal the wages of his employee, or delay payment, so too is an employee forbidden to pilfer from the labor he is to provide his employer by wasting time a bit here and a bit there, and so spending the day in deceit.... So too must he work with all his might, for the tzaddik Yaakov stated: I have served your father with all my might. He therefore was rewarded for this labor in this world as well, as the verse states: The man became tremendously wealthy.
The Jewish people are considered G-ds employees, in line with the saying of our Sages: Your Employer is trustworthy to pay you the reward for your labor.
How are we to understand the above ruling in relationship to our divine employment?
The reason we derive the obligation to serve ones employer with all ones might from Yaakovs labor in Lavans house is because a Jews labor for G-d is similar to Yaakovs labor for Lavan.
Yaakovs labor while in his father-in-laws house could in no way compare to his spiritual toil in Shem and Evers House of Study, nor could even compare to the time spent in his father Yitzchaks in Eretz Yisrael. During those periods of his life, Yaakov was completely immersed in spiritual service. His labor for Lavan, however physical it may have seemed, involved transforming the world into a dwelling fit for G-d.
So too, with regard to the labor of every Jew as an employee of the Almighty: the service of a Jews soul in the spiritual worlds prior to its incarnation is truly of great spiritual magnitude. At that time, its comprehension of G-dliness is profound, and its love and awe of G-d particularly intense. But in all this, the soul is laboring for its own benefit.
Labor for the sake of its Employer can only be undertaken when a soul descends into this physical world, and occupies itself in purifying and elevating its surroundings, transforming them into a dwelling fit for G-d.
Concerning such labor, it is imperative that the laborer be scrupulous with regard to the amount of time .... So too must he work with all his might:
It is easy for a person to think that it is okay to take a bit of time off here and there, using this time for matters that serve his own spiritual needs. However, he must know that this results in his spending his entire day Today is for you to do in a false manner, i.e., he is not fulfilling the purpose for which he finds himself on this earth.
Moreover, a person must be scrupulous not only with regard to time, but also with regard to effort, working with all his might he must use all the powers of his soul in this service.
A Jew may think he will involve his intellect and emotions while immersed in Torah study or prayer, but that, while involved in transforming the mundane world into holiness, he need only apply his souls lowest power: action in acceptance of the Divine Yoke.
Herein comes the lesson from the tzaddik Yaakov. The service of transforming the world into a dwelling for G-d must involve all of ones might, powers, intellect, emotions, will and delight.
These are not optional requirements, but an integral part of the employees labor. For when a Jew toils not for his own sake but for the sake of his Employer, he must be imbued with the feeling that he is serving with every fiber of his being; he is to be wholly dedicated to his Employer and to his task of transforming the world into a fit dwelling place for G-d.
(Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXV, pp. 139-149)
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If you're a parent with a Twitter account, chances are you tweet about your kids — and often. Some of the things we've seen (the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly) are just begging to be shared, and who has the time for more than 140 characters? Not us. So here you go, the funniest tweets from parents on Twitter this week. #yourewelcome
1. The official mom wardrobe.
2. Not a good sign.
3. Awkward.
4. So. Many. Macaroni. Necklaces.
5. What kind of monster are you?
6. AKA "me time."
7. Whatever works.
8. One step at a time.
9. Not the present we were hoping for …
10. Survival skills: complete.
11. Oh, it's very, very real.
12. (Not) common knowledge.
13. Just saving a few things for later.
14. There's still time.
Can't get enough of these funny tweets? Read our #FunnyParents archive here!More On


