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Should Christian Schools Prepare Students for College or Heaven?
January 31, 2014 /0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Mara Joyce
WASHINGTON – Catholic school experts discussed the twin goals of education reform at religious private schools, arguing that faith formation and high academic standards are equally important to a school's success.
"We're in the business of educating not just citizens but saints," Christian Dallavis, senior director of Leadership Programs at The University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education, declared at an event at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday.
"If your goals are college and heaven, one of those is going to be easier to measure," quipped Michael Q. McShane, research fellow in education policy studies at AEI. McShane moderated a panel involving Dallavis and three other experts.
The experts discussed the success and failure of recent K-12 private school reforms, in both Christian and secular schools. Tiffany Forrester, director of Policy and Research at The Black Alliance for Educational Options, argued that the main obstacle to "school choice" initiatives is the vehement opposition of critics who do not believe private schools educate children well.
Proving Private Schools Work
"The critics first try to not allow the legislation to be passed, then they try to water it down, then they devalue the program while it's being implemented," Forrester explained. In order to overcome these attacks, school choice proponents must "show that these schools are adequately educating our children and giving them high-quality options."
Dallavis pointed to the success of his ACE program, which helps struggling Catholic private schools, in the past few years. In 2011, only 29 percent of the program's 3rd graders were reading at grade level, while 40 percent could perform grade level math. By 2013, 64 percent of 3rd grade students were reading at grade level and 71 percent were doing math at grade level. Last year's Kindergarten class tested in the 91st percentile for reading and 86th percentile for math.
"In a neighborhood where many children do not expect to graduate from high school, the 5-year-olds in the Notre Dame ACE Academies are among the top 10 and 15 percent in the country in reading and math, respectively," Dallavis explained. These achievements occurred "on the south side of Tucson, the sixth poorest area in the United States."
The Benefits of Religious Over Secular Schools
Religious schools "can reach out to lower income students" to prioritize "social justice and evangelization," argued David Fleming, assistant professor of Political Science at Furman University. Fleming compared secular and religious schools in Milwaukee through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the first voucher program in the U.S. for disadvantaged students.
While religious schools were not even allowed to participate when MPCP started in 1990, the city allowed them to enter the program in 1998. By the 2012-2013 school year, 85 percent (96 out of 113) of the voucher schools were religious and educated 87 percent of voucher students, an increase from the 67 percent of students in 1998-1999.
Nonsectarian schools in the MPCP decreased from 38 schools in 2005-2006 to 14 in 2012-2013. The decrease coincides with the implementation of new regulations, but many of the nonsectarian schools also had lower academic performance levels, Fleming explained. He argued that, while non-religious schools may prove "faster and better able to respond to changes in the market," and focus on niche markets like art or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), parents generally prefer the religion component.
Educating Students for Heaven?
Matthew Cunningham, a doctoral student in Education Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, argued that Catholic private school teachers do not even question the fact that they get smaller paychecks. He spoke on a panel at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday, January 30, 2014.
Matthew Cunningham, a doctoral student in Education Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, argued that Catholic private school teachers do not even question the fact that they get smaller paychecks. "There are many aspects of Catholic education that are attractive, and I think people are willing to make the sacrifice," Cunningham explained. "Most of them don't even question it," because everyone is working toward the students' well-being.
Cunningham delved into the secondary education program at Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, which has graduated over 1,500 Catholic teachers and principals since 2001. The top goal, he explained, is to "implement a faith-based education."
Dallavis declared that he would like to measure ACE success by seeing "how many kids have been canonized saints from one of these schools in 100 years."
Necessary Reforms
Michael Q. McShane, research fellow in education policy studies at The American Enterprise Institute, speaks at an AEI event on January 30, 2014. McShane moderated the panel. Panelists Matthew Cunningham, a doctoral student in Education Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, David Fleming, assistant professor of Political Science at Furman University, Christian Dallavis, senior director of Leadership Programs at The University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education, and Tiffany Forrester, director of Policy and Research at The Black Alliance for Educational Options, look on.
Fleming pointed out that there are a "declining number of priests and nuns who are willing to work for very little money – they'll get the rewards in heaven, I guess," he quipped, to laughter from the audience. He cited a recent survey of Catholic schools which shows that tuition covers only 60 percent of the cost to educate elementary students and only 80 percent of the cost to educate those in high school.
Dallavis argued that, while money is part of the solution, schools need something else as well. "We have to change the job description of what it means to be a principal from being an administrator to leading a school community," he said. ACE helps the pastor, the bishop, the superintendent, and other members of the community fulfill different roles in school administration.
