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CMS after 20 years! (New Advertising Campaign Sneak Peek #1)/
One of the many things I never realized would happen with CMS when we decided to re-brand last year was a serious and clear cut purpose beyond the obvious. Sure, we sell equipment, we manufacture equipment and we fix equipment. And we do it well. Awesome. But what we have also concretely defined is our resposibility for so much more. As a company that manufactures highly engineered pressurized gas-fueled combustion equipment and actively participates in, and benefits from, the funeral and death care profession, we are acutely responsible for the safety of our clients, the safety of our environment, and to the public and its perception of cremation—a desired but so often misunderstood process and we kind of want to brag about this!
One of the ways CMS intends to accomplish this is to feature an entirely new advertising campaign for 2015 that is like nothing we have ever seen before. Sure, ads are designed to sell products and services and we sure hope our new campaign will do that, but we also want to let the world know who we are and what we are about and why we are so darn excited to be a part of what I believe is a complete reestablishment and renewal of the funeral profession. Cremation is exploding and things are changing so fast that it's really a challenge sometimes to keep up. Breaking things down to the basics and re-evaluating exactly what you are doing and why can be the first step to greatness in anything you do!
Sometimes, things just work. There's no reason to 'fix it' or 'improve it'…..unless it actually needs to be fixed or improved.
One of the easiest pitfalls companies fall into in their quest for innovation is to, well, "innovate". Or, perhaps, over-innovate. The easiest way to find 'innovation'? Look at what already exists and change it. The issue here is that that's often not innovation. It's just adding complexity to something simple that has worked just fine. Technology should cultivate progress, period.
We look at improvements in technology not just by the number of features, but by a bunch of other factors. Are we increasing efficiency? Are we reducing time? Are we truly offering an overall improvement? Sometimes, adding a feature results in a product that has an added feature….not a product that truly is a game changer.
Sundials tell time. If you need to know what time it is, you can tell from a sundial, just like our ancestors thousands of years ago. You want precise, exact time? Well, go for a watch. You want fancy, beautiful AND precise time telling? Go for a Rolex.
What we're saying in this ad is that when we develop products, and when we keep products, it's because they work…..and because they work well. We have a fully equipped engineering lab on-site, a working crematory of our own where we test. We may not have a major update each year and we are definitely not churning out new products each year….but we are constantly testing, and developing.
The sundial is our way of honoring this concept, and trying to express that to you in a more artistic way. After all, design is a big component of what we do, too. We believe design should get out of the way—not even be noticed. Just like the sundial, the purpose is to tell the time…..so there's not need for unnecessary elements that would simply play the role of distraction.


text: One of my all time favorite things about being a family photographer is capturing all the moments that Moms and Dads don't get to see themselves. I love capturing the look on a Momma's face as she makes her little one laugh, or a Dad who gets to hold is adorable baby girl. These moments won't last forever and it is my joy to be able to grab just a few of them. This sweet family below is no exception. There little 5 month old bundle could not be more loved. His parents simply adore him. I can't wait to share with you some of those "forever moments" for our time together.

subset: commoncrawl


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13 January
A talk on the artist's need for a model will be held at 12.30pm on Wednesday 26 January at Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill.
Griffin Co, the curator of the exhibition Models and Muses: Women and the artists they inspired, currently on show at the gallery, will examine the view that an artist's need for a model has been a vital element throughout the history of art.
Many artists have said that their creative work has been inspired by an individual whom they refer to as their muse.
Griffin Co said: "This talk aims to shed light on the role of models and muses in paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries."


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Sweet or Spicy?
Quick Quizzes for BFFs
3-5, 6-8
SWEET OR SPICY? contains nine more quizzes to share with three of your closest friends. It also has an all new super-special BFF quiz, just for you and your best friend. A fun way to find out all the juicy details you are afraid to ask about.
SWEET OR SPICY? asks:

* Want to know about all the DRAMA your friends have?

* Want to discover your friends' GROSSEST SECRETS?

* Want to uncover what your friends REALLY think about you?

* Want to hear the most DANGEROUS STUNTS your friends have tried?

Or do you already know all the WILD and WACKY things about your BFFs?

Other Books You Might Like


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Aboard the papal plane bound for Myanmar, Pope Francis briefly greeted the journalists accompanying him on his 21st Apostolic Journey.
He thanked them for their accompaniment and work, which, he said, "always bears fruit".
The Pope also wished them a safe trip and said, "They say it is too hot now [in Myanmar]. I'm sorry, but may it be fruitful nonetheless."


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Mobile Web Lecture At Berkeley
I was given the opportunity to give a lecture to a group of Berkeley students in November 2013:
- Audience: small group of 40 grad students
- Speakers: Jon Madden and I spoke, one hour each
- Context: guest speaker in Jim Blomo's WEBARCH253
- Subject: the Mobile Web
- Slides: go read'em!
The experience was fantastic. I was nervous at first but it went better than I expected. You can find the slides and some code samples for this class online: It's all on my personal Github!


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In the National Post, a Canadian national newspaper, columnist George Jonas writes quite a peculiar article defending the legality of abortion. In...
Live Action News publishes pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective. Learn More
Finley's parents are grateful abortion pill reversal saved their little girl
This viral video is changing minds about abortion
10 reasons abortion is not the answer


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What You'll Learn…
- What brought Seattle's Strategic Advisor on Urban Planning and Policy, Brennon Staley, to Seattle and what his job entails.
- How Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development is working to address some of the city's biggest issues, including parking accessibility and housing affordability.
- Staley's thoughts on the comparison/contrast between Seattle and San Francisco and how San Francisco represents what could go wrong in Seattle's future.
- Staley's thoughts on supporting Seattle's small businesses, what Seattle center will look like 10 years from now, and more, plus his greatest hope and fear for the city moving forward.
Being born in Rochester, New York, and having lived in Boston for a number of years, Brennon Staley knows quite a bit about change in a big city. In 2004, Staley moved to Seattle to attend graduate school and instantly recognized the vast differences between the city's openness to change and Boston's tradition of "this is the way it's been forever." He notes that many of the people who make decisions in Boston have been there for a very long time, fostering an area that appears adverse to the whole idea of change and growth. With Seattle's wealth of opportunities and flexibility to different ideals, Staley knew that this was the area he wanted to plan in. He interned with the city of Seattle while in grad school and soon moved into various planning capacities, eventually leading to his current position as a strategic planner with the Office of Planning and Community Development.
The Office of Planning and Community Development consists of 25 individuals who focus on all manner of current city issues. Staley himself has worked primarily on the policy surrounding what new developments should contribute to improve Seattle's system as it grows. Overall, Staley is very proud of the work Seattle has accomplished so far, including its move toward a new transportation system. However, he also understands that there is a lot of work yet to be done and his goal (and the goal of his department) is to find the balance between each part of the puzzle.
One crucial piece that Staley knows many Seattle residents want answers on is parking, as there is very limited parking available in the city as it is. While he acknowledges the desire for more parking, he also notes that to build more parking would go against the overall environmental and transportation goals of the city (encouraging people to use their cars would increase carbon emissions, etc.). The current model planners are reaching for is one where cars would not be necessary downtown, especially with the transit system and increasing prevalence of bike-shares. Phil and Tyler bring up to Staley the possibility of Seattle eventually growing to be like New York, to which Staley responds that while he feels that Seattle will experience significant growth over the next 20 years, it will never be to the level of such a large city.
Staley prefers to look at growth in 20-year periods and focus on how the city can build better systems to react to such growth (systems like buildings, transportation, parks, etc.) and make Seattle a growing but livable city. One of the factors that plays into Seattle's livability is affordable housing. Staley notes that some taxes already indirectly impact affordable housing opportunities in the area; however, his biggest focus is on a program that the city has in place called "Mandatory Housing Affordability." This program ensures that new commercial and multi-family developments are required to directly contribute to affordable housing, either through building on-site opportunities or contributing to a non-profit fund to build off-site. While many developers are mixed on this, Staley hopes that the incentives they have in place (such as the ability to build taller and an increase in new development capacity) will be enough to strike a healthy balance.
Though Staley is hopeful for the affordable housing program and looks forward to watching Seattle grow, he is aware of the rumblings in the city regarding the modernization of certain older neighborhoods. He notes that the city as a whole has never tried to pick winners or losers in terms of architectural style, but does struggle at times to find a balance, as some buildings with great architectural character are being preserved, while others are being torn down and rebuilt bigger and more modern. It is Staley's understanding that it is not necessarily the more modern home that community members don't appreciate; it's the larger home (larger homes take up too much space and take away from the character of the neighborhood, in the opinion of some community members). Many of Seattle's neighborhoods now fall into more of an eclectic camp, with a mixture of large, modern homes, and more small, historical homes. Staley personally loves the eclectic look, but certainly understands the discontent others may feel.
Many of Seattle's living spaces are zoned as single-family and Staley guarantees that this will not be going away any time soon. However, he does reiterate the need for flexibility and the focus on making these areas more livable as they continue to grow (an example of this is the recent project on Mercer and the South Lake Union rezone). Overall, Staley's goal is that the city of Seattle remains open and flexible enough to the changes in the coming years that it doesn't go the way of San Francisco. Both San Francisco and Seattle, as Staley notes, are cities of neighborhoods. Unfortunately, San Francisco has decided to place a disproportionate amount of focus on protecting its neighborhoods, leading to an exorbitant cost of living. Seattle, on the other hand, appears much more open, understanding that while its neighborhoods may not always stay the same, the changes that will be brought to the city will be much more positive than negative. Hopefully this attitude continues in the coming years, for if Seattle feels unaffordable right now, San Francisco proves that it can get much, much worse.
As growth continues in the coming years, Staley has some advice for those who wish to support the small businesses that call Seattle home. He asks residents to think of their neighborhood centers as the epicenter of their trips and to continue to support these businesses they love so much (especially as online shopping becomes more prevalent). On Staley's end, the city hopes to support this through the creation of new spaces for new businesses, thus creating and preserving many of Seattle's vibrant local neighborhood districts. He also notes other projects in the works, such as an elementary school in downtown Seattle and the sprucing up of the edges and transportation around Seattle center in the next 10 years.
All in all, Staley loves the work he is doing in Seattle right now. He is extremely proud of the efforts the city has made in terms of housing affordability and its ethic of inclusion. His biggest hope is that Seattle may continue in these efforts to grow and improve as the city's population increases, paving its own way instead of becoming another San Francisco. As long as Staley and his group remain committed to the goals they've set, there's no question that Seattle's future looks bright indeed.
About the Interviewee
Brennon Staley is the Strategic Advisor on Urban Planning and Policy for Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development. He earned his graduate degree from the University of Washington and has been living in Seattle since 2004. He currently resides in the High Point neighborhood. You can connect with Staley on LinkedIn.


