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Coleby Nicholson
Shaken by the shift
By Coleby Nicholson
There's a lot of talk about brands these days. Everywhere you turn someone is discussing their new brand or existing brand and most of the time they are referring to the products a company sells. Coleby Nicholson has previously written about branding, with a particular focus on what is and is not a brand. This time, he discusses retail branding and the future of suppliers' branding initiatives.
There's no doubt in my mind the Australian jewellery industry has experienced a seismic shift in the past five years, driven in the main by branded products, but there are two things that have been missed along the way as businesses benefitted from rising sales created by the new trend.
Firstly, many retailers rode on the coat tails of the supplier brands, as they reaped the rewards of the branded product evolution. But as leading suppliers spent big promoting their products in order to drive consumers to stores, I fear many retailers have missed an opportunity to create their own brand, or at least strengthen it.
Many retailers think of brand as only a 'product', but successful retailers have been a community-based brand for a long time. The fact that jewellers have been known as, for example, the diamond specialist, or the engagement ring or watch specialist, in local areas is akin to branding yourself.
But two things have happened over recent years: many jewellers who were, or are, a brand in their own right took their eye off the ball while reaping the rewards of the charm and bead trend, and those that had no brand recognition missed the opportunity to create it.
Rather than merely just scooping up the easy sales that, effectively, came walking in the door courtesy of the supplier brands, more jewellers should have been taking the opportunity to promote their service business to a captive audience.
Ask yourself; when customers were coming to purchase the latest products they saw in magazine or TV ads, did you think to gain a better understanding of them? Did you think to find out their birthday, wedding anniversary or other jewellery interests?
Forget all that – did you even get their name and address?
You see, most people don't mind being marketed to after a purchase, provided it's for something that interests them. They were in your store buying and ready to be sold to again, some time in the future, provided you handled it correctly. But how can you brand your business in a local community if you don't even know who your community is?
It's called CRM – customer relationship management – and it's vital to the service industry. Not only that, it gives you a weapon to fight off the chain stores, whose business is not knowledge or service based but price based.
While many retailers either do not fully comprehend branding, have not fully taken advantage of other people's branding or have just been plain lazy, many suppliers too have been shaken by the shift.
For some, it's too late… I am witnessing many Australian suppliers on their last legs as they struggle to find their niche in a changing market. They are often quick to point their finger at others for their declining business.
The restructure of the local jewellery industry began 15 to 20 years ago as Australian manufacturing started to move offshore. That era witnessed the demise of many suppliers who refused to evolve, but now we are seeing the next restructure as those that did survive selling generic (unbranded) product now have to find a point of difference.
To offer another acronym, it's called USP – unique selling proposition – and if a supplier doesn't have it now, they will need it to survive. So, the second thing that has gone relatively unnoticed is that many (competing) suppliers, who also rode the coat tails of the brands, will slowly wither away as the industry changes again. The weak get weaker…
But it's not all bad news! Read our Australian brands feature to see what the smart, savvy operators are doing about their USP.
More reading:
Benefits of home-grown branding
The future of Australian branding
Posted April 01, 2011
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Forgiveness—Introduction and Chapter One
Introduction and Chapter One to Gary Inrig's book, Forgiveness: Discover the Power and Reality of Authentic Christian Forgiveness
On September 11, 2001, life in the United States changed forever. Our early morning routine was interrupted by a phone call from our son in North Carolina, who said, rather insistently, "Turn on your television. A plane's flown into the World Trade Center in New York City." While I was trying to process that, he said, "Oh, no! There's another one!" As the television flickered on, I was stunned at what I saw and immediately recognized that this was no accident, but a deliberate attack. That was the beginning of a day filled with almost every negative emotion human beings can experience—fear, anger, grief, confusion, sadness, and the list goes on. The thought that people could hate others enough to commandeer commercial airliners, filled with innocent travelers, and fly them into the symbols of the nation's commercial strength (the World Trade Center towers) and its military strength (the Pentagon) in a deliberate attempt to kill innocent people was almost more than the mind could absorb. The feelings of horror aroused as we watched those massive towers crumble—taking with them the lives of trapped workers and courageous rescuers—will linger for a lifetime.
The events of that day were the work of skilled, determined, and evil terrorists, willing to carry out atrocities on ordinary people in pursuit of their depraved goals. We were learning firsthand what much of the world already knew—that some people are willing, and even delighted, to inflict incredible suffering on others in an attempt to further their cause. We cannot, and must not, underestimate the depths of evil to which such people will sink. So now we accept as routine security measures that previously would have seemed to be totally unnecessary.
On the Friday following the September 11 attacks, when the atrocity was still raw and smoke continued to billow from the ruins, our small city held a prayer service in a large outdoor amphitheater at the center of town. Various pastors led in prayer, asking the Lord to minister His grace into the fear, pain, anger, grief, and anxiety we were all feeling. We prayed for heartbroken families; for courageous rescuers, digging relentlessly through the debris for remains of their fallen comrades; for the president and our leaders charged with making momentous decisions; and for ourselves, that we would respond appropriately. Most of the prayers were heartfelt but relatively predictable, until one pastor prayed, briefly but urgently: "Lord, you have commanded us to love even our enemies. So we forgive those terrorists who have perpetrated this act against us. We forgive Osama bin Laden."
I had been quietly murmuring my "amen" to the various prayers, but this one shut my mouth. I could not, or would not, say "amen." I almost blurted out, "No." But was my instinctive response either right or righteous? Was his prayer what I should have been praying? Did my Lord's teaching on forgiveness mean that I was to pray for the forgiveness of terrorists who had not only planned and carried out such an attack, but who were, at that very moment, almost certainly rejoicing in their success and plotting more such acts? Are Christians always to forgive all offenders immediately when they are wronged? Could we or should we forgive Osama bin Laden while searchers were still combing through the rubble at Ground Zero, hoping to discover survivors or even some bodily remains of the thousands of victims? Should people in California, most of whom were only remotely attached to the events, forgive Al Qaeda for what they had done to other people and families? After all, we weren't the ones sitting by our phones desperately hoping we would hear from or of a missing loved one. We weren't the ones standing on the streets of downtown New York, with photos of our missing loved ones, anxiously seeking any morsel of information about their location or fate.
That moment crystallized questions that had been running through my mind for a long time about the nature of authentic Christian forgiveness. Too much of what I heard well-intentioned people say seemed trite, superficial, and simplistic. Sometimes they crossed a line into the realm of the foolish and harmful. This becomes apparent when the media barrages us with another story of a disgruntled employee or a disturbed student who has run amuck with an automatic weapon, gunning down coworkers or fellow students. As an almost automatic response, some people will quickly talk about the need to forgive the perpetrator. A few years ago a fourteen-year-old freshman named Michael Carnell shot and killed three of his fellow students engaged in a before-school prayer meeting in West Paducah, Kentucky. Within two days, before Michael had shown any remorse, other members of the prayer group erected a sign saying, "We forgive you, Michael." I deeply admire their desire to honor the Lord Jesus by their response. But is that the right way? Are true Christ-followers always to forgive instantly? Were they the right ones to declare forgiveness? One writer, observing such responses from his deeply held Jewish tradition, a perspective that insists on the necessity of repentance before forgiveness, wrote an article protesting automatic and immediate forgiveness. It was provocatively titled "The Sin of Forgiveness." 1 Did he have a point? Is it possible for some kinds of forgiveness actually to be sinful?
However, our most important questions about forgiveness don't arise from lead stories on the evening news. They usually emerge out of the rough and tumble of daily life, the mundane interactions of ordinary events. We get mad at a close friend and begin to hold a grudge. A spouse disappoints or betrays us and shows no sign of remorse. An employer breaks a promise or takes advantage of us. Sometimes the level of offense rises to a higher order. Parents or caregivers abuse or mistreat us, emotionally, physically, or financially. A spouse abandons us for another person. A "friend" slanders us or abuses our friendship. The scenarios are endless. But two things are clear. First, we all will need to forgive or to be forgiven, because we all both sin and are sinned against. Second, we will struggle with forgiveness, because it always begins with pain. After all, I need to forgive only people who have hurt me in some significant way. I certainly don't need to forgive someone for some good thing he has done or for some joy he caused me. It is because forgiveness is birthed in pain, pain that can sometimes be intense, that forgiveness can be one of the hardest things we are ever called to do.