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In response to my previous post, Superstitions About Rituals and Mantras I was asked:
Are you saying that chants to Kali, Ganesha, and others don't do anything? That only the Maha Mantra is effective?
Where is the Hocus-Pocus Mojo?
Mystic power is conspicuously lacking in the current era of human history. [If it ever actually existed is another valid question, but nonetheless…] Rituals and mantras are not, therefore, powerful in and of themselves. Only the most direct, real, simple, and pure spiritual paths are honestly and sublimely effective in the modern era. Directly opening the heart to the infinite power of divine love – that is the only remaining option in this age.
It is always the best option, in any age. But in this age it is also the only option.
Other methods do produce results, but they cannot deliver the soul from the cycle of suffering, samsara. They will produce success, health, peace of mind, maybe some magic powers, etc. to some limited extent. Only the mahamantra (the "Hare Krishna" mantra) delivers us entirely from our problems by granting nirvana and beyond.
Thus Kali-santarana Upanishad says:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
These sixteen words destroy the evils of Kali-yuga.
No better means is to be found in all the Vedas.
And Brihan-Naradiya Purana [1.17.21] says:
The name of Hari, the name of Hari, the name of Hari alone,
Nothing else, nothing else, nothing else is effective in Kali-yuga
This is not a claim that the mahamantra or other nama-mantras contain special "hocus-pocus" that has remained somehow effective in the modern era, while all other mantras have lost their mojo. There simply is no hocus pocus mojo in this age, except by smoke and mirrors. What these quotes actually mean is that the manamantra and similar nama-mantras are essential and instrumental in the process of opening the heart sincerely to divine, selfless love – which is the only effective means of gaining moksha in this age.
Why Only Vishnu / Krishna?
We can ask:
Why only for Vishnu, or Krishna? Why wouldn't nama-mantras for Kali, Durga, Sarasvati, Ganesh, etc. also open up the heart to selfless divine love?
This is almost exactly the same question that the host of sages headed by Saunaka asked the young and learned Suta in the opening dialog of Bhagavat Purana. First they asked him why he's promoting only divine love, and no other spiritual path. He says:
On any spiritual path, it is only the component of divine love in it that is essential, everything else is just packaging.
Then they ask him, "why only divine love for Vishnu avatars like Krishna? Why not other gods and goddesses?" Suta answers that Vishnu alone bestows true benefits, other gods bestow temporary benefits and then only by the power invested in them from Vishnu. In other words, Vishnu alone is essential, everything and every other god is circumstantial "packaging" of Vishnu's energies.
In the Gita, too (Seventh Chapter). Krishna says that he acts through the gods and goddesses to supply specific needs and help.
Again, the point is not that other mantras don't do something. The point is that they don't do everything. They don't give moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death) and beyond.
It's not that I wouldn't use another mantra for some specific purpose. In fact I use and teach people to use many mantras from the Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva Veda as a part of my astrological practice. These mantras are effective for specific needs and problems, when chanted with the right attitude and understanding.
Mantras to Ganesh or Kali certainly "do something." Even sugar pills can "do something." In yoga, we can potentially bring our mind under control by concentrating it on anything – even a candle, what to speak of a mantra – and that mental harmony certainly brings significant peace. The point I am making, however, is:
- It is not the hocus-pocus of the "magic words" that makes a mantra work. It is the condition it creates in the heart and mind which is the effective ingredient.
- Other mantras can create internal conditions that cause important changes in our lives, and can make us feel better – but only the mahamantra has the power to completely change us by saturating us in divine love and completely delivering us from samsara, rooted in selfish, unloving ego.
So I would not disrespect any mantra, or any divinity. Suta says that the Vishnu-devotee worships/respects everyone and everything, including all the demigods – since Vishnu is the essential principle in everything – however they naturally reserve their special heartfelt devotion for Vishnu alone.