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Co.OfWomen learning and laughing
'I was blown away by the first Co.OfWomen event I attended. It was the annual inductions into the NZ Hall of Fame for Woman Entrepreneurs. The business advice that Diane Foreman, Trelise Cooper and Ranjna Patel imparted in their eloquent overviews of their lives and businesses would have been priceless to anyone in business.'
Article by New Zealand Herald, Auckland.


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Hessian Bag
DescriptionHessian Bag branded with the Pendleside Hospice logo in blue.
See also
Green Cotton Shopper
Green Cotton Shopping Bag
- £1.99
Pink Cotton Shopper
Pink Cotton Shopper
- £1.99
Teal Cotton Shopper
Teal Cotton Shopper
- £1.99
Postage and packaging for all orders
Postage costs are calculated at checkout based on the total order.
Delivery is by Royal Mail second class post.
We aim to dispatch all items within 7 days of receipt of order. If you require items sooner or would like to avoid P&P costs by collecting your order from Pendleside Hospice reception please telephone us on 01282 440120 and place your order over the phone.


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Privacy Policy
The Store Room Gorey collects e-mail addresses of people who send us e-mails. We also collect information on what pages users access and information provided to us by users via surveys and site registrations. Such information may contain personal data about you including your address, phone numbers, credit card numbers etc. The Store Room protects credit card information according to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS). We are not allowed to disclose such personal information without your written permission. However, certain information collected from you and about you is used within the context of providing our services to you. The information we collect is not shared with, sold or rented to others except under certain circumstances and which your use of the Service is deemed to provide to us a valid consent to disclose the following:
- The Store Room Gorey may share personal information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of The Store Room's Gorey's terms of use, or as otherwise required by law.
- The Store Room Gorey employs other companies to perform tasks on our behalf and may need to share your information with them to provide products and services to you. The Store Room Gorey may also share your information to provide products or services you've requested or when we have your permission.
- We will transfer information about you if The Store Room Gorey is acquired by or merged with another company. In this event, The Store Room Gorey will notify you by email or by putting a prominent notice on The Store Room Gorey web site before information about you is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
Everyday language summaries are provided for your benefit and are not legally binding. Please read the Terms of Service for the complete picture of your legal requirements.


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Press Advisory: House Judiciary Committee Presents Comprehensive, Bipartisan Public Safety Package
Santa Fe, NM - Today, a bipartisan, comprehensive public safety package will be presented in the House Judiciary Committee. The package includes bills sponsored by Reps. Elizabeth "Liz" Thomson (D-Albuquerque), Antonio "Moe" Maestas (D-Albuquerque), Daymon Ely (D-Corrales), Nate Gentry (R-Albuquerque), and David E. Adkins (R-Albuquerque).
WHAT: Comprehensive, Bipartisan Safety Package
WHERE: House Judiciary Committee Hearing, Room 309
WHEN: Immediately Following Floor Session
This package is a bipartisan effort to keep our communities safe with a comprehensive approach to address New Mexico's crime crisis.
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text:
Click on the brand below for further information
Bidvest Steiner provides a range of health and hygiene services from washroom accessory rentals to deep cleaning, dust control as well as hygiene, cleaning and office consumables. Steiner clientele spans a range of industries and sectors, from industrial to mining, manufacturing to retail, healthcare to hospitality and finance. Pest control services enhance the Steiner bundle of services.
Bidvest Prestige is the largest leading specialist of world-class outsourced solutions in Southern Africa and Mauritius, with a professional and skilled workforce of approximately 48 000. The company specialises in contract cleaning, specialised cleaning, training, events staffing, healthcare careworkers and mobile toilet hire. This is achieved through the coordination of multiple work streams, people management processes and integrated delivery systems. The companies under the Bidvest Prestige Group are Bidvest Prestige Cleaning, Bidvest Events, Bidvest Edge and Bidvest Toilet Hire.
Bidvest Catering Services is an award-winning, specialist outsourced catering company. Experienced in various projects, Bidvest Catering Services provide services for clients including but not limited to the following: a cafe solution for businesses without kitchens; restaurant and canteen services; bar services, trolley services, executive dining and mass catering services.
Bidvest Facilities Management offers integrated facilities management and property strategy in support of their clients core businesses. At Bidvest Facilities Management, facilities and equipment are their concern and they offer optimal value to businesses is what we do best. The total integrated facilities management solutions include facilities solutions, engineering maintenance, comprehensive property management and professional services.
Bidvest Protea Coin provides an integrated and holistic security service that is tailored to the specific needs and requirements of its customers. Bidvest Protea Coin serves corporate, financial and tertiary institutions, retail, mining and industrial sectors, residential estates and national key points. The services provided are aviation security, canine and equestrian security, cargo protection, close protection, guarding, estate protection, fencing solutions, gaming security, international security, mining security, monitoring and reaction services, retail security, special operations and technical security solutions.
ClickOn Communications specializes in the design and implementation of electronic visitor and resident access control systems to and from closed communities. All our products are designed and manufactured in-house giving us the winning edge in an everchanging market. Our success is contributed to the dedication of our Management Team, Engineers, Sales and Maintenance staff that work for the company, this winning formula enables us to adapt quickly to our customers and market requirements.
Bidtrack offers next generation vehicle tracking and fleet management technologies to give your family and assets the best protection possible. True satellite coverage and a nationwide network of over 7 000 GSM towers covering over one million square kilometres facilitates constant two-way communication between Bidtrack devices and its 24-hour control centre. Dedicated and elite recovery teams with nationwide helicopter support are on 24-hour standby for any emergency.
Global Payment Technologies (GPT) offers transaction and cash-processing solutions to the banking, gaming and retail sectors and is a distributor of leading brands of cash-handling equipment.
Bidvest Vericon handles outsourcing of warehouse and distribution management. Vericon projects provide lifting equipment operations and specialised project beams.
Bidvest Velocity is a division of the Bidvest TMS Group. Bidvest Velocity uses fully legally compliant patching equipment and makes use of high-velocity technology to instantly repair potholes and other road surface defects.
King Pie products are known for their quality, taste, wholesomeness and value pricing. King Pie is without a doubt the biggest and most successful pie franchise with over 280 outlets in South Africa and African countries like Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Ghana and Zambia.
Bidvest Laundry Group has been leading the industry in total laundry solutions. Boston launderers take care of the laundry needs of the healthcare, hospitality and corporate world from uniforms to bedroom and table linen and mat rental. Montana Laundries offer on-premise laundry solutions as well as the supply and maintenance of industrial laundry equipment. First Garment Rental provide workwear rental solutions to all types of industries.
BidAir Services currently provides quality handling services, passenger handling, ramp handling, load control and operations, cleaning, and toilet and water services, to more than 25 international and domestic airlines flying into South Africa. In order to make travelling a seamless an d convenient experience, BidAir Services has introduced Bidvest Flythru, a reliable and efficient airport meet and greet service at the busiest Airports in South Africa, being OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport.
BidAir Cargo provides comprehensive cargo handling services as well as cargo outsourcing product that has been adopted by a number of domestic and regional airlines. Bidair Cargo also offers the PetLounge, a specialist travel facility dedicated to caring for the comfort and safety of pets traveling by air.
Bidvest Premier Lounge is the only commercial airport lounge brand with a truly national representation. They are the oasis of comfort, relaxation and pleasure for passangers at the airport.
BidTravel provides travel management services to corporate and leisure clients through its extensive local, regional and international networks.
mymarket.com is an e-procurement solutions provider, delivering innovative solutions to industry using world-class processes and technologies.
Bidvest Media is an integrated sports marketing memorabilia, events company and sponsorship agency. MSCSPORTS services include, sports marketing and sponsorship sales; sponsorship and events activation and athlete management.
Bidvest Execuflora specialises in design, installation and maintenance of indoor plants, pots, green walls and canvas picture rentals.
Hotel Amenities Suppliers have been supplying the local South African market for over 20 years and remains the largest amenities company in South Africa.
Bidvest Steripic & Promo Sachets: Steripic has become the market leader in quality wrapped toothpicks in South Africa and services both the retail and catering markets. Promo Sachets is the largest liquid sachet contract packer in South Africa.
Bidvest Masterguard specialises in the protection and treatment of all fabrics, leather and wood. Bidvest Masterguard supplies a full range of products to protect, keep and safeguard furniture, leather, household appliances and wooden furniture against a full variety of stains and UV sun rays.
Pureau Fresh Water Company provides purified water solutions to businesses and homes across South Africa in the form of water bottles or through water coolers. Pureau has also extended their product offering to include coffee and have partnered with the best brands in South Africa and the world to offer outstanding coffee through a vast choice of one touch and vending coffee machines.
Aquazania supplies a range of bottled water coolers and plumbed in water dispensers (bottleless water coolers) to a wide variety of customers including offices, homes, restaurants, showrooms, reception areas, car dealerships and many more. All our water for our bottled water coolers and small water bottles is purified and bottled in our state-of-the-art bottling and purification plant and delivered direct to our customers doors.
Bidvest Top Turf provides contracting, maintenance and irrigation landscaping services to the commercial, hospitality, industrial, residential estate, sports and golf course markets.
NOONAN is a leading provider of strategic outsourcing which operates across its targeted geographic markets of the UK and Ireland. We design and deliver services and solutions for many of the world's largest and most prestigious organizations and we are highly experienced in delivering large and complex facilities management outsourcing projects. We are recognized experts in first generation outsourcing and provision of services to quality critical environments and sectors with unique challenges such as Life Sciences, Retail, Healthcare, Education and Police & Justice.
Chief executive: Alan Fainman
Financial director: Trevor Scruse
Transformation executive: Rebecca Zaire
Tel: +27 (11) 519 8430
Email: email@example.com
Contact us address:
Building 3'
Tuscany Office Park'
Coombe Place'