It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the subject of forgiveness to the Christian faith. Forgiveness of sins through the grace of God and the finished work of the Lord Jesus lies at the heart of the gospel. The wonder of God's forgiveness in Christ should grip the heart of every Christ-follower. We have been forgiven at an enormous cost, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Christians are forgiven people, who have been brought into the family of God through the grace and mercy of our forgiving God. The place to begin a true understanding of forgiveness, then, is with a careful consideration of God's glorious forgiveness. In our first few chapters, we will probe its basis, its conditions, and its responsibilities. We need to know why we can receive God's forgiveness, how we can receive it, and how we are to continue to live in it. God's Word gives us the answers, so we will turn our attention to several important passages that unravel various aspects of God's forgiveness in Christ.
If the Bible makes it clear that Christians are forgiven people, it also makes it clear that we are to be forgiving people. Being forgiven is wonderful; being forgiving probes to the core of our being. Therefore we need a clear picture of what true forgiveness looks like and some good answers to some very difficult questions about it. If I forgive someone, does that require me to rebuild our marriage or our friendship? Do I just forgive, even though she won't admit she did anything wrong? How long do I wait—until I feel able or willing to forgive? How do I evaluate if his words represent genuine repentance or cheap regret or personal manipulation? Does forgiveness mean that I somehow forget all that has happened? Does my tormentor just get off scot-free, when he's put me through so much? I want to forgive. But how do I do it? What does it look like? Again, we will turn to God's Word for insight, clarification, and direction.
These are all important and relevant questions. However, a study of forgiveness cannot be simply an intellectual exercise. It inevitably forces us to face people and situations we might prefer to ignore. And that is something we cannot and must not avoid. A failure to forgive or to seek forgiveness can well be described as a kind of spiritual anorexia. 2 The tragedy of anorexia is that a person somehow becomes convinced that food, the very thing that is God's provision for health, is something dangerous, to be avoided. Even as her body wastes away, she clings to the notion that eating is bad for her. It is a delusion that kills, slowly but surely. In the same way, we can refuse to forgive or to seek forgiveness because we are convinced that this is a way to punish someone else or to protect ourselves. But it is a delusion that kills. It murders marriages, families, friendships, and churches. It poisons one's soul, and it can even kill. Researchers have discovered direct links between forgiveness and physical and emotional health. Chronic anger and stress, the almost inevitable consequences of an inability or unwillingness to forgive, are both toxic. They elevate blood pressure, as well as reduce both immune system functioning and stress hormone levels. One fascinating study indicates that forgiving others was associated with better self-reported mental and physical health among those over age forty-five. As one researcher observed, "The benefits of forgiveness seem to increase with age. 3" Edward Hallowell puts it vividly:
You should learn to forgive for exactly the same reason you should quit smoking, work to lower your cholesterol, go on a diet to lose weight or take up exercise to control your blood pressure. Forgiving improves your life by improving your physical and emotional health and by increasing your chances of living longer. If that isn't reason enough to forgive, consider that living in anger and resentment can be as bad for you as smoking cigarettes or having high blood pressure or an elevated level of cholesterol. In other words, high blood pressure and resentment can kill you.... Scientific studies show that angry, resentful people have heart attacks more frequently than those who forgive more naturally. People who harbor anger and resentment are more likely to erupt and lose control, and they are more prone toward violence. They are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol or other drugs, and they are less able to make positive human relationships that last. 4
I don't want to be misunderstood. The best reason for forgiving is not that we will live longer or feel better. It is not even that this may well be the means by which God brings substantial healing in our relationships. The best reason for forgiving or for seeking forgiveness is that, in this way, we will glorify God and reveal His character to those around us. That is the goal of all Christian living, and when we walk in obedience to Him, our desire to honor Him results in our being in the place where He can most readily bless us. So, as we walk the road of forgiveness, we are imitating Him, and in doing so, honoring Him.
We were sitting at a table with four other couples, all strangers to my wife, Elizabeth, and me, making getting-to-know-you conversation. As we talked about how long we had been married, one woman's intensity surprised me as she revealed, "My mother said our marriage would never last. She said he was no good for me, and she didn't talk to me for forty years after we married. That was forty-seven years ago. Guess she was wrong." The wound may have been old, but the pain was obviously fresh!
Following her outburst, the man sitting next to her said, more quietly but with deep feeling, "That's nothing. My mother liked another girl I had gone with and wanted me to marry her. But I loved 'Joan.' We got married, but my mother never used her right name. She called my wife by the other woman's name for twenty years."
On the grand scale of human misdeeds, I admit these don't rank very high. They were petty cruelties, but they had wounded both couples to the soul. Such things don't usually make headlines, although they may, if they explode into violence. We live in a world of great evils, so that terrorists fly planes into buildings, explode bombs on crowded commuter trains, carry out suicide attacks in crowded public places, and take the lives of hundreds of school children. Political leaders in various countries prey on the prejudices of their followers, setting them like a pack of wild dogs on others in vicious acts of genocide. Executives in positions of great trust and responsibility feather their own nests and vote themselves huge salaries and benefits, even as they manipulate the financial statements of their corporations and destroy the life savings of hard-working employees and stockholders. Religious leaders use positions of trust to prey sexually on vulnerable children and adults. Industries, in an unrestrained rush for profits, deny their civic responsibility and choose to pollute our environments, both physical and moral.
Those sins affect us, often directly. But more often, we have to deal with smaller and more personal sins. Even these can yield a bitter harvest. I almost never stand before an audience to speak without reminding myself that many of these listeners have been the recipients of behavior that can only be described as evil. Too many women have experienced the horror of rape or sexual abuse; too many children are being raised in broken homes because of irresponsible and self-indulgent parents; too many churches have been split apart, because people pursued self-serving agendas, whatever the cost to others. My heart aches when the local media tell of another young child whose life has been snuffed out because gang members engaged in a mindless act of rage or revenge. We regularly hear stories of employers or managers who abuse their positions, treating others unfairly and using them to maximize their own power. Ask almost anyone the name of someone who has done him wrong, and you will not need to wait long to get an answer! And many of those hurts are not merely imagined. All of us have been sinned against, sometimes in terrible ways.
But honesty forces us to admit that we have sometimes inflicted the pain. We have all sinned, against God and against other people. I don't find that easy to admit or even recognize, but it is undeniably true. We can try to deny our sins; to redefine them as something else; to rationalize them, shifting the blame to others; to repress them, drowning the accusing voice of conscience in busyness, distractions, or even chemicals. I would not deny that many of us carry around false guilt, the harassing voice of an overly sensitive conscience. Nevertheless, all honest people are aware that they do not live up to their own best standards, never mind God's. In our more honest moments, we know that we have wronged others, usually those closest and most precious to us. Some of those offenses, whether done deliberately or unintentionally, are far from trivial in their effect. In fact, a person unable or unwilling to admit personal guilt is a very dangerous person. As Mark Twain said, "Man is the only animal that blushes—or needs to."
Is Sin Outdated?
Voices in our modern world tell us that the idea of sin is hopelessly outdated and judgmental. Sin implies the existence of moral absolutes that make actions right or wrong. Even after the atrocities of September 11, many ponder whether anything can be labeled as evil. All moral judgments, they tell us, are acts of tradition, preference, moral arrogance, or power. But this response is not only foolish, it is also enormously destructive. Neil Plantinga says it well:
Slippage in our consciousness of sin, like most fashionable follies, may be pleasant, but it is also devastating. Self-deception about our sin is a narcotic, a tranquilizing and disorienting suppression of our spiritual central nervous system. What's devastating about it is that when we lack an ear for wrong notes in our lives, we cannot play right ones or even recognize them in the performances of others. 1
Fortunately, the realities of modern life are pressing on us a more realistic appraisal of human nature. G. K. Chesterton said that original sin is the only doctrine one can confirm by reading the front page of the daily newspaper. Five months before September 11, Newsweek carried a cover article titled "The Roots of Evil." What do social scientists, philosophers, and theologians say?
