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Your Newsletter team, created in response to your desire for improved communication, wanted to take this chance to review Central's Vision Pathway.
As we enter into the Mission Values portion of our Vision Pathway, remember that they answer the question:
Why are we doing what we are doing?
Our first one is Authentic Reverence.
You can find this combination of words each week at the beginning of our order of worship. They are there for the purpose of reminding us why we are where we are and to get ready.
The word Authentic (adj) is defined as:
Not false or copied; genuine; real
One's true God-given nature
The word Reverence (n) is defined as:
Deep respect for someone or something
The Vision Pathway Team's definition of Authentic Reverence is:
Experiencing how God Claims us,
Pursues us,
Comforts us,
& Celebrates us.
The word Experience(ing), when it pertains to worship, can be defined as:
Contact with,
Observation of,
Involved in,
Acquaintance with,
Exposure to,
Insight into… God
The supporting scriptural reference is:
"Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people God is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before God in their worship."
John 4:25 The Message
If we truly learn to worship God in this way we come to the realization that it is not about anything we do.
It is about Being:
Simply and honestly ourselves before God in our worship.
Take a deep breath, let past and future go – BE present with God.
Remember the authentic person God created all of us to BE:
In His image,
Loved,
Forgiven and
Then, in reverence, enter into worship of our wonderful God.
Outside The Walls
Rev. Scott Sharp
"Authentic Reverence the disposition of the heart and mind where we're fully ourselves and fully honest and engaged with God in worship. "
Click here for Transcription of video
Inside The Walls
It is hard to believe we are half way through 2017, our graduates have graduated, the air conditioning, or lack thereof, has allowed us to experience Albuquerque summer inside Central, and believe it or not our budget in the black. Your Governance Team continues to address known needs here at Central and as always, we continue to seek input from each of you concerning programming that you feel would enhance CUMC and our members. I am sure you each believe programming is the responsibility of our Pastors and the Governance Team. Please let me remind you that program suggestions truly need to come from you and then the Compass Points Team can develop the idea and with the support of the administrative teams put together a plan for implementation. So please, if you have any ideas for programming, please fill up Ted Balph's email box jtbalph@hotmail.com or Pastor Kelly's at kellyb@centraltolife.org. Don't be bashful; we would love to hear about your ideas.
Trustees are working hard to get our HVAC up and running. The ADA bathroom is nearing completion. Our cost saving relighting is just around the corner.
Our donations are keeping pace with our operations requirements.
The Communications Team, the Governance Team, AND the Youth will host a Potluck Hot Dog/Burger meal 12 noon, July 23h. We will provide the dogs and burgers! Come enjoy multi-generational fellowship!
Exploring.
ALFIES Sunday School class has developed a statement of who they are and wish to explore how that might apply to developing a statement of who we are as a church.
As always all are invited to the Governance Team meeting which will be held July 27 at 5:30 PM in the Life Center.
COMPASS POINTS_________Ted Balph
FINANCE________________ Ken McVey
GOVERNANCE ___________ George Faulhaber
LAY LEADER______________Jim Sumner
NOMINATIONS ___________ Scott Sharp
STAFF PARISH RELATIONS __ _ Jean Hawk
TREASURER ______________Ellen Shrak
TRUSTEES _______________ Maurice Ikle
In order to more fully outline the responsibilities of the various advisory members, the Newsletter will include an ongoing in-depth look at each of the committees.
Chairperson: Jean Hawk
Members: Del Calhoun, Barbara Allender, Betty Jo Nye, Larry Wills, Denise Dockendorff, Raymond Irving, Margaret Lenk, Angus Jordan, Jim Sumner (Lay Leader, non-voting), Clergy (non-voting)
The SPRC functions as the Human Resource Department of the Church. As such, it is responsible for and has authority to handle all employee matters. All decisions are made by majority vote of the entire committee. The decisions are made in closed session, not in secret, but with complete confidentiality; personnel matters leading up to decisions made by the Committee are covered under the privacy mandate.
The SPRC (according to the Book of Discipline) "shall reflect biblically and theologically on the role and work of the pastor(s) and staff as they carry out their leadership responsibilities..........shall assist the pastor(s) and staff in assessing their gifts, maintaining health holistically and work-life balance and setting priorities for leadership and service." Specific duties include:
encourage, strengthen, nurture, support and respect pastors and staff and their families;
promote unity in the church;
confer with and counsel the pastors and staff on the matters pertaining to the effectiveness of ministry, relationships with the congregation, and to interpret the nature and function of the ministry;
to provide evaluation at least annually for the use of the pastors and staff;
to meet at least quarterly and at the request of the committee chairperson, bishop, district superintendent, pastor and any other person accountable to the committee
to confer with the pastor(s) and/or other appointed members of the staff if it should become evident that the best interests of the charge and pastor(s) be served by a change of pastor(s);
to hire, contract, evaluate, promote, retire and dismiss nonappointed personnel.
The full responsibilities of the SPRC are detailed in the Book of Discipline. The Committee is open to input from all members of the congregation and staff through conversation with the Chairperson, a member of the Committee or the Clergy.
Currently the SPRC is focused on hiring a Choir Director. The committee members are working on a revised job description and forming a search committee. Their goal is to have this position filled upon the completion of Jonathan Davidson's intern appointment.
New at Central
New Website Coming!
Central will be publishing its new website mid July. The new website will have a yearly calendar that will incorporate a events hosted by the church, ministry gatherings and much more. If you miss a Sunday you can now stay up to date with our digital Sermon Series that you can view from anywhere. Send a prayer request, give an electronic offering or email a Stephen Minister.
Our Church Family
One of our favorite members - Byfield Gordon - is going to be 97 on July 15; a milestone that deserves to be celebrated - and celebrated some more!!! Byfield and his equally amazing wife, Dorothy, can usually be found in the front pew of the Sanctuary at the 11:00 service. Don't miss an opportunity to visit with them - Byfield has stories from his time in WWII piloting a B24 over Europe and Italy that will help you understand more fully just what the designation "the greatest generation' is all about. Central is blessed to count them among its members.
The Schifani family celebrate Faith's installation as Grand Worthy Advisor of the NM Jurisdiction of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.
THE UNSINKABLE KATHRYN JONES…On June 21, a Celebration of Life was held at Central for Kathryn Jones with about 90 friends and family—both blood relatives and "adopted" ones. Folks came from in and out of state. Kathryn's 96 years have been filled with service to others. Much of her life as a social worker was spent in the Gallup area, in Crownpoint and in Window Rock, Arizona. Those who have had the privilege of knowing Kathryn experience her as inquisitive with an insatiable appetite for learning, as an unrelenting advocate for social justice, as dearly loved by those who know her and as one who gives her love freely to all.
"Grow old along with me the best is yet to be" is a line from a poem by Robert Browning. Many of us over a certain age have great difficulty with that idea. But Kathryn's lifelong attitude of joyful living continues as she is in her 96th year. She is Central's energizer bunny!
On June 17 in a gorgeous Chicago outdoor setting, Anna Fuller, the youngest daughter of Barbara and Randy Fuller, married Dr. Mark Belkin. The setting was not only gorgeous, but also miraculous. The steady day-long rain stopped for the exact amount of time for the ceremony and began again immediately after it ended - miraculous and gorgeous indeed! Here you see Anna and Mark 'dancing' the Hora, or chair dance. In this Jewish wedding tradition, a few strong and brave guests hoist the bride and groom high above the crowd on chairs to the infectious sounds of "Hava Nagila". Friends and family danced around the couple in an ecstatic circle with both trying not to look (or fall) down.
Norma's niece and sister look on as ever cheerful, undefeatable Norma Bradley takes a turn at Physical Therapy after surgery to repair a badly broken leg. Norma attributes the accident to her own carelessness - she sprayed room freshener in her apartment and slipped on the resultant wet floor. The prognosis for Norma is full recovery and return to her apartment. Barbara, her Physical Therapist daughter, is with Norma in Houston providing emotional and professional support.
Informational Article
The 142nd Session of the NEW MEXICO ANNUAL CONFERENCE was held in Las Cruces, May 31 - June 2. The theme of the Conference was NEW PLACES FOR NEW PEOPLE. Central was ably represented by delegates Denise and Nadia Dockendorff and Jim Sumner. Here are a few of the highlights:
the proposed budget for 2018 is $2,164,956; a 7% reduction from the 2016 budget;
Central was one of 15 churches in the Albuquerque District to contribute 100% of the tithe, conference churches contributed 86.3% of the tithe;
actual dollars contributed for Shared Ministries continues on a 7-year decline;
Second Mile giving totaled $1,390,98, CUMC's Second Mile giving resulted in 103.7% of tithe;
New Church Development reported several new churches, combined congregations and 'out of the box' church beginnings;
proposed constitutional amendments included: (these amendments were adopted at the 2016 General Conference and presented to the Annual Conference for a vote)
o affirmation that the church will stand against any actions, organizations or individuals that discriminate or dehumanize women and girls;
o affirmation of the church's commitment to gender equity throughout the worldwide connection;
o General Conference delegates will be elected by members of the annual conference and not appointed by the bishop;
A Service of Word and Table for the Ordination of Elders, June 2, 2017
o Bishop: Come upon Janet Norden. Come upon her, Holy Spirit. Fill her with every good and perfect gift for the office and work of an elder.
o People: Come upon her and fill her, Holy Spirit.
o Bishop: Take now authority as elder in Christ's Holy Church to proclaim the word of God, administer the sacraments and order the life of the church. Janet Norden, be an elder among us
o People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
This is just a partial listing of events, decisions and services at Annual Conference. The full 2017 Journal will be available by August 1 on the NMAC website: www.nmconfum.com.