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At one time all human health points have been handled with herbals and pure medicines. Lower than 100 years in the past, ALL well being treatments originated from what is now referred to as 'different medicine' or natural and natural treatments. And these are essentially the most controversial issues, the penalty and subsidies, however in my view required. In observe its arduous to avoid adverse choice, and other people are inclined to low cost the future an excessive amount of, making them optimistic about their well being outcomes, so a steep penalty while theoretically not one of the best ways to go about it, in practice I consider it to be the simplest way.
Ruchira~ Excellent point. The health of our livestock and food provide is instantly associated to our health and effectively-being. Having even a smidgen of control in this area makes me a happy free-vary egg-eating gal! Hi Fatima Sana Ahmad! Thank you for the evaluate. We will take this as a suggestion and might be submitting your overview to our development team for future reference. Thanks.
The result of your current cancer diagnosis is rarely the top of life. I am completely satisfied this was detected early, certain you will quickly get over it. Additionally, I've been getting my blood work executed each time I want for many years via Life Extension (). It is rather affordable priced. You can complete the shape online, pay with a credit card, and they will ship the request to your closest Quest or LabCorp Lab. the place you go to have your blood drawn. Results are despatched to you by e mail.
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As such, typical notions of momentum haven't any place on this course of. Majority Leader McConnell is aware of that solely the ultimate vote matters. He is willing, certainly keen, to lose as many preliminary votes as his senators need. The initial amendment offered Tuesday night time – without any effort to deal with Byrd Rule violations that made it require sixty votes to cross – was obviously not supposed to succeed: it was merely an early alternative for Republicans to vote no" and perhaps give false reassurance to constituents. Many extra such votes can be anticipated alongside the way.


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College radio stations going off the air
Student-run radio stations may be at risk of losing their airwaves as FM signals get sold off and stations are exiled to an online-only existence.
The last few years have seen several student-run radio stations shut down or sold, including Illinois-based Augustana College's KAUR, which was initially slated to go online-only last May. But by September, the school had abandoned any idea to keep a station run by students and had put the station under control of Minnesota Public Radio. This year, two student-run stations have become what might be an increasing trend as they fight to keep their signals from getting sold off. For Houston-based Rice University's KTRU-FM, it may already be too late.
KTRU's student staff was shocked when they found out their school's administration was looking to sell its signal several months ago. Since then, students appealed to the media for support and launched a "Save KTRU" website. Despite this, the school administration already finalized agreements to sell the station's FM signal to the University of Houston and filed a petition to transfer the license with the FCC. KTRU station manager Joey Yang said the students will also file a petition to deny, and they hope that if the FCC sides with them, they will continue to operate normally. Otherwise, they will be kissing the airwaves goodbye.
According to Yang, the school's administration decided to sell the signal because it believed the FCC license is a declining asset and radio is eventually going the way of online. "DJing for an Internet radio station is not quite the same thing as DJing over the air," Yang said. "We don't have that inherent sense of locality that you would on the air." Indeed, the station's big draw is it broadcasts all over Houston, noted Yang.
"For the immediate and near future, FM is still the most important form of radio," he said. "I think we're a long ways off to where Internet radio is truly viable, to where HD is truly viable. Until those both become more widespread, FM has to still be the most important broadcasting medium for radio."
Much like the Rice University administration, Vanderbilt University's Student Communications (VSC) department also believes radio is dying, noted Mallie Froehlich, a DJ for the student-run station, WRVU. "They believe is it best to sell while there is still value in the signal," she said in an e-mail interview. Also like KTRU, WRVU staff appealed to the public and school via a website aimed at saving the station. For now, the VSC told the staff it will not entertain any serious offers until after Jan. 13.
Were the station's signal to eventually sell, Froehlich said it would do more harm than good. "The majority of our listeners are people in the community as opposed to Vandy students. Most people tend to listen in their cars. Very few Vandy students go online to listen. We would lose a large base of supporters if we went strictly online," she said. "Unfortunately, I do see this as a possible trend for college radio. There is a common thought that radio in general is a dying art, and we may be the first to go." Not only would the loss of the station strip the students of their connection with the greater community, but it would also, according to Froehlich, deny students a great opportunity to run a functioning radio station that isn't simulated.
Running an online station, however, may be a valuable learning opportunity for students poised to enter an increasingly online world, noted Robert Unmacht, partner with iN3 Partners Inc. and a veteran industry observer. "Theoretically, you are probably learning a better skill set when it comes to where the future is," he said. "Radio hasn't been in hiring mode in the last five years – a lot of college stations are running automated; I don't see there's that great a career path going into old fashioned AM and FM. It's a world that has changed." He believes eventually all radio is going to end up on the Web, with more penetration into cars and phones, he noted.
In the case of stations like Vanderbilt's WRVU, which serves not only the school but the Nashville area, it doesn't make sense to ditch the signal at the moment, he noted. "By the time you get to become a full-powered station, you're giving up quite a bit – which is a full-market station," Unmacht said. But the media world is quickly transforming. "We see television changing very rapidly, which means radio isn't going to be too far behind it."
— Katrina M. Mendolera
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December 6, 2018
December 6, 2018
Breakdown in Barstow
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(Unforgettable feelings)
Season 2
Episode 8
A Story Written By Noblequeen :
… Nath's dad shouted in annoyance thus drawing the attention of
his wife who came running out to meet him…
Bright cried the more immediately Mrs Edwards entered the sitting
room and rushed to sit beside her, looking confusingly from her
husband to her.
"Honey, what's going on here?" She asked as she placed her hand
across Bright's shoulder.
"Your son wants to bring shame to me and I will never let that
happen," the husband shouted.
"Please calm down, you're getting too upset, remember he's your
son," the wife pleaded further.
"And he will cease to be my son if he ever defies my orders." the
husband shouted again and turned to Bright. "Who is the girl?" he
asked as his chest heaved in anger.
"Gold Daniels sir," Bright replied and cleaned her eyes.
"What!" Mrs Edwards exclaimed. "I hope she isn't the daughter of
the most renowned Mr Daniels?" she asked.
"She's the one ma," came the reply.
"Jesus!" Nath's mum said in shock. "Impossible!"
"I can't believe my own son would stoop so low to fall inlove let
alone fight for my enemy's daughter, impossible!" Nath's dad said
and stood up, then turned to the wife, "Call Nath immediately, tell
him to come home this weekend, we must go and finalize his
marriage rites before something terrible happens," he added and
with that, he climbed upstairs and headed to his room.
"How can Nath do such a thing, this is unlike him," Mrs Edwards
soliloquized and pulled Bright closer to herself, "It's alright my
dear, just believe Nath loves you, I will call him immediately," She
said soothingly…
Nath lay on the mattress as he stared at the ceiling thinking about
the earlier events of the day. He smiled quietly to himself as he
remembered the romantic moment he had shared with Gold. "I
hope and pray moments like that comes again," he prayed
He was still in deep thoughts when the ringing of his phone
startled him, thus bringing him out of his reverie.
Nath's smile widened as he picked up his phone from the bedside
stool, "Mum!" he whispered and clicked on the receiver. "Hello
sweetest mum!" he called excitedly.
"What's this I'm hearing," his mum asked from the other end
without bothering to reply to his greetings.
Nath was baffled. His mum never spoke to him in that manner
before. "Mum! What's going on, Is dad alright?" he asked.
"No, he's not alright, how can you stoop so low to fight for the
daughter of your father's enemy?"
"But mum, I don't understand you a bit," he complained.
"They girl you fought for is the daughter to our family enemy,"
the mum shouted over the phone.
Nath became more surprised, "How mum, dad has never talked
about having any enemy and besides even if the girl I fought for is
the daughter of an enemy as claimed, that doesn't mean we both
should become enemies too," he said trying to be calm.
"Nonsense!" his mum barked. "You are asked by your father to
come home this weekend," she said and ended the call.
"Why mum, listen, I love her mum," Nath pleaded. "Hello, hello,
mum…" he called but the line was dead. "Shit!" he cursed under
his breath, threw the phone on the bed and placed his head in his
Minutes later, Ken walked into the room with their cloths which he
had gone outside to unhang to meet Nath in a bad mood. "Guy
whatsup, why the frowned face?" he asked as he walked and
dropped the cloths on the mattress, then cleaned the tiny beads of
sweat which had formed on his forehead.
"Mum just called!" Nath swallowed.
Ken chuckled, "So! You're supppsed to be happy na," he said and
sat down.
"Yes but she said I fought for Gold, claiming that Gold is the
daughter of our family enemy and that Dad needs me home by
weekend," he explained.
"Yehpa!" Ken's eyes widened. "This is bad o but how come na?"
Nath shrugged, "Maybe Bright told them, you know she works on
the internet and the news of the fight must have been posted
"Hei! Yawa don gas, Nath na hot oil you enter so," Ken shook his
head negatively…
Kayla, Nath's sister lay on the bed under her duvet, staring at the
ceiling. She had just finished speaking with her mum on the
phone and looked very worried.
"I knew it would inevitably come to this, why can't Dad just break
whatsoever covenant he had with Bright's dad and let my cute
brother be," she thought, then shook her head negatively. "No, I
will never support dad and mum coz I can't bear to see Nath get
hurt, atleast not now that he claims to be in love," She said and
turned to lie on her side…
To be continued