Why is Krishna special?
Krishna is the original existence ("vishnu"), which exists only for the sake of JOY: Rasa. Krishna is the "akhila-rasamrita-murti", he is the primeval personification of all ecstatic pleasures. Other gods simply are not. They fulfill a purpose. They protect us from harm, or destroy things, or maintain things, etc. etc. etc. They have so many tasks to perform. Krishna has no tasks. He simply enjoys existing in the fullest blossoming of divine love.
We can certainly chant prayers and mantras to the other gods for specific purposes, but it is really Vishnu (which means, the divine existence) within those gods that fulfills our prayers and gives the results of our mantras. So it is smarter to put Vishnu in mind right from the beginning.
But when it comes to divine love (prema), we simply cannot say that "divine love" for Kali or Ganesh or Siva is in the same ballpark as divine love for Krishna. Why? Because these other beings do not exist for the purpose of divine love. They exist to destroy things, protect things, etc. Krishna is the form of divinity that exists solely for the original purpose: enjoyment of love.
Fanaticism is the Only Way?
You can object:
You are a Krishna devotee, so saying this is like Christians who say that the only way to salvation is to accept Jesus as your savior. There are many people who believe that way and they will support their beliefs with quotes from the Bible.
If we say or hear these things through a fanatical bias, we will rob ourselves of the most precious and rare opportunity to attain the most fabulous wealth of divine love. We have to understand these things beyond quotes and sectarianism.
"Krishna" literally means All-Attractive. Love and attraction are intrinsic, no? The supreme love requires the supreme beloved, no? This is not fanatical or sectarian it is undeniable. "Krishna" is a word denoting the All-Attractive divine, the supreme beloved. You can call the supreme beloved anything you like, even "Joe," but practically speaking if you recognize the word "Krishna" you will be able to avail yourself of extremely deep mine of divine jewels and ore of supreme love. [For example, in the lives and teachings of Sri Caitanya, Sri Rupa Goswami, etc.]
This paradigm – that supreme love requires the supreme beloved – is logical independent of Scripture. Scripture also supports it fully. Not just one scripture here or there that was made to support it – but all scripture, from the Vedas to the Upanishads to the Puranas, and even scripture from international culture.
The Right Way to Chant
Since it is the internal impression, not the mojo in the magic-words, that carries the effectiveness of a mantra, we cannot just mouth a mantra and consider that we have actually exercised it. We have to chant in a deep manner, free from superficial fanaticism and starry-eyed hocuspocus thralldom.
When we chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra "correctly" it will reveal an inner sun/moon radiating pure selfless divine love – shattering entirely all darkness forever
It takes some practice to chant any mantra effectively. The mahamantra is simpler than other mantras, because it is about love and everyone is qualified to love. But still, from what I have observed, it generally take a few dozen years of sincere endeavor before we begin to truly chant the mahamantra in an effective manner: with true, humble love, and deep understanding of who we really are, who Krishna really is, and what everything else really is, too. With a heart that is hungry to give, give, give, give, give itself entirely in divine love to the divine beloved named by the mantra.
What About Radha?
You might ask:
What about Radha? Isn't she all about love and devotion? I feel so much focus is placed on male figures: "God", Jesus, Krishna, Buddha. I prefer to focus on the female- Divine Mother.
There is no Krishna without Radha, because there is no Supreme Divine Beloved unless there is a Supreme Divine Lover. To really chant the mahamantra effectively we have to understand this. It is a big part of what it means to understand who Krishna really is.
The mahamantra, as explained to me through the dear gurus who have given it to me, identifies "Hare" as a conjugation of the word "Hara", not "Hari". Hara is shakti. In other words the "Hare" in the "Hare Krishna" chant is Sri Radha. The mahamantra therefore has a perfect balance of male and female divinity. Actually this is rather important in a mantra that bestows divine love in a potentially intimate setting that even includes romantic and conjugal interactions with divinity.