Several years ago a member of our congregation and I were talking, and he said that he missed "real politicians." When I asked him to clarify, he said that real politicians are people who can work with people of all kinds, for a common goal. I really like that definition of a real politician and, like him, I wish we had more in our government, and I wish I were a little more like that.
I mention this because right now the Community of Hope ministry is in limbo. As we have come to a time of transition in that ministry, with Pastor Janet leaving, the leadership of Community of Hope and I have hit some bumps. I haven't contributed my best to this time of change, and have certainly played a big part in coming to this impasse. There are also issues on the other side of the coin. However, I am confident that COH has a future, and our job is to work on that. In the meantime, there are a number of issues to sort out, and that's going to take some work. Today, Community of Hope is meeting at University Heights, UMC, but that is not going to be COH's permanent home.
What is good about this situation is that the leadership of COH is very committed to this ministry, and they do an outstanding job; from meal prep, to music, to hospitality. They are also looking for ways to establish COH as a stand-alone congregation, which would be very exciting. There are a lot of options right now, and a lot of uncertainty. However, even in the midst of change there are still opportunities to be involved in Community of Hope, if you so desire.
It is my hope that, as we move through July, we will be able to give more detail and clarity about the next step for Community of Hope. In the meantime, please pray for patience, guidance, and wisdom for everyone involved in COH.
Who is Scott Sharp? "Well, duh," you say. "He's Senior Pastor at CUMC, he's just earned the title Reverend Doctor, he plays the guitar, he has 3 daughters, he's married to Tracy Sharp who directs Saranam, he's an Ironman, he loves to play the guitar and sing, he's been at Central for 8 years, he likes to dress up, he preaches on Sunday......." And you would be absolutely correct because he is and does all of those things ........ but, so very much more!
Scott grew up in a small town in Missouri with his bricklaying father, kindergarten teacher mother and 2 brothers - one of these 'Leave it to Beaver' towns where life was pretty predictable and not too terribly complicated. When he graduated from high school he did the predictable thing and followed his brother to college at NW Missouri State. His father and older brother, knowing that he wasn't exactly a grand student, bet that he wouldn't last long. True - 1 1/2 years later Scott was back home working for his father as a bricklayer apprentice. It was not too surprising that his father assigned the hardest, dirtiest jobs available to his son.
Scott may not have been a 'grand student', but he was no dummy! After exhausting, dirty months spent learning to be a bricklayer, he decided that bricks were far heavier than books and enrolled at Oklahoma State University. Scott speaks of this time as a period of "restart and redefinition" of who he was, including a spiritual awakening and the beginning of a "new life" on a never-ending journey as an adult Christian.
This journey began to take shape with a summer job as a Methodist Youth Minister Intern. Scott says that his first Sunday at this Methodist church - first ever Sunday at any Methodist church - "...blew him away - the beauty of the sanctuary; the smart preaching of the Senior Pastor making the message real; my introduction to liturgy - I knew that I had walked into home". He stayed 'home' and it was here that the Senior Pastor called Scott in and asked, "What are you doing? When are you going to go into the ministry?". When Scott replied that he'd never seriously considered it, the minister responded, "Go and ask others what they think.". The answers to this question, including - "Of course. How obvious does it need to be?" - gave Scott the sense of affirmation he needed to begin his serious pursuit of ministry.
A time at Duke Seminary, cut short by a bad case of 'Green Tree Claustrophobia' (familiar to folks from the wide-open spaces of the West) which drove him back to Oklahoma where he finished seminary studies. His 'never ending journey as an adult Christian' took on a new flavor as an Ordained Elder of the Methodist Church - a fully entrenched member of the Oklahoma Conference. Until..........until an ad appeared in the Methodist Reporter advertising for a director for a new homeless ministry project at CUMC Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scott read the ad and thought, "That's the job for Tracy". Tracy read the ad and thought, "That's the job for me." Sounds simple enough until you consider the tradition of itinerant Methodist appointments - the spouse goes where the minister is assigned, not the other way around.
The not simple result of this ad is one we are all familiar with – Tracy as Director of Saranam and Scott as a new member of the New Mexico Conference. After two Albuquerque appointments, Scott was appointed to Central as Senior Pastor in 2008. Which takes us back to the "duh" at the beginning of this article.
What has Scott taken away from the previous years on this Christian journey - including his 8 years at CUMC - that partially shape his ministry at Central?
his Pastor/boss in Oklahoma telling him to ask others' opinions about his fit for ministry
o Scott values what other people say.
o He trusts others to tell him what they see;
serving as a campus minister -
o a strong desire to tap into the incredible energy, talent and potential of young adults;
Senior Pastor of a church struggling to hang onto its identity in the midst of a rapidly changing community -
o Church is the place where worship happens first and community building is an outgrowth of that worship - not the other way around;
successfully completing an Ironman triathlon -
o it is vitally important to work on the things in life that are really important,
o no one is going to do the work for an individual - it has to be done by oneself,
o there is always risk involved in life and one must always try things which have no assurance of success,
o "with God, anything is possible";
playing guitar, singing, composing in his personal recording studio -
o Scott does what he loves with more regard for the process than the result,
o He performs, not because he considers himself a world-class talent, but because he wants to demonstrate the positive - the courage and joy of living out one's passions;
leading Central for 8 years, starting his 9th year of appointment to CUMC -
o people love the church and are sometimes afraid for its vulnerability,
o it's a fine line between change and stagnation or redundancy,
o a long appointment means people become very real, not just acquaintances,
o connecting honestly with people in a deep way necessitates deep, personal connection with God.
And.................so very much more! Scott says that the Church gives him his, "...deepest sense of belonging and trust. That's why I stay. It is, at the same time, the most rewarding, most painful and hurtful experience possible. Central to Life matters. We must reach the people in our world - our neighborhood - with the truth that God is Central to Life." Thank you, Scott, for your service to this church, its people, its spiritual growth, its missions and its future. We pray for you and for us - that we might work together to live in our distracting world with strong, visible, life changing faith in and service to God.
Central's Trustees have been busy. A few of these improvements are obvious, a few not quite so much:
new HVAC for the YMCA and the Helping Hands/Narthex area
6/12-6/14 retrofitting of chiller system for the church - cool air coming
recycling bin in cooperation with City of Albuquerque
Rebuild NM/Quick Saver program upgrade for lighting system for savings of up to $13,000/year
new 5-year lease with annual increases with Park-it-Place
1 year lease extension with YMCA.
When you see one of the members of this committee, please be sure and thank them for taking such good care of us!
Lowell Elementary School Uniforms Even though it's mid-summer, preparation for school is already on some people's minds. As has become a tradition for Central, we will again celebrate our relationship with Lowell Elementary School in July and raise funds to help provide uniforms for children at the school whose families need help with that expense.
Vouchers this year are worth $50 for clothing and $25 for shoes. As usual, donations of any amount are welcome. We send this money on to the Assistance League whose Operation School Bell provides the vouchers throughout APS. Our funds are restricted to the Lowell families.
We hope you will consider donating this summer - last year we raised more than
$10,000 for the families at Lowell and this provided almost 1/2 of their vouchers.
Thanks for everything our congregation has done for the children and families of Lowell Elementary School.
Watch For More Details...
Governance Team and Youth Potluck - Hot Dog/Burger meal 12 noon, Sunday July 23h.
Fenn Lecture Series starting in September
Church Town Hall Meeting in September
Children/Youth Ministries
Youth Group Happenings!
The Youth and the Governance Team will jointly host a Potluck Hot Dog/Burger meal 12 noon, July 23h. We will provide the dogs and burgers! Come enjoy multi-generational fellowship!
Putt-Putt fun! 9 amazing kids enjoyed a HOT evening celebrating the first day of summer at Putt-Putt. If you have a youth or know a youth, let Kathy Gough know…she will get them hooked in. Call or text her at 401-4541 or email to youth@centraltolife.org
Congratulations to Faith Schifani! Faith was installed Friday, June 23rd, as the Grand Worthy Advisor, International Order of Rainbow for Girls. (aka the state president for the rainbow girls) Rainbow is a Masonic organization for girls between the ages of 11 and 20.
Faith will travel to every assembly in New Mexico and lead programing for the next year. She has been active in Rainbow since she was 11 and has achieved many honors throughout her time with the organization.
As well as being the Grand Worthy Advisor for the following year, Faith is a sophomore at New Mexico State where she is studying broadcasting and is active in her sorority, Chi Omega.
As her church family, we were excited to support Faith at her installation. Faith, we love you!
Children's Happenings!
Church Elementary Camp – Children from CUMC joined over 100 children for the conference-wide summer camp! Fun activities, fellowship, and worship! For next summer, Pastors Scott and Kelly have been asked to lead, preach, and facilitate/create the curriculum!
Vacation Bible School – On June 17, VBS Hero Central took place! New faces participated in crafts, story time, games, and music! While being super heroes!
On-going Children's & Youth Sunday School and other activities – for more information, call Kelly or Kathy at church office at 243-7834 or email: kellyb@centraltolife.org or youth@centraltolife.org. Call or text Kathy for more information about youth at 505-401-4541.