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Author Archives: markbaildon
A new vision of 21st century education
Rethinking education for the 21st century means challenging the corporatist values and practices that are increasingly dominating schooling, especially the elitist schools that boast of being among the finest educational institutions in the world. These schools typically focus on desired … Continue reading
What is to be done?
As I wrote in the last post, neoliberal market values, modernist assumptions, and government efforts to rationalize, standardize, measure, and control educational practice in the name of accountability significantly limit the ways we view and engage in educational practice at … Continue reading
Old Wine in New Bottles?
James and I recently presented at a conference where 21st century education guru Tony Wagner was one of the keynote speakers. Wagner talks about the need to transform education for the 21st century and highlights seven survival skills schools should … Continue reading
Is It Real?
In an age of doctored photos and videos, it's a wonder we trust any visual image. Yet, we continue to place great trust in photos as representations of reality. Like eyewitness accounts, videos and photos seem to claim a direct … Continue reading
Guest Post by Brady Baildon: Dealing with the Tsunami of Information
In light of recent major news events, it is evident that we are on the cusp of a paradigm shift in how news is both reported and received. In her recent New York Times article, Maureen Dowd describes how we … Continue reading
On Being Reflexive Readers and Thinkers
We all are biased. To make matters worse, we are largely unaware of our biases and the ways our prior attitudes and beliefs shape our reasoning. The political psychologists, Charles Taber and Milton Lodge, call this motivated reasoning. It means … Continue reading
In our book, Social Studies as New Literacies in a Global Society, we introduced two metaphors – excavation and elevation – that we thought were useful for using inquiry in classrooms. When working with information sources or texts of any … Continue reading


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Building Jobs4Colorado coalition is broad coalition of construction design professionals, general
contractors, sub-contractors, sub-sub- contractors and owner organizations across Colorado. BJ4C
members represent over 4,500 companies, including over 1,500 sub-contractors representing tens of
thousands of Colorado citizens. BJ4C represents more than 90% of the Colorado construction industry.
Building Jobs4Colorado was founded in late 2008 in an effort to build a coalition around payment reform
and construction industry issues. BJ4C is committed to working with industry stakeholders to preserve and
build construction and design jobs in Colorado.
BJ4C has continued to develop to enhance awareness of the construction and design communities by:
collaborating and taking positions on legislative issues and executing strategies, collaborating on candidate
interviews, hosting an annual legislative reception, outreach and communications with the interested
parties, stakeholders and partners.
Building Jobs is the leading voice of construction and design industry at the Colorado state Capitol
— To learn more about BJ4C priorities please contact the member organization which fits your industry below or contact us here.
BJ4C Initiatives:
- Construction Defects Litigation Reform
- Legislative Payment Reform
- Collaboration on Legislation and Lobbying Efforts
- Annual Construction Industry Legislative Reception
- Denver City & County – established quarterly meetings with Denver to enhance communication regarding public works, projects, payment issues, electronic billing, sales & use tax issues, best practices, etc.
- Coordinated Candidate Interviews
- Candidate Reception for Candidates with Multiple Endorsements
- Outreach to Public and Private entities to improve payment practices and increase construction job growth in Colorado
Building Jobs4Colorado coalition is broad coalition of construction design professionals, general contractors, sub-contractors, sub-sub- contractors and owner organizations across Colorado.
Current BJ4C Steering Committee Members:
*BJ4C Steering Committee members make a financial contribution and play an integral role in BJ4C decisions & initiatives
- American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado (ACEC Colorado)
- American Subcontractor Association of Colorado (ASAC)
- Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC)
- Associated General Contractors (AGC)
- Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC)
- Colorado Association of Home Builders (CAHB)
- Colorado Association of Mechanical & Plumbing Contractors (CAMP)
- Colorado BUILDS
- Colorado Contractors Association (CCA)
- Hispanic Contractors of Colorado (HCC)
- Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM)
- National Electrical Contractors Association - NECA Rocky Mountain
- National Electrical Contractors Association – NECA Southern Colorado
- Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA)
BJ4C Ex-officio & Participating Organizations:
- Building Owners & Management (BOMA Denver) ex-officio
- NAIOP ex-officio
- Various individual construction companies


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It's at this time of year when National Trust gardens really come into their own, the flowers, the trees and the wildlife.
Our local garden Sheffield Park is simply stunning, they have the most beautiful waterlilies filling the ponds. Mix this with the wonderful rhododendrons their really isn't a better sight at this time of the year.
Hope you all have a good Sunday and I look forward to seeing all photos.
Please tag the following accounts Instagram posts (@Photalife) Facebook Posts (Photalife) and Tweet me (@Photalife). Also give the MySundayPhoto Instagram account a follow too.
Again thank you very much and please feel free to add the badge to the post.
Recently I have noticed that some non-photo related posts are being added to the linky. Although these are great posts they are not in keeping with the theme of the linky therefore any reviews, recipes or posts with 5+ photos will be removed.


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What are BioSolar Roofs and How Do They Benefit?August 1, 2017
Guest blog post from Hosta Consulting. Image credit: Dusty Gedge.
Combining solar panels with green roofs can bring some amazing benefits. These 'Biosolar' roofs bring together the energy-generating capability of solar PV arrays and the water-storing, habitat creating benefits of green roof systems.
Ironically, on long, hot, summer days, solar PV panels can actually become less efficient; temperature plays an important part in their efficiency. Some reports suggest heat can reduce output efficiency by as much as 10-25% in certain cases. Research has shown that compared to flat un-vegetated gravel roofs, green roofs can be up to 21ºc cooler (Kaiser 1981), clearly providing some benefits for PV arrays.
Additionally, as the solar PV panels create shading on the roof surface, new habitats are created allowing a large range of species to be utilised on the roof, bringing ecological benefits. Three different micro-habitats can be created; the first one ideal for growing sedum, the second is a more moist area, as the PV panels shed water onto the green roof when it rains, and the third is the dry shade where the panels cover the green roof. Each of these areas can be used to attract an abundance of wildlife that would not otherwise be a part of the city or region.
There are additional technical advantages to Biosolar roofs; due to the integrated nature of the two systems, the green roof system can be used as ballast for the PV panels, meaning that they can be fixed to the roof without any risk of penetrating waterproof membranes or the structure of the roof itself.
Installation of green roofs increases the lifetime of roof surfaces protecting them from UV and other environmental damage. As the green roof is a living system it is a lot easier to maintain without disrupting energy generation when the roof system requires maintenance, simply replanting, or sowing seeds around the panels.
Biosolar roofs provide an opportunity to maximise roof spaces to generate electricity, increase the lifetime of the roof, and with thoughtful planting, provide a habitat for urban flora and fauna essential for future healthy cities.
Categorised in: EvoEnergy News


