text:
Manner of Covenanting.
The Ordinance of Covenanting — John Cunningham
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to see that He does act in wondrous condescension to his saints. Being an infinite, glorious Spirit, He does not perform the deeds of men clothed with flesh and blood, but being the upholder of all things, and the glorious fountain of all the means of operation which men employ, with them He can and does hold communication. In the ordinances of His grace He has made his chosen ones to know him. Proofs of His gracious regard to them He has in all ages given. In the earlier part of the history of time, their bodily senses he addressed: in all time their souls, by the inhabitation of his Holy Spirit, experienced the goodness of His grace. What He records of His transactions with His people is after the manner of beings possessed of material qualities, as well as gifted with undying spirits. Though not possessed of bodily organs, He spake to men; though not material, He hears and sees them; and He testifies to their deeds and thoughts. Unchanging, He acts not nor thinks as men do. But through the illimitable resources of His perfect character He has dealt with them as if He were possessed of the faculties not merely of an infinite, but of a perfect material, being. And what in the language of metaphor He has taught, or what He has presented before the bodily organs and minds of all, they are called to receive as bearing the character of truth. When His people, in vowing or swearing to Him, take hold on Him, He covenants with them. Receiving their various services offered to Him, He acknowledges them as covenant children. They vow unto Him; He made promises to them. They swear unto Him; He has sworn unto them. They avouch Him to be their God; He avouches them to be His people.
On occasions of Covenanting, God has actually made promises, and sworn to men. To Noah, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob; to the whole people of Israel at Sinai; to David and others in these circumstances He spake. To Noah once and again with enlargement the promise of His covenant He uttered. Abraham had addressed to Him the promise on various occasions of this nature, by the Lord holding converse with him as a friend. With the people of Israel the Lord talked face to face in the Mount, out of the midst of the fire. To Jacob he spake in a vision of the night at Bethel. And a covenant of royalty with David he made in like manner. And the oath of God at such seasons was given. He sware to Noah. Though the first inspired historian does not mention the fact, it is recorded. "This is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee."[116] To Abraham he sware, -- "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee."[117] The oath of God was made to Isaac.[118] To Israel at Sinai: when the Lord brought them out of Egypt He lifted up His hand.[119] It is because not merely that with His finger He wrote the law on two tables of stone, but that in lifting up his hand in swearing to them there, while giving the law, that it is said, -- "From his right hand went a fiery law for them."[120] And to David also, in making a covenant with him, the Lord sware. "The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne."[121]
Even in those ordinary cases in which, on Covenanting, communion with God is enjoyed, He Covenants with them. This is implied in the very designation of the exercise; but it is otherwise obvious. We have no reason to believe that when Israel Covenanted in the land of Moab such manifestations of God's presence as were vouchsafed at Sinai were made. But then the Lord made an oath to his people, and thereby Covenanted with them. "That thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day."[122] Yea there, after whatever manner, He avouched them to be His people. "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments."[123] Yea, except the contrary be stated or implied somewhere, we should not be warranted in maintaining that the oath of God was not always given on occasions of Covenanting, before the Canon of Scripture was closed. In the historic record of Jacob's life no account is given of God's making an oath to him. Yet we are certain that He covenanted with him. And that he actually sware to him, is one of the conclusions that may be legitimately drawn from the words, "As he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."[124] And that He, under this last dispensation, always Covenants with believers, when they vow and swear to Him, is manifest from those declarations in which he promises to make a covenant with them. Whether or not on these occasions he absolutely makes an oath, is not revealed. That we should know whether or not he does so, is not necessary, else the book of Divine revelation had not been completed. But even though, as under the law, when the sons of Aaron on entering on the priesthood, took vows upon them to fulfil its duties, he should not actually make a new oath, the vows and oaths of His people came up before Him as formerly they did from before his altar, and the oaths which He had sworn before, even on their behalf, are made available to them. Thus Israel were enjoined, "That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day; that he may establish thee to-day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day."[125] And thus were encouraged those who should succeed these in drawing near to God. "The sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain; and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar: for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."[126]
Now, Covenanting must be engaged in intelligently. Not merely must there be a desire to perform the service; but there must be an enlightened apprehension of its nature. "It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry."[127] Applicable to the intellectual discernment that true faith includes, as well as to that grace in its spiritual character, is the declaration, "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."[128] The Covenant children of God are taught of him, and draw near to him as if He were not unknown, but revealed to them in his grace. Though none can by searching find out God, nor find out the Almighty unto perfection, yet those whom He saves know whom they worship. According to the instructions delivered in his word, must be the performance of every service of religion; and the character of God as revealed, is that which must be apprehended in the discharge of each. It was according to a Divine warrant and direction that the saints of old entered into Covenant; and every lawful approach to him by vow or oath requires a just appreciation of his character. "The Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it."[129] "This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know ye the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord."[130]
Secondly. Covenanting must be engaged in cordially. That is not religious homage which comes not from the heart. For an intelligent being in any case to utter any thing that is inconsistent with the thoughts of the mind is sinful; but in this case it is peculiarly foolish and daring. If the affections of the heart be sanctified, they will be elevated to God in every religious exercise, and especially in this. Those who value their own souls, will not be devoid of intense concern for their salvation, when before God they engage in testifying to their acceptance thereof. They who seek to glorify God, will in this draw near to him with their mouth, and with their lips do honour to him, but not remove their hearts far from him. If a transaction that concerns only a limited part of this world's good is often important, how much more that which concerns the enjoyment of God as a portion! If an engagement that concerns a few years' enjoyment is often found to engross all the feelings of the mind, how absorbent of all the best exercises of the heart should be a transaction for communion with God to eternity! The men of Judah, on a solemn occasion, afforded an important pattern in this. "All Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart."[131] And wherever the Covenant of God will be taken hold upon by men returning to him, the whole heart will be engaged. "I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart."[132]
Thirdly. Covenanting must be engaged in with deliberation. To avow the resolution, to abandon the service of satan and to fight under the banner of Christ, is an exercise that entails momentous consequences. And corresponding to its importance should be the fixedness of heart called to its performance. In it a solemn attestation and adherence to a choice of God as a Lord and Master, is made before him. Joshua's patriotic and pious address at Shechem was delivered, not that Israel should all choose God as if none of them had chosen him before, but that those who had not cleaved to his Covenant should then cleave to it, and that those who had taken hold upon it before, should again adhere to it. He said, "If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And all attempting such an exercise, should possess a devotedness such as that evinced by the answer returned by the people, -- "God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods, for the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."[133]
Fourthly. Covenanting should be engaged in with sincerity, and with a resolution to perform the engagement made. Dreadful are the denunciations uttered against such as swear falsely. The Lord swears in truth: he will not turn from it. And how daring on the part of any is it to swear falsely in making a covenant! In an oath given falsely, God is defied, his power to punish is challenged, and the stroke of his indignation is impiously invoked to descend upon the guilty juror's head. "If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness."[134] The people of God swear, "The Lord liveth," in truth, in righteousness, and in judgment. With David they can declare, "I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments."[135] Each of them may be denominated, "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."[136] And firm will be their purpose to keep their pledge given in vowing unto God -- "Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse."[137]
Fifthly. In the first ages, the exercise was accompanied by sacrifice. The phrase ([Hebrew: karath b'rith]), which is most commonly employed to designate the making of a covenant, consists of two terms, each of which conducts us to the sacrificial rite. The latter of these, ([Hebrew: b'rith], a covenant,) would appear to be derived from a verb which, according to circumstances, bears the significations, to cut, to choose, to eat. The connection between all these and an expression which means to purify, is not obscure, nor is their relation to a word ([Hebrew: bar]), with which that so rendered is intimately connected, difficult to be traced. That which is eaten is made choice of for its purity, or because that by cutting, it is separated from what is less fitted for food, or even during the process of eating is cut. It is an opinion held by one class of commentators, that the reason why that term is put to signify a covenant, is, that it may be deduced from the verb bearing the meaning to choose, and to which there would appear no objection, provided that that meaning were reckoned to be secondary to the signification to eat. The idea implied in the verb to choose is essentially abstract. Not so is that included in either the verb to cut, or the verb to eat. From one of these, which may be considered as collateral primary meanings, it must therefore be deduced. And since it cannot be deduced from the one without the other, it must consequently be derived from the latter. But since, on the occasion of entering into covenant, feasts were wont to be kept, and since the flesh of animals slain for sacrifice was not seldom partaken of by those associated to present them, there is reason to conclude that food eaten on the occasion of solemn Covenanting included the flesh of sacred victims, and that while this term for Covenant may be considered as derived immediately from an expression signifying to choose, it is to be viewed as tracing its origin to the same expression viewed as denoting to eat, because the flesh of sacrifice afforded to the federal parties a means of convivial entertainment in the accustomed friendly feast. The other of these terms ([Hebrew: karoth]) means literally to cut. It is used in describing the operation of cutting in twain the animal sacrificed at the ratification of a covenant. "I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof. The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf; I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth."[138] The practice of so dividing the victim was evidently in accordance with the operation performed by Abraham, when the Lord made a covenant with him.[139] Indeed, in the record given of that transaction, a different term ([Hebrew: bathor]) is used to denote the performance of the division, but this the more establishes its fact. And though God's covenant is before spoken of as having been established, and though Noah, on the occasion of his adhering to that covenant immediately after the flood, offered sacrifice,[140] yet, it is in the account given of that with Abraham, and as if the practice of cutting the victim in twain had originated when it was entered into, that the phrase connecting the two terms or their modifications is first used. Thereafter, however, in reference to every variety of solemn Covenant engagements, the phrase is adopted. It is employed to describe the entering into covenant of men with men before the Lord, and consequently of both parties with him. The cases of David and the elders of Israel at Hebron,[141] and of Jehoash and his people,[142] afford instances. Another such case is found in the account of the league between Joshua and the princes of the congregation, and the Gibeonites.[143] In the commands forbidding Israel to enter into covenant with the Canaanites, or their gods, the phrase is used.[144] It is used when men are represented as making a covenant with God. The record of that of Israel, under Ezra, gives an illustration.[145] And it is the form of expression by which the Lord himself is represented as entering into covenant with men. The records of the transactions at Sinai and Moab, of his covenant with David, and of his purposes to enter into covenant with his people, as those appear in his precious word of promise, as well as other passages, contain it. Yea, sometimes even where that word of the phrase which means covenant is omitted, the meaning of the other is most manifestly the same as that of the whole.[146]