Church 4 Kids – Church 4 Kids is on a break until August 13th. Backpack Blessing is on August 13 – kids bring your backpacks for this time of blessing! Church 4 Kids is a time during the 11:00 worship service designated for kids to hear the Gospel lesson in a different way. Kids of all ages are invited to join Pastor Kelly in the courtyard during the 11:00 service sermon time to listen, learn, and experience the Sunday Scripture lesson in an interactive way.
Children's Sunday School
10:00 – 10:45AM, 4 years old - 5th grade. Learning through games, crafts, music, and storytelling.
SOUL KIDS Children's Choir
Sundays 9:45 – 10:00AM downstairs Children's Sunday School Classroom.
Youth's Sunday School and Youth Group
We invite all students in 6-12 grade to join us as we gather together to connect with one another and grow in our faith through a wide variety of events and activities throughout the year.
9:45-10:45AM Mid High & Senior High
Youth group meets on Friday night.
On-going Sunday School Classes
for more information, call church office at 243-7834
Leaders of Sunday school classes, please regularly provide any class or studies updates to include in this listing which will appear on a regular basis. Thanks! Pat Briggs – contact information is at the end of the newsletter.
If you are new to CUMC or have been coming a long time but don't belong to a Sunday School class please know that you are invited and will be heartily welcomed to join any of these ongoing classes. This one intentional act will not only increase your feeling of belonging and community at CUMC but also enhance your Christian walk.
Arts, Literature, Faith (ALFIES)
Sunday at 9:45 in the Conference Room
Contact: Anne Downing; drdavrome@gmail.com
All adults are welcome to join us for the ALFies (Art, Literature, Faith) Sunday School Class. Upcoming Programs at 9:45 in the Conference Room:
July 2 -- No Class
July 9 and 16 -- Called to Question by Joan Chittister presented by Bert Scott
July 23 -- Book of Joy by Dalai Lama/Desmond Tutu/D. C. Adams presented by Larry Wills
July 30 -- Haitian Ministry presented by Dr. Sue Brown
August 6 -- African Mission presented by Mimi & Larry Smith
Sunday at 9:45 in Room 309
Contact: Bruce Underwood
Contact: Dodie Hawkins
Class is dedicated to spreading the love of Christ through study, service and support. Our class study is generally devoted to specific books of the Bible or Biblical ideas and concepts. Social events help solidify us as a Church family that offers love and support in good times and bad.
Contact: Bill Ortman
The five Sundays in July will be used to complete the six sessions study begun the last Sunday in June: The Call: The Life and Message of the Apostle Paul.
Cokesbury's description of the study says: Follow the journeys of Paul, beginning with his dramatic conversion, as he spread the Gospel through modern-day Greece and Turkey. Travel to the early church sites and explore Paul's conversations with the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. In this six-week study, you are invited to experience faith through Christ's greatest teacher and missionary. More than a travelogue, the study explores Paul's experience of being called and invites the reader to ponder their own personal call from Christ.
One reviewer stated: "The Call" was used as a Lenten Bible Study in a group of 12-18 adults. Adam Hamilton explained Saul/Paul in a way that removed much of my skepticism over his use of words that have historically been used as justification for anti-Jewish and anti-women's thoughts, especially in Christian churches. Paul was a product of his times. We have to understand Paul's message through the context of those times; not the context of our own times. I retain doubt over some of Paul's language, but feel better about certain aspects of it. With Paul, we need to be careful not to "throw out the baby with the bath water!"
Pastor Led
Sunday at 9:45 in the Life Center
Contact: Pastor Scott
Study of the Parables
Class of Promise
Contact: Jim Hering
The original Class of Promise grew in size when the members of the class graciously absorbed the former Priorities Sunday School class into their fold. It was - and continues to be - a group of vibrant, interested Christian learners who benefit both from the topic being studied and the interaction of the class members. The class is taught by the members who cooperatively decide on the topics to be discussed. The class has just begun a study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. All are welcome to join us on Sunday mornings - we'll always find a chair for you around the table!
Contact: Angus Jordan or JoAnn Emerson
Providence meets in room 307 and has various programs throughout the year. We use study books to assist us with our Bible Study lessons. We also have DVD Bible Studies. All of our members take an active part in our lessons. Our attendance varies in age from 60's to 90+. Everyone is welcome to join our class! Our class monetarily supports: CUMC TV ministry, Lowell School Food Pantry, Project Share, Title 1 Homeless Youth Project, Lowell School Uniforms, CUMC Youth, and the Methodist Children's Home.
On-going Bible Studies
Studying the Bible together in small groups is a valuable tool in an individual's spiritual growth.
For example, participants in one of CUMC's ongoing Bible studies were recently challenged to spend a day in 'utter thanksgiving'. To do this the leader suggested that for every complaint that popped into our minds we could replace with 10 thanksgivings. Participants found that this intentional act really helped to reset their minds and spirit. In these days of uncertainty, fear and anger this suggestion is a wonderful way to help all of us live Christ-centered lives.
Friday Fellowship
Friday from 9:30am-11:30am in Room 311
Delving deeply into the Book of James, using the excellent study by Beth Moore, is occupying this group of women who meet every Friday. It is a welcoming group of women with different backgrounds and "there is always room for anyone whom God calls to join".
Contact: Joan Gustafson
WOW Women of the Word
Wednesday at 9:30am in Room 311
ON RECESS UNTIL SEPTEMBER This group of welcoming, enthusiastic women meet weekly for Bible study and good fellowship. They have just finished a study based on the book A Grace-full Life - God's All-reaching Soul-saving, Character-shaping, Never-ending Love. They are in the process of selecting a new study and welcome you to join them!
Contact: Vera, 242-4061
Monday Night Bible Study
Monday at 6:30pm-8:00pm in Room 311
WE WILL RECONVENE IN SEPTEMBER with a continuing study of prayer in relationship with God.
A group of dedicated, curious 'Bible-searchers' meets weekly for an in-depth study of various books of the Bible. Currently, the group is searching the Bible for truths about a believer's relationship with God. The focus of that relationship is now centered on prayer.
Contact: George or Donna Faulhaber
"SERVE calls us to action. A reading of the Gospels clearly shows that Jesus put his faith into action. At Central we believe that each person is called to serve others. There are multiple ministries at Central that allow for this to happen and range from homeless ministries to homebound communion to cleaning the sanctuary." From the CUMC Vision Pathway.
SPOTLIGHTING
CUMC THRIFT SHOP
The Thrift Shop began operations in 1980 with a small group of church members who saw an opportunity to help the Church with facility needs that were not funded. The number of volunteers has increased since our beginning and now we have about 25 members. The Thrift Shop operates with a Board of Directors elected by Thrift Shop members once a year. The current board includes:
President Trigg Lawson
Vice President Carolyn Palmer
Secretary Julianne McAchran
Treasurer Ruth Cook
Donations from Church members and the community are the mainstay that enable the Thrift Shop to function. Donations are received downstairs and stored for weekly sorting, pricing and then onto display in the Thrift Shop, Room 103. Over the past 37 years proceeds have enabled the Thrift Shop to return over 86% of the income to Church projects with the remaining 14% used for establishment of a future endowment. Thrift Shop funding in the last years has averaged $10,000-$14,000 annually providing funds for many needed items such as:
new HVAC units for the YMCA child care area
new microphones for the Sanctuary
new, larger trash dumpster
partial funding for the ADA bathroom
carpeting on the main floor, Sunday School rooms and office
digital sign on University Blvd
many more projects over the years
Volunteers serve in two ways: sales staff and weekly workers who sort, price and stock the Shop. Some donations received do not meet Thrift Shop standards and are passed onto other non-profit organizations, so nothing is lost in the donation process.
The Thrift Shop is open to Church members and the general public and operates on the following schedule:
Sunday and Thursday: 12 (noon) - 1:00pm
Friday: 9:00am - 12 (noon)
Several times a year the Thrift Shop holds a special sale n the Gathering Area of the Church.
On-going Service Ministries
for more information, call church office at 243-7834 or contact below
For more information: call 353-1197
Helping Hands is a ministry whose mission is to assist people who walk in, seeking help, to meet their immediate short term needs.
Lowell Food Bank / Lowell Elementary
For more information: call church office at 243-7834
Mobile Food Pantry held monthly, volunteers set up at the school and distribute food to families provided by Road Runner Foods
School Uniform Drive – Partnering with the Assistance League of Albuquerque's Operation School Bell to provide school uniforms for students at Lowell Elementary.
Mighty Milers running program
Saranam
For more information: call 299-6154 or visit www.saranamabq.org
Saranam empowers families to end their homelessness and poverty through housing, education, and supportive communities.
Stephens Ministry
Contact: stephenministry@centraltolife.org (confidential)
or Pastor Kelly Brooks at kellyb@centraltolife.org
Stephens Ministry is the one-to-one lay caring ministry that takes place in congregations that use the Stephen Series system. Stephen Ministry congregations equip and empower lay caregivers – called Stephen Ministers – to provide high-quality, confidential, Chris-centered care to people who are hurting.
The Thrift Shop proceeds from items sold are used to support the Church and its ministries. Hours are: Sunday Noon – 1:00pm, Thursday Noon – 1:00pm, and Friday 9:00am - Noon
(World needs can be over-whelming but local needs are more do-able!)
No requested donations this month. If you want to notify the congregation of needed items, please contact the Communications Team to put the notification in the monthly newsletter.
Communications Team Information
Deadline for August edition is Wednesday July 19, 2017.
Any questions, please ask the Communications Team
Visit the Welcome Desk in the gathering area for: answers to your questions from a member of the governance team, printed copies of the newsletter (also, in the Narthex), and other written information. Classes and ministries consider placing informational flyers for a study or event at the desk. Connect cards are available at the desk and in the pews to update your contact information for the church and so we can email the newsletter to you.
Email: communicationsteam@centraltolife.org
Phone #: (505) 268-1009 [Briggs Family]
Co-Chairs: Chris Briggs & Pat Briggs
Current Team Members:
Donna Faulhaber, Barbara Fuller, Jesus Valdez,
Rev. Scott Sharp, Rev. Kelly Brooks