text:
Brrrrrrrrrrr - The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Puffin Books, 1962.
Keats captures the wonder of a snowy day in the story of Peter's enjoyment of the season's first snow. He shows pleasures that might seem mundane to an adult, dragging of a stick to make tracks, whapping a tree for the onomatopoeic "Plop!" of snow falling on Peter's head. Illustrations that appear like paper cut-outs, simplified almost to the point of silhouette, mirror the simplicity of the text. A perfect snowy day read.


text:
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100% linen
machine wash gentle, dry cool or line-dry
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Required reading
The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther, preferably the version translated by Henry Cole (Available from the Wandering Bookseller or free here),
Read the 'Preface by the Translator', the 'Introduction' and 'Erasmus' Preface Reviewed'.
My summary
Today we begin an absolute classic Reformed work.
Firstly we read Cole's comments on his translation including his:
(i) reasons for the translation;
(ii) methodology.
Secondly Luther explains to Erasmus his reasons for writing the book: 'This my reply to you, therefore, is not wholly without cause. My brethren in Christ press me to it, setting before me the expectation of all; seeing that the authority of Erasmus is not to be despised, and the truth of the Christian doctrine is endangered in the hearts of many. And indeed, I felt a persuasion in my own mind, that my silence would not be altogether right, and that I was deceived by the prudence or malice of the flesh, and not sufficiently mindful of my office, in which I am a debtor, both to the wise and to the unwise; and especially, since I was called to it by the entreaties of so many brethren. '
Thirdly, Luther examines Erasmus' preface and finds it wanting, particularly in reference to Christ.
What grabbed me
I loved how Luther thanked Erasmus in the Introduction: 'And who knows but that God may even condescend to visit you, my friend Erasmus, by me His poor weak vessel; and that I may (which from my heart I desire of the Father of mercies through Jesus Christ our Lord) come unto you by this Book in a happy hour, and gain over a dearest brother. For although you think and write wrong concerning "Free-will," yet no small thanks are due unto you from me, in that you have rendered my own sentiments far more strongly confirmed, from my seeing the cause of "Free-will" handled by all the powers of such and so great talents, and so far from being bettered, left worse than it was before which leaves an evident proof, that "Free- will" is a downright lie; and that, like the woman in the gospel, the more it is taken in hand by physicians, the worse it is made. Therefore the greater thanks will be rendered to you by me, if you by me gain more information, as I have gained by you more confirmation. But each is the gift of God, and not the work of our own endeavours. Wherefore, prayer must be made unto God, that He would open the mouth in me, and the heart in you and in all; that He would be the Teacher in the midst of us, who may in us speak and hear. '
Erasmus' work actually helped confirm Luther's position on free-will!
Next week's reading
Read 'Erasmus' Scepticism' and 'The necessity of knowing God and his power'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Posts in this Book Club Series:


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malaria nights
April 30, 2005
Once I read that having Malaria as a child leaves one plagued later in life by recurring dreams. Do my repeated bouts of the feverish illness explain my later childhood years of frightful nightmares? Perhaps. I am more inclined to suspect that my own dark and brooding dreams were due more so to a childhood marred by pain and to a nature prone to dwelling on the same.
Like the night I spent imagining my father's gasping last breaths, other solitary mental images and nightmares of my young mind claim a strangely predominant position in my memories of childhood.
In the years following my father's death, I spent nights fearing the image that would no doubt appear, unbidden, once my waking guard was weakened by the stealthy grip of sleep.
The dreams would always begin innocuously, with the exciting certainty that I was to be with Daddy again, that perhaps he was not really dead. Or that, even if he really was, I would at least get to spend the span of the dream with him again. But each time, once my dreaming awareness progressed beyond the initial excitement, my heart thudded with the sickening realization that this was not my Daddy. And sometimes with the even more sickening one that it was him.
Each night, you see, he was altered somehow, deformed beyond recognition. I only wished that I were not so certain that it was still him. There was some deep knowledge that it was him, but nothing remained of the Daddy I loved.
In one dream he appeared in the form of a tiny dwarf, with exaggerated features and the head of a grown man but features and mannerisms of a child. That night he approached me cheerfully, awkwardly but speedily coming to greet me. And I ran, horrified more by the prospect of encountering him than I had ever been cheered at the idea of a reunion.
Another night he was not changed so much physically as he was estranged emotionally. He was an adult, and I knew it was him even though I couldn't place his features into any recognizable form. I was terrified that I had forgotten what he looked like, as I often was in my waking hours, when I would seek out photos to memorize, in case I was losing my own mental images of his face, of his form. At any rate, in this dream he simply passed by me, engaged by his companions, ignoring me. He even looked at me directly, as if he knew who I was, but did not care in the slightest.
There were more, along the same vein of a recognizably him but strangely altered Daddy. I grew accustomed to my vivid dream life—so accustomed that it never occurred to me that it was anything worth coming out of my own head. Now I wonder how common that is, for children. And I remain fascinated by, and still slightly frightened by, the lapsing into the untamed, unpredictable territories of the sleeping mind . . .


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There's A Star Wars Title Crawl Generator And You Can Type Anything Into It
Star Wars, that little movie franchise you've heard about in passing from literally every single human on earth, has bestowed upon us a gift.
In addition to 21 planets, 153 vehicles and hundreds of characters the franchise has introduced us to, they've created a Star Wars Title Crawl Generator. Now, you can make your very own one of these puppies:
Because the Internet is an endless source of trickery, people on Tumblr noticed you can put anything in the generator regardless of its relevance to the galaxy—so they've been having a little fun with the possibilities.
From inserting iconic badly written fan fiction to giving Zayn Malik's exit from One Direction the gravity it deserves, these folks show the opening of the Star Wars movies in an entirely new perspective.
Check out a collection of the best below.