The bisection of the victim symbolized Christ slain and affording access to God through himself. The act pointed out precisely what was represented by the rending of the vail of the temple, when Jesus suffered on the cross. Both signified his death, and the opening up thereby of a way of access to God. The act of passing between the parts of the sacrifice was an emblem of the exercise of holding communion with God, as made known in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. As when the vail was rent the most holy place was no longer concealed, but might be approached with safety; so when Jesus suffered there was presented the reality of that provision for communion with God, which was typified by the cutting of the calf in twain and passing between the parts thereof. And the believing Covenanter employed in performing that exercise enjoyed substantially the blessedness which is in reserve for those who, in contemplation of the exercise of renewing their vows to God, are enabled with an apostle to say, -- "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water;" and being strengthened with Divine grace, after engaging in it, he would feel disposed to do as these in similar circumstances in ages long future urged: -- "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised.)"[147]
The act of swearing by the name of God was wont to be symbolized by the offering of sacrifice. It has been shown that the number seven was an emblem of the oath. One of the things, therefore, denoted by the offering of seven sacrifices was the swearing of it. Once, and again and again, did Balak at Balaam's suggestion build seven altars, and offer a bullock and a ram on every altar.[148] And whether we believe the religious homage presented on each occasion to have been in ignorance addressed to the true God, or to some idol, there is reason to conclude that the injunction of the false prophet was suggested by the practice of the people of God, and that the service was an emblematical representation of the religious worship offered in the swearing of the oath. Besides, was not his design to curse Israel either by the true God, or by some gods of the heathen? And was it not in imitation of some such practices, as that which he attempted, that Goliath cursed David by his gods? But offerings of this kind were presented when federal transactions were ratified by the worshippers of God. After the three friends of Job had uttered all their hard speeches against him, the Lord addressed to them a command which included not less than the injunction, to enter into an amicable compact with the afflicted character whom they had so much misrepresented, and also to accompany it with a religious service.[149] The duty enjoined embodied likewise a confession of sin and an appeal to God for the truth of their acknowledgments. The covenant promise made to them was, that God would accept them through the intercession of Job, -- not as if that were of itself meritorious, but approved through the great Mediator. The offering of seven bullocks and seven rams was a confirmation of their friendly Covenant, and could not be less than an emblem of their oath to the Most High. Finally. In the first year of his reign, Hezekiah declared, "Now it is in mine heart to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us." That He, the priests and Levites, the rulers of Jerusalem, and as many of the congregation of Israel as were present, carried his design into effect, for the first time, on the occasion of the solemnities which took place in the first month, appears from his command, uttered when he declared his devout intention. He said, -- "My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him and burn incense (or, offer sacrifice)."[150] That all Judah and Israel were enjoined to accede to the Covenant, in the second month, is manifest from the King's command to them -- "Now be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever; and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you."[151] That such of them as came up to the passover, at the King's command, by the word of the Lord, gave their adherence to what had been done before at Jerusalem, appears from the account given of them engaging in making confession to the Lord God of their fathers. And whether or not the keeping of the feast, for the accustomed seven days, and other seven days besides, symbolized the act of swearing to the Lord, with a cordiality which the repetition denoted, sacrifices were offered, both on the occasion of the making of the Covenant and on that of the people's latter acquiescence in it, and on the former when sacrifices were presented for Israel, the sin-offering -- testifying to the oaths that were then sworn, was offered by sevens.
It is explicitly said, that a Covenant with God was made by sacrifice. It is not obscurely intimated in Scripture that the people of Israel, who fell into idolatry by offering sacrifice on high places, made a Covenant with idols instead of God himself. The practice must have been a corruption of the worship of God. The vow was made frequently not merely to offer sacrifice, but by the offering of oblation. "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice."[152]
And Covenants were ratified by the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifice. A full account is given of the practice in the record of the Covenant transaction at Sinai. Moses "sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the Covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words."[153] The blood sprinkled on the altar testified to the Lord's acceptance of the sacrifice and of the people who presented it, and to the Father's acquiescence in and approval of the great propitiation that should be made for sin. The sprinkling of the blood upon the people signified the application of the blood of Christ for pardon, pacification, and cleansing, to the consciences of a ransomed community. The Lord Jesus being that sacrifice that was slain for the confirmation of the everlasting Covenant, his blood is represented as the blood of the Covenant. And the blood of sacrifice that was sprinkled was a type of his. To that sacrifice, the ancient covenanter, presenting his oblation, looked forward. To look to him so, in taking hold upon his Covenant, before his incarnation, there was given the encouragement -- "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water."[154] And now, though oblation is no more offered in the same spirit in which Covenant was made by sacrifice, the Covenanting believer vowing to God comes to "Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."[155]
Sixthly. In all ages, the exercise is performed by faith. As without faith it is impossible to please God, so in this act it is not less requisite than in any other. In order to the right performance of it, faith in God, as having given it his warrant, and as having made precious promises to be laid hold on in engaging in it, and dependence on Divine grace for strength to accomplish it, is necessary. It is by faith that the way of salvation through Christ is approved; by faith, Christ and all his benefits are received; by faith, God, as a God in covenant, is recognised; by faith, are renounced the claims of the devil, the world, and the flesh; by faith, is the whole man dedicated to the service of God; and by faith, every promise of obedience, that God may be glorified, is made. Of Abraham taking hold on God's covenant by accepting of the promise, it is said, "He believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness."[156] Swearing to the Lord in faith, "Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength."[157] And all who have properly engaged in this exercise will testify, "I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God."[158] With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. And as in the first actings of faith, so in this solemn act, the Redeemer is received as able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Faith in him as the one foundation laid in Zion, in preference to every other, the believer endeavours habitually to cherish, and especially at seasons of solemn self-surrender to God, or of public vowing to him, seeks to have in vigorous exercise. At these, the mind is brought more than is usual to deal with the object of faith. The Lord Jesus in his exceeding glory, often speaks to the heart, and the whole faculties of the soul respond. So that, especially applicable to the believer's exercises, then, is what, in the following language of an eminent writer, is said concerning the universal tendency of faith in the righteousness of Christ: -- "When he discovers his own guilt and misery, and the absolute perfection and ineffable excellencies of this righteousness, the believer requires no force nor compulsion to embrace it. When the avenger of blood was at his heels, did the manslayer require any violence to urge him on to the asylum where he might lodge secure? When the deluge of wrath was descending, and all around becoming one watery waste, was any force necessary to shut Noah up in the ark, where he might abide in safety amidst the wreck and horrors of a sinking world? And when conscience writes bitter things against him, and makes him possess the iniquities of his youth; when the heavens are gathering blackness, and before him he sees, at the opening into eternity, the piercing eyes of Omniscience looking fully on him through the terrors of insulted, incensed omnipotent justice: does the believer need any compulsion to drive him out of his own lying refuges, and constrain him to betake himself to the Divine and All-sufficient righteousness of Immanuel? No. He repairs to it with eagerness, and clings to it with a tenacity that time cannot relax, nor all the agonies of death dissolve. We speak of trust, dependence, and reliance, on this righteousness. These however are terms far too feeble to express the affection towards it, which the believer feels. He prefers it to his chief joy; glories in it as all his salvation and all his desire, and determines to know nothing else. Divinely precious and infinitely perfect as it is, there is no part of it with which he can dispense. Less than this cannot reach his wretched case, nor impart the blessings that he wants. His polluted and never-dying soul needs it all: and, therefore, he embraces it wholly, and rests on it alone[159]."
Seventhly. The exercise requires that it be engaged in devotionally. It is a part of religious worship, and claims that solemnity of mind that is due to every religious service. Every part of it is an exercise of religion, and the frame of mind that should be brought to each of them ought to be sustained in waiting on the whole. All things that could give solemnity to an observance unite to invest this with a devout character. The claims of its glorious Object, its own essential nature, and its design, all conspire in this.
It was performed in the solemn assemblies of the people of God. The oaths of his people were wont to come up before his altar. The people of Judah and Jerusalem, both under Jehoash and Josiah, and those of Judah, besides many of the kingdom of Israel, observed the exercise in the temple. When performed not in religious edifices, but where the Lord himself approved, it was not the less observed in his presence, nor the less sacred a service. What gives to a religious assembly all its solemnity, is the gracious presence of God. And this, which gave to the house of God its holy character, confers on every place where his people meet, whether in houses built with hands or under the canopy of heaven, the character of a scene for the time set apart to his service. The scene and the nature of the services correspond. By the scene where this observance was kept, whether in the desert of Sinai, in the fruitful land of Moab, in the temple at Jerusalem in its earlier periods, in Jerusalem surrounded with ruins, but to be rebuilt, in houses erected for the worship of God, or in the fruitful vallies, or on the barren heath, -- a scene of communion with God, its character, as an exercise essentially devotional, is defined.
It is a holy exercise. Both in the Old Testament and in the New, the Covenant of God is declared to be holy. He himself is holy, and he requires that his people be holy too. And dissuading Israel from confederating with the heathen, and in language addressed to all, calling them to the exercise of Covenanting embodied in fearing his name, he commands them to approach him as holy. "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread."[160]
It should be performed with godly fear and reverence. The Lord was made known not merely as the God of Abraham, and the portion of Jacob, but to intimate the same Covenant relation which these designations pointed out, as also the fear of Isaac. And as Isaac, in Covenanting with Him whom he acknowledged as his fear, could not but cherish towards him a holy awe, so all possessed of an interest in that covenant into which Isaac was taken, in vowing to the Lord, fear his holy name; and giving intimation of the reverential feelings that prevail in their minds while performing the exercise, in their practice they will verify the prediction, "Unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."