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References

Units of energy
Metre–tonne–second system of units
Non-SI metric units

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America Is Not For Black People
Greg Howard
Filed to:america
The United States of America is not for black people. We know this, and then we put it out of our minds, and then something happens to remind us. Saturday, in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Mo., something like that happened: An unarmed 18-year-old black man was executed by police in broad daylight.
By now, what's happening in Ferguson is about so many second-order issues—systemic racism, the militarization of police work, and how citizens can redress grievances, among other things—that it's worth remembering what actually happened here.
Michael Brown was walking down the middle of the street in Ferguson's Canfield Green apartment complex around noon on Saturday with his friend Dorin Johnson when the two were approached by a police officer in a police truck. The officer exchanged words with the boys. The officer attempted to get out of his car. At this point, two narratives split.
According to the still-unnamed officer, one of the two boys shoved him back into the vehicle and then wrestled for his sidearm, discharging one shot into the cabin. The two ran, and the police officer once again stepped from his vehicle and shot at the fleeing teenagers multiple times, killing Brown.
According to Johnson and other eye witnesses, however, the cop ordered the friends to "get the fuck on the sidewalk," but the teenagers said they had almost reached their destination. That's when the officer slammed his door open so hard that it bounced off of Brown and closed again. The cop then reached out and grabbed Brown by the neck, then by the shirt.
"I'm gonna shoot you," the cop said.
The cop shot him once, but Brown pulled away, and the pair were still able to run away together. The officer fired again. Johnson ducked behind a car, but the cop's second shot caused Brown to stop about 35 feet away from the cruiser, still within touching distance of Johnson. Multiple witnesses say this is when Brown raised his hands in the air to show he was unarmed. Johnson remembered that Brown also said, "I don't have a gun, stop shooting!" The officer then shot him dead.
After that, the narratives dovetail again. Brown was left where he died, baking in the Missouri heat for hours, before he was removed by authorities. The officer was placed on paid administrative leave.
Michael Brown is not special. In all its specificity, the 18-year old's death remains just the most recent example of police officers killing unarmed black men.
Part of the reason we're seeing so many black men killed is that police officers are now best understood less as members of communities, dedicated to keeping peace within them, than as domestic soldiers. The drug war has long functioned as a full-employment act for arms dealers looking to sell every town and village in the country on the need for military-grade hardware, and 9/11 made things vastly worse, with local police departments throughout America grabbing for cash to better defend against any and all terrorist threats. War had reached our shores, we were told, and police officers needed weaponry to fight it.
Officers have tanks now. They have drones. They have automatic rifles, and planes, and helicopters, and they go through military-style boot camp training. It's a constant complaint from what remains of this country's civil liberties caucus. Just this last June, the ACLU issued a report on how police departments now possess arsenals in need of a use. Few paid attention, as usually happens.
The worst part of outfitting our police officers as soldiers has been psychological. Give a man access to drones, tanks, and body armor, and he'll reasonably think that his job isn't simply to maintain peace, but to eradicate danger. Instead of protecting and serving, police are searching and destroying.
If officers are soldiers, it follows that the neighborhoods they patrol are battlefields. And if they're working battlefields, it follows that the population is the enemy. And because of correlations, rooted in historical injustice, between crime and income and income and race, the enemy population will consist largely of people of color, and especially of black men. Throughout the country, police officers are capturing, imprisoning, and killing black males at a ridiculous clip, waging a very literal war on people like Michael Brown.
Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal.…
"There's a long history of racial tension and misunderstanding in this region," St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Aisha Sultan told me over the phone yesterday. "Especially on the north side."
This sort of thing—especially on the north side—is what gets glossed over a little too easily when we try to fit a particular incident into a broader narrative. Ferguson is a small town of 21,000, mostly white until the 1960s, when whites fled anywhere but where they were. Today, Ferguson, which is a bit north of St. Louis, is mostly black; Ferguson and St. Louis County police are mostly white. That fits a metropolitan area flanked by two rivers that divide neighborhoods and regions by race, the sixth-most segregated in the United States.
To people, like me, from the coast—I'm from Maryland—St. Louis can seem like a blank in the the middle of the country, a place where people and even ideas get stuck on the way to somewhere better, or at least somewhere else. But St. Louis is like New York (the fourth-most segregated metro in America), or Los Angeles, or Miami, or Dallas, or Washington, DC, only more so. Far from a blank, St. Louis is often regarded as the most American of America's cities.
"It is a microcosm of the rest of the country," Sultan said. "If this can happen in St. Louis, it can happen in any city."
It does. On August 5 in Beavercreek, Ohio, 22-year-old John Crawford was killed in a Walmart when a toy gun he had picked up from inside the store was apparently mistaken for a real gun. LeeCee Johnson, who had two children with Crawford, said that she was on the phone with him, and that his last words before she heard gunshots from police officers were, "It's not real."
On July 17 in Staten Island, New York, 43-year-old Eric Garner, a well-known presence in the neighborhood who sold illicit cigarettes and kept an eye on the block, was killed after breaking up a fight when NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold on the asthmatic man. "I can't breathe," he said, before he died. "I can't breathe."
On the night of September 14, 2013 in Charlotte, N.C., 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell was killed after getting into a car accident. He climbed out of the rear window of the car, stumbled to the nearest house, and banged on the door for help. The homeowner notified the police, who showed up to the house. Ferrell was tased, and then an officer named Randall Kerrick shot and struck Ferrell 10 times.
There was Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., and Oscar Grant in Oakland, Calif., and so many more. Michael Brown's death wasn't shocking at all. All over the country, unarmed black men are being killed by the very people who have sworn to protect them, as has been going on for a very long time now. It would appear that cops are not for black people, either.
After Brown's death came his demonization. First, we heard that Brown had run for stealing candy from a store. Then we were bombarded with a photo of Brown in a red Nike tank top on a stoop, posing for the camera.
This photo, in which Brown was flashing a "gang sign"—a peace sign, actually—was presented as proof that the teenager was a thug; his friends and family now not only have to work through their grief, but against a posthumous slur campaign. Johnson described his friend in an MSNBC interview as cool and quiet. Brown's uncle, Bernard Ewings, said in a Sunday interview that Brown loved music. Brown's mother, Leslie McSpadden, said that he was funny and could make people laugh. He graduated from high school in the spring, and was headed to college to pursue a career in heating and cooling engineering. Monday would have been his first day.
By all accounts, Brown was One Of The Good Ones. But laying all this out, explaining all the ways in which he didn't deserve to die like a dog in the street, is in itself disgraceful. Arguing whether Brown was a good kid or not is functionally arguing over whether he specifically deserved to die, a way of acknowledging that some black men ought to be executed.
To even acknowledge this line of debate is to start a larger argument about the worth, the very personhood, of a black man in America. It's to engage in a cost-benefit analysis, weigh probabilities, and gauge the precise odds that Brown's life was worth nothing against the threat he posed to the life of the man who killed him. It's to deny that there are structural reasons why Brown was shot dead while James Eagan Holmes—who on July 20, 2012, walked into a movie theater and fired rounds into an audience, killing 12 and wounding 70 more—was taken alive.
To ascribe this entirely to contempt for black men is to miss an essential variable, though—a very real, American fear of them. They—we—are inexplicably seen as a millions-strong army of potential killers, capable and cold enough that any single one could be a threat to a trained police officer in a bulletproof vest. There are reasons why white gun's rights activists can walk into a Chipotle restaurant with assault rifles and be seen as gauche nuisances while unarmed black men are killed for reaching for their wallets or cell phones, or carrying children's toys. Guns aren't for black people, either.
Sunday was Brown's vigil, and several hundred people congregated in Ferguson. They began to march toward the Ferguson police station in protest. Police met them in full riot gear, with rifles, shields, helmets, dogs, and gas masks. Protesters yelled, "No justice, no peace!" They called the police murderers. They raised their hands in mock surrender, saying, "Don't shoot, I'm unarmed."
And then the protest turned violent, as some citizens began to break into, loot, and set fire to storefronts in their own community.
Police officers shot tear gas and rubber bullets. Thirty-two people were arrested that night. Two policemen were injured. There was nothing easy to make of it. It was a senseless and counterproductive attack on the community; it was the grief-stricken flailing of people who knew it could have been them, or their friends, or their brothers or sons. Whatever it was, it was met with force.
On Monday morning, Sultan went back to Ferguson, where she witnessed citizens cleaning up debris from the night before. Some were shocked by the violence; others said that they'd been backed against a wall, forced into necessary evil. Sultan interviewed an 11-year-old boy about the rioting. "It seems like police are about to go to war with the people," he said.*
On Monday night, police again took the streets as demonstrators again marched in nonviolent protest, holding their hands high. Police again fired rubber bullets and tear gas, and again blocked off the main streets, not allowing anyone in or out. Police were photographed sweeping into side streets, and pointing guns over fences into backyards. It spilled over into today. They ran helicopters and drones over all of it; they shot tear gas; they ran up on citizens with guns drawn.
"Return to your homes," they yelled over megaphones.
"This is our home," the people of Ferguson answered. There wasn't—there isn't—much more to say.
Top photo via Scott Olson/Getty Images; bottom photo via Jeff Roberson/AP.
The Concourse is Deadspin's home for culture/food/whatever coverage. Follow us on Twitter:@DSconcourse.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The cold winters and humid summers make northeast Ohio an ideal environment for sugar maples. This family has been making organic, small batch maple syrup on their rural Cuyahoga County farm. The brand's visual identity is rooted in simplicity to reflect the purity of their products. The color palette represents the contrast of hot and cold that exists throughout the syrup making process. The industrial lettering in the wordmark is a nod to Cleveland's rust belt heritage.