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Four months after signing a joint notification on the establishment of a European Union defence pact known as PESCO, ministers from 25 Member States are meeting in Brussels on Tuesday to take their first formal steps towards creating an EU-wide military.
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, has already called the gathering a "historical" meeting, as it is the first time that a long bandied-about project to develop a common European defence structure has moved past the theoretical stages.
"It is a historical day for the Council because, for the first time ever, the (defence) ministers will make their first formal decisions on projects related to PESCO and the Member States who are participating in these projects," said Mogherini at the doorstep of the Council's meeting.
PESCO is a TEU-based framework, which allows member states to develop joint defence capabilities and make them available for EU military operations. The project has long been viewed as a EU's attempt to work outside of NATO's central command umbrella and establish a self-sufficient, trans-national "European" military.
The project, however, languished for decades until November last year when 25 of the Member States reached a consensus to jointly develop and deploy their armed forces.


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Designed for patient comfort, ease of use, and efficient use of space, the Serenity IIS provides all of the functions of the Serenity II within a smaller, spacesaving footprint. The chair back and footrest can be operated independently by either patients or caregivers, providing more options to meet individual comfort needs. With its broad range of options, inviting design, and ability to fit through 32 inch doors, Serenity IIS is a versatile choice for any healthcare environment.
|Manufacturing Location(s)
|Manufacturing Location(s)
|Sheboygan, WI
|MasterFormat® Number
|12 52 00
|Recyclable packaging
|Returnable packaging
|Contains wood or agrifiber
|Recycled Content - Post Consumer (%)
|Recycled Content - Pre Consumer (%)
The information contained in this site was provided by the producer and/or certifier and we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct. ecomedes make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness or availability of the product information on the site for any purpose. We encourage users to contact the producer or certifier directly for additional details. It's important to note that no products individually or collectively, can guarantee a specific number of points for LEED, WELL, GreenGlobes or LBC certifications.


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You know, blogging was much easier when I didn't work all the time and went to school. I want to change that, but when you have no real social life, its kind of hard. All I've done is go job hunting, worked before the crack of dawn, and slept. I've also watched 5 seasons of The Office, one of Family Matters, and various anime sets. I've also spent time catching up with some games and I'm working on some programming projects.
So sorry for the boringness and lameness of updating. I have no crazy adventures and nothing inspiring in the tank either. What I need is something major happen in my life, like a career change or a nice girlfriend. I need something exciting to write about. I have some reviews in the tank, but that's about it.
I would love to do a podcast, but I need a partner to do it with. I have some good ideas for it, but I want someone to do it with me because doing it by myself just isn't as much fun as it sounds. Any takers?
Anyways, I'll try harder to update this thing, but don't expect too much. Until later!
The Allengator
( 1 comment — Leave a comment )
I wish you luck. I'd be way to nervous if I did that.


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Surface temperature measurements: how reliable? Part two
Twelve months ago Counterpoint spoke to Anthony Watts, the ever-active blogger of Watts up with that?. He's been working with a large group of volunteers to locate, examine and evaluate America's climate monitoring stations. His hypothesis was that the data recorded by these monitoring stations was, for a variety of reasons, inaccurate. The paper has now been published and co-author John Nielson-Gammon discusses their results.
- John Nielsen-Gammon
- Texas State Climatologist and a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University.
- Title
- Analysis of the impacts of station exposure on the U.S. Historical Climatology Network temperatures and temperature trends
- Author
- Fall, S., A. Watts, J. Nielsen-Gammon, E. Jones, D. Niyogi, J. Christy, and R.A. Pielke Sr.
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union.
- Homepage
- http://pielkeclimatesci.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/r-3671.pdf
Further Information
- Presenter
- Paul Comrie-Thomson
- Producer
- Ian Coombe