The traits of temperament and character from which evil springs are as common as flies on carrion. "The capacity for evil is a human universal," says psychiatrist Robert I. Simon, director of the program in Psychiatry and Law at Georgetown University School of Medicine. "There is a continuum of evil, of course, ranging from 'trivial evils' like cutting someone off in traffic, to greater evils like acts of prejudice, to massive evils like those perpetrated by serial sexual killers. But within us all are the roots of evil." 2
This insight is nothing new. It's as old as Adam and Eve who grieved the loss of one son by the hand of another. The Bible takes sin seriously, confronting us with the fact that we are all both sinners and people who have been sinned against. Romans 3:23 says it succinctly: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Is Forgiveness Real?
But Scripture also takes forgiveness seriously. Martin Luther wrestled deeply with his own sinfulness, and when he experienced God's grace, his life changed forever. As he wrote, "Where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is life and blessedness." From beginning to end the Bible speaks of the forgiveness of God. Our God is a forgiving God. In fact, one of the most important theological statements in the Bible is God's self-description to Moses in Exodus 34:6–7: "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." The rabbis called this passage "the thirteen attributes," because it gives such a full description of the character of God. In fact, this Scripture is so fundamental to a proper understanding of God that it is quoted or alluded to thirteen more times in the Old Testament. 3 It is the John 3:16 of the Old Testament, the verse everyone knew by heart. The psalmist declared:
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared (130:3–4).
Micah ended his book with the joyful declaration:
Who is a God like you
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance? (7:18).
Isaiah 55:6–7 gives us the wonderful promise:
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Most translations render the last phrase, "he will abundantly pardon." As Charles Spurgeon eloquently commented,
That is to say, he will really pardon. The forgiveness is valid; it is valid on earth in the court of conscience, and above in the court of heaven. The pardoned sinner is truly pardoned, and no one shall ever condemn him. His sin is not merely supposed to be gone; it is gone. It is not put a little way off from him, but "as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgression from us." 4
One of the special promises of the New Testament is "he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Our God is a forgiving God. It is a central truth of His character and one of His greatest gifts to His people. He desires His people not only to delight in the freedom of their personal forgiveness through faith in the Lord Jesus, but also to become forgiving people who imitate Him.
John Bunyan's classic Pilgrim's Progress has been standard fare for Christians down through the centuries, although it has largely dropped off the radar screen of modern Christians. Bunyan's story is presented as a dream, which begins with a traveler dressed in rags, with a book in his hand (representing the gospel) and a burden on his back, a vivid symbol of the guilt and shame he carries. He has heard God's news, with its promise of a heavenly city, and he sets out as a pilgrim for that city. His name is Christian, and he makes his hard journey until he comes in sight of the cross. Then, in a beautiful passage, Bunyan describes the great moment of divine forgiveness:
Up this way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back. He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up to the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble; and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.
Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow and life by his death." Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden....
Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing,
"Thus far did I come laden with my sin,
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came hither. What a place is this!...
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to death for me." 5
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came hither. What a place is this!...
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to death for me." 5
Forgiveness is all about the grace of God. In God's Word we could look many places to see God's forgiveness. But I want to direct our attention to two passages. First, we will travel off the beaten path to a striking picture found in the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Then, in the next chapter, we will spend time where Bunyan's Christian did, at the cross of the Lord Jesus.
Zechariah's Vision
About six hundred years before the birth of the Lord Jesus, any objective observer would have concluded that the nation of Judah had ceased to exist. Its capital city, Jerusalem, had been destroyed by the invading armies of the great empire of Babylon. Its inhabitants had been either carried away captive to Babylon (modern Iraq) or had fled for refuge wherever they could find it. Judah had been cremated; its national ashes scattered on the winds. No nation could hope to survive such treatment! Even more significant, this condition was due to the hand God turned in judgment against His own people because of their long history of covenant betrayal, rebellion, and failure.
But God had not abandoned either His people or His promises. Even as the devastation was taking place, He inspired His prophet Jeremiah to write to those already in exile, "'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' " (Jeremiah 29:10–11).
The Lord acted just as He said He would. In 538 B.C., the power of Babylon was broken, and the new empire of Persia emerged as the great world power. An edict of the Persian emperor reversed the Babylonian policy of exile, and the Jews were permitted to return to their homeland. Many of the Jewish people had made peace with their new location and lifestyle and had little or no interest in the total upheaval that a return to Judah would involve. Common sense said that it would be a huge undertaking to attempt to regain a foothold in their embattled homeland. The new occupants would certainly not welcome them with open arms! As a result, only forty thousand were willing to take the risk of return, under the political leadership of a governor named Zerubbabel and the religious leadership of a high priest named Joshua.
Upon their return, they found themselves as a tiny minority, surrounded by hostile enemies who had no interest in surrendering their newly acquired lands without a fight. Those enemies were not only determined to retain their land, but they also possessed superior resources and manpower. Humanly speaking, Judah's cause seemed hopeless. But Judah's God was the living God, who delivers His people when they turn in faith to Him. One of the Lord's ways of calling them to faith was to send His prophet Zechariah, to whom the Lord gave a series of visions containing God's promises to and purposes for His people. The following passage is one of those visions, specifically directed to the nation of Judah at that particular time in history. But it also speaks powerfully to us as a marvelous dramatic portrayal of how God deals with broken, failing people who come to Him in faith.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes."
Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."
Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
"'Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
"'In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,' declares the Lord Almighty" (Zechariah 3:1–10).
We Stand Before a Holy God in Our Sin and Failure
Our passage presents a vision, not an actual historical event. Joshua the high priest (not Joshua, the great successor to Moses, who lived about eight hundred years earlier) is standing in the heavenly courtroom. He is there personally, but, as the nation's high priest, he is also the representative of his people. He stands in God's presence in a totally unacceptable condition, wearing "filthy clothes." This is not meant to be a fashion statement! In Old Testament worship great attention was paid to the sacred garments of the high priest. In the course of his duties, he was usually arrayed in splendid official robes "to give him dignity and honor" (Exodus 28:2). When he appeared in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he would wear "a sacred linen tunic" (Leviticus 16:4), a garment of simple purity. But it was unthinkable for him to appear before God in filthy clothes. So when he stands in such clothing before a holy God, we are intended to understand the defiled condition of God's people. They have a long history of sin, rebellion, and apostasy and can make no claim on God's special favor on the basis of their merit or national righteousness. They are a blemished nation, with their shame on open display.
At Joshua's right hand there is another figure: "Satan, standing at his right side to accuse him" (v. 1). We are not given many portrayals of Satan in the Old Testament. In fact, the major description of his work is found in Job 1–2, a passage that has interesting parallels to this one in Zechariah. In the book of Job, Satan is the one who delights to attack and criticize God's people. When God challenged him with the godly character and personal piety of Job, Satan countered that the only reason anyone would serve God was out of self-interest. God had been good to Job; that was the only reason he or anyone else would serve Him. Were he to lose his blessings, Job would lose his faith! The Lord responded to Satan's challenge by giving Satan permission to attack Job. Satan lost no time. He unleashed a series of attacks on Job's health, wealth, and family, attempting to drive a wedge between Job and his Lord.
In the book of Zechariah, the situation is somewhat different. Satan had no need to point out Joshua's shortcomings. He is obviously unfit for the presence of God. Satan is there only as the prosecuting attorney, to make sure that Joshua's sins and shortcomings are properly pointed out and punished. He is acting as he always does, as "the accuser of our brothers" (Revelation 12:10), the one who wants us to wallow in our sins and failures, so we will feel disqualified from fellowship with God.