Born February 20, 1935, in Los Angeles, CA; died of Parkinson's disease, November 29, 1996, in Los Angeles, CA. Career: Cinematographer, camera operator, photographer, and actor. Also billed as Jordan S. Cronenweth. Awards, Honors: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, best cinematography, 1982, for Blade Runner; Academy Award nomination, best cinematography, 1987, for Peggy Sue Got Married..


Ingrid sent me a copy of the DVD Ernst Zündel: A Spartan of the Spirit in late March 2013. I tried uploading a high quality version on YouTube which I ripped from the DVD — that was futile, my account is still in "bad standing" for a previous upload titled "18 Reasons Why It's Great To Be Jewish" which factually listed 18 reasons why it could be "great" to be Jewish. That was frowned upon, it appears!
So, at any rate, here is the video as it was uploaded by Ingrid on her YouTube account. It's only available in 480p, unfortunately.
This DVD tells how Ernst Zündel's stunning prison paintings were created – under the most daunting and humiliating conditions in our so-called "modern" prisons in three countries on two continents, where speaking the truth is now a crime enshrined in law.
One of the most inspirational stories of our times.
The Most Hateful Group In America?
Thanks to torm3nt in #k0nsl for posting it.
US double standards on terrorism: fighting terrorists with one hand and helping them with the other.


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Salinas Police: Public helped officers find family of murder victim
Salinas police identified the victim as Felix Alonso Francisco, 43, but had difficulty finding his family members, officers have said.
Salinas Police: Public helped officers find family of murder victim Salinas police identified the victim as Felix Alonso Francisco, 43, but had difficulty finding his family members, officers have said. Check out this story on thecalifornian.com: https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2018/11/29/salinas-police-public-helped-officers-find-family-murder-victim/2153635002/
Joe Szydlowski, Salinas Californian Published 12:56 p.m. PT Nov. 29, 2018
Felix Alonso Francisco(Photo: PROVIDED/SALINAS POLICE DEPARTMENT)
With help from the public, Salinas police say they have contacted the family of a migrant farmworker shot to death earlier this month.
Felix Alonso Francisco, 43, was found in a driveway on North Hebbron Street with multiple gunshot wounds at about 1:30 a.m. Nov. 3, Salinas police have said.
The department identified him but had difficulty finding his family members, officers have said.
They publicized his case, asking for help tracking down his family members.
That generated tips which led officers to find Francisco's family, police said in a social media post Thursday.
Police have said they don't believe he had any gang ties, but didn't rule out a gang member targeting him.
"We hope that additional information from the public may be helpful in leading to the arrest of those responsible for this senseless act and bring some closure to the family," police said in the Facebook post.
Read or Share this story: https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2018/11/29/salinas-police-public-helped-officers-find-family-murder-victim/2153635002/