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Makes 4 batches of 14-16 mini muffins or 2 batches of 24 mini muffins
Master Muffin Dry Mix:
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Store in a plastic ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Banana Cinnamon Variation (Wet Mix):
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup plain-whole milk greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup mashed banana
+ one cup master muffin mix
Apple Carrot Variation (Wet Mix):
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup diced apple
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup plain-whole milk greek yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
+ one cup master muffin mix
Preheat the oven to 400*F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
In a bowl, beat together the wet ingredients. Add the master muffin mix and stir until just evenly moistened. The batter will be thick.
To ensure even distribution - use a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean - approximately 13 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool.
Store in an airtight container in fridge for one week and/or seal in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
NOTE: If you are making just one batch of this mix and using a 24 mini muffin cup pan you will have empty cups since a single recipe usually yields approximately 14-16 mini muffins. For each empty cup, fill half way with water as to ensure even cooking for the filled cups and also not to ruin your pan! :)


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Holiday House Agapi Villa
up to 6 guests
3 rooms
3 bedrooms
4 bathrooms
Mountain view
Distance to centre closeby
Distance to Beach 10 km
Proximity to public transport 500 m
Swimming Pool
Washing machine
Balcony / Terrace
Baby cot
Accommodation alert
"Agapi Villa", 4-room villa 120 m2. Very comfortable furnishings: dining room with dining table and air conditioning. Living room with 1 sofabed, open-hearth fireplace, dining table, satellite TV, CD-player, DVD and air conditioning. Exit to the garden, to the swimming pool. 2 double bedrooms, each room with 1 french bed, TV and air conditioning. 1 room with 1 bed and TV. Open kitchen (oven, microwave, grill) with dining table, open-hearth fireplace. Bathroom, bath/WC, bath or shower/WC, bath/shower/bidet/WC. Upper floor: open small office with 1 bed. Wooden floors. Garden. Terrace furniture, barbecue, deck chairs. Very beautiful view of the mountains, the swimming pool and the garden. Facilities: washing machine, safe, iron, mosquito net, hair dryer. Internet (WiFi, free). Reserved parking. Suitable for families. 1039Κ10000012800House/Residence
Episkopi 17 km from Heraklion: Very beautiful villa "Agapi Villa", detached, built in 2004, surrounded by trees. In the centre of Episkopi, in a quiet, sunny position, 8 km from the beach. Private: property 1'000 m2 with flowers and trees, natural garden, swimming pool with privacy (44 m2, 01.04.-31.10.) with internal staircase. Paddling pool, patio, barbecue. In the house: with TV, internet access, WiFi, air conditioning, washing machine, bicycles available. Linen change 2 times per week. Towel change 2 times per week. Room cleaning 2 times per week. Parking on the premises. Shop 500 m, grocery 17 km, supermarket 400 m, shopping centre 16 km, restaurant 8 km, bar 8 km, bakery, café, internet café, bus stop 500 m, sandy beach "Amnissos" 10 km. Marina 16 km. Nearby attractions: Heraklion airport 15 km. Please note: car recommended. Baby equipment on request (included). Suitable for events. Residence with electric gates.
Prior to your departure, you will receive the key collection information for your stay, along with your travel documents.
Location DescriptionGeneral info
Large, famous, historical city with 174'000 inhabitants, in the northern part of the island, directly by the sea, in a central position, 5 km west from Heraklion Intl Airport, 81 km east from Rethymnon, 65 km west from Agios Nikolaos. In the resort: shopping centre, supermarket, shops, grocery, butchery, bakery, boutiques, post office, bank, restaurant, bar, disco, night club, museum, cinema. Besides: pharmacy, doctor. Sights Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Minoan Palace of Knossos 5.4 km, Natural History Museum of Crete 1.8 km.Summer
All watersports available in Ammoudara 6 km. Beach, 1 km long, gently sloping, with beach facilities, suitable for children, 6.8 km from the resort. Sandy beach, 3.5 km long, gently sloping, with beach facilities, suitable for children, 6 km from the resort. Waterpark "WaterCity" in 15 km. Surfing, water skiing. Golf course 18 hole in Crete Golf Club 29 km. Riding in Karteros Equestrian Club 6.5 km.
You can see the location of your accommodation here.
Check availability and book
Click on your desired arrival date in the calendar and select the duration of your stay using the drop down menu. It takes less than two minutes to make your reservation online.
Select arrival date Select departure date
Cost overview
Customer reviews - Holiday House Agapi Villa
- Excellent
- Overall rating 5.0/5
- Overall condition of the property
- Cleanliness overall
- On-site customer service / friendliness
overall result based on 2 reviews
additional costs (if required)