The third person involved in this encounter is described both as "the angel of the Lord" and "the Lord." We find this exchange of terms several times in the Old Testament: A person first described as "the angel of the Lord" is later addressed as "the Lord" Himself. The best explanation is that on these occasions the Lord Jesus took temporary visible form, prior to His incarnation. 6 Joshua, in his filthy garments, is standing before God Himself. The obvious question? What will a holy, righteous God do with a person whose sins and shortcomings are so blatantly obvious?
We return to Joshua—in an appalling condition. If anything, the translation "filthy garments" understates the reality. The Hebrew word describes filth such as dung, urine, and vomit. His garments were utterly unsuitable for the presence of other people, never mind the holy God of the universe! He looked awful and smelled even worse. What this filth represents is made clear when the angel says, "Take off his filthy clothes" and then declares to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sins" (v. 5). The filth represents the disgusting reality of his sins, as well as the sins of his people.
We have a hard time recognizing how our sinfulness appears before the Lord. We take sin for granted, because we not only find it all around us, we constantly deal with it within ourselves. Definitions of sin can sound clinical: "Sin is any act—any thought, desire, emotion, word, or deed—or its particular absence that displeases God and deserves blame." 7 But the Bible is full of metaphors that tell us what sin is like. Neal Plantinga notes:
Sin is the missing of the mark, a wandering from the path, a straying from the fold. Sin is a hard heart and a stiff neck. Sin is blindness and deafness. It is both the overstepping of a line and the failure to reach it—both transgression and shortcoming. Sin is a beast crouching at the door. In sin people attack or evade or neglect their divine calling. These and other images suggest deviance: even when it is familiar, sin is never normal. Sin is disruption of created harmony and resistance to divine restoration of that harmony. Above all, sin disrupts and resists the vital human relation to God and it does all this disrupting and resisting in a number of intertwined ways. 8
At times we get a glimpse of how deeply defiled we are. It was the experience of Isaiah, who in the presence of a holy God, could only declare, "Woe to me!" (6:5), or more precisely, "I am ruined!" It is the declaration of a holy God that
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
It is the universal condition: However we may appear to one another, we stand guilty before a holy God. As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn memorably discovered in a prison camp in the Russian gulag, "If only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" 9 But for Solzhenitsyn that discovery was not a source of despair. Rather, it was the beginning of hope and salvation, as he began to look outside of himself to the grace of God as his only refuge.
Joshua's condition, like that of all of us, was not only appalling, but also precarious. To be covered with filth in the presence of God was to be in danger of final rejection. But he is totally silent, with nothing to say in his own defense. This is not the silence of denial but of admission, the recognition that I cannot deny what is plain to everyone, nor can I excuse or explain it. He is speechless, because there is nothing he can say in his own defense. How could he claim to be fit as long as he was wearing clothes like this? His guilt was self-evident. Paul tells us that this will be our universal experience before the heavenly throne: "so that every mouth may be silenced and all the world held accountable to God" (Romans 3:19). The first step in forgiveness is ownership, the silent acknowledgment that what God says about us is true. Martin Luther noted, "The unwillingness of the sinner to be regarded as a sinner is the final form of sin."
For years baseball fans have found themselves involved in the same argument, especially around the time for the announcement of the results of balloting for the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Should Pete Rose be inducted? No one doubts that, on the basis of his performance on the field, he should be. The man known as Charley Hustle holds the record for most hits in a career and has a career record clearly worthy of enshrinement. But despite all his achievements, Rose had a significant gambling problem; all the evidence indicates that he gambled on baseball games, perhaps even some in which his own team was involved. This was in direct violation of an emphatic rule of baseball, in place since the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919. Gambling is viewed as a major threat to the integrity of the game. Rose desperately wants to be in the Hall of Fame, but for thirteen years he could not bring himself to admit that he had done what the evidence clearly revealed he had. In fact, he emphatically insisted on his innocence before three different baseball commissioners. So there came an impasse. Until he would own his actions, major-league baseball found it impossible to forgive him.
Then early in 2004 Rose published a book in which he admitted that he had, in fact, bet on baseball. He even acknowledged placing bets with bookies up to five times a week while managing the Cincinnati Reds. That confession drew an intriguing response. His timing seemed intended to draw attention away from that year's Hall of Fame nominees and direct it toward himself and increase his book sales. Many who did read it were far from convinced that he was telling the whole truth when he denied that he had bet on games in which his own team was involved. Most of all, his confession seemed to lack a deep sense of remorse. As he said, "I'm sure that I'm supposed to act all sorry or sad or guilty now that I've accepted that I've done something wrong. But you see, I'm just not built that way.... So, let's leave it like this: I'm sorry it happened, and I'm sorry for all the people, fans and family that it hurt. Let's move on." 10
The effect of Rose's "confession" was fascinating. Even some of his previously ardent supporters began to jump off the bandwagon. It seemed to most that he just didn't "get it," missing the difference between admission and confession. An offender doesn't have the option to say, "Let's move on!" He doesn't hold the upper hand in the situation! Pete Rose desperately wants to be recognized for his achievements. But what he wants even more is induction on his own terms, and that isn't going to happen.
In the spiritual realm, acceptance into God's presence doesn't happen on our terms either. God cannot ignore our filthy garments. And neither will Satan! He is there in God's presence to make completely clear what kind of unworthy person is standing before Him. And so we are presented with the great dilemma. How can a holy God remain true to His own character and, at the same time, forgive the sins of a sinner? He clearly states His standards in Scripture. "I will not acquit the guilty" (Exodus 23:7). "He does not leave the guilty unpunished" (Exodus 34:7).
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power;
the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished (Nahum 1:3).
What then is Joshua's future, if he can't deny his sin, if Satan won't ignore it, and God can't overlook it? That isn't just his problem; it's the problem of every one of us.
From a Gracious God We Receive Forgiveness
The amazing thing is that the one who speaks for Joshua is not Joshua but the angel of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Himself. Joshua stands before God as a believer, as one who is not trusting in himself, but in God. Joshua represents God's people, with its capital of Jerusalem, and the Lord "has chosen Jerusalem" (v. 2). This choice was certainly not based on merit; Jerusalem had abdicated any claim upon God. God's election is always on the basis of grace, and it is made evident by our faith. Joshua is "a burning stick snatched from the fire" (v. 2). Sticks don't crawl out of fires; they lie there hopeless, awaiting their inevitable destruction. But someone else may risk the flames to snatch out a burning stick. And that is the picture of God's dealing with Joshua and the central truth of all forgiveness. God Himself entered the fire to remove by His power someone doomed to destruction.
This passage does not directly indicate how this divine deliverance would come about. Not until the New Testament, at the cross, do we begin to comprehend what was involved. Everything in the gospel centers on the cross. As Miroslav Volf notes, "Indisputably, the self-giving love manifested in the cross and demanded by it lies at the core of the Christian faith." 11 God Himself entered the fire to save us. God the Son took on human nature and entered time and space. He came, as He Himself said, "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:9). That involved not only living among us, but also going to the cross to take our sins and our guilt. We will ponder that more deeply in the next chapter. But even here in the book of Zechariah, five hundred years before the Lord Jesus would come, there are pointers to that great event. When Zechariah tells us that God says, "I will remove the sin of this land in a single day" (v. 9), and later when he quotes the Lord as saying of the nation of Judah, "They will look on me, the one whom they have pierced" (12:10), he is prophesying, in remarkable detail, the work of the Lord Jesus on our behalf. "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (13:1). In both the Old and New Testaments, there is no final forgiveness apart from the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
Having defended Joshua to Satan, the Lord issues an order: "Take off his filthy clothes" (v. 4). Joshua cannot be in God's presence as he is. The Lord does not ignore our sins or minimize them. He orders their removal. So Joshua stands naked before his God: "See, I have taken away your sins" (v. 4). This is a wonderful picture of the divine act of forgiveness. Our sins are stripped away—removed and banished. It is God's work to remove them, since only He can.