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March 17, 2020 March 17, 2020 londonlifewithliz
Marie Lloyd – Queen of the Halls
Irreverent, generous, bold and mischievous, Marie Lloyd exemplified the gusto of the Music Hall, the one place in Victorian England where a woman could be in control. She spanned the peak years of this unique form of entertainment from her first appearance at the age of 15 until her death in 1922. Loved by her audiences she counted Edward VII, George Bernard Shaw and TS Eliot among her fans. In contrast, her private life was often unhappy; three times married she suffered humiliation and domestic abuse. Something passed out of the Music Hall when she died; it was dying itself, but her songs linger on with 'The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery', 'My Old Man (Said Follow the Van)', A Little of What You Fancy' and 'Oh Mr Porter What Shall I Do' – Victoria & Albert Museum.
2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the legendary music hall performer Marie Lloyd and I think she would have appreciated the lecture about her colourful life and spectacular career that Alison Young and Christine Padwick, from the British Music Hall Society, delivered at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
I can remember my grandparents singing along to 'My Old Man', although whether they appreciated quite how dark its lyrics are is another matter. But then, that was the beauty of Marie Lloyd: the way she blended sadness with wit; comedy with tragedy. She was, the brilliant Young and Padwick told us, in turns charismatic, mischievous, irreverent, bold, hardworking, opinionated, insecure, edgy and nervous. Adored by the Victorian public, Lloyd's catchphrases, including "Don't dilly dally" and "A little of what you fancy", linger on to this day.
Lloyd's funeral, on 12 October 1922, saw thousands of mourners line the streets of Golders Green to pay their respects as her cortege passed by, to the point where the service had to be delayed, because of crowd control issues. Three days later, lengthy queues remained outside Hampstead Cemetery and theatrical weekly The Era estimated that 120,000 people had visited her grave. Floral tributes were left by celebrities and the British public – taxi drivers, maids, boxers, pub landlords and Lloyd's jockey friends. Her appeal was ubiquitous: "She was one of us", wrote TS Eliot.
A poignant end to an incredible life, albeit one cut short at the age of 52. But who exactly was Marie Lloyd – and how did she become one of the biggest stars of her day?
Matilda Alice Victoria Wood was born in Hoxton, north London, in 1870. The future Marie Lloyd harboured ambitions from a young age to be a music hall performer and made her first appearance on stage aged 15. Before long, "Marie", as she was now known, had "stolen" George Ware's song 'The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery', which Ware had written for Nelly Power. This was not the done thing; one good song could guarantee six months' work – and Power was furious. Yet, having marched round to Lloyd's home to confront her, she found herself placated by her competitor's winning ways.
Nelly Power
Within a couple of years Lloyd had established herself as a quality act, playing all of the London and provincial music halls. Having embarked upon a relationship with a ticket tout, Percy Courtenay, she found herself married, aged 17, with a baby daughter on the way. However, Courtenay would prove to be a violent drunk and within six years the couple were living apart.
By the age of 21, Lloyd was performing in pantomime alongside stars including Dan Leno. Her versatile, relaxed style delighted audiences; here was a performer who sang songs about subjects ordinary people understood: booze, and bailiffs. Lloyd would comment that she understood that people had difficult lives – and that she offered them escapism.
Dan Leno
Lloyd was a born actress and each gesture she made was instinctive, yet crafted to make her point. As her act developed, Marie's style became racier, offering more innuendo which she expressed through pauses, sidelong looks, a wink and vocal inflections. It wasn't so much what she said, as the way in which she said it.
Inevitably, there was a backlash; Lloyd did sometimes overstep the limits of discretion and some of her peers considered her blue in the extreme. With mutterings in the press about her "coarse" humour and with friends warning her against vulgarity, Lloyd's response was that she "giving the people what they wanted." The way she saw it, the protestors just added to the fun.
At the height of her career, Lloyd had achieved international fame, touring South Africa, Australia and America – although American audiences were left baffled by her Cockney accent and some of the characters she played. Lloyd rose to the challenge, keen always to prove herself.
She was also happy in her personal life, having remarried to a professional singer, Alex Hurley. The pair had met early on in their careers and became lovers during the mid-1890s, unusually for the time living together before they married. They were from similar backgrounds and Alex was kind, steady and deeply supportive of his massively successful wife.
The 1907 Music Hall Strike revealed another side to Lloyd's character. Discontent had been brewing between performers and theatre managers for years and, while Lloyd was in a position to command her own terms, she always supported her fellow artists and threw herself into the strike with gusto.
This generous and large-hearted personality enjoyed her wealth and status but had no interest in social climbing. A multi-millionairess, she gave away much of her fortune and there are numerous recorded incidents of her generosity. On the flip side, Lloyd found it difficult to hide her emotions and often wrote critical, bitter letters to the press challenging incorrect stories.
Sadly, Marie and Alec's marriage did not last and by 1910 Marie was living with the jockey Bernard Dillon. Their relationship marked a downturn in Lloyd's overall circumstances: in 1912 she was conspicuously left out of a stellar line-up for the first-ever Royal Command Performance. Reeling from this crushing blow, Lloyd staged her own show, at the London Pavilion, on the same night as the Royal Command – but there was no doubt that she was deeply wounded.
Further humiliation was to follow. In 1913, Lloyd and Dillon embarked upon a six month tour of America, travelling across the Atlantic on RMS Olympic, the Titanic's sister ship. When the Olympic docked, she and Dillon found themselves barred from disembarking because they weren't married and accused of "moral turpitude". Following much wrangling and further humiliating accusations, the couple were allowed into the country, but made to stay in separate hotels.
Marie with Bernard Dillon
Midway through the American tour, Alex Hurley died and Lloyd and Dillon got married. Sadly, her third marriage would fare no better than her others. After Dillon's jockey licence was cancelled he began drinking heavily – and assaulting Marie, who began drinking herself. Neither Dillon nor Marie's first husband, Courtenay, had been able to cope with their wife being the breadwinner or live with her level of success.
As Marie and Dillon's marriage deteriorated, so did her health. Only in her early 50s, Lloyd was afflicted by arthritic pain, stomach pains and mental health problems; the more ill she grew, the shorter and more infrequent her stage act became. Four nights before she died, she collapsed on stage at the Alhambra Theatre, doubled up in pain. She returned home, where she died from heart and kidney failure. "The whole country grieved" stated Young and Padwick, as they concluded this enthralling lecture.
Previous One of Them: Michael Cashman in Conversation
Next Lucy Foley in conversation with Charlotte Philby
dccrossley says:
Oddly all the WordPress accounts I follow have started going into my junk folder and I almost missed this.
I knew little about Marie, but partly via my son I got to hear a song by a "Steampunk" band who sing about many things Victorian. The band is The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing and the song may just be called Marie Lloyd. It's quite amusing and you might find it on YouTube perhaps. I should have checked…
It's actually (I'm I love with) Marie Lloyd. Did find it on YouTube but took a little digging. Well worth three minutes of your life, I think.
Thanks for the introduction to Marie Lloyd. What a fascinating woman she must have been, and what a talented performer.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the post: and I agree, Marie Lloyd was a fascinating woman and I wish she was better-known. Few performers today can match her talent and charisma.
myowncalcuttablog.com says:
Truly fascinating woman!
Sissy1Pip says:
I didn't know of this woman before your article. Fascinating. She truly lived her life!
She really did: an inspiration to us all.


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Barrio Girls
by Charles de Lint
pubblicato da Triskell Press
Ruby and Vida haunt a dry riverbed near the trailer park where they live, pretending to be magical beings, until a deadly encounter with an actual witch changes everything. Now magic is no longer a game of pretend, it's the only thing that will keep them alive. But first they have to find it.
This reprinted short story takes place in Santo del Vado Viejo, the setting of de Lint's acclaimed novels The Painted Boy and The Mystery of Grace.
"One of the most original fantasy writers currently working."Booklist
"Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy
tale, dreams, urban legendall of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid,
original world. No one does it better."Alice Hoffman
"De Lint creates an entirely organic mythology that seems as real as the folklore
from which it draws."Publishers Weekly, starred review
"De Lint is a romantic; he believes in the great things, faith, hope, and charity
(especially if love is included in that last), but he also believes in the power of
magicor at least the magic of fictionto open our eyes to a larger world."Edmonton Journal
"It's hard not to feel encouraged to be a better person after reading a book by
Ottawa's Charles de Lint."Halifax Chronicle Herald
"If Ottawa-area author Charles de Lint didn't create the contemporary fantasy, he certainly defined it. writer-musician-artist-folklorist de Lint has lifted our accepted reality and tipped it just enough sideways to show the possibilities that lie beneath the surface Unlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it's just damned fine writing."
Quill & Quire
"In de Lint's capable hands, modern fantasy becomes something other than escapism. It becomes folk song, the stuff of urban myth."
-The Phoenix Gazette
Editore Triskell Press
Scrivi una recensione per "Barrio Girls"