The exercise requires to be accompanied by confession of sin. It is as sinners seeking forgiveness that men, however much they may have enjoyed the blessings of the Covenant, perform it. Because of neglect or forgetfulness of Covenant engagements, because of imperfections numerous and great attaching to obedience rendered in fulfilling them, because of misapprehensions of their nature and design, and the want of that holy ardour that should never cease to urge to duties voluntarily engaged to, because of innumerably varied infirmities manifested even while in a Covenant state, confession behoves to be made. The Covenant of Grace was revealed after the breach of that of Works. For removing the curse entailed by sin, its revelation was designed. A right apprehension of its design is accompanied by a sense of sin. When its terms are accepted, hatred to all iniquity is professed; and, because of the power of corruption in leading to disobedience, shame must be felt, and acknowledgment be made before God. On these occasions a sin-offering was wont to be cut.[161] The practice of making confession, then, was fully illustrated in the conduct both of Ezra and Nehemiah, and of Israel with them. Concerning Israel -- attempting the service, it is said, "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of water in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born."[162] And the Gentiles, being not less chargeable with sin than the seed of Abraham in the same circumstances, will not be less called than those to acknowledge it; so that to them, as sons of the spiritual Zion, may be applied the prophetic description of duty contained in the words uttered concerning the other, -- "In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten."[163]
And, the vow is made in the exercise of prayer. The term ([Greek: euche]) by which the Seventy render the word for a vow in the Old Testament original, is used in the Greek of the New Testament to denote, now a vow and then a prayer. In the former sense it is employed in the original of the passage, "Do therefore this that we say unto thee: We have four men which have a vow on them."[164] And in the latter acceptation it is used in that of the following: -- "The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."[165] Were the vow not made in the act of offering prayer we should be unable to account for this twofold use of the term. Again, taking prayer in its most comprehensive signification, -- as including adoration, confession, petition, and thanksgiving, -- no address to God, except the song of praise, can be made otherwise than in this exercise. The vow accordingly, as well as the oath -- which embodies an adoration, is made by prayer. And, finally, this receives corroboration from the fact that the manner according to which, in vowing, prayer should be made is revealed. In this and in similar passages, not merely Israel after the flesh, but the whole visible church of God, are instructed how at once they should vow and pray. -- "O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."[166]
Eighthly. This exercise is sometimes engaged in with the living voice. Whatever argument can be employed to establish the propriety of engaging vocally in any religious service is here available. The tongue is the glory of man; and with it the praise of God is proclaimed. "In his temple doth every one speak of his glory." That thought concerning God, which may not in some circumstances be expressed, may not be entertained. And if some features of his glorious character or administration are celebrated with the lips, so may all. Holy thoughts and affections unexpressed are sometimes like a fire shut up in the bones. Why should not these burst forth in the holy act of vowing and swearing to God, even as a flame, to the diffusion of a love and zeal for Him and his cause that would spread widely around? This the saints of God have felt when called to the service. In the land of Moab Israel avouched the Lord to be their God; and presenting an animating example, the kingdom of Judah, with Asa their king, "sware unto the Lord with a loud voice."[167]
Lastly. A Covenant with God is sometimes confirmed by subscription. Probably in imitation of the practice of the people of God, covenants among idolaters were written. "Your covenant with death shall be disannulled,"[168] (that is, covered or blotted out, as if it had been written.) The application of the seal was equivalent to the signature of the hand. It must have been made on occasions of federal ratification, and it might then have accompanied the subscription of the name. There is reason to believe that Nehemiah referred to an imitation of an ancient practice when he said, "And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it: and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it."[169] But to whatever extent the practice may have obtained in the earlier times, it possesses the highest warrant during every period that should succeed. "One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord."[170]
Hence, in the first place, religious Covenanting is an exercise distinct from every other. The vow cannot be mistaken for anything else; and the swearing of the oath is marked by a character of its own.
Every religious act is, or ought to be, performed with a solemn regard to Covenant obligation. But each one of these is not Covenanting. The spirit of Covenanting enters into praise and prayer, and every other exercise of a devotional kind; but the exercise itself, performed in an explicit and solemn manner, is a part of worship different from all these. To argue that it is not, as some who are opposed to the explicit performance of it do, would be to go to the extreme of maintaining that Covenanting should be engaged in, not merely personally on one occasion, but habitually in the discharge of every religious duty; and thus to lead to a very frequent, and, we might add, therefore unwarrantable performance of the service, instead of discountenancing it altogether. To perform a vow is not to vow a vow. To vow to do one thing is not to vow to perform another that is distinct from it. To vow to do duty that might have been clearly apprehended before, is not to engage by vow to do duty for the first time now unfolded before the mind. Prayer includes praise; but to pray is not to sing praise. Covenanting may include in it every religious exercise. But to perform any or all of these, excepting the use of the seals of the Covenant, may not be formally to Covenant. Indeed, the exercise is the sum of all others of a religious description; and as embodying not merely the spirit, but the observance of the spiritual services performed in all of them, ought with due solemnity on meet occasions formally to be engaged in. Sacrifice accompanied vowing in former times; but sacrifice was offered on other occasions besides. Sacrifice was presented frequently in order that the vow might be paid; but sacrifice was not the making of the vow. Faith is always in exercise when Covenanting is engaged in aright; but it is also in operation when Covenant engagements are not made, but in some measure fulfilled. Covenanting is performed with holy fear and reverence; but are these feelings never in exercise except when the oath is sworn or the vow is made? The people of God fear him habitually, even though not engaged in positive religious services. Covenanting is engaged in along with confession of sin; but the exercise itself is not the confession of sin. Sin is sometimes acknowledged before God when no new positive engagement is made. Covenanting is engaged in by prayer; but prayer is of a varied character, and though every vow is made in prayer, yet every prayer is not offered in entering into Covenant.
But, in the second and last place, hence also appears the error of the opinion, that seeing this exercise is performed in certain acknowledged duties, therefore by itself it is unnecessary. It is not denied that the oath is used to confirm civil obligations. But no one is therefore warranted in maintaining that to apply it so, is to use it in things religious. It is one thing to admit that vowing is a part of the duty implied in receiving the sacrament of baptism and the Lord's supper; it is another to maintain that the vow or oath should not be used in other circumstances. The vow is defined in Scripture, but the things to be vowed, and the cases in which it should be made are also in general pointed out. To declare that the vow should be made, for example, merely on sacramental occasions, would be to assume, that a part adopted by men should stand for the whole appointed by God. Is it said, that in these two sacramental exercises there is made a general engagement, that comprehends every duty that could possibly be performed, and therefore it is unnecessary to engage in formal Covenanting? On the same principle it might be said, that the sinner who has received Christ at first has no need to act faith upon him again; -- that the believer has even no need to receive the ordinance of baptism for his children, or that of the Lord's supper for himself; -- that the individual who has believed should not Covenant personally in an explicit manner; yea, -- that he who has sworn to the Lord, in attending to the ordinance of baptism or of the supper, has no need in any case, even in reference to matters civil, to swear again. It might as well be said, that, in receiving the ordinance of baptism, vows are taken on, which include every case that could occur, and that, therefore, after that there is no necessity for waiting on the ordinance of the supper; -- or that the waiting on that ordinance on one occasion would afford a reason for neglecting both the dispensation of it and of the ordinance of baptism ever thereafter. In one word, it might be answered, that the opinion makes no provision for the believer's growth in grace, but by dealing with him as if he were perfect in all respects, rather tends to keep him from attaining to perfection. One approved exercise is not to be sacrificed to others. On the same principle that Covenanting might be given up because vows are made to God in receiving the sacrament, might praise be given up because God is thanked in prayer; or prayer be discontinued because He is adored and thanked, and presented with confession of sin, and supplications for mercies, in songs of praise. But, besides, as the Lord's supper ought not to be substituted for baptism, nor baptism for the Lord's supper, so neither ought either or both to take the place of various other specific exercises of vowing to God. The vow made on the reception of baptism is suited especially to the occasion. Other vows are not less suitable to other circumstances than that is to its own. The vow made at the Lord's table may include the sum of all duty; but where is the evidence that it ought not in other circumstances also to be made? At that holy communion each believer swears individually to a profession of his faith with his brethren, and to specific exercises consistent with his own condition; but that is no reason why the oath to perform certain requirements of God's law should not be explicitly and openly sworn. Apart from the sacramental symbols, the exercise of explicit Covenanting may embody the making of vows to perform every duty, and include every part of religious worship. And as it was attended to under the Old Testament economy, when neither the rite of circumcision nor some other observances of the Levitical dispensation had been instituted, nay, even when that rite after its institution was not being applied, so under the present dispensation it may be engaged in when the seals of the Covenant are or are not dispensed. The magnitude, and variety, and demands of the objects embraced by it, define the times necessary for engaging in it. Changes in providence should lead, and in some measure direct in observing it. It is in certain occurrences in providence, ordinary though they be, that we are presented with the season meet for every other religious act. The morning and evening, and the times of partaking of the necessaries and comforts of life for the nourishment of the body, especially afford opportunities for offering supplication and thanksgiving. Deliverances from afflictions, and support under them when vouchsafed, call for the acknowledgment of the great goodness and tender compassion of God. The suffering of individual and social distress, and the pangs of bereavement, call for the recognition of his holy sovereignty with the deepest humility and resignation; and not less should the changes for evil or good that take place in society, and the obvious necessities that attach to our own spiritual condition, and the wants of our fellow-creatures around us and over the habitable earth, urge us to those exercises of special solemn Covenanting with God, which are peculiarly fitted to meet their demands.
[116] Isa. liv.9.
[117] Heb. vi.13, 14.
[118] Ps. cv.9.
[119] Ezek. xx.5.
[120] Deut. xxxiii.2.
[121] Ps. cxxxii.11.
[122] Deut. xxix.12.
[123] Deut. xxvi.17, 18.
[125] Deut. xxix.12-15.
[126] Is. lvi.6, 7.
[127] Prov. xx.25.
[128] Heb. xi.6.
[129] Is. xix.21.
[130] Jer. xxxi.33, 34.
[131] 2 Chron. xv.15.
[132] Jer. xxiv.7.
[133] Josh. xxiv.15-17.
[134] 1 Kings viii.31, 32.
[135] Ps. cxix.106.
[136] Ps. xxiv.4.
[137] 1 Chron. xii.18.
[138] Jer. xxxiv.18-20.
[139] Gen. xv.8-18.
[140] Gen. ix.11.-viii.20.
[141] 2 Sam. v.3.
[142] 2 Kings xi.4.
[143] Josh. ix.6, 7.
[144] Exod. xxiii.32.
[145] Ezra x.3.
[146] 2 Chron. vii.18.
[147] Heb. x.19-23.
[148] Num. xxiii.
[149] Job xlii.7-9.
[150] 2 Chron. xxix.10, 11. See also, v.20-24.
[151] 2 Chron. xxx.8.
[152] Ps. l.5.
[153] Exod. xxiv.5-8.
[154] Zech. ix.11.
[155] Heb. xii.24.
[156] Gen. xv.6.
[157] Is. xlv.24.
[158] Ps. xxxi.14.
[159] The Rev. Dr. Hamilton, late of Strathblane, "On the Assurance of Salvation." 2d edition. pp.122, 123.
[160] Is. viii.12, 13.
[161] 2 Chron. xxix.21.
[162] Jer. xxxi.9.
[163] Jer. l.4, 5.
[164] Acts xxi.23.
[165] James v.15.
[166] Hos. xiv.1, 2.
[168] [Hebrew: kupar] Is. xxviii.18.
[169] Neh. ix.38.
[170] Is. xliv.5.