One of the great themes of the Bible is to see what God does with the sins of His people when He forgives us. Remember that this is always and only because the Lord Jesus bore them on Himself, on the cross. We need to rejoice in God's promise. I'll never forget one of the first new believers' classes I taught, when I simply read the passages that describe what God does with the sins of those He forgives. I sensed amazement and gratitude at the wonder of what God has done. A lot of excited conversation followed. God, in grace, sets us wonderfully and fully free!
Consider these Old Testament statements about what God does with our sins:
He drowns them: Micah 7:19
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
He erases them: Isaiah 43:25
I, even I, am he who blots out [wipes away]
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
He dissolves them: Isaiah 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
He puts them behind his back: Isaiah 38:17
You have put all my sins behind your back.
He forgets them: Jeremiah 31:34
For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.
He covers them: Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
He does not record them: Psalm 32:2
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord does not count against him.
He totally removes them: Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Wonderful as these statements are, in the New Testament we reach the high point of understanding forgiveness.
He forgives them: Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
Colossians 1:13–14
. . . the Son . . . in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He wipes them out and erases them: Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
He takes them on Himself: 1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
He does not charge them to our account: 2 Corinthians 5:19
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.
He charges them to Christ's account: 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He nails them to the cross: Colossians 2:13–14
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
He purges us from them: Hebrews 1:3
After [the Son] had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
He does away with and puts away sins: Hebrews 9:26
But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
1 John 3:5
You know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.
He cleanses and purifies us from them: 1 John 1:7
The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
He sets us free from them: Revelation 1:5–6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory for ever and ever! Amen.
From a Gracious God We Receive Righteousness
But the forgiveness of sins is only the beginning of what the Lord does for His people. Let's pick up Zechariah's vision: Joshua stands naked before a holy God. Having said, "I have taken away your sin," he also says, "I will put rich garments on you" (v. 4). The Lord then gives orders to His attending angels: "Put a clean turban on his head." They not only put on the turban, but "they clothed him" (v. 5) in the rich garments God had promised. He stands now before a holy God in garments provided by God Himself. Such garments were worn only on special occasions, and a turban was a symbol of office and ministry.
Again we are pointed to the Lord Jesus. Christians are forgiven, but they are much more than forgiven. We are declared righteous by God Himself, and He does not merely declare us righteous; He imputes the righteousness of Christ to us. We have become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), a righteousness that is not ours, but which comes through faith in the Lord Jesus (Philippians 3:9).
When I was a child in Sunday school, we were taught definitions of Bible words. Justified, I was told, means that in God's eyes I am "just as if I had never sinned." That was very helpful, because I still remember it, and it describes one important aspect of justification. To be justified is to be forgiven, but it is much more than that. It is to be declared righteous, to have been dressed by God in the righteousness of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God does not see us as people in excrement-covered garments, or even as people washed and naked before Him.
Nor does He see us as only partially covered. A friend recalls hearing a preacher compare the righteousness that God gives us to a hospital gown. Well, whatever the virtues of such gowns, they provide a very inadequate covering! You had better keep your back to the wall! The preacher went on to describe how we need to provide the rest of the covering by our own righteousness. My friend immediately realized the hopelessness of that. He didn't need a partial covering, but a complete one. And that is what he found when he came to Jesus. By God's grace, through faith in His Son, we are declared righteous and clothed fully, freely, and luxuriantly in the perfect righteousness of Christ, with His merit transferred to our account. This is the gift of the cross.
During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, a postal clerk named George Wilson robbed a train and, in the process, killed a guard. He was captured, convicted of murder, and sentenced to hang. But there were doubts about some issues related to the case, and President Jackson intervened, offering a pardon. But because Wilson hated Jackson, he refused the pardon. The nation was young, and no one had ever refused a pardon. The Supreme Court was asked to decide whether someone could do such a thing. Chief Justice John Marshall handed down the decision: "A pardon is a parchment whose only value must be determined by the receiver of the pardon. It has no value apart from that which the receiver gives to it." Because George Wilson had refused the pardon, whatever his reason, he would suffer the full penalty for his crime by being hanged.
What foolishness! If we turn our backs on the forgiveness freely offered by our crucified Savior, we do the same thing. Our God is a forgiving God, and we can live in the freedom of full, final, and finished forgiveness. But we must receive the gift He offers through faith in His Son. When we do, we are able to start over again, knowing that we are clean, inside and out, in the presence of a holy God. The striking paradox is that, when we choose neither to hide our sin nor to deny our sin, but to own it before the holy God, we are set free by His grace in Christ.
Introduction 1 Dennis Prager, "The Sin of Forgiveness," Wall Street Journal (December 15, 1997). Retrieved September 30, 2004, from www.murdervictims.com/forgiveness.htm.
2 I owe this idea to John Ensor, who uses it in a slightly different way in his helpful book, Experiencing God's Forgiveness (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997), 80.
3 "How Link Between Forgiveness and Health Changes with Age," The University of Michigan News and Information Services, December 11, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2004, from www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/2001/Dec01/r121101a.html.
Chapter 1: Wiping the Slate Clean
1 Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Not the Way It's Supposed to Be (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), xii.
2 "The Roots of Evil," Newsweek (May 21, 2001), 32.
3 See Numbers 14:18; 2 Chronicles 30:9; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5; 145:8; Jeremiah 32:18; Joel 2:13; Johan 4:2; Nahum 1:3.
4 Charles H. Spurgeon, "Abundant Pardon," The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit 1874 (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1875), 548.
5 John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress (New York: Washington Square Press, 1957), 36-37.
6 This is referred to as a theophany, or more specifically a Christophany, an appearance of God or Christ in human form, prior to the Incarnation. Examples can be found in Genesis 18:1-33; 32:28-30; Judges 13:21-22.
7 Plantinga, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, 12.
8 Plantinga, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, 5.
9 Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956, trans. Thomas P. Whitney and Harry Willetts; abridg. Edward E. Ericson, Jr. (New York: Perennial Classics, 2002), 75.
10 Pet Rose with Rick Hill, "Pete Rose's Confession," Sports Illustrated (January 12, 2004), 82.
11 Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace (Nahsville: Abingdon, 1996), 25.
©2005 Discovery House Publishers—All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The data are the result of an empirical inquiry into good research questions using survey methodology. Invitation to participate and surveys were sent via email to all first authors of eighteen top tier journals in the higher education field of research. Suvery responses were received from 187 authors.
The data are in SPSS and NVIVO format.
The data are in SPSS and NVIVO format.
|Date made available
|Bond University
|Date of data production
Cite this
Kinash, S. (Creator), Kordyban, T. (Creator) (2011). Results of a survey into what are good research questions in higher education . Bond University. 10.4225/57/5b29eceb92811


text:
Trajectory-based Analysis and Controller Synthesis for Hybrid Systems
I will present a trajectory-based perspective in solving safety/reachability analysis and synthesis problems and fault diagnosability analysis in hybrid systems. The main tool used in obtaining the results is the concept of trajectory robustness, which is derived from the theory of approximate bisimulation. Trajectory robustness essentially provides a guarantee on how far the system's state trajectories can deviate (in the sense) as a result of initial state or parametric variations. It further leads to the possibility of approximating the set of the system's trajectories, which is infinite, with a finite set of trajectories. This fact, in turns, allows us to greatly reduce the above problems into ones that involve finitely many objects (trajectories) and can be practically solved.
A. Agung Julius joined the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an Assistant Professor in December 2008. He earned the Ph.D. degree in applied mathematics from the University of Twente, The Netherlands in 2005. In 2005 – 2008, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Julius' research interests include systems and control, systems biology, stochastic models in systems biology, control of biological systems, hybrid systems, and mathematical systems theory. Dr. Julius has published 21 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 60 peer-reviewed conference articles. He is a co-author of the Best Application Paper in the 10th International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence (URAI 2013), and a finalist for the Best Paper Award at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2013). He received an NSF CAREER award in 2010.