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Okay. Now that you've been all up in my brain with my scaredy-cat feelings and my type-A planning tendencies, I'm sure you'd love to know the ups and downs of working on my recent styled shoot. Below are things that went REALLY WELL, as well as things that I could have done better. As Ben Sasso says, As you improve, we all improve. Community over competition, friends. :)
Things That I Succeeded At:
- The emails to vendors requesting their participation. I felt that they were straightforward, and worded well. Below is my text (feel free to use in part or in whole!):
Hello! My name is Erica Leman, and I own and operate Sweet Alice Photography (www.sweetalicephotography.com). I am reaching out to you to see if you would be interested in participating in a styled bridal photo shoot during the month of February. This would consist of a model, two to three stylists, and I using your space to create beautiful photographs for your use. You would be welcome to use these images for marketing, advertising, and social media. Please let me know your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
- The collaboration. While I had originally envisioned this as being a smaller shoot (simply because I hadn't even considered that this could grow to include the amount of vendors that it did), I was open and welcoming to the philosophy of "the more, the merrier." This is my own personal accomplishment, but it is worth mentioning, as how well you work with your vendors will determine the type of business you attract in the future - both in the types of people and the volume. If you are close-minded, it is safe to say that you will (1) not get many referrals, and (2) if you do get referrals, they may not be the type that you want. I'm not saying that others should be given free reign to take over your shoot, but collaboration, cooperation, and compromise are always good choices in my book.
- Going the extra mile. I overprepared for this - and I'm so happy and proud I did. Everything for this shoot was ready for days in advance. Not only did this pertain to my gear, but also to my studying of poses and educating myself on anything that I thought might be helpful the day of the shoot. Going the extra mile trickled all the way down to my attitude - I was determined to be happy and excited. I didn't get the best night's sleep the night before the session due to not feeling well. I could have let this make me cranky. But I didn't. I, and everyone else, had already put too much effort into this shoot for me to show up with my grumpy pants on.
- The vendor gifts. Although all of us pitched in and volunteered our time and efforts for this shoot, I still felt that everyone deserved to be recognized, and get a little treat on the day of the event. So, what did I do? Traipsed right into Target, bought some mad cute stuff, and created goodie bags full of coffee, granola bars, adorable notepads, and thank you cards with all of the participants' information. This was such an exciting little spark of encouragement to all of the dear ladies who participated. Seeing their faces light up at the sight of an unexpected gift was my favorite part of the day.
- The vendor portraits. I made it a point to take photos of all of the vendors involved. So often, we see the magic in front of the camera, and I wanted to make sure that I captured the magic souls behind the camera. Things like this are important.
Things I Could Have Done Better:
- Adding a coordinator or planner to our vendor team. Did I love planning this alongside our other vendors? Yes. Could I have loved it just as much if turned over to a planner or coordinator. Absolutely yes. Trying to tie up some of the last-minute details was a little more difficult to manage than expected. Did I do it, and was I happy to do it? Yes! But it would have been nice to have a second set of hands.
- Adding a second shooter to our team. As this shoot became so large, I began to worry about what would happen if I was stuck in traffic or caught the flu or twisted my ankle (I have a pretty active and ridiculous imagination). By the time I asked my regular second shooter if she would like to join, she was already booked. I'll be reminding myself to bring her (or another friend!) on board at the start of planning the next time something like this is being created.
- The vendor portraits. Although I loved, loved, loved capturing our darling vendors in their natural state, some of them didn't love that they didn't have makeup on or a cute outfit. I get this. Mental note: next time, heads up on the makeup.
Thanks for taking the time to read my little three-part series on creating a styled shoot. You guys are the best. ::air hug::
Part 1: Feel the Fear
Part 2: So, You Want to Plan a Styled Shoot...
Part 3: As You Learn, We All Learn
Curious about the wonderful people I've bragged on above? All of the amazing vendors who were a part of this day are listed below. You can also find most of them on my Friendors page.
Venue: Basilica Hudson
Hair: Divine Appointment Salon
Makeup: Annaliese & Co
Gowns: Chamonix Bride, featuring Alvina Valenta + Watters
Models: Katie Parent + Emma Woliver
Rings: Zimmer Brothers
Accessories: Chloe + Isabel
Florals: Trapped in the Attic
Rentals: Rustic Robin Boutique Rental and Design + Hudson Valley Ceremonies
Cake: Flour Love
Invitation Design: Down to the Bay Designs