text:
Moirago (in milanese Moiragh) è una frazione del comune italiano di Zibido San Giacomo posta a nordest del centro abitato, nelle immediate vicinanze di Rozzano. Ha costituito un comune autonomo fino al 1841.

Storia
Moirago era un piccolo centro abitato del milanese di antica origine, e confinava con Gudo Gambaredo e Bazzanella a nord, Rozzano e Torriggio ad est, Basiglio e Badile a sud, e Zibido San Giacomo ad ovest. Al censimento del 1751 la località fece registrare 300 residenti, scesi a 293 nel 1771, e risultava sede di parrocchia.

In età napoleonica, nel 1805, la popolazione era scesa a 230 unità, e nel 1809 il municipio si allargò annettendo il territorio di Badile per un totale di 386 residenti, ma nel 1811 fu a sua volta soppresso ed incorporato a San Pietro Cusico; tutti i centri recuperarono comunque l'autonomia nel 1816, in seguito all'istituzione del Regno Lombardo-Veneto, seppur venendo spostati in Provincia di Pavia.

Furono in seguito gli stessi governanti tedeschi a riconoscere la necessità di una razionalizzazione della rete amministrativa della zona, e quindi il municipio fu definitivamente soppresso dagli austriaci il 23 gennaio 1841, venendo annesso alla vicina Vigonzino, a sua volta successivamente confluita nel territorio comunale di Zibido San Giacomo..

Infrastrutture e trasporti
Fra il 1880 e il 1936 la località ospitò una fermata della Tranvia Milano-Pavia.

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Frazioni di Zibido San Giacomo
Comuni della Lombardia soppressi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Listen 7 min
FTC sues Match.com for misleading users
Hosted by Madeleine Brand Sep. 27, 2019 Science & Technology
Match.com home page. Credit: Match.com.
If you've used the dating site Match.com, you've probably received a notification saying "Someone's interested in you!" or "You caught his eye. Could he be the one?"
But to see who that person is, you have to pay up. And that person may not be the one, or even an actual person. It could be a fake account or a bot, trying to scam you into signing up for Match's paid service.
These ads may have coaxed hundreds of thousands of people into signing up for the paid service, and cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. At least, that's what the Federal Trade Commission alleges in a lawsuit against the online dating giant.
Terry Nguyen - Vox
Match may have misled users with messages from fake dating accounts
Sarah Sweeney, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir, Rosalie Atkinson, Brian Hardzinski
LA MacArthur 'Genius' takes on race and incarceration
Trump asked Ukraine's president to help prove a conspiracy theory
President Trump is fanning a conspiracy theory that's been percolating on the right. Believers think in 2016, Ukranian officials fabricated evidence about the Trump campaign...
Is Fox News having an identity crisis over Trump?
Amid the frenzy around Trump's impeachment inquiry, two major Fox News hosts are in an open feud about it: Tucker Carlson and Shepard Smith. President Trump is also not...
If you've used the dating site Match.com, you've probably received a notification saying "Someone's interested in you!" or "You caught his eye.
LA MacArthur 'Genius' Kelly Lytle Hernandez takes on race and incarceration
LA resident Kelly Lytle Hernandez is one of the newest winners of the MacArthur "Genius" grants.
'Abominable:' delightful and will be enjoyed by parents and kids
Our critics review "The Day Shall Come," a comedy starring Anna Kendrick as an FBI operative who turns an impoverished preacher into a criminal to impress her boss;...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I commissioned a movie poster by the amazing Jessica McGinnis (@jaykittens) for the Star Fox script I wrote in December! It came out SO GOOD!!!
Copyright © 2019 Brandon Carbaugh. Powered by WordPress and Stargazer.


Njega ne gane! On uziva! 珞 tapravi ❤ je!
*Are you the owner of Žverce, psi in konji?
New customers can now instantly discover and get in touch with places like Žverce, psi in konji in Ravne na Koroskem.
Your basic listing on Top Local Places in Ravne na Koroskem is free of charge. We believe in giving first. Unlimited views. Unlimited contact request forms sent to your email.
Drop us email on hello@toplocalplaces.com to get exclusive promotion in Ravne na Koroskem area. And special promotion in Pet Service category in Slovenia.
Do you like Žverce, psi in konji ?


How Can You Reduce Industrial Dust?
Industrial dust is a hazard in many workplaces; for example, it can affect the health of workers and may contribute to respiratory conditions. It can also make the working environment less comfortable, undermining productivity and efficiency.
Dust is something that can't be avoided in many industrial processes. According to Safety Solutions, basic construction processes such as cutting, drilling, grinding and breaking are the main causes of dust.
Although you can't do much to prevent industrial dust, there are ways you can reduce it.
Make sure you are fully up to date with the laws regarding clean air in the workplace, and put measures in place to ensure you remain compliant.
There is a wide range of dust collection systems you can use to reduce the amount of industrial dust floating in the air of your workplace. It is important to research your different options to find a solution that suits your environment best. These systems work by removing the harmful dust particles and returning clean air back to the atmosphere.
If the dust is dry and free from moisture, you may wish to consider using an inertial separator dust collector, which uses centrifugal force to cleanse the air.
For small workplaces, a fabric collector or baghouse system for collecting dust is ideal, whilst larger establishments or those with a generous budget may prefer a system that uses liquid to remove dust.
Where your processes operate at a high temperature, you may decide to choose an electrostatic precipitator that ionizes dust and continues to run during cleaning.
If your system includes portable processes or individual bins that create dust, unit dust collectors are useful for tackling dust. You may also wish to consider purchasing sack tip equipment from a supplier such as http://www.aptech.uk.com/materials-handling/container-fibc-sack-discharging-ancillary-processes/ to assist with industrial dust management in the workplace.
Take a look at the various dust removal tools and vacuums that are available to weigh up your options.
Even with these dust-reducing measures in place, it is vital that staff wear the right protective equipment, including safety glasses and filtration masks. Don't rely on dust collection systems alone.
You can reduce industrial dust in the workplace by spraying surfaces with water and regular cleaning, which prevents layers of dust accumulating. You should also keep areas well ventilated.