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1 Samuel 3:1–20 | John 1:43–51
Ben Dillon
Here we find ourselves in the second week of Epiphany, as we continue to reflect together about the meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Israel's Messiah, the Christ, the one God anointed to restore God's chosen people.
But as Jeremy reminded us last week, Epiphany is also marked by surprise. Our God, after all, is a God of surprises. And one great surprise of Epiphany is that this messiah turns out not to be just a prophet, or a priest, or a miracle-worker, or a teacher—though he is all of these things. This messiah, for whom Israel had waited for centuries, turns out to be the actual presence of God. This is not just God's representative, who stands between us and God. No, this is God, the one who made the heavens and the earth, and Christmas means that this God is now living a completely human life as a first-century Palestinian Jew. Indeed, to Nathanael's great surprise, as a Jew from Nazareth, of all places.[1]
The other surprise—though less paradoxical than the mysterious claim that this human being is at the same time God—is no less surprising. This is surprising news that Israel's messiah comes not just to restore Israel's covenantal relationship with God, but also invites the goyim, the Gentiles, into the same kind of relationship. Those who were far from Israel's God are now invited to draw close.[2] Those who were no people are now God's people.
For most of us here, this great surprise of Epiphany means that though we were not born into God's covenant with Abraham's descendants, we are nevertheless now reconciled with God in the new covenant of Jesus Christ. The division between Jew and Gentile has been abolished, and all are called to draw near to God.[3]
And in our attempt to figure out what it means for us today to experience this Epiphany—this greatest of all God's surprises—we turn to stories from Israel's history. Just as the magi in last week's story—our fellow gentiles—had to go to Jerusalem to understand why the stars were leading them to Bethlehem, so we turn to Israel's scriptures to understand what this God is like, how this God acts.[4] This God who consistently surprises us by showing up in unexpected ways.
The story of "the boy Samuel" begins with a stark claim that may surprise us: "The word of the Lord was rare in those days." To this, the narrator adds: "There were not many visions" (3:1). Indeed, as we quickly discover, the Lord is about the last person anyone in this story—including Samuel—expects to hear from.
But this is a bit strange, right? After all, Samuel is in the tabernacle, precisely where we should expect God's voice to be heard. Where we'd expect people to recognize God when God speaks—to know what God sounds like. Remember that just 200 years earlier, God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and into the wilderness, where they wandered for 40 years before entering the promised land. There in the wilderness, God gave Moses detailed instructions for building the tabernacle—a tent that was to be God's dwelling place on earth. "You shall make for me a sanctuary, and I shall dwell among you. There I will meet with you…. I will speak with you about all that I command for the people of Israel."[5]
When Moses died, Joshua led the people into the promised land, and brought the tabernacle, with the ark of the covenant inside, to a town called Shiloh. This was the center of Israelite religion in those days. This was where priests prayed on behalf of the people, where sacrifices were offered, where people went to be near God, to listen for God's voice. And this is where we find Samuel. It's surprising, then, that though Samuel finds himself at the very heart of the Israelite religion—sleeping next to the ark of the covenant itself—God remains a stranger to him. Samuel has surely heard about the Lord his entire life, but he's never heard from the Lord (3:7).
But if you've read the preceding chapter, you might not be so surprised that God had become a stranger to the tabernacle. You see, there are four characters who live there. First, there is Eli, the elderly, mostly blind priest, the chief religious leader in Israel. Then there is Samuel, a young boy who was sent as a toddler by his mother Hannah to live in the tabernacle, and who now assists Eli in his work there. So far, so good. But there are also Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They are also priests. But the narrator describes them as scoundrels. Worthless men who paid no attention to the Lord.[6]
When God gave Moses instructions about the tabernacle, God also told the people to bring gifts and sacrifices—cakes, breads, and animals—on special occasions to demonstrate their gratitude or repentance. Many of these gifts were to be burnt up on the altar. God permitted the priests to eat some of the food, but only after it had been properly consecrated to God.[7] The point of the sacrifices, after all, wasn't to honor the priests, but to honor God. The priests were simply fellow worshipers whose task it was to convey these gifts to God.
But Eli's sons were stealing the gifts and sacrifices from the worshippers, refusing to put them on the altar. Instead, they took the best part of the sacrifices for themselves, and offered what was left over to God, thus robbing both the worshippers and God.[8] Instead of serving as mediators between their community and God, they became parasites, sticking themselves in between God and God's people, sucking the life from that relationship, becoming rich and comfortable through the work of others. And as if that weren't bad enough, they were widely known for abusing their power by pressuring the women who came there to worship into having sex with them.[9]
And Eli, though he was apparently not doing these things himself, was nonetheless culpable. He allowed this to happen by turning a blind eye to his sons' behavior. He found it easier to look away than to face the difficult, painful task of confronting them. He cared more about his sons' comfort than about the women he was supposed to protect.[10] Is it any wonder, then, that the word of the Lord was rare in those days?
In some ways, Samuel's world feels exotic, a world of animal sacrifices and oil lamps,
a world in which mothers send away their firstborn toddlers to live in a giant tent, sleeping next to a wooden box containing the ten commandments, a staff that once turned into a snake, and a golden jar of manna.[11] No matter how strange your childhood might have been, this is surely stranger than that.
But in another sense, this sounds a lot like our world. A world dominated by corrupt religious leaders and institutions. A world where some pastors use their position to take advantage of vulnerable women, and who use their so-called ministry to gain riches, and to justify the lifestyles of their wealthy friends. A world where God seems to be silent in the face of all this, where God has been silent for so long that many of us doubt whether God really acts in the world, whether God even exists.
But at the center of this story is a moment in which God does speak. The lamp of God may be sputtering, on the verge of disappearing, but it has not yet gone out. God might seem to be asleep like Samuel, or blind like Eli. But as Samuel and Eli sleep, God is planning a big surprise.
Suddenly, Samuel wakes up to hear his voice being called. And there's something about being called by name that grabs his attention, pulls him from sleep, and makes him answer. "Here I am," he says (3:4). He responds before he has any idea whose voice this is that surprises him in the middle of the night.
There is something powerful, after all, about being called by name by a stranger.
During my first year of seminary, just two weeks into the first semester, a professor whose class I was not taking, and whom I'd never met, stopped me in the hall. "Ben Dillon?" He said.
I was startled. I knew who he was – there were, of course, far fewer teachers than students at the school, and in my excitement to begin graduate studies, I'd read all about my future teachers, the scholars I hoped to emulate. But how did he know my name? He said, "My name is John Collins, and I haven't chance to meet you yet. I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to the school." Later I learned that he took the time, each year, to carefully study the pictures of every new student, so he'd know their names. And in calling me by name, John grabbed my attention. In calling me by name, he showed me that he knew something about me. That I was more than just a stranger to him. That he cared enough about me to learn my name, so he could address me by it.
But being called by name by a stranger can also be unnerving. Now, for this next story to make sense, you should know that there are only two names I go by. To almost everyone in the world, I'm "Ben." But to three little girls and a little boy in Kentucky, I'm "Uncle Ben." In a sense, it's the most intimate way to address me. Anyone can call me "Ben," but only those four can call me "uncle." Now, about 3 years ago, I was in my home state of Oklahoma, visiting family and friends the week after Christmas. One evening I found myself taking a route I'd never taken before, from Oklahoma City to Tulsa, about a hundred miles away.
Something you may know about Oklahoma, if you've ever driven through, is that there are a lot of tolls roads. Not just to drive over the bridges, like in many states, but just to take the highways. I first learned this was unusual when I moved to the east coast at age 18. When people learned I was from Oklahoma, a common response was: "Oklahoma! I hate that place. They charged me 12 bucks just to drive across their ugly state."
Now, I'd been on plenty of toll roads before, but this night I was on a new one. As I entered the highway, I noticed my car had about 3 gallons of gas left. Not dangerously low, but I made a mental note to stop at the first gas station on the way.
An hour later, I was more than halfway to Tulsa, but hadn't yet passed a station. As the fuel light came on, there was nowhere to stop in sight. What I'd forgotten is that because no one wants to pay an extra toll just to stop for gas there aren't many gas stations on the toll roads, especially not in the middle of nowhere.
At this point, I'm driving about 40 mph to maximize fuel efficiency, and coasting in neutral whenever I'm going downhill. Doing anything to save gas.
Then, to my relief, I see a sign for gas at the next exit, just 3 miles away.
But sure enough, my engine begins to sputter, and I have to pull over to the shoulder. I had run out of gas. It was a cold December night, and though I was deep in the countryside, the moonlight was shining on the snow to light my path. I could tell from the map on my phone that I could cut a few minutes off my mile-long walk by cutting through a field, rather than walking the highway shoulder all the way through the tollgate to get to the station.
Cold, and now running quite late to dinner at my sister's house, I was happy to save whatever time I could, so I began walking across a snowy field just outside Sapulpa, Oklahoma. So far, so good. And trudging through the snow was just enough work to keep me warm.
But then, as I reached the road parallel to the interstate, just a quarter mile from the gas station,
I saw a shadowy figure standing beside the road just 20 feet from me. I'll admit I was spooked, but I kept on walking, probably a little faster than before.
Then the figure spoke, in a voice I'd never heard before: "Uncle Ben!"
Though my impulse was to keep going, I instinctively turned around to see who this could be. He had called me by name, after all.
I stopped for a second or two, baffled, wondering how to respond, when he repeated: "Uncle Ben! It's me!"
How did this man, this creepy stranger lurking in the darkness, know to call me that?
Startled, I didn't know what else to say, so I said: "I've got to get to the gas station right away, so I'm gonna keep walking right now."
And I started walking as fast as I ever have in my life.
As I glanced repeatedly over my shoulder, I could see him following me, at a much slower pace, calling out in the darkness, "Uncle Ben! Uncle Ben!" This went on until I put enough distance between us that either his calls had stopped, or I simply couldn't hear them anymore.
To this day, I'm haunted by this strange memory. Who was this man? How did he happen to call me by my name? What in the world would he have told me if I'd stopped to chat? This was a surprising voice that I was probably wise to ignore—but still I wonder.
Although Samuel doesn't recognize the strange voice calling to him in the darkness, he makes his best guess. He hops out of bed, comes to Eli, and says, "You called me. Here I am" (3:5). Eli is undoubtedly annoyed at being woken up in the middle of the night. He says, "What are you talking about, kid? No one called you. Go back to sleep" (3:6).
But the voice doesn't stop. Two more times, it calls Samuel by name. Two more times, Samuel goes to Eli. Two more times, Eli sends him back to bed, hoping to get just one more hour of sleep before the sun comes up and it's time to go back to work (3:6–8a).
But after Samuel has woken him up a third time, Eli realizes the voice is not just the overactive imagination of a lonely little boy. Something is happening here (3:8b). Eli, a man well into his 80s, who has spent his entire life in the tabernacle, knows better than anyone else how the tabernacle works, he knows that God doesn't just show up in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, Eli knows God well enough to remember that God is full of surprises. Perhaps he remembers what it was like when he himself used to hear from God. Perhaps God used to call the young Eli himself out of bed in the middle of the night. And though it's been many years since he has heard God's voice, Eli remembers how to respond. And he tells Samuel how to respond the next time the voice calls: "Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening" (3:9). Samuel trusts this sage advice, responds with the very words Eli has given him, and it works. But what the Lord tells him is startling. It's something "to make the ears tingle" (3:12). Eli's sons have done so much wrong—and Eli has failed to protect those for whom he was responsible—that no religious ritual, no sacrifice, no offering, could ever expiate their sins (3:12–14).
What Samuel hears may be bad news for Eli and his sons—but it is good news for the people of Israel. Not only does this mean that Israel will be delivered from the oppressive corruption of Eli's sons. It also means that God has not, in fact, turned a blind eye towards their evil, as Eli had done. God, it turns out, is not a powerful old man in the sky. God is not another patriarch, like Eli, content to preserve the status quo that keeps people like him in power. No, God is a God of justice, a God who cares for the oppressed, who stands against the oppressor in demanding justice for the oppressed.
A few years earlier, when Samuel's mother Hannah, learned that God was to give her a child, she sang one of the most powerful songs in the bible. In it, she proclaims:
"Those who were full will now have to work for their bread.
But those who were hungry are hungry no more.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich.
He brings low, and he also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust
And lifts the needy from the ash heap."[12]
The good news that Hannah anticipated is that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.[13] And while this comes as good news for women like Hannah who have always been last, it is a terrifying message to those like Hophni and Phinehas, and even Eli, who have always been first. And Samuel is understandably reluctant to share this message of doom with the man who has raised him. In fact, Eli has to plead with the boy to get him to repeat what he's heard from the strange and surprising voice that called out in the night.
But God's voice is not the only surprising one in this story. I'm also surprised by Eli's voice. Now, it's easy for us to see Eli as little more than the villain in this story, especially because we all know of people like Eli today. We've seen for ourselves the way powerful men protect their sons and their colleagues from the consequences of their wrongdoing, even at the cost of hurting others. We've seen the "old guard" in our churches persistently resist the movement of the Spirit because it frightens and threatens them.
But Eli's role in this story is much more complex. Without Eli, Samuel wouldn't know who was calling him. Samuel had to be taught by Eli that it was the Lord who was calling. Without Eli, he wouldn't know how to respond rightly. Again, he had to be taught by Eli.
And so Eli, whose unfaithfulness Samuel has to condemn, is the very one who helps him to hear Go, to recognize God's voice, to understand God. Samuel was willing to take that first step, and respond to the strange voice in the middle of the night, but he needed Eli's help to take the second step, to know how to go on—even though what he does is tell Eli that it's too late.
As we think today about how God is moving Grant Park Church, I wonder who our Elis might be. Who are those we are tempted to dismiss because they're so slow to hear God's voice? And I wonder, in dismissing them, are we missing something? We are messy people, after all, and because the Spirit chooses to work in us, the Spirit's work is often messy.
But what these stories from Israel's past show us is that God is always surprising us—that God's voice comes when we least expect it, and from the places we least expect it. This does not mean we're to avoid speaking harsh words to the oppressors and those who enable the oppressors. Such harsh words may, in fact, be an act of love. As Eli told Samuel, "Do not hide any of it." "Tell all that the Lord told you." And so, Holy Spirit, open our ears that we might hear your voice wherever it calls, open our mouths that we might speak it boldly, and open our hearts that we might do so with love. Amen.
[1] John 1:45–46.
[2] Ephesians 2:11–20.
[3] Galatians 3:27–29; Colossians 3:11; Ephesians 2:14–16.
[4] Matthew 2:1–5.
[5] Exodus 25:8.
[6] 1 Samuel 2:12.
[7] Leviticus 7:1–17, 28–36.
[8] 1 Samuel 2:13–17.
[9] 1 Samuel 2:22.
[10] In fact, a mysterious "man of God" rebukes Eli for this neglect in the immediately preceding scene (1 Samuel 2:27–34).
[11] See Hebrews 9:4.
[12] 1 Samuel 2:5, 7–8. Hannah's song anticipates the similar song of Mary in Luke 1:46–55.
[13] Matthew 20:16.