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I never wanted to get married When I was a wee lass I never thought I would get married. I never thought about what kind of dress I would get or what colors I would choose for the day. As a matter of fact, it never really crossed my mind. I was too busy chasing frogs or pretending I was a ninja. I thought weddings were for sissies.
I thought that up until about 2 years ago. And now I am engaged and I have no idea where to start. (I'm now a sissy). It seems like a daunting task to plan a wedding. And it's scary. What if I screw it up and the whole day is just awful. I guess I'd just laugh and deal with it.
Plus, I can't dance. I know this is a dumb thing to be worried about, but I can't. That was just a little too confessional...
Back to my point: I think the first step is to pick a day to have it. Or maybe you're supposed to pick the place first. Holy wedding bells, batman! My friend told me about theknot.com. I went there and was just overwhelmed immediately. I think I need to check it out again when I have a longer time to spend a cup of calming tea in hand.


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A fisherman has found the body of a missing Catholic bishop in River Sanaga in Cameroon floating downstream. Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Balla of the Bafia Diocese in central Cameroon went missing three days ago, leaving his home just before midnight.
The 88-year-old's night watchman said he opened the gate for the bishop, wondering where he was going so late, BBC reports.
Sand diggers found the bishop's abandoned car the next morning on the bridge over River Sanaga, close to Ebebda, a small town west of the capital, Yaoundé.
A suicide note, which said in French "I am in the water", was found in the car. However, investigators are yet to determine if the bishop wrote it and under what circumstances.
A priest in the same Bafia diocese also died two weeks ago. He was found dead in his bedroom. The bishop was said to have been very disturbed by the priest's death.
However, Bishop Samuel Kleda, who is the president of the National Episcopal Conference, said the two deaths were not linked.


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The time has come to reduce the price of Terraform. Terraform is a turn based puzzle/strategy game that was released in April. The launch price was 4.99€ ($6.99) and it's now being reduced to 2.99€ ($3.99).
Since launch Terraform has been received well by the press. For example: Indie Game Magazine gave Terraform a 82/100 score and The IndieMine gave it a 4/5.
Here's the updated launch Trailer:
Keep watching Terraform for a new map pack being released next month. This update will be free and will be sure to have you scratching your head all over again. Or maybe help you out with some tricks for those difficult levels in the story mode.
Visit holgerssonentertainment.com for more info and some freeware games like Fortify and Off-piste.
Thanks for your support!
Holgersson Entertainment


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"Several librarians at UCLA and at least one from Yale University helped UCLA Prof. Miriam Posners' undergraduate Digital Humanities students with research related to their projects this quarter. The projects are now live and gathered together at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113080088824162/permalink/782860195179478/. Take a look: many are arts related and each project is so impressive!"*
Below is a link to a fashion project:
Introducing American Fashion: Examining the Development and Commodification of Style in America http://introducingamericanfashion.com/
*(Posted by Janine J. Henri, Architecture, Design, and Digital Services Librarian at the UCLA Arts Library to the ARLIS listserv)


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Disney's PhotoPass+ changing to Memory Maker
Dec 5, 2013
Beginning Friday, December 6, the MyMagic+ program at Walt Disney World will include the PhotoPass+ system. "Memory Maker" will combine photos taken by a PhotoPass photographer, attraction photos and any of your own photos linked to your My Disney Experience account. Photos will be available the day they were taken and can be accessed for 45 days. Photos can be downloaded an unlimited amount of time during your stay and for 45 days after. Before downloading, guests will have the option of editing the photos or adding specialty borders.
PhotoPass+ will no longer be sold. If you have a current PhotoPass+ reservation, it can be changed to Memory Maker. This can be purchased online, by phone with Disney Reservations or at on-site PhotoPass locations.
Memory Maker can be purchased in advance for $149 and on-site for $199. If it is purchased in advance, any photos taken within 3 days of purchase will not be included.