Congratulations on being a 2019 SR. High All Tournament player. Please answer the questions below regarding the upcoming All Star Tournament on May 4th at Russellville High School. More details will be communicated through Remind as soon as we know them. Please remember to sign up for Remind to receive updates and information about the tournament. Text @19srstars to 81010 or (312)945-7432. A confirmation email will be sent to your coach.


text:
Les Aphalarinae sont une sous-famille d'insectes de l'ordre des hémiptères, de la super-famille des Psylloidea et de la famille des Aphalaridae.

Liste des tribus
Aphalarini - Caillardiini - Colposceniini - Gyropsyllini - Xenaphalarini - †Paleopsylloidini

Références

Liens externes

Psylloidea
Sous-famille d'Hémiptères (nom scientifique)


Home / Bits N Briefs / Why Are Creditors Still Calling After Bankruptcy?
Thankfully, bankruptcy law provides a remedy for this abuse by creditors. When the discharge injunction has been ignored or violated by prohibited actions by the creditor, the debtor can re-open the bankruptcy case and seek an order of civil contempt and sanctions against the creditor.
If the bankruptcy judge finds that the creditor has intentionally violated the discharge injunction, the judge can order the creditor to pay actual damages (money), including damages for significant emotional distress and humiliation. In addition, the judge can order the creditor to pay debtor's attorney's fees and court costs. And in the case of a willful violation, the judge can order the creditor to pay punitive damages (large amounts of money) to the discharged debtor.
With knowledge of the significant financial risk of pursuing discharged debtors, most creditors abide by the discharge injunction and close their collection files. As to those who continue to pursue collection against the discharged debtor, many of these actions are done by ignorant individuals who don't understand the law, don't have a lot of assets themselves and are unlikely to be severely penalized for their misconduct.
But in the event that a creditor keeps calling, especially a business creditor that should know better, you are strongly advised to contact a good bankruptcy attorney who can take swift action to stop this abuse by creditors and request an order of contempt and sanctions.
Greg Martucci is good bankruptcy attorney with over 30 years of experience representing debtors. Call the Martucci Law Office at 630-980-8333 to learn more about remedies for debtors under the Bankruptcy Code and to schedule your FREE initial office consultation.


First-time buyers borrowed £3.31 billion, up seven per cent on the second quarter and nine per cent on the third quarter of last year. This equated to 11,200 loans, up six per cent quarter-on-quarter and three per cent year-on-year.
Home movers borrowed £3.44 billion, up 14 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 17 per cent compared to a year ago. This equated to 8,400 loans, up 14 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 11 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2016.
Remortgaging activity totalled £4.49 billion, up 15 per cent on the second quarter and four per cent compared to the same quarter last year. This came to 14,500 loans, up 12 per cent quarter-on-quarter and three per cent compared to a year ago.
First-time buyers typically borrowed £275,000 (£139,500 in the UK overall), up from £268,747 in the previous quarter. The average household income was £67,737 (£41,009 in the UK overall), up from £66,961 three months earlier. The typical income multiple in London of 4.06 (up from 4.02 in the previous quarter) was higher than the UK average of 3.61.
The average home mover borrowed £353,995 in the third quarter (£180,995 in the UK overall), up from £353,499 in the preceding three months. The average household income of a home mover was £91,940 (£55,865 in the UK overall), up from £91,329. This meant that the typical home owner income multiple in London was 4.01, the same as in the preceding quarter and higher than the UK average of 3.39.


Discovering the right Rental Car for you is important when you need to find one cheaply in Ankara. We know you want everything to in place in Ankara, Turkey. We compare a wide array of vehicle options in Ankara. So if you need a SUV, a luxury auto or a fairly cheap and basic run about? We are able to search a wide range of types and sizes, with our simple and quick search engine. Our Car Rental prices are amongst the cheapest on the Internet in Ankara.
We compare only the finest most respected companies, allowing you to relax, knowing you're in safe hands. Our Rental Cars meet the highest standards of safety, cleanliness and quality and are offered by agents such as Avis, Hertz and Alamo. Our main aim is to offer you Car Rental with the lowest prices in Ankara, so book today for great value offers.
While making your Low Cost Car Rental booking in Ankara, a number of Rental Car features can be included. Options that can be added to your booking consist of A Sat Nav System, include Infant Seats, or add higher degrees of Insurance Cover with the focus being on making your travel experience that little bit easier. No matter what your reason is for a booking, with CarHire4Lower.com you're only an email or phone call away from full support.


text:
Britney Spears' Boyfriend Sam Asghari Wishes His 'Lioness' a Happy Valentine's Day
Sam Asghari shared a sweet Instagram post to his longtime girlfriend Britney Spears, teasing that he's her favorite "after chocolate" and referring to her as his "lioness."
By Mitchell Peters
Mitchell Peters
More Stories by Mitchell
Fans Choose Static & Ben El's 'Bella' Featuring 24KGoldn as This Week's Favorite New Music
Ariana DeBose Joined by Kate McKinnon for Spectacular 'West Side Story' Medley During 'SNL' Monologue: Watch
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari attend Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" Los Angeles Premiere on July 22, 2019 in Hollywood, Calif. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Sam Asghari shared a sweet Valentine's Day message to his "lioness" Britney Spears.
On Sunday (Feb. 14), the 27-year-old Family Business actor and personal trainer shared a scenic photo on Instagram of himself standing alongside his longtime pop star girlfriend, 39, on what appears to be a hike.
In the caption, Asghari teased that he is Spears' favorite "after chocolate," followed by a laughing emoji face with tears of joy. "Happy chocolate day lioness," he wrote, adding the hashtag #myvalentine.
See latest videos, charts and news
'Saturday Night Live' Shouts Out Britney Spears in Cold Open: Watch
Ashghari and Spears met on the set of her 2016 "Slumber Party" video and started dating later that year. The couple's relationship has since been well-documented on social media.
The actor and personal trainer recently spoke out against Spears' father, Jamie Spears, following the early February premiere of The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears, a harrowing documentary that chronicles the singer's turbulent rise to fame and long-running conservatorship.
"Now it's important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way. In my opinion Jamie is a total d—," Asghari wrote on his Instagram Story. "I won't be going into details because I've always respected our privacy but at the same time I didn't come to this country to not be able to to express my opinion and freedom."
'Framing Britney Spears' Director Shines a Light on the Film's Other 'Main Character'
On Feb. 8, Ashghari issued a statement to People that offered comforting words to his girlfriend.
"I have always wanted nothing but the best for my better half, and will continue to support her following her dreams and creating the future she wants and deserves," Asghari said. "I am thankful for all of the love and support she is receiving from her fans all over the world, and I am looking forward to a normal, amazing future together."
See Asghari's Valentine's Day post here.
Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox
bbnews
Sam Asghari


Windows 10 can be hardly described as a lightweight operating system; it is actually very sophisticated, complex and quite demanding in terms of hardware requirements. When Windows 10 is installed on an underwhelming hardware platform, certain performance issues may prompt users to seek PC tuneup utilities.
Microsoft has been developing the base code that makes up Windows 10 over the last three decades, and a substantial motivation for their engineering is to tackle issues created by third party programs. The Windows specialists at A Plus Computers in Apple Valley cannot reasonably suggest to all Windows 10 users to refrain from using utility software on their devices; however, it is worth mentioning that there should be less of a need to use such apps these days.
With the above in mind, some PC repair utilities that are freely downloadable do not work well with some Windows 10 installations and hardware configurations. Such utility apps were quite popular in the days of Windows XP and Vista eras, but some of them are known to "brick" Windows 10 devices, particularly tablets.
Unlike the Blue Screen of Death, the inability to boot is something that Windows 10 can detect and manage on its own by means of the Windows Recovery Environment, more commonly known as WinRE.
Ideally, WinRE should come up on its own after Windows 10 has failed to boot to the login screen or to the desktop. If your device has failed to boot once, you should allow this failure to take place two more times by completely unplugging your computer and letting it run out of battery if it is a mobile device. In some desktop computers, you can invoke WinRE by pressing the F2 or F8 keys after the BIOS sequence.
WinRE presents you with a friendly blue screen with the options of turning off the device, continuing to Windows 10, troubleshooting, or using an external device such as a recovery USB drive. The troubleshooting section offers options such as System Restore, which is highly recommended. System Image Recovery may or may not be available; this would depend on whether your device had enough storage during the initial Windows installation process to create a backup.
If you are not able to get to WinRE or if a successful boot does not materialize from the troubleshooting options, your best bet would be to contact A Plus Computers and speak to our technicians. Thankfully, many Windows 10 issues can be repaired and the condition of the device can be improved to prevent future issues.