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Portland Center Stage is the largest theater company in Portland and is among the top 15 professional regional theaters in America. Portland Center Stage produces ten major productions annually in two theaters located inside the Gerding Theater at the Armory: the 590-seat Main Stage and the 190-seat Ellyn Bye Studio. Established in 1988 as an offshoot of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage became an independent theater in 1994 and now attracts more than 150,000 theatergoers annually. Portland Center Stage produces a blend of musicals, classical, contemporary and premiere works, in addition to the completely free-to-the-public annual summer playwrights festival, JAW.
The Gerding Theater at the Armory is the first historic rehabilitation on the National Historic Register and the first performing arts venue to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum rating. For more information about Portland Center Stage and a complete listing of upcoming productions, events and activities, visit the website at www.pcs.org or call 503-445-3700.


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Is The USD/JPY Going To Lead Equities Down? October 22nd 2015 Fx Market Preview
One thing I wanted to mention before we cover the Euro and Pound is the current situation in the equity market. At the end of August when we had the major drop I started to mention the 50-70% retracement area as the key to the next direction in the market. This is something that I have mentioned time and time again since the initial drop. I haven't mentioned this in a while as the equity market along with the currency market has been rather stagnant. Today we are still in the middle of that 50-70% retracement area and actually tested the backside of the previous support area which was 2042. After the market tested the backside of this point today it was met with heavy selling. Another very interesting point is the daily chart of the USD/JPY that I posted in the October 8th 2015 FX Market Commentary. I have posted that chart below. Compare the chart below to what is occurring right now on the daily chart of the USD/JPY. As you can see the Yen has pulled back to the exact area I had mentioned and is beginning to sell off. That doesn't mean it is going to sell off and lead equities down but it is the point we have been waiting for and what happens next is key.
As you can see this the first time that the USD/JPY and the US Equity market is lining up for the same move. The breakout in equities that occurred in late September did not have the USD/JPY supporting it. In the chart above you can see the USD/JPY was still stuck in the previous range while equities we breaking lower. As I wrote in the chart of the S&P, I would have preferred to see a stop run of that 2042 level but we will take what we get. What comes next is going to be key. I will keep the daily commentaries up to date with anything new. At this point the only thing that would break my belief in further downside is a break and hold (daily close) above the 2042 level. If that occurs then further upside becomes very likely as crazy as that might sound considering the current state of the world and rigged economics.
EUR/USD Has 43 Pip Range
The Euro had a ridiculously tight range today of only 43 pips. The bottom line is we do not even have the possibility of a valid trade setup unless the market comes into one of our listed manipulation points. With the size of the range the Euro never even got close to the upper or lower level and therefore no trade was possible. Considering today's price action, my lack of directional bias has not changed and I will continue to remain open. Going into today most of yesterday's manipulation points remain in place. The only thing I'm going to change is the first upper level. I'm moving it down to yesterday's high instead as the liquidity is likely pooling around that level after today. Any stop run from the a pre-selected level will be a valid trade.
One reason I moved the first level closer is because of something I talk about in the day trading course called 'time decay'. Especially with short term levels, the amount of time between creation and when the retest occurs is vital. If your a member make sure to watch tonight's video daily market preview for a further break down of that.
Pound Continues Range Bound
So many times traders talk about ranges as if they are a bad thing. The most recent range we have seen in the Pound has produced 2 classic stop run reversal trades that both went on to hit a full take profit. As I've always said, if your using the forex bank trading strategy, range bound markets tend to produce higher quality trade setups. The main reason for this is the liquidity is easier to locate as it tends to pool heavily around the range extremes. As a result, any stop run from those levels is going to be a quality high reward to risk day trade setup. That is exactly what we had occur today. The GBP/USD gave a beautiful stop run of the first lower manipulation point and provided a confirmation entry trade setup that resulted in a full take profit being hit later in the day.
For today the plan remains identical to yesterday. Since we remain within the range I will still continue to trade without a directional bias and will simply continue taking any valid stop run of the pre-selected manipulation points.
Forex News For October 22nd 2015
UK Retail Sales 4:30 AM Eastern: This is always a big market mover with longer term implications should a big enough deviation be hit. For the month of July the report came out -.6 worse than expected and the GBP/USD spiked down 50 pips in the first 10 seconds and fell a total of 150 pips over the course of the entire day. This month .4 is the expected number.
EU Interest Rate Decision 7:45 AM Eastern: Like always this should be a major snoozer as rates are expected to remain unchanged. Any surprise change in rates would create a massive price fluctuation of 100 pips or more in the first minute.
ECB Press Conference 8:30 AM Eastern: The press conference is generally where all the fireworks come from. The majority of the time they will give advanced warning before major changes occur. This is done in an effort to keep the market from reacting as violently. Any Euro pair will get quite volatile around the start of the press conference and on any questions that invoke a surprise comment.
Want to learn the bank trading strategy, join our weekly live training room, talk to members in our forum, and have access to lifetime support? Learn more here