I was disappointed to find, when scanning through the first edition of the Connacht Tribune, printed in 1909, that very little news on Oughterard was recorded. However, I did find out in August of that year races were held at Waterfield.
The number of horses who faced the starter was small and in no case exceeded four, although there were as many as nineteen entered on the programme for some events. Much dissatisfaction was expressed as to the arrangements. The colours of the jockeys were not given on the programme and this was considered a great inconvenience.
Five races were held – the Farriers Plate, the Stewards Plate, the Lemonfield Plate, the Oughterard Plate, and the Ladies Plate. The first prize money varied from £5 to £10, second received £2 and third £1. The length of races varied also from 1 to 2½ miles on the flat, with a handicap hurdle race of 2 miles also being included.
Stewards for the day included Lord Killanin, Thomas Naughton, Henry Gascoigne, L. D'Arcy, E. J. McDermott, RM, James Byrnes, R. E. Willis, JP, T. D. Lawson, T. F. Naughton, H. Ferguson, M. Acton, P. Glynn, N. Egan, Michael Mons, John Power, K. O. Brien, MD, Thomas Toole, and Michael Darcy. It would appear from such a long list of stewards that there was no shortage of voluntary support. Officials for this meeting were: Judge – E. J. Madden; Starter – W. Donnellan; Clerk of Scales and Handicapper – John Joyce; Clerks of Course – Michael D'Arcy, J. Power, & T. Toole; Tres. – J. P. O'Flahertie; Sec. – G. Roe.
"Cannonball", the famous horse from Leam owned by J. H. Toole took part but did not finish in the Farriers Plate as the jockey fell on the second round of the course. Other horses to race on the day were Michael Darcy's "Little Charlie", M. P. Burke's "Golden Rule", Mr. T. Lyons' "Little Annie", Mr. James McCullagh's "Tricky Girl", Mr. John Sheridan's "Railway Girl", and Mr. M. Devilly's "Headford Boy".
Controversy surrounded the last race of the day, the Oughterard Plate, when "Railway Boy" and "Dairy Maid", owned by Mr. Cruise, kept the lead for the first round. On the second round "Railway Boy" took the lead from "Dairy Maid" and kept it until the judges' stand was reached. "Dairy Maid" was a long way behind. The officials and stewards decided, after a long delay, that "Dairy Maid" was entitled to the race owing, it was said, to "Railway Boy" jumping the wing of the fence. Mr. Walsh, the owner of "Railway Boy", took all his horses from the meeting on this decision being given.
Farmers will be interested to know that at the August Fair of 1909 three-year-old bullocks and heifers fetched from £9 to £12, two-year-olds £7 to £9, yearlings £4 to £6, and suckling calves realized from £1.15s to £2. Sheep realized from £1.5s to £1.15s and fat lambs sold at from 17 to 22 shillings. Milch cows exchanged hands at from £3.10s to £10.10s.
The death was recorded of Mrs. Naughton of Glengowla, who was much esteemed in the locality and who was the mother of Miss Naughton, assistant teacher at Leam N.S. The death of Mr. Martin O'Holleran, a poor law representative, who was a most generous benefactor in all that concerned the welfare of the people of the neighbourhood occurred in September, 1909. Mr. J. H. Joyce also died at the Mater Hospital on May 29 th. The remains were brought by early train to Oughterard where Mass was celebrated by Rev. M. D. Conroy, PP, Lisdoonvarna.
In that year the mission was promoted by the St. Patrick's Temperance League of the West and it was, according to reports, a gratifying success. Large crowds of the faithful flocked to the Church and the most intense piety was everywhere noticeable. The Mission was conducted by Rev. Father Turner, of the Redemptorist Order, whose eloquent and touching discourses on the 'drink evil' made a profound impression on those who had an opportunity of hearing him.
This meeting was presided over by Mr. P. J. O'Malley, JP. Present at the meeting were Mr. J. P. O'Flahertie, JP, T. Fahy-Naughton, Mark Geoghegan, Michael Walsh, H. Dudley Hodgson, JP, Thomas Toole, P. O'Connor, Walter McDonagh, and Michael McEvilly.
1. Mr. Thomas Lyons was given the contract for the building of a concrete bridge to the junction of Bunakle for £10.
2. Thomas Lyons was also declared contract for the repairing of causeway and protection wall at Maam Cross at £20.
4. M. O'Malley and James O'Toole both got contracts to make gulleys at Maam for £3 snf Gortmore for £5.
A letter was read from the Midland Great Western Railway Company who wrote, in reply to the resolution of the Council with reference to the 2:30 pm train from Galway to Clifden, stating that they had given it earnest consideration, but regretted that they could not alter the hour of this train, as it was run in conjunction with the 9 o'clock train, and the delay would lead to great inconvenience for passengers at the other stations. The Chairman said that the Connemara people were more entitled to consideration than other people. Mr. O'Toole agreed that the people who used it most were entitled to be considered and he added, "This place is shockingly cold sometimes." A letter was sent to the company requesting them to alter the time.
It would appear that in 1909 drains ran down through the streets of Oughterard, because a Miss Honor O'Holloran took action against the Council because a blocked drain caused her house to be continually flooded. and, according to her, kept the customers out of her shop.
Applications for labourers' cottages were also received. The rent was fixed at 1s 6p a week for ahouse with an acre of land or 1s a week for a house with a little land. The labourers were obliged to forward the rent to the Clerk, thus saving themselves 10% for collection.
I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of the past.


text:
Articles by: Richard Evans
Author Biography:
Dr Richard Evans is the author of four books including Disasters that Changed Australia (MUP 2009) and The Pyjama Girl Mystery (Scribe 2004). A former journalist, his teaching and research interests include drugs and crime, disasters, surveillance, policing, and miscarriages of justice. He believes that criminology can and should help build a more just society.
"On 30 June each year, Australia counts its prisoners. It's a big number. The most…
Informit: Our punitive nation
Arena Magazine no. 145
On 30 June each year, Australia counts its prisoners. It's a big number. The most recent publicly available figure is for 2015: 36,134. That number is a record. Never before has Australia had so many people behind bars. The 2015 figure eclipsed the previous record, set the year before, of 33,789. That in turn broke the record set twelve months earlier, of just over 30,000.
Prison Rape, by Richard Evans
Is it OK to make jokes about rape in prison?
"Is it OK to make jokes about rape in prison? The trivialisation of sexual violence…
Informit: Prison rape
Is it OK to make jokes about rape in prison? The trivialisation of sexual violence through what passes as humour is much less common than it once was. Jokes about rape are not innocent, are not harmless fun, are not unconnected to the horrible crime they make light of. Their gradual marginalisation represents social change of real importance.
"Why parole is essential to community safety. The rape and murder of Jill Meagher in…
Informit: In defence of parole
Why parole is essential to community safety. The rape and murder of Jill Meagher in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick in September 2012 was as horrible a crime as could be imagined. Meagher, twenty-nine, was walking on a street near her home when she caught the attention of an opportunist sexual predator, Adrian Bayley, a man with a long history of violent sexual offences. She was dragged into an alley, brutally raped and then strangled…


text:
Top Financial Services Associate Director 2020
After 16 years in this industry, I still feel very passionate about this career. It is so meaningful and fulfilling when we make a difference in people's lives.
Jazlyn Koh & Agency (SP-KCH-COWEALTHADVISORY)
About Jazlyn
"It is so meaningful and fulfilling when we make a difference in people's lives."
Even after 16 years in the industry, Jazlyn Koh still feels like she did the first day she started her journey with AIA. Her hard work and passion for what she does has seen her recognised as the Top Financial Services Associate Director for 2020.
Jazlyn has also been a Pinnacle Leader for 9 years and was awarded the Pinnacle Gold in 2019 and Pinnacle Platinum in 2020. Her multitude of achievements over the years is affirmation that when you do what you love, success is never far away.
Quick to credit her success to her family and teammates, Jazlyn is thankful for the hard work put in by her team to elevate her to the heights she has reached today. It is their hard work and support that inspires her to become a stronger and better leader every day.
But what's her own secret sauce for success?
"Have the desire and hunger to succeed."
Because Jazlyn believes that having the strong desire and purpose to achieve your goal will drive you to put in place a structure and a system that keeps you focused to attain the goal that you desire.
But most importantly, love what you do like Jazlyn, and you will never work a day in your life.
Congratulations to Jazlyn and thank you for continuing to inspire us.
Top MDRT Agency 2020 & 2019
Top New Financial Services Associate Director 2019
MDRT Agency 2021 (Ruby Award) & 2020
Pinnacle Agency 2021


In the INTRODUCTION episode of Hair Biz Radio, Zakiyrah and Mikey share a short summary of their professional history and explain why they decided to launch a podcast exclusively focused on speaking to the needs and concerns of hair business entrepreneurs. They also preview what the Hair Biz Radio Podcast will cover on a week-by-week basis, and remind you to SUBSCRIBE to the program!
This episode is An Introduction to the Hair Biz Radio Podcast!
In this episode, you'll get an introduction to the Hair Biz Radio Podcast and its hosts, Mikey and Zakiyrah.
This podcast is a long time in the making.
This is just the audio version, but in later episodes, there will be video.
Zakiyrah has been working with Mikey for the last 3 years and started with him when he first got into the business. Zakiyrah loves to help businesses get from the ground level to the top. Zakiyrah is also the author of a book called Her 20 Somethings.
Mikey has been an entrepreneur for the past 11 years. Started in the food industry. His journey has been a rollercoaster ride. Only got started in the hair business about 4 years ago.
Always remember that everyone starts with ZERO sales, ZERO social media followers, ZERO website visitors, and ZERO on their email list.
Zakiyrah and Mikey have launched over 1,000 hair brands.
Atlanta is the weave capital of the world.
The main goal of this podcast is education and knowledge distribution.
The startup process is actually slow. It takes time. It takes patience.
There's plenty of room for everyone in the hair extension business, it's a $15B industry.
The Hair Biz Radio Podcast won't just be an audio program, there will be video in the future too.