Shoulder hemiarthroplasty is a surgical procedure, which includes the replacement of the broken humeral head with an artificial joint. It also includes the reconstruction of fractured bone around the artificial joint.
High prevalence arthritis associated disorders including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis across the globe and increase in geriatric population drive the market. In addition, growth in adoption of hemi arthroplasty by surgeons and increase in the number of sports related injuries also boost the market. However, post-operative complications associated with the shoulder arthroplasties and high cost of sophisticated shoulder arthroplasty devices hamper the market growth.
The market is segmented on the basis of indication, end user, and region. Based on the indication, the market is divided into arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory arthritis), fracture/dislocation, rotator cuff tear arthropathy, Hill Sachs defect, and other. Based on end user, the market is classified into hospitals & clinics and outpatient surgical centers. Based on region, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.
Key players that operate in the market are Wright Medical Group, Inc. /Tornier Inc., Integra LifeSciences Corporation, Zimmer Biomet, Johnson & Johnson (DePuy Synthes), Arthrex, Inc., Smith and Nephew Plc, Conmed Corporation, DJO Global, Evolutis, and Exactech, Inc.
The study provides an in-depth analysis of the global shoulder hemiarthroplasty market with current trends and future estimations to elucidate imminent investment pockets.
7.1. WRIGHT MEDICAL GROUP, INC. /TORNIER INC.


text:
September 3, 2014 September 30, 2015 David Durant
Discovering new music – JAMsharp#
http://www.jamsharp.com/
Photo: Annelie Rosencrantz
I became aware of JAMsharp through fellow independent music lover Peter Kent, who posted some photos on Facebook of their recent gig at Hoxton's Underbelly.
A trio of classically-trained musicians, song writers and performers with an original and highly infectious style. Taking full advantage of their musical training, they use piano, accordion, guitar and cajon to great effect, pulling it all together with some haunting and totally delicious harmonies.
Based in London, the girls formed in 2012 and since then have been touring the gig circuit and gaining new fans and admirers. Their brand new debut EP Pink Skies, is a collection of six tracks, some original, some covers combining their vocal prowess with large doses of imaginative and original instrumentation.
Pink Skies is a piano-led ballad which soon turns into a delicious cacophony of masterful harmonies. To assign a genre or musical style to this song would be impossible as it combines elements of traditional folk with gospel and a touch of soul.
https://daviddurantmusic.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/jamsharp-pink-skies.mp3
Can't Hold Us opens with the sounds of a sombre accordion. It soon becomes apparent this is a very clever cover of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' epic song when the angelic chorus turns into the familiar hook of this monster hit with a bit of high-speed rap thrown in for good measure.
https://daviddurantmusic.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/jamsharp-cant-hold-us.mp3
Charmless is a gentle guitar-led ballad adorned with the band's signature accordion and those magnificent vocals and harmonies.
https://daviddurantmusic.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/jamsharp-charmless.mp3
With the ever-increasing influx of new independent artists and new songs, JAMsharp# offer a unique style, and originality which will take them to the next level and the success they so richly deserve.
Download Pink Skies right now from all good download sites, and make sure you go and support them at a gig near you!
Hoxton Zigfrid Von Underbelly
Jamsharp
Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis
Pink Skies
Previous Discovering new music – Billy Vincent
Next Discovering new music – Lux Lisbon


Wells Golf Club in the fourth annual 125th Anniversary Match. This was the brain child of then President, David Barrows and set-up back in 2014 to mark all the club's momentous birthday. It was a great day back in 2014 and it was another fantastic day on Thursday. Eight ladies and eight gents represent each club and every single stableford point counts towards the total. We won the inaugural event, but this year our team very graciously allowed one of the other clubs to take away the silver. In fact Tunbridge Wells romped it by winning by nearly 40 clear points. However, our Lady Captain, Julie Burgess led the way with 36 points, the highest score out of all 64 competitors. Another wonderful day at the club and I'm sure our team next year will bring home the trophy when Littlehampton take their turn to host.
In other competiton news, congratulations go to the 'Father and Daughter' paring of Robert and Kimberly Munro who lifted the Nightingal Cup on Sunday. It was a tricky foursomes competition and they pipped it with a very impressive 34 points.
On Sunday all the chaps who didn't play in the mixed event played in and 'Alternative Stableford' competition and it was great to see Paul Harris come out on top again with 41 points which earned him a handicap cut to 9.7, nearly back to single figures again Paul!
The Men's Club Championship is fast approaching and is one of our biggest events of the year and one you don't want to miss out on. To qualify you have to play in five qualifying competitions since January. However, if you're panicking there is still plenty of time to get them in. If you are unsure of how many you have played feel free to contact the pro shop and we will be happy to inform you.
Friday, 22 June and Saturday, 23 June - Fri/Sat QC.
Sunday, 24 June - Men's Jos Smith Cup.
Sunday, 1 July - Men's Medal and Masters Trophy.
Thursday, 4 July and Friday, 5 July - Mid-week QC.
Sunday, 8 July - Men's Captain's Prize Day.
Wednesday, 11 July - Mid-week QC (Yellows).
Sunday, 15 July - E. Sperring and Giffard Cup.
Friday, 27 July and Saturday, 28 July - Fri/Sat QC.
Sunday, 5 August - Men's Medal.
Wednesday, 8 August and Thursday, 9 August - Mid-week QC.
Sunday, 12 August - Men's Tritton Cup.
Friday, 24 August and Saturday, 25 August - Fri/Sat QC.
Sunday, 26 August - Dr Alexander Cup and Alternative Stableford.
So plenty to play in to qualify so try and get you names down for the above events.
Last night the Course Committee attended a course walk to discuss future plans, as well as jobs that needed immediate action. I have to say that the course at that time of the evening with the sun going down looked spectacular. The views across London were amazing and I think that sometimes we take for granted what a stunning location we have. So, and I do appreciate that the World Cup is on, but try and get up and have a few holes later on in the day and enjoy the conditions we experienced last night.
We have a course meeting tonight, where last night's notes will be discussed and actioned but one action from last night has already been actioned today. The Committee had feedback that some of the 'more experienced' golfers in the club where struggling to get over the path from the white tee on the 15th. So we have decided to trial extending the fairway/shortened grass this side of the path. We hope that it helps as I know it is a long way from back there.
Come and enjoy a great annual night at the club. We have live music from Darren James, as well as a fantastic 'Adele' tribute act. There is a Champagne recieption followed by a lovely three course meal prepared by 'Chef Bev' and her team. It is always a very popular night so get your names down fast. £40 per person.
Yonex drivers - Were £179, now £99.
Callaway trolley bags - Were £189, now £110.
Callaway carry bags - Were £149, now £99.
Glenmuir lambswool sweaters - Were £69, now £45.
Motocaddy push trolleys – 15% OFF.
Golf shoes – huge discounts!


VELOUR YW-006 Portable Stereo CD Player Boombox With FM Radio Clock USB SD And Aux Line-In For Kids. Compact home stereo system Play CD and Supports USB SD Card. Listen to FM radio or an external MP3 player. FM radio with 10 station presets and LCD display. Aux Line-in 3.5mm audio input jack for MP3 players and other audio devices. Remote control included & Power Adapter. Features : -CD music player -USB/SD music player -FM radio player -Record functation -Clock, alam setting funcation -Alarm wake up to FM radion/cd/usb/sd/buzz -Snooze funcation -Sleep timer function -Preset EQ sound including Rock/ Pop/Classic/Jazz -LCD blacklight -Audio line-in(AUX IN) for connecting other digital audion player -Earphone jack output -Desktop or wall mount Specitications Main Unit:AC-DC adaptor Input: AC 100V-240V50/60Hz output: DC 9V 1000mA AA type batteries6 pcs(Not included) Clock/Memory back-up battery:AA type batteries2pcs(Not included) Remote Control:13V type CR2025 Lithium Battery Package Includes: 1. We always check the products before sending any products to the customer. Or Other as the topic to avoid inadvertently opening a case. This will allow us to resolve your issues in a timely manner. Return Policies & Conditions. A General Return Information. The location of the warehouse responsible for the return will be determined by the fulfillment service department. Please return the item within 30 days to complete the return process. Please be informed that we have warehouses and certified suppliers in United State and our products are being stored and fulfilled by third party warehouses and manufacturers (also known as third party fulfillment or product sourcing). Hence, the most suitable return location will be determined by third party warehouses or manufacturers depending on your location and product types. Please refer to the return instructions and follow them accordingly to ensure successful return processes. Thank you so much for your kindness. We will try our best to resolve any problem for you. We know how important it is for you to get what you ordered and get it fast. Our products are a 100% authentic and brand new. We work with the biggest suppliers of high quality products to bring you only the best items. We consider it a top priority that our customers are happy and in the rare event that they are not, we do everything we can to fix the situation. No customer will walk away from our store unhappy. If there's a problem, just let us know and we fix it. We guarantee you only the best experience when shopping with us! The item "VELOUR YW-006 Portable Stereo CD Player Boombox With FM Radio Clock USB SD And" is in sale since Monday, August 22, 2016. This item is in the category "Consumer Electronics\Portable Audio & Headphones\Portable Stereos, Boomboxes". The seller is "tepnimit_shop" and is located in Hayward, California. This item can be shipped to United States, to Canada, to United Kingdom, DK, RO, SK, BG, CZ, FI, HU, LV, LT, MT, EE, to Australia, GR, PT, CY, SI, to Japan, to China, SE, KR, ID, to Taiwan, ZA, TH, to Belgium, to France, to Hong Kong, to Ireland, to Netherlands, PL, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, to Austria, RU, IL, to Mexico, to New Zealand, PH, SG, to Switzerland, NO, SA, AE, QA, KW, BH, HR, MY, BR, CL, CO, CR, PA, TT, GT, SV, HN, JM.