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Workers' Compensation requires an employer to compensate an employee for work-related injuries. To receive Workers' Compensation, an employee usually has to file a claim and wait for the insurer to investigate it. If the insurer finds that the employee's claim is valid, the employee will receive financial compensation for his or her injury.
This isn't always the case, though. Sometimes, an employer or insurer will deny the employee's claim on the grounds that he or she is ineligible for Workers' Compensation. Here are some common defenses employers and insurers will use in order to deny workers' compensation claims.
Employee Failed to Give Notice of Injury
- When an employee is injured on the job, Workers' Compensation laws require him or her to give notice of injury to the employer within a certain amount of time. The deadline varies from state to state, but usually ranges from 30 to 90 days. Notice may be given by a third party, such as the employee's spouse or doctor, and may be given verbally or in writing, to a supervisor. However, if notice of injury is not given within the specified length of time, the employee's claim is invalid.
Statute of Limitations Expired
- Each state also has a deadline for filing a Workers' Compensation claim. This is known as a statute of limitations, and usually ranges from one to three years. For claims involving occupational disease—rather than accidental injury—the statute is generally more flexible. In most cases, though, if you fail to file a claim before the statute of limitations runs out, you will probably be ineligible for Workers' Compensation.
Injury was Self-Inflicted
- Workers' Compensation generally does not apply to self-inflicted injuries. This includes injuries an employee sustains in a fight that he or she started, and injuries inflicted intentionally to receive Workers' Compensation.
Injury Not Related to Employment
- To qualify for Workers' Compensation, an injury must be linked to activities relevant to employment. This means that an injury sustained during an employee's lunch break, or during the commute to or from work, generally do not qualify. Additionally, an employee who sustains a minor injury on the job, but fails to properly care for it, or engages in activities outside of work that worsen the injury, will probably not qualify for Workers' Compensation.
Employee Failed to Attend Doctor's Appointments
- To qualify for Workers' Compensation, the claimant must undergo an independent medical exam. This helps verify their claim and determine the extent of the injury. However, if they fail or refuse to this exam or fail to attend follow-up appointments, their claim may be reduced or denied.
Injury is not as Severe as Employee Claims
- If an employee's claim that a work-related injury prevents him or her from returning to work is found to be false based on the available evidence, then the employee's claim may be reduced.
An Employee is Injured while Committing a Crime, or While Violating Company Policy
- If an employee sustains an injury while intoxicated at work, or while engaging in careless behavior that violates the company's policy, he or she may not be eligible for workers' compensation. Employers often use the defense that an employee was acting carelessly at the time of an injury, thus claiming that a Workers' Compensation claim is void.
Cause of Injury Unknown
- In order for a Workers' Compensation claim to be successful, the cause of injury must be determined by an independent medical practitioner. If the cause is unknown, the insurer cannot determine whether or not the injury was work-related, and the claim cannot be processed.
Workers' Compensation Statistics
According to the Injury Impact Report released by The Travelers Companies, based on data from over 1.5 million workers' compensation claims filed from 2010 to 2014:
- The most common work-related injuries are strains and sprains, which make up 30% of on-the-job injuries. Next are cuts or punctures, which make up 19%. Contusions follow at 12%, and inflammation and fractures each make up 5% of work-related injuries.
- In small businesses, cuts or punctures are the most frequent types of work-related injuries. In manufacturing and construction, eye injuries are most frequent.
- Strains and sprains result in an average of 57 days off of work, while cuts and punctures result in an average of 24 days off of work.
- Inflammation and fractures generally cause the most days off of work, with inflammation causing an average of 91 days and fractures an average of 78 days.
- Handling of materials is the most common cause of work-related injury, followed by slips, trips and falls, colliding with or being struck by an object, accidents with tools, and traumas that occur over a period of time (through prolonged strain on a certain part of the body, for example).
Should You Hire an Attorney to Help You with Filing Your Claim?
You can file your own Workers' Compensation claim; an attorney is not required. However, serious injuries, or claims arising from the actions of third parties, or complex situations involving later-developing injuries or illnesses can all affect which statutes of limitation apply to your case. If you miss an applicable legal deadline, you may permanently lose part or all of your potential Workers' Compensation.
Having a Workers' Compensation attorney as your advocate during the claim filing process is a good insurance policy against the possibility of you inadvertently missing a statute of limitation-based cutoff date or inadvertently disqualifying yourself for Workers' Compensation.


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Good morning, I hope you're approaching hump day with a smile, I know I am! After the technical nightmare I can finally share Rachel and Jesses' super inspiring destination wedding today. It was such a gorgeous and meaningful event, and Rachel has been kind enough to include lots of her destination planning tips. Thanks as ever to Lou and Louie from The Lous for the delightful images.
Couple: Rachel + Jesse Benshosan
American couple, Rachel and Jesse originally met online and after talking for many weeks decided to meet. Their first official date was at an Irish pub called Sláinte, which is pretty ironic given the headed to the emerald isle to say I do!
Proposal: The proposal happened on July 16, 2015; the day before Jesse's 30th birthday. We were about to embark on a Cruise out of Miami and we decided to stay the night before we left at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne. It's one of our favourite resorts and I wanted to do something special for his big day! Well, little did I know he had a plan of his own! Jesse and I decided to go for a nice walk along the beach, and funny enough as we were walking we both blurted out loud how ugly the beach was! Secretly, Jesse had planned to propose on the beach. We immediately decided to turn around to head back to the resort. As we were walking towards to grounds of the resort, Jesse stopped on this beautiful, open spaced lawn area in the center of the resort. Before I knew it, Jesse blurted out "Well Rachel…" and that's when I knew. He was on one knew holding a beautiful red box with the most delicate pear shaped diamond I had ever seen.
Wedding date: Wednesday 15th June 2016
Ceremony: St. Mary's Catholic Church, Dingle
Reception: Ballintaggart House, Dingle
Our Planning & Wedding Style: I knew from the moment Jesse proposed that I was having an Ireland wedding. During my time in college, I was given the opportunity to study in Dublin for a semester and I completely fell in love with the country, I knew one day I would be back. From the day Jesse proposed I started researching Irish Weddings, and did the typical bride "Pinterest-ing" and came across a photographer who shot a lot of Ireland weddings, within my findings I came across Aislinn Events. I immediately sent Annie Burne an email and from that moment on, the Irish Wedding magic began! Annie helped me the entire step of the way. In Florida I am a wedding planner myself, however planning something from another country away, was a little more difficult. Annie set me up with all the vendors and locations I needed. She helped me every step of the way and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing team of vendors on our special day. We didn't necessarily have a theme to our wedding. However, I did really love the rustic, romantic look. I mixed our main colour, hunter green with soft pinks and ivory tones. Jesse is a huge New York Jets (NFL) fan, and I really wanted him to have an input on the wedding details. When we first started planning, I said to him "Do you have any colours you'd like to see in the wedding" and of course he said "Jets Green". So there you have it that was our colour!
Our Budget: I set my budget at $25,000 for the wedding day alone. That did not include travel or my dress. My sister had her wedding in Italy, and the best advice she gave me was to invest my money in my photographer. I took her advice and began my search. It was the best decision I made, to hire The Lous! Secondly, I spent a lot of money on my dress. I had a vision of what I wanted, and I refused to have the typical sleeveless, plain gown that most brides have. I wanted something unique and something that reflected me as an individual. Thirdly, I wanted my flowers to be absolutely beautiful. Yes, I agree, it's a waste of money because they just throw them out the next day…but seriously? Flowers can take a wedding to a next level! I really tried to stay within budget. I would say having a destination wedding you are living without the idea of having a huge wedding. I had to give up on the idea of having all my family there, and to me that was a very difficult decision to make. In the end, I didn't have my three brothers there, their wives, or eight of the nieces and nephews. Those are choices I made, but at the end of the day I am very thankful I had the family I did there to celebrate with us.
Our Style: Being a wedding planner here in the states, I kept seeing the same exact dress at every wedding. The basic sleeveless, puffy, and sometimes rather plain white dress, and while all of my brides looked beautiful in their own way, I knew that for my special day I was going to have something unique. I initially decided I was going to wear my mom's wedding gown. She too had the beautiful, fully laced, long sleeve elegant classic look that I really wanted from back in the 1970's era. We decided to go into our favourite boutique CC's Bridal in St. Petersburg, Florida just to get a few ideas for ways we could change it up. Well, little did we know, the first dress I tried on was out of this world beautiful. My sister, my mom and I all looked at each other and knew it was the one. My sister, Marie truly looks beautiful in greens, she has stunning green eyes, fair skin, and dark burgundy red hair so I knew our choice of hunter green would work great on her! We went with a long, flowy dress and I'm so thankful we did because in the next couple months she found out she was expecting her third baby! The flower girl dress I found at Nordstroms, here in the States. It was very simple and elegant for my niece, Siena. I decided to add a diamond rhinestone silk belt to give it a little pop. I knew she was going to have a floral crown, so I wanted to keep her dress as simple, but still princess-like as I could. She loved it!
Our Highlights Rachel: The highlight of that day for me was putting my dress on. Seeing it all come together as I imagined was just the moment I realised that this was all really happening. From that moment on, I just couldn't wait to see Jesse! Jesse: Seeing Rachel walk down the aisle.
Our Advice: Some advice I give my current brides is to make sure you let everything happen organically. A wedding day will never go exactly how you imagine it, or plan it. The moments that take you by surprise, good or bad are what make your day so special. Take it all in and just enjoy the moment. They say it goes by fast…and it does!
Super Suppliers
Wedding & Bridesmaids dresses: CC's Bridal Boutique, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Wedding Planning: Aislinn Events, Annascaul.
Cake: Cloudberry Bakery, Dingle.
Flowers: Ann Marie O'Leary.
Entertainment: In Crowd Wedding Music.
Hair: Bridal Hair by Marie.
MUA: C/O Ballintaggart House.
Photographers: The Lous, Co Fermanagh.