text:
Jerusalem Post Middle East
Channel 2: IDF detects Syrian rocket test
The army's radar systems detected a series of drills in the past few months.
scuds 88
Syria test-launched a series of ground to ground missiles in recent months, Channel 2 reported Monday. According to data released by the military censor, Damascus has been testing rockets over a period of time, and the tests have been detected by Israeli radar systems, including the systems linked to Israel's missile defense systems. Most of Syria's long-range missiles are based on the Scud design, Channel 2 reported. While Syria's arsenal of missiles is based mainly on antiquated soviet ware upgraded and improved in Syria, the missiles - with a range of 300-700 km. - can still reach any target in Israel. Syria is believed to hold chemical warheads in its arsenal and is also suspected of having experimented with biological warheads. However, the inaccurate and heavy Scud missiles - of which Syria has about 1,000 - only supplement dozens of batteries of smaller rockets with a shorter range but also greater accuracy. According to the Channel 2 report, Israel is more concerned with Syria's arsenal of smaller medium range rockets. The Syrian doctrine has changed following the Second Lebanon War, which Damascus has been watching and analyzing closely, and the Syrian army has been emulating tactics used by Hizbullah in recent drills and exercises.


LANSING, MI — The City of Lansing, Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing are pleased to announce the First Impressions Program. This new program (formerly the City of Lansing Sense of Place in the Arts Program) offers three types of funding and support to City of Lansing creatives, artists, and arts organizations. The City recently increased arts program funding by $20,000 for a total of $140,000 in support of the arts in Lansing.
The three categories of the First Impressions Program include: 1) Creative Placemaking grants, which fund a variety of specific projects by artists and arts organizations from $1,000 to $20,000, 2) Arts Impact Projects, which provides $75,000 in funds for an individual permanent project/installation, and 3) Programmatic Support, which is by invitation and provides $45,000 to support arts organizations that meet the required criteria.
The First Impressions Program works to establish a strong arts-focused community and positive first impression of Lansing—an image that invites tourists, visitors, and potential new residents to the area, and one that creates a sense of place (and pride) for our current residents. The program provides a variety of opportunities for residents to connect with art and the city, encouraging them to become ambassadors for the region.
Guidelines and eligibility criteria for all First Impressions Program categories are available on the funding page of the Arts Council website at Lansingarts.org. To provide additional information, the Arts Council will hold two workshops at the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau on August 3, 2017: Programmatic Support Workshop at 1 p.m. and Creative Placemaking Grant Workshop at 2 p.m. To RSVP, contact Meghan Martin, Arts Council program manager, at meghan@lansingarts.org.


I had pretty much assumed most people had the same general interpretation of the Bible as myself. But, the longer I live it becomes clear there are as many interpretations as there are people, which is to say – a lot.
This doesn't mean, however, that most people are wrong, or that most people are right. It is probably a mistake commonly made by clergy and ministry to try and get folks to have the same view and understanding as themselves. But, we can take some comfort in knowing this is merely a human characteristic, and not completely uncommon. For any army to succeed in battle, or any sports team to succeed, they must share a common view of the objective, and be united in their cause. All of this is well and good, and does bring about a certain feeling of comfort to know that you are working with like-minded individuals.
That's pretty broad, and open to a lot of interpretation. In fact, many church organizations would have plenty of problems opening their doors and membership to all-comers by having only these two qualifications or requirements. We would say, with, perhaps, some justification, it's simply too loose.
But, once again, a careful review of who Jesus accepted and who He rejected, reveals a pretty good case that the things we think are important, are not the same things He felt were important. A case in point – the woman at the well. In no case did Jesus say He was ok with her lifestyle or behavior. But, on the other hand, He chose not to condemn her, either. But, saw beyond the circumstance and saw an individual who was in need of God's healing love. So, does God dismiss our wrong behavior or actions? No. But, He is more interested in what that individual means when they can feel God's love and forgiveness, and where they will go in the future.
When Jesus had an encounter with Paul on the Damascus road, He did not dwell on Paul's past, but rather was more focused on Paul's future. Yes, Paul was a bad man, and had done many bad things, but God's focus was on Paul's future, not his past.
However, it is human tendency to focus on a person's past, rather than what they could be in the future. We sometimes forget that a person' past does not have to define their future, especially if God gets involved with their life. He has a tendency to change a person's life trajectory, and recast it into the image that is pleasing to Him.
This entry was posted on March 18, 2017 at 10:40 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
My husband preached on this very thing Sunday morning! Just a direct confirmation again! Blessings….


GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — North Carolina missed the shots. No surprise there.
Meeks, the only Tar Heel who could shoot straight Saturday night, grabbed the game-saving offensive rebound in a 77-76 victory over Oregon after ice-cold Carolina missed its fourth straight free throw down the stretch.
All part of a career night for the North Carolina senior, who was on the bench last year when Villanova devastatingly ended the Tar Heels' chance at a title with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
In this one, Meeks was front and center. He finished 11 for 13 to match his career high with 25 points. And he had 14 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive glass and none that was more important than the last one. It secured a Monday-night date with Gonzaga in the title game, where the Tar Heels (32-7) will go for the program's sixth title.
"If it wasn't for Kennedy Meeks, we wouldn't have been in the basketball game," Carolina coach Roy Williams said.
Meeks had plenty to mop up for.
The rest of his team shot a brick-a-minute 14 for 55 from the floor (25 percent). Justin Jackson was one of the few to break through. He had 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting and made three 3-pointers and two free throws to help the Heels to a double-digit lead and put them on the verge of a runaway midway through the second half.
Given the late lead and Oregon's own awful shooting (37 percent), losing this one might have felt every bit as bad as the Villanova loss last year for this, a team on a mission with only one acceptable destination.
North Carolina led the entire second half and appeared poised, time after time, for a knockout of the never-say-die Ducks (32-7).
Never happened. And after Keith Smith's layup pulled Oregon within one with 7 seconds left (should Oregon have pulled it out for a game-tying 3? Maybe so.), it looked like it would come down to free throws.
It did, and it wasn't pretty.
First, Meeks got fouled, stepped to the line and rimmed out two. But Theo Pinson got inside and batted the ball back out to Berry, who then got fouled with 4 seconds left and took his turn at the line.
Berry missed both, too. But Meeks outmuscled Jordan Bell for that final rebound, threw it outside, and this ugly affair was over.
"My main focus was, if Joel missed the second free throw, to hit the offensive glass hard," Meeks said.
That it came down to Carolina winning on the boards was no big surprise. This was the best rebounding team in the country this season, grabbing an average of 13 more boards than their opponents over the course of the season.
Against the Ducks, the rebounding battle was even (43 each), though North Carolina got five more on the offensive glass, which resulted in 19 second-chance points, 10 more shots and, eventually, the win.
Not that Oregon was lighting it up, either.
The Ducks went 3 for 18 from 3-point range in the second half and had a stretch of nearly six minutes late where they did not make a shot from the floor.
Tyler Dorsey, nicknamed Mr. March for his sensational shooting in the tournament, led Oregon with 21 points but scored more from the free-throw line (12) than from 3-point range (nine).
Pinson made his first 3 of the tournament and had helped Carolina keep the ball after Meeks' pair of misses. Pinson finished with eight points and eight boards.
The Tar Heels were happy afterward. But boy did they make it interesting.
ANKLE TROUBLE: Berry played, as promised, but his shot looked troubled by the injured ankles that limited him in practice all week. He was 2 for 14 from the floor and 5 for 9 from the line and finished with 11 points.
MR. MARCH: Dorsey had been lighting it up through the tournament, shooting 65 percent from 3, but the Tar Heels got in his face early and he never got on track. His 21 points came on 11 shots from the field and he only went 3 for 7 from behind the arc.
BROOKS STRUGGLES: Dillon Brooks has been the leader for Oregon all season, but struggled, finishing with 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting before fouling out.
GOOD COMPANY: According to ESPN Stats and Info, Meeks joins Larry Bird, Ed O'Bannon, Carmelo Anthony and Danny Manning as the only players to reach 25 points and 14 rebounds in the Final Four over the last 40 years.
NEXT UP: Carolina vs. Gonzaga in the title game Monday. Ducks' season over after falling a game short of returning to the title game for the first time since 1939, the first NCAA Tournament.