text:
China's ZTE Corp loses $3 billion market capitalization after it agrees to pay U.S. fine
admin1 / 13 June 2018
ZTE's strategic move will, at least in the short run, allow it to resume operations and start sourcing components from the U.S. It is to be seen how the Trump Administration navigates ZTE's stigma of posing as a national security threat to the U.S. in the Congress.
On Wednesday, Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corp saw $3 billion of its market capitalization vanish after it agreed to pay $1.4 billion in penalties to the U.S. government. Nevertheless, paying the penalty could now potentially allow it to ba back in business in the U.S.
The operations of ZTE, China's second biggest telecommunications equipment maker, was critically hit when the United States imposed a 7-year ban in April 2018 for breaking a 2017 agreement; ZTE was caught trading illegally with North Korea and Iran.
The ban prevented the Chinese company from sourcing U.S. components that it depends on to make smartphones and other devices.
Apart from the fine, ZTE has to place $400 million in an escrow account in a U.S.-approved bank.
With ZTE agreeing to pay the fine, its Hong Kong-listed shares fell by 41% to HK$14.98, their lowest levels in a year. ZTE's Shenzhen listed shares fell by their 10% limit .
Confirming the deal with the United States, ZTE said it would replace its board of directors as well as that of its import-export subsidiary, ZTE Kangxun within 30 days of the June 8 order being signed by Washington.
In a filing on Tuesday, ZTE said it would work to resume operations ASAP once the ban gets lifted; it will also republish its first-quarter financial results after assessing the impact of the ban as well as the impact of the settlement agreement.
U.S. lawmakers have come down strongly on the Trump Administration for the agreement and plans to roll out a legislation that will roll it back since an earlier investigation by the U.S. administration found that ZTE poses a national security threat.
13 June 2018 in Companies, Consulting, Entrepreneurs, Global perspectives, Technologies. Tags: China, Chinese, components, devices, electronic, equipment maker, escrow, fine, illegal, investigation, Iran, market capitalisation, national security, North Korea, penalties, risk, smartphones, telecommunications, threat, Top, trade, U.S, United States, ZTE Corp
ZTE follows Huawei's footsteps, opens cybersecurity lab in Brussels
ZTE faces strong headwinds from the U.S. Senate
Futurewei Technologies Inc is Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
← Toyota Motor Corp to invest $1 billion in Grab
ZTE faces strong headwinds from the U.S. Senate →
View @1BusinessGurus's profile on Twitter
BMW & Tencent to launch computing center for self-driving cars in Tianjin 19 July 2019
Latest Ebola Outbreak In Congo Declared As Global Health Emergency By WHO 18 July 2019
GM To Take On European Rivals With Its Newly Launched Mid-Engine Corvette 18 July 2019
European Commission corners Amazon on its usage of merchant data 18 July 2019
Toyota widens procurement for electric batteries with these new deals 18 July 2019
admin1 on LG debuts a 21.5" 4K monitor a…
ReaganJuicy on LG debuts a 21.5" 4K monitor a…
NobleX on Marine conservation gets a boo…
nglespaul on Apple sued for "touch disease"…
web store on Hackers use exploits in Micros…


text:
Mouzay puede referirse a:

 Mouzay, comuna francesa situada en Indre y Loira.
 Mouzay, comuna francesa situada en Mosa.


Because of the where and how they are used, trail cameras are always going to be vulnerable to unwanted interference and even theft. While we would always recommend using simple techniques to reduce the risk of the camera being spotted in the first place, e.g. setting the trail camera above or below the line of sight, pointing the camera across a trail rather than down it and making use of both natural and artificial camouflage e.g. Camoform tape, it is inevitable that in some situations cameras will be spotted. As a last line of defense we would highly recommend using a Master Lock Python Cable Lock. PERDIX stocks four types of Python cable lock for trail cameras. Cable locks come with a 5, 8 or 10mm cable and can be keyed alike to help logistics in the field. Please contact us if you require any further advice on trail camera security.


Perhaps, the best word for describing this interior is "naturalistic". The thing is that this project features so much wood grain, that on looking at it one can't shake the feeling that he or she got to a genuine wood. Complemented with purely natural colors that create the effect of multiple layers like in a true forest and furnished with absolutely laconic and minimalist items, this big-city apartment embodies a golden mean between urban living, countryside housing and natural environment.
The authors of the project, RIS Interior Design Co. located in the city of Taichung in Taiwan, named it "anti-sinuous". Such a peculiar name was primarily inspired by the initial irregular and extremely sinuous plan of the flat. The architects dealt with this problem by means of bold structural changes – many non-load-bearing walls were successfully torn down for the sake of a more open, interactive and multifunctional space for a family couple with two kids.
In particular, the living room was made open to the dining, kitchen and study areas, but with an option of isolation by means of sliding and folding doors. Indeed, the living room is definitely the heart of the space and its linking bridge. With the homeowner's fondness of nature and simplicity in everything, the designers did their best to create an airy and naturalistic residential space that would be close to our subconscious impression of natural woodland. The idea behind the living room interior is really impressive: the sliding doors in solid wood with amazingly clear wood grain stand for trees and groves, a gray sofa coupled with a matching carpet represent a sand/pebble beach and white glossy flooring refracts the "natural" surroundings.
Further the genuine-forest concept penetrates into a small study and reading area, which can be optionally made open to the lounge zone or isolated with a sliding door for the sake of privacy. The idea behind it also sounds creative: the designers wanted it to be associated with a jewelry box hidden in the wood and its "jewelry" is a rich home library collection.
Imitation of natural surroundings is continued in a dining zone and kitchen, which can be separated by a folding glass door. Amazingly, so laconically furnished and without a single piece of décor this space looks stylish and original. The secret lies in the materials – amazing wood finishes, with especially clear wood grain, and discreet color scheme look decorative per se, and to a great extent thanks to a perfect background of white walls and glossy white flooring.
Following the pattern of public areas, the bedroom interiors are set by the same linear shapes, soothing colors and natural materials, which create the most amazing landscape that their inhabitants so much strive for.


text:
Q: Stringification in swift Is there anyway to do stringification in swift? , since there is no preprocessor it seems kind of difficult.
What I'd like to do is something similar to the following code.
// log a variable name and its value
#define LOGV(V) NSLog(@"%s = %@", #V, V);
NSString *myString = @"this";
LOGV(myString);    // prints out ->  "myString = ???"

After looking at dump it seems that there is no way of reflecting a variable name.
let myString = "this"
dump(myString, name:"myString", indent: 0 maxDepth: 0, maxItems: 1)

A: I also wanted to do the same thing in Swift,
so I recently wrote debug-logging util which stringifies variables at runtime instead (reading entire code!)
You might find this interesting.
https://github.com/inamiy/DebugLog

A: There is no way to do this in Swift. If you ABSOLUTELY want to do this, its always possible to run the C preprocessor over your Swift source.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Open auditions are held for each show, usually in September (for the Fall musical), November (for the Winter drama), and February (for the Spring Gilbert and Sullivan operetta). For the Fall and Spring, we try to cast everyone who auditions, so there is no way you will be left out if you want to be on stage!
For more information about the next auditions check out our Auditions page.
Tech & Backstage Crews
Love to hammer things, paint, sew, play with electricity, go on prop scavenger hunts, or generally just get messy? Come help us backstage! This is a great way to get involved if you don't have the time to devote to rehearsals on weeknights or don't want to be on stage. Drop us an e-mail at techdirector@ggssonline.org to let us know what you're interested in. Tech crew members are, of course, happily welcomed to any and all cast parties! Tech crews usually meet up every weekend.
Orchestra/Music
We welcome anyone with orchestra/band experience who would like to play in the pit! The time commitment for the orchestra is generally 3-4 rehearsals preceding show week, then every night during show week. The Musical Director is in charge of recruitment for each show, so if you're interested, please e-mail communications@ggssonline.org and we'll pass your information along. Orchestra members are, of course, happily welcomed to any and all cast parties!
We suspect this is why you're really interested! GGSS holds a party every Friday night after rehearsal. We also have parties after every show during production week: Wednesday at the Billy Goat Tavern, Thursday is hosted by a GGSS member, Friday is a formal party, and Saturday is an end of show potluck where we thank everyone involved in the show with special traditions. Everyone is invited to every party! All parties are hosted by members of the cast, crew, board, and alumni. For party information or to offer to host please e-mail membership@ggssonline.org.