For more information, contact Prof. Paulo Tabuada ()
Date(s) - Oct 07, 2015
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
E-IV Faraday Room #67-124
420 Westwood Plaza - 6th Flr., Los Angeles CA 90095


text:
DIY Password Safe Treasure/Jewellery Box Wooden Assembly Kit
This safe has a real operating password lock.
The construction kit has all you need for assembly: a set of high-quality plywood boards with precisely cutout parts, detailed step-by-step instructions.
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Made out of high quality plywood, without glue or any additional appliance, your eco-friendly puzzle will bring hours of joy to the whole family
Material: plywood
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Assembled Size: 17X17X17CM
Parts Quantity: 123
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text:
By Gary Paulsen
MFiction Paulsen
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present—and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair—it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive (From Amazon.com).
Liked Hatchet? Click here to find more great titles from Gary Paulsen!
Flutter: The Story of Four Sisters and an Incredible Journey
By Erin Moulton
M Fiction Moulton
Big things are about to happen at Maple's house. Mama's going to have a baby, which means now there will be four Rittle sisters instead of just three. But when baby Lily is born too early and can't come home from the hospital, Maple knows it's up to her to save her sister. So she and sister Dawn, armed with a map and some leftover dinner, head off down a river and up a mountain to find the Wise Woman, who guards a pool with miraculous powers. But the dangers Maple and Dawn encounter on their journey make them realize a thing or two about miracles--and about each other (From Amazon.com).
Erin Moulton has more books! Click here to see!
The Swiss Family Robinson
By Johann D. Wyss
MFiction Wyss
Swept off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and their four young sons are shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island. Thus begins the classic story of survival and adventure that has fired the imaginations of readers since it first appeared in 1812. With optimism and boundless enthusiasm, the Robinson family undertakes the extraordinary task of constructing a home for themselves and exploring the primitive island filled with strange and beautiful creatures and exotic fruits and plants. Rich in action and suspense, The Swiss Family Robinson is an exhilarating novel takes us to a faraway place of danger and beauty, where the courageous Robinson family embarks on a thrilling new life of adventure and discovery (From Amazon.com).
Click here to read an excerpt of the book!
Big Game
By Daniel Smith
MFiction Smith
Every boy in Oskari's remote mountain village must face a ritual hunt on his thirteenth birthday--the Trial--to become a man. It's Oskari's turn, and whatever animal he kills--if he succeeds--will symbolize who he will become. But the idea of spending a night alone in the forest makes him queasy, and the ceremonial bow he has to use is too big for him.
Not long after he sets out, Oskari comes across a strange creature in the woods, emerging in eerie blue light from a smoking steel pod. He assumes it's an alien, until the figure introduces himself . . . as the president of the United States. Air Force One, sabotaged, has crashed, and the president is running for his life. Will Oskari be brave enough, strong enough, and smart enough to save the president and himself (From Amazon.com)?
Middle School: Save Rafe
By James Patterson
MFiction Patterson
After a rough summer, Rafe is heading back to the dreaded Hills Village Middle School, the site of the very worst years of his life. And as if that's not bad enough, he's learned that he's going to be held back a year unless he can prove himself on an outdoor survival excursion—complete with dangerous white-water rafting, dizzying rock climbing, and fanatical counselors. Rafe and the rest of the pack of "delinquent" trainees are forced to cooperate as they prepare for the final test: a solo excursion in the deep woods. Can Rafe come out of the experience in one piece? And if he does, will he go home as the same insecure kid (From JamesPatterson.com).


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The Weekly - January 15th
Join the "LQHS Blackhawk Brigade Parents & Students" page on Facebook for updates
Brigade Blast Advertisements
Click here for the flyer - Sell some ads!!!
Chocolate Sales:
For those of you who sold chocolate, the money is due by the end of this next week, on Friday, January 19 in the box in the band room. Thank you.
We found out we are able to participate in a rummage sale at the high school next Saturday, January 20, from 7 AM to approximately 12 PM. There has already been advertising for this event which should make it a very busy, profitable sale. You can bring items that you would normally sell at a yard sale, and sell them in the parking lot. You would be responsible for your own cash and change from it. The idea is if this gives you an opportunity to earn money that you pay towards band or guard costs, coaches fees etc. .No food can be sold at this event. If you would like to take part in this or even if you want to sell items that could go to the band as a general band donation you may do so, however you must let me know so I can put your name on the list and we have a table set up for you. You cannot just show up that morning to sell if you have not contacted me first. Text Gabrielle at 760-272-5418.
BERTRAND'S MUSIC SUPPLIES - THURSDAY JANUARY 18th
EMAIL JOHN IF YOU NEED ANYTHING! email@example.com
Check here for details: http://www.codband.net/honor-band.html
Audition Here: http://www.codband.net/audition-information.html
Welcome Letter/More Info Here: https://goo.gl/KKg9hu
Proficiencies (Wind Symphony & Concert Band)
Click: This file shows your completed Proficiencies from last year
Click: 2017-2018_proficiencies_schedule.pdf
(Makeup deadlines are hard deadlines!
Beginning Band Goals & Objectives This Week:
Lessons 11 & 12
Concert Band Goals & Objectives This Week:
Sightreading Factory
Pops Set - Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney Spectacular
* Jury #1 takes place during final exam week
* Proficiencies, Set 1 DUE January 26th (No late submissions accepted)
Wind Symphony Goals & Objectives This Week::
Sightreading Factory
HousePlants in Terra Cotta Pots
Pops Set - Up, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney Spectacular
* Jury #1 takes place during final exam week
* Proficiencies, Set 1 DUE January 26th (No late submissions accepted)
MODERN BAND - Mondays & Thursdays 3:00pm - 4:30pm
We will not meet on Thursday this week... see you Monday the 22nd @ 3pm!
Click here to: Download the welcome letter for more information
JAZZ BAND - Fridays 3:00pm - 4:30pm
DSUSD Honor Band Rehearsals:
Wednesday, Jan 17th - PDHS 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Thursday, January 25th - PDHS 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Friday, February 2nd - IHS - 5:00pm (TBD) - 9:00pm (Dinner included)
Saturday, February 3rd - IHS 9:00am - 4:00pm (Lunch included)
Sunday - Concert Day!
PAYMENTS (You can also use the paypal "Payment" button on the right)
ALL Payments now go to the Booster Box, all checks should be made out to "LQHSBBB", and all payments must be submitted in an envelope with your name on it (so we know where it came from, and what to apply your payments to).
Feb 2 - 4 DSUSD Honor Band Weekend concert on Feb 4th)
Feb 10th - Pep Band Performance at Tour De Palm Springs (Afternoon, 10:30am - 1:30pm)
Feb 24th - Rock The House (CONCERT/JAZZ/WIND SYMPHONY)
Feb 26th - (Monday) Wind Symphony Clinic on campus with Allan McMurray & SH/PD/IHS/CCHS
March 3rd - CSUF Festival (Wind Symphony 12:00pm - 10:00pm)
March 8th - LQHS Future Freshmen Night (Evening, Ensemble TBD)
March 9th - IHS Concert Festival - Evening (Wind Symphony)
March 10th - IHS Concert Festival - Afternoon (Concert Band)
April 7th - Spring Social Gig Evening (Jazz Band TBD)
April 20th - Brigade Blast (ALL PERFORMING GROUPS)
May 16th - End of the Year Concert @ IW Theater
May 31st - Senior Juries
June 1st - Banquet
June 6th - Graduation Band Rehearsals after school
June 8th - GRADUATION!
June 11 - 13 - JURIES all 9th - 11th Graders
Required Paperwork/Information
2017-2018 Photo Authorization Form
2017 -2018 DSUSD Permission Slip
2017-2018 Medical Waiver
2017-2018 Parent Student Contract
New Members - "Next Steps"
Remind - For Parents
Remind - For Students
2017-2018 Calendar of Events (Updated August 23rd)
Google Calendar Link: https://goo.gl/eNrOVi
Sponsorship Letters:
2017_marching band_sponsorship_letter.docx
2017_Marching Band_sponsorship_letter.pdf
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2nd GA Agenda Item for Sunday, January 27: Bring Your Solutions to the Streets!