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Public schools are the foundation of our democracy. I seek a third term as School Trustee to develop and defend this vital public good by initiating and supporting progressive policy. My 2012 motion to record Trustee votes increased accountability to you. My work brought student representatives to the Board. A new funding formula will bring a need for close watch on equity of opportunity and support for all students, particularly those with special needs. I am committed to increasing Indigenous student success, and to making our schools safe and welcoming for all students and families. Although some say Trustees' primary loyalty is to the Board, my primary loyalty is to students and the community. I'm a former SD61 teacher (22 years) and former CUPE Education Assistant. I am dedicated to providing all students with an opportunity to fulfill their potential and to pursue their aspirations in an excellent public school system.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.lined-paper.com
Twitter: twitter.com/McNallySD61BC
Facebook: www.facebook.com/McNallyForPublicEducation/


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I had to let go of a friend yesterday. It was what he wanted, and since I can't talk to him directly about it, I will talk about it here. This is the person from the post Yesterday I was needy. If you read that post you will know this is a painful moment for me. It was my fault, I was being selfish with my feelings without being sensitive enough to his, and I broke our friendship.
I freely admit I live a life with little accountability to others. I (by necessity) have had to take care of myself first along the way. It's like they say on airplanes…put on your mask before helping others. Well, sometimes I spend too much time fiddling with my mask and I end up hurting someone. For this I am deeply sorry.
I like to believe I'm a good person, a selfless, compassionate, empathetic person. But don't we all like to think of ourselves in that way? The reality is that I am capable of being selfish, needy (in a bad way), and oblivious to the pain around me because I spend so much time wrapped up in mine.
I want to be better. I want to be that person I fantasize about being. I vow to be more mindful in the future, listening more closely for the pain in others instead of always being consumed in mine.
This starts now. My last post to him was a thank you. This one is an apology. I hope he sees it some day.


text: Well, not quite Broadway (yet). Mean Girls the musical debuted in D.C. in Oct and Nov to prep for its Broadway run in the spring. If you liked the movie: SEE. THIS. MUSICAL. I had high expectations. They were exceeded. It was hilarious. The staging and choreography was one of the best I've seen in any musical. And it hit the captured the magic of the film almost perfectly (the only line from the movie that felt forced was "It's Oct. 3rd." My favorite song was the Halloween party number. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.


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- 2 cups chopped celery and leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup Butter or margarine
- 1 cup Roasted peanuts
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
- 3 cups bread crumbs from crust less day old bread
- Sauté celery, onion and seasonings in butter for about five minutes or until tender. Add peanuts, chicken broth, and bread crumbs. Toss to mix thoroughly. Makes about five cups. Stuff loosely into *turkey. Should there be extra dressing, bake separately in a lightly greased baking dish. You'll need about 1/2 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Dressing is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 175 degrees. *Note: Other uses for peanut stuffing include chicken, quail, pork chops, roasts, fish and vegetables.
Share this Recipe


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I wanted to go to lunch with Ethan at school. So, I emailed his kindergarten teacher and asked her what time lunch was. She responded with,
It is usually nachos or tacos on Thursday.
Well, that's weird. Thanks for the menu, but what time are they serving these delicacies? So, I read the email I had sent her.
Would you please tell me what kindergarten lunch is?
Thank you,
What was I thinking?! Not only did I not ask for the time but it appears as if I'm asking for a definition for kindergarten lunch. His teacher overlooked such a strangely phrased question and decided to predict what the lunch ladies would be serving on Thursday. I tried to save myself by sending another email.
You must think I'm such a big dork! What kind of parent emails a teacher and wastes her time by asking what they are serving as the lunchroom special? I meant to ask what time lunch is! That'll teach me to try to discipline children and type an email at the same time.
Sorry. If you will please allow me to waste your time yet again by asking what time lunch is?
And I finally got the time.
You're so funny! We have lunch at 11:45-12:15.
Have a great day!


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"Fasting is a spiritual remedy to what is, really, a spiritual problem. To fast shows our reliance upon God for all things. It reminds us that we are, ultimately, spiritual beings. It confirms that 'man does not live by bread alone;' 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty;' 'This is my body which is given for you;' and 'I am the bread of life.'"
I wish I had that quote from Tony Jones last night as I was preparing to lead Aldersgate's Senior Catechism class. Fasting is something at I have tried on multiple occasions with some success. Whether it was a normal fast (abstaining from all food, but not water) or a partial fast (limiting my diet) I always find that everyone around me is eating or hosting a party. Either I am a horrible planner or my friends have it out for me.
Last year during Lent, like a lot of other Christians, I gave something up. Last year I fasted from social media, specifically from Facebook. I never really realized how much time we are able to dedicate to updating status postings of people we have not spoken to in years. I guess it is the same way my wife and I say "there's nothing to eat" when our pantry and refrigerator is well-stocked. Much like how social media can be a distraction for many of us, so can food; more specifically, what our next meal will.
One of the things you will discover during a period of fasting (other than a grumbling stomach or reaching a new level of irritability is self-discipline and a reliance upon God. We rely upon God for everything and by fasting we are able to see that we are indeed spiritual beings.
This is what I wish I had been able to vocalize last night. I was able to remind our students that fasting is not giving up food for the sake of giving up food. And it's not something that we should dread doing. I wish I had been able to tell them what Tony wrote. That, "fasting is a spiritual remedy to what is, really a spiritual problem."
You can read more about what Tony Jones has to say about fasting and other spiritual practices in The Sacred Way.


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Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Holy God, my heavenly Father, thank you for the friends I have who have faithfully encouraged me and nudged me further down the walk of faith and have often taken that next step to help me get to Jesus. Help me be that friend to others so that they, too, can encounter the risen Savior and believe. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
What Jesus Did is a one-year devotional guide through the gospels, using one short passage each day and following the Gospel in consecutive order. Each devotional consists of a passage, reflection and a prayer which opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges you to live for Jesus.
What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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Celebrate Your W's
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 was one of the most important days in my family's life, in a long time. We closed on the house we always wanted, but the celebration was marred by me having to go to the E.R. for bronchitis, and my lady dealing with stressful administrative tasks related to her business. We kind of sucked that day. To give you some context, for you to understand why we felt this way: the last 4 years have been a journey of self-discovery, success, failures and a spiritual journey that would help us both start healing from past traumas. We both were changing careers, finding our spiritual paths and attending to family needs.
We moved to New Jersey exactly 4 years ago into an apartment we didn't really like and a neighborhood we outgrew very quickly. We planned to get a house with a backyard, basement, garage and several rooms for our kids. The plan was delayed by at least 24 months. The career change took some time and without getting super personal we dealt with what I call the "Dark night of the soul".
According to Google "The Dark night of the soul is a period of spiritual desolation suffered by a mystic in which all sense of consolation is removed." In English, this is a REALLY SUCKY TIME in your life where you have to go through hell in order to learn the lesson the universe has for you.
It sounds pretty freaky right? Well, it was very real for us but also the best thing that ever happened to us. We took a few L's, but I noticed when it happened, we gave the negativity more attention than the positives. As we slowly started to rise out of our "Dark night of the soul," blessings began to come and our true purpose was revealed. We became protected and felt aligned with our paths.
I honestly had to thank the universe for putting us through this test and allowing us to FEEL again. I had to feel the pain, anger and frustration in order to actually discover my purpose.
The Awakening & Reprogramming
It dawned on me and I realized that we as individuals Win quite often actually, and don't take the time to celebrate our Wins. We're often so consumed with the emotions of losing, being insulted, attacked or whatever some poor soul is trying to distribute that we skip over it. These defenses are natural when faced with opposition but it's all about reprogramming your responses to adversity.
I thoroughly believe that whatever you react to the most is what the Universe is going to give you the most. We ultimately become our worst enemies and open portals for "Dark souls" who only have intentions to cause stress, harm and steal.
"You are the only enemy you have in the traffic of life" - Abraham Hicks
I began my spiritual journey with a purpose and that was to be able to quiet my mind on demand. The two things that helped me achieve this were meditation and breathing. They both helped me with mindfulness in the MOMENT. I slowly started to get less and less reactive when someone said something I didn't like. I always had thick skin, but normally only when it came to the EXTREME things. It was the little, everyday things that started to chip away at my patience, but breathing helped me fight that with self-awareness.
I started to counteract the minor setbacks by becoming mindful of the minor successes, especially within my business and home. These successes didn't happen overnight, and they were the result of planning and preparation meeting opportunity. I began to purge and reprogram my responses to difficult situations.
Throw a damn party!
If I want to throw a Mardi Gras celebration for having a successful meeting then HELL YA. I realized I needed to reward myself at every step so I can not only experience the journey but enjoy it.
So, I'm going to take the family out for dinner and celebrate this Win. I occasionally have to check myself and this is a part of my growth. We're all moved into our new home and loving it. We have to stop punishing ourselves for not reaching the goal line in every play. We are energy and we not only consume it, we create it!
Celebrate the W's!


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Atlanta Chiropractic Treatment For Tension Headaches
Tensions headaches affect millions of people throughout the United States each year and cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light. If you experience recurring tension headaches, it may indicate the presence of other underlying conditions that require treatment. Contact AICA Atlanta today to schedule a free consultation to learn more…READ MORE