Restored Gospel | Think Big.
In relating how or why they believe, people sometimes recount stories of God's direct intervention in their lives. Perhaps they witnessed a miraculous healing. Perhaps they saw a light and heard a voice. I have never experienced any such things, as my testimony of God and Jesus Christ has come through more subtle and gradual experiences. However, I have been a first-hand witness to other people's sudden conversions a number of times. These are very sacred memories for me, and I would like to share a few of them here.
In February 2004, I reported to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, Utah to prepare for my mission to Taiwan. The MTC campus is similar to that of a small college, with the offices, dormitories, and classrooms that you might expect. While many missionaries stay there for three weeks or less, because I needed to learn Mandarin, I was there for 11 weeks.
In addition to the time we spent in classrooms learning the language and studying Gospel topics, we also frequently went to a call center to talk to people responding to various media campaigns the Church runs. Some of the people calling in were members of the Church, but most were not. Some had some idea of what the Church was all about, while some did not. Some called in to argue, while others just desperately needed someone to talk to.
Joe's Northeastern accent was apparent immediately. He related to me the story of his experiences with religion from childhood. Raised a Catholic, he had become somewhat disaffected with the faith as a young man. This had sent him looking for truth in a number of different places, from "high-church" Protestant denominations to more obscure and unorthodox groups, including bona fide snake handlers. He explained how, while his relationship with God was important to him, and while his search for truth had been enlightening, he was still in a state of struggle and doubt. Not finding what he had been looking for in Protestantism, he had recently been considering a return to Catholicism. He was even thinking of becoming a priest, but he still had significant doubts.
Unexpectedly, life had taken him away from the Northeast to Nevada. Soon after Joe arrived there, a girl outside Walmart had given him a pass-along card. Intrigued, he had called the number on the card and gotten me. "So, I never heard of Mormons before I came to Nevada," he said. "What's this all about?" I gave him a brief rundown of the Restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith. As it had been a Book of Mormon pass-along card that had initiated this discussion, I explained what the Book of Mormon was.
I entered his information so the local missionaries could go see him, and I was about to end the call.
So I did. We prayed together over the telephone. I do not remember what I said in any detail; I only remember that I could feel him listening intently, and I remember asking God to guide him in his search for truth.
His neighbors probably heard it too.
"That's the Holy Spirit," I said.
He had searched for years and attended many different churches, but he had never really felt the influence of the Holy Spirit until that day. I do not know what happened to him after that, but I imagine that he is doing well.
Months later, I was riding around on my bicycle in the Hengchun/Kending area, at the southern tip of Taiwan. Outside of the city, rice paddies were common, and we would ride the roads that cut through them to talk to people in the small groups of houses that dotted the countryside.
As Taiwan's economy is considerably stronger than those of most East Asian countries, it is quite common to find people who have gone there from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, mainland China, and other places to find work. Many of the Filipinos I met were actually university graduates who had come to Taiwan to work as domestic servants because that still paid better than any opportunities they had back home.
In one of the small hamlets outside of Hengchun, we met a disabled grandmother and the Filipina who took care of her. This young woman's name was Ami. She spent all of her time with the old woman, paying her constant attention. As we began to talk, she told me of how her mother had basically forced her to come to Taiwan in an attempt to separate her from her husband – and how her husband, not quite heartbroken, had already moved on and found another woman. Unlike most people I met in Taiwan, people from the Philippines generally had a solid grounding in Christian doctrine. Such was the case with Ami: her religious belief was very real to her, such that she glowed at any mention of Jesus Christ and became visibly uncomfortable at any mention of the Devil.
Months before, I had made a flipchart of images important to our message. As most Taiwanese people did not grasp the gravity of our claim that modern-day prophets exist, I rarely showed anyone my picture of Gordon B. Hinckley on first encounter. However, I almost immediately showed Ami my painting of Joseph Smith's First Vision, followed by President Hinckley and a statement of my belief that this man was a prophet of God like Moses.
"A prophet like Moses?" she asked.
"Pray to God and ask Him," she said.
"Are you willing to do that?" I asked.
We returned several days later, and Ami greeted us with a smile.
I did not get to see Ami get baptized because she was not allowed to leave the old woman's side even for a short time. However, she was heading back to the Philippines soon, and I am confident that she did get baptized there.
My last area in Taiwan was called Guiren, a suburb of Tainan. There, I met a cheerful and energetic woman named Joyce. She was in her thirties, and she was living with her parents, which is quite normal in Taiwan. At the time I came into the area, Joyce was the kind of person who missionaries often refer to as an "eternal investigator". This is someone who remains happy and willing to continue talking to the missionaries, but who, for whatever reason, does not join the Church. Part of the reason for her indecisiveness was her father's disapproval of the Church, but he had gradually warmed up to the missionaries in recent months. As for her personally, there was definitely something that she liked about the Church, but she described her experiences of actually attending Sunday meetings as dull and boring. She was still willing to pray and read scriptures, though, so we continued talking to her and her family.
And then, Taiwan was hit by a typhoon. Our mission office called us and told us that we should stay at home throughout the typhoon unless we had someone to visit nearby. Since Joyce's house was just down the street, we called her and set up a time to come over. A little while later, with the storm blowing outside, we were sitting down in the living room with Joyce, her father, her brother, and her brother's wife. Her brother was particularly talkative, asking many questions about what we believed. Opening the Book of Mormon, we read the story of Alma the Younger's miraculous conversion – of how he, while going about persecuting the Lord's people, beheld an angel, who chastised him and his companions.
As we read this story and discussed it, Joyce's family continued to talk with us, but Joyce was uncharacteristically silent.
After we arrived home that night, Joyce called us.
Joyce was soon baptized. After her baptism, she emphatically told us how much she loved coming to church meetings. She said that she now felt a sense of cleanliness, purity, and joy that she had never felt before. She told us that, every day, merely waking up to look upon the world had become a thing of immense gladness. She is still an active member of the Church.
I used to be a member of a Facebook group called "Ask a Mormon". It was created for the purpose of facilitating communication between members of the Church and those who are curious about our faith. Between posts made by the token "haters" who were only there to stir up trouble and obsess over semantics and obscurities, I saw a post made by someone named Jodi who had some sincere, poignant questions. I did my best to answer her questions, and this led to more in-depth discussions online.
A student of law at the time, Jodi had an insightful and exacting mind. While she ardently sought for truth, she resisted any desire to simply accept things as truth out of convenience. After we had talked for a few weeks, she told me of how she had been driving home the day before and had felt this sudden need to get out – to go somewhere. She had looked online for weekend deals for a flight, a hotel, and a rental car, and the only city that was within her budget and to which she had never gone was Salt Lake City.
"So I'm coming to see you," she said.
We saw some of the sights, and we went to watch Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration in the Legacy Theater on Temple Square. The movie had intrigued her, but the numerous arguments people make against Joseph Smith's prophetic calling were still swimming around in her mind. We had enjoyed the weekend, but no earth-shattering developments had occurred in her search for truth.
And then, weeks later, she called me again. She had been reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it. One night, while she was praying alone in her room, a light had appeared. It was a brilliant light without a discernible source, and it filled the place. Being someone with a very critical mind, Jodi immediately thought: "Am I hallucinating?" If so, it was the only time she had ever hallucinated. No, she knew this was real.
A few weeks later, I had the privilege to go on a road trip with one of the missionaries who had taught her previously to see her baptized. Not long after that, she and her ex-boyfriend got back together. I then had the privilege to go on a road trip with the same guy to attend their wedding.
I spent much of my free time as a high school student on the Internet refuting the arguments people make against my church, against the idea of modern revelation and prophecy, and against Joseph Smith in particular. I got pretty good at it, but I am by no means a scripture scholar, and I certainly do not have easy answers for absolutely every concern. But that does not concern me much. I find that people obsess over obscurities of doctrine and history only because they are unwilling to go to the source of truth and settle the matter once-and-for-all. I do not claim to know a lot, but I do know that God exists and that He loves us. Because of this, I know that the heavens are open – and that revelation comes to those who seek it in humility. Even when we have authoritative revelation from ancient and modern sources, the blessings connected to such revelation can only come into our lives so far as we are willing to seek revelation on a personal level, from the God who created us and who has promised never to forsake us.


I haven't had much time to work in the garden these past few weeks, but if I force myself to ignore the weeds, I can appreciate the many things there are to enjoy outside right now.
This old wagon is probably in its last season....rust is getting the better of it. But, the succulents and ajuga are loving it. The containers on the deck have done well this summer, since I chose plants that wouldn't mind being ignored. ahem.
Out front, the plants that put on their best show in the fall are starting to really come to life.
and some houseplants that I threw outside when the weather warmed are just thriving.
"Oh! You didn't die!" is the way I have been greeting them. I am glad I sent them outside, since I have been so busy they probably would have met their maker by now due to my neglect.
It is so hard to believe that we are in the last week of summer already. We have family coming in this weekend to visit and enjoy the holiday weekend. Hope you all are planning something fun and relaxing for the coming weekend also!


Crandall Roofing, Inc. has you covered!
From the smallest of buildings to the largest, the simplest to the most detailed and everything in between, Crandall Roofing, Inc. is the company for you for your next roofing job. Our services include new construction roof, recover or replacement of an existing roof, flat roof or sloped roof, residential or commercial… we do it all! Because Crandall Roofing, Inc. is factory certified, we can offer a "true" factory warranty… which means you're covered for the life of the roof!
Replacing your roof is a big decision and Crandall Roofing, Inc. understands that. Our installers are factory trained and certified. Our professional estimators will work closely with you from start to finish insuring every detail is covered. Crandall Roofing, Inc. offers a 10 year workmanship warranty on every new roof we install. Factory warranties covering material and labor are also available on most of our roof installations.
Crandall Roofing, Inc. uses only Class A fire rated materials made by national manufacturers. These materials are warranted for up to 50 years by the factory. We purchase these products from both nationwide and local distributors in Sonoma and Marin Counties.