At the "Bring Your Solutions to the Streets" event on Thursday, one of the plans we committed ourselves to creating are crisis centers/aid stations. These will emulate Occupy Sandy with the difference in Oakland being that the visitation upon us by Bratton and Wasserman is an unnatural disaster. There are already many ideas on how to make these work, as well as a number of volunteers to realize them. We'd like to propose that Occupy Oakland commit to the development of what we're currently calling the Oakland Crisis Centers at … Continued


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Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Helen Crowther
For a kid-friendly version, substitute 3 cups chilled club soda for the wine. When adding the wine or soda, pour slowly down the edge of the glass to tame the foam.
How to Make It
Place first 5 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth (about 1 minute). Pour about 1/2 cup strawberry mixture into each of 6 glasses. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup wine into each glass; gently stir to combine. Garnish with whole berries, if desired.


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Cities of Last Things not available on your favorite video service? Find something else you'll like!
This is a story about a common man who has extraordinary events in his mundane life. The film depicts the protagonist's turns of events in three eras, three seasons, three nights, in the same city, as told with reverse chronology.
Cities of Last Things streaming: where to watch online?
Currently you are able to watch "Cities of Last Things" streaming on Netflix.


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I am a divorced woman of three grown children who live near by. My parents are deceased. I have two brothers.
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learn more about consumers' current views and expectations around customer service including:
- The most frequently used customer service channels
- Assisted service channel preferences
- Contact Information for uk's top brands like Sky, Vodafone and more.
- The most important aspects of a satisfying customer experience
- The growing expectations for customer service in 2016
- and more!
With more than half of the U.K. consumers surveyed saying that they have higher expectations for service now than they did a year ago, U.K. brands are losing approximately £7.7 billion annually due to poor customer service, consistent delivery of satisfying service across channels has never been more important.
Related Assets:
News and Noteworthy
Much needed relief for sky customers
Sky pushed up the price on a number of services including a hike to £17.40, from £16.40, for line rental and a rise for its 1571 service to £1.25 from £1 - a service which was once free and will now cost £15 per year.
It also moved some home phone customers onto a new package at a higher price. Customers with either phone or broadband from Sky now have three options:
- Cancelling the Sky Talk service and Sky broadband if they have it without an exit fee
- Cancelling Sky Talk and Sky Broadband if they have it without a fee and keeping other Sky services without losing a discount on them if there is one in place
- Downgrading the Sky Talk package and receiving a refund or account credit for any relevant charges.
To make one of these changes you can contact Sky support. A Sky spokesperson responded: 'Customers are smart enough to make up their own minds and in fact, more people than ever are choosing Sky TV with over four million joining in the last 10 years.
Also Read:
Sky TV v/s Virgin Media TV - Who's The Winner
Sky Impresses Again With Their Customer Service Stats - Ofcom Report
Good News For Exiting Sky Customers - Sky agreed to scrap termination fees until January 1
Contact Details
Customer Services Landscape UK
- https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/
- http://www.extension.umn.edu/community/customer-service-education/
- https://www.instituteofcustomerservice.com/
- http://www.followthesteps.net/sky-contact-phone-number/
- http://www.fixithere.net/virgin-media-customer-service/
- http://www.fixithere.net/sky-customer-service/
- https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/business-support-group/discussions/-/message_boards/message/31361822
- https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/fixithere/blogs
- http://www.faqtory.co/sky/
- https://innovateuk.blog.gov.uk/2016/01/05/meet-the-team-media-relations/
Customer Services Landscape UK hasn't added any of their social connections yet.


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Human Resources Candidates
At LBMC Staffing Solutions, we place human resource candidates including: C-suite/VP of HR, HR directors, managers, generalists, coordinators, as well as training and development managers, compensation managers/analysts, benefits administrators, coordinators and employee relations positions.
Explore a partial listing of our current Human Resource Professionals available below. If you are searching for a specialized candidate with a certain skill set or would like a more detailed listing of top talent, please contact one of our search consultants today and they will help you find the perfect fit.
Office Manager
This individual is organized, energetic, detail oriented and a team player. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to multi-task, meet tight deadlines, produced RFQ's, RFI's and RFP's. Proficient in MS Office, Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Bachelor's degree.
Experience HR Director
Performance driven HR Director with 15+ years of progressive experience. Driver of strategic HR initiatives that enhance employee engagement in the pursuit of organizational objectives. Strategic architect in the development of innovative HR initiatives to streamline processes and capitalize on organizational growth opportunities. Creative thinker, problem solver, and decision maker who effectively balances the needs of employees with the mission of the organization. Bachelor's degree. SPHR-CP certification. ADP, PeopleSoft and UltiPro experience.
Payroll/Benefits Manager
This seasoned candidate has over 20 years of progressive, comprehensive experience in payroll and benefits. Proven ability to manage multiple projects while meeting tight deadlines. Detail oriented individual with payroll processing, terminations, garnishments, as well as closing payroll cycle. Manage payroll and benefits integration from start to finish, conduct audits on benefits and managed reconciliations of benefit invoices. Bachelors and Masters. MS Office Site, Lawson, ADP, Paylocity, and Great Plains.
Human Resources Business Partner – MAS015
This candidate has over 15 years of human resources experience with regional and corporate level management. Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with the ability to relate effectively with all levels within an organization. Experience with startups, growth and stable organizations in multiple industries. Expertise includes on-boarding/off-boarding, compliance, benefits management, policy and procedures, worker's compensation, job description creating and compensation analysis. Highly organized, analytical, and decisive with strong problem-solving capabilities. PHR/SHRMCP
Human Resources Manager – MAS016
This candidate has 7 years' experience as a true Generalist. Strong grasp of employment laws and compliance issues has managed worker's compensation, FMLA, ADA, OSHA, employee relations, payroll, benefits, benefits administration, full life cycle recruiting, performance management and training. High energy, team player and can-do attitude! HRIS and ATS.
Human Resources Director-MAS018
This seasoned HR Director has implemented human capital strategies and lead teams to support multiple business initiatives that drove profitability. Has implemented numerous HRIS and ATS systems, served as agent of change, driving programs in support of business objectives. MBA, PHR, open to travel.
HR Generalist-MAS019
Well-rounded experience in benefits administration, compliance, onboarding, employee relations, policies and procedures. Systems experience includes PeopleSoft, Taleo, and ADP. Well versed in FMLA, OSHA, EEOC and HIPPA. Bachelor's Degree and PHR.


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UKMTO Weekly Report 22 July 2019
Command Overview
1. UKMTO has issued one Advisory and no Warnings this week (see page 3).
2. In response to the incidents reported at para 1, Flag State guidance was given to Red Ensign Group (UK) shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf.
3. All CSO's should ensure that they are fully aware of the latest Flag State guidance and that it is communicated in a timely manner to Masters to allow completion of an informed 'threat and risk assessment' of their intended passage, in accordance with Section 3 of BMP5.
4. A group of shipping industry organizations has today jointly issued reporting guidance for vessels transiting the Arabian Gulf (AG), Straits of Hormuz (SoH) and Gulf of Oman (GOO) (see Page 4). The guidance is available on the following websites: https://bit.ly/30Njpbf , https://bit.ly/32Iz4uk and https://bit.ly/30Njpbf
5. The latest Industry Releasable Threat Assessment (01 Mar 19) and Bulletin (24 Jun 19) issued jointly by Commander Maritime Forces (CMF) and European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) can be read at www.mschoa.org (log-in required). Advisories and Alerts issued by U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) can be read at http://bit.ly/2NSMTTr
6. Open Source Media Articles of interest. UKMTO is not responsible for the accuracy of this reporting.
a. 19 Jul 19 - What's behind Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz? (Los Angeles Times): https://lat.ms/2SulpSN
b. 19 Jul 19 - U.S. amphibious group patrols Arabian Sea as Iran tensions simmer (Reuters): https://reut.rs/2SvGz2N
c. 19 Jul 19 - Commander CTF151 reinforces strong ties with the Royal Navy of Oman: https://bit.ly/2LANmHR
d. 20 Jul 19 – Tanker seizure: Jeremy Hunt urges Iran to release Stena Impero: https://bbc.in/2JP6QW4
e. 20 Jul 19 - Iran says its seizure of British ship a 'reciprocal' move (The Philadelp
No Warnings issued.
1. Category: INCIDENT 2. Description: UKMTO is aware of 2 incidents in PSN 2625N 05621E and PSN 2602N 05458E, The UK and its partners are currently investigating. VESSELS TRANSITING THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION.
Reporting Guidance for vessels transiting the Arabian Gulf (AG), Straits of Hormuz (SoH) and Gulf of Oman (GOO)
A. UKMTO Advisory Notice 002/JUL/2029.
B. U.S. Maritime Alert 2019-004A.
D. UKHO Security Chart Q6099.
The incidents against tankers transiting Straits of Hormuz on Friday 19 July have been widely reported (Ref A & B).
To ensure the safety of all vessels and allow navies to afford best protection to global trade it is vital:
Masters register with UKMTO when entering the Indian Ocean VRA (Ref C & D).
Comply with Flag State Guidance.
24-48 hrs in advance - Masters provide transit plans for the SoH and AG to UKMTO including:
o Time of Entering/Exiting the SoH TSS.
o Outline of Navigation Plan whilst operating in SoH and AG.
o Any constraints or speed restrictions. o Crew Nationality. CSO's ensure all contact numbers for UKMTO and USNAVCENT NCAGS are correct.
In the event of any incident or being concerned, Masters should call UKMTO immediately.
Masters answer all VHF calls from coalition navies.
Ch16 is becoming very busy, alternative channels will be offered.
CSOs and Masters prepare, print and have available the correct response if called on VHF.
Useful BMP Contact details:
UKMTO: Tel: +44 2392 222060 email@example.com
USNAVCENT NCAGS 24/7 Watch: +973-1785-0084 email@example.com


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M: Manual Mode
Manual mode is all about control. Keep in mind, this mode was not designed for those of us who want to go on autopilot and shoot to our heart's content. This mode was designed to allow the photographer to take complete control of shutter speed and aperture (Figure 4.16). The camera doesn't do any of the work for you.
Figure 4.16 For ultimate control of shutter speed and aperture, use Manual mode.
When you have your camera set to Manual (M) mode, the camera meter will give you a reading of the scene you are photographing. It's your job, though, to set both the f-stop (aperture) and the shutter speed to achieve a correct exposure. If you need a faster shutter speed, you will have to make the reciprocal change to your f-stop. Using any other mode, such as Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority, would mean that you just have to worry about one of these changes, but Manual mode means you have to do it all yourself. This can be a little challenging at first, but after a while you will have a complete understanding of how each change affects your exposure, which will, in turn, improve the way that you use the other modes.
When to Use Manual (M) Mode
- When lighting and exposure get tricky (Figure 4.17)
Figure 4.17 Shooting indoors can be tricky. The wonderful thing about your D7000 is that it has an incredible ISO range with relatively low digital noise. I took this image behind glass and wanted to avoid having my flash trigger because that would have left a nasty reflection. I decided to bump up my ISO and use a large aperture to get this shot.
- When your environment is fooling your light meter and you need to maintain a certain exposure setting (Figure 4.18)
Figure 4.18 Beaches and snow are always a challenge for light meters. Whenever I'm shooting something in snow I find myself switching over to manual mode. A good rule of thumb in snow is to bump your exposure up +1 or to +2 if it's really sunny. That should get you closer to the correct exposure.
- When shooting silhouetted subjects, which requires overriding the camera's meter readings (Figure 4.19)
Figure 4.19 The camera's meter will do a great job most of the time, but when you want to get creative sometimes you need to use the Manual mode. Using Manual mode allowed me to silhouette the buildings while maintaining the warm glow of the sun.
Setting Up and Shooting in Manual Mode
- Turn your camera on and then turn the Mode dial to align the M with the indicator line.
- Select your ISO by pressing and holding the ISO button on the back left of the camera while rotating the main Command dial with your thumb.
- The ISO will appear on the top display. Choose your desired ISO, and release the ISO button on the left to lock in the change.
- Point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button halfway.
- View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or by looking at the display panel on the rear of the camera.
- While the meter is activated, use your thumb to roll the Command dial left and right to change your shutter speed value until the exposure mark is lined up with the zero mark. The exposure information is displayed by a scale with marks that run from –2 to +2 stops. A proper exposure will line up with the arrow mark in the middle. As the indicator moves to the left, it is a sign that you will be underexposing (there is not enough light on the sensor to provide adequate exposure). Move the indicator to the right and you will be providing more exposure than the camera meter calls for. This is overexposure.
- To set your exposure using the aperture, depress the shutter release button until the meter is activated. Then, while holding down the Exposure Compensation/Aperture button (located behind and to the right of the shutter release button), rotate the Command dial to change the aperture. Rotate right for a smaller aperture (large f-stop number) and left for a larger aperture (small f-stop number).


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Apply now
Job no: 497842
Work type: Part-time
Location: Oshkosh, Fox Cities, and Fond Du Lac Campuses
Categories: Non-Instructional Academic Staff
Provision of :
Individual Counseling
Group Counseling
Adjunctive Therapies
Crisis Services
Outreach and Training
Coordination of areas of specialization
Supervision of Interns
Committee Involvement
Documentation of Clinical Services
Other Duties as Assigned
Applicants must submit the following documents using the online application:
1. Letter of application that addresses the position qualifications
2. Curriculum vitae or resume
3. The names and contact information for three professional references
Note: Official Academic Transcripts and a copy of license will be requested during the interview process.
For questions regarding your application and additional options to apply, contact Human Resources at email@example.com or 920-424-1166.
The University of Wisconsin System is engaged in a Title and Total Compensation (TTC) project to redesign job titles and compensation structures. As a result of the TTC project, official job titles on current job postings may change in Spring 2020. Job duties and responsibilities will remain the same. For more information please visit: wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/title-and-total-compensation-study/.
TO ENSURE CONSIDERATION: Applications received by August 26, 2020 are ensured full consideration. Applications received after that date may be given consideration at the discretion of the search committee. Application materials will be evaluated and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. Incomplete and/or late application materials may not receive consideration.
If you have questions regarding this recruitment, or if you are not able to complete the application online due to a disability or system problem, please contact the Office of Human Resources.
AA/EO Statement The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UWO) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. We strongly encourage women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans to apply. UWO, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status. Reasonable Accommodations UWO provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact email@example.com or 920-424-1166. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability. Confidentiality of Applicant Materials UWO is a State agency and subject to Wisconsin's Open Records Law. UWO will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin's Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of "final candidates" and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request. CBC & Reference Check Policy All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a criminal background check, work authorization, and verification of education. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment. Work Authorization The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh does not offer H-1B or other work authorization visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain work authorization throughout the employment term. Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act) For the UWO Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see https://uwosh.edu/police/, or call UWO's Police Department, at (920) 424-1212 for a paper copy.
Advertised: 14 Jul 2020 Central Daylight Time
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Hello Sanrio - All Is Bright Sheet Mask
Item # 25275-201812
Write a Review
Treat yourself with a minty fresh face mask! Peppermint oil and witch hazel keep acne oils under control and reduces the appearance of redness and blemishes. Meanwhile glycerin gives skin some much needed hydration leaving skin merry and bright.
Product Details:
Our masks are gentle and may be used every day. For a cooling effect store in the refrigerator. Slight tingling is normal. Discontinue use if strong tingling occurs.
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