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Did you know? Girl Scout Cookie sales undergird pro-abortion agenda
Over the past several years, Girl Scouts of the USA has lost a large slice of its membership largely due to its left-leaning policies and associations, including its honoring of strongly pro-abortion people and political office holders. Since the Girl Scouts makes millions of dollars in revenue from cookie sales, American Family Association is recommending people who disagree with those liberal practices not support the cookie campaign.
"If a Girl Scout asks you to buy Girl Scout Cookies, just simply say No, thank you," advises Randy Sharp, director of special projects for AFA. "There's no need to explain to this little girl what the social agenda of the organization is. There's no need for us as adults to embarrass the little girls."
Full explanations of objections to the Girl Scouts' pro-abortion views and activities are available online at MyGirlScoutCouncil.com and SpeakNowGirlScouts.com. Christy Volanski, who created SpeakNowGirlScouts.com, last month penned a column titled "What every pro-lifer needs to know about the Girl Scouts' link to Planned Parenthood."
"It's hard to say no to those little sweethearts in the green and brown sashes," Volanski writes, referring to youngsters selling the cookies. "However, I just can't bring myself to fund GSUSA and local councils, and further facilitate their indoctrination of our daughters."
Other resources include Missouri Right to Life and the Archdiocese of Kansas City.
There are alternatives to the Girl Scouts, says Sharp. "The American Heritage Girls is a God-centered organization," he shares. "It's a national organization complete with all the values that we would want our children to learn. So the American Family Association highly recommends American Heritage Girls as an alternative to the Girl Scouts of America."
Research shows the Girl Scouts is promoting a liberal agenda while American Heritage Girls supports a godly agenda – and the latter is showing tremendous growth.
– See more at: http://www.onenewsnow.com/culture/2014/01/30/did-you-know-girl-scout-cookie-sales-undergird-pro-abortion-agenda#.UupdG7SonV4
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House Passes Bill to Completely Ban Taxpayer Funding of Abortions
The House today approved legislation that will put in place a complete ban on taxpayer funding of abortions that ensures abortions are not directly funded in any federal governmental program or department.
The legislation combines several policies that must be enacted every year in Congressional battles and puts them into law where they will not be in jeopardy of being overturned every time Congress changes hands from pro-life lawmakers to those who support abortions.
The House voted 227-188 for the bill with 221 Republicans and 6 Democrats voting to ban taxpayer funding of abortions under HR7 while 187 Democrats and one Republican voted against it. [ROLL CALL at end of story.]
Congressman Tom price said during the debate: "This legislation prohibits taxpayer funding of elective abortions, no matter where in the federal system that might occur. This is a position supported by the majority of Americans in a bipartisan manner. We have a responsibility, through our government, to protect the most vulnerable among us, not the least of whom are the unborn. This bill is an important step in the right direction."
The bill has been around a few years but has only been approved in the House thanks to a pro-abortion Senate. On May 4, 2011, the House passed HR 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, on a 251-175 vote with Republicans voting 235-0 for the bill and Democrats voting 175-16 against it.
Congressman Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who is the lead sponsor of the bill, spoke on the House floor during debate and said it would help hold President Barack Obama accountable by ensuring no taxpayer funds are used to pay for abortions.
A majority of Americans object to the use of taxpayer money for funding abortion, according to numerous polls — including a survey CNN conducted in early April showing Americans oppose public funding of abortion by a margin of 61% to 35%.
The bill will also mitigate concerns about abortion funding in the various loopholes in the Obamacare national health care bill that various pro-life organizations warned about during debate on the law. The legislation did not contain language banning funding of abortions in its provisions and the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would fix that problem.
The National Right to Life Committee sent a letter to House members urging support for the legislation that explains how the bill will help:
"Regrettably, however, the 111th Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). During consideration of that legislation, language was proposed (the Stupak-Pitts Amendment) to apply the principles of the Hyde Amendment to the multitude of programs created by the bill, and the House initially approved that language – but no such provision was part of the enacted law, due to opposition from President Obama and the Senate majority. Consequently, the enacted PPACA contains multiple provisions authorizing funding of abortion and funding of health plans that cover abortion."
The National Right to Life letter also commented on another lesser-known provision of the tax-funded abortion ban — it's language to protect health care professionals who don't want to be involved in abortions.
"The bill would codify the principles of the Hyde-Weldon Amendment, which has been appended to the original Hyde Amendment on every Health and Human Services appropriations bill since 2004. This provision would solidify important protections for health care providers who do not wish to participate in providing abortions – which is especially important in light of the Obama Administration's February 23, 2011 action rescinding the conscience protection regulation issued by the Bush Administration."
A new Kaiser Foundation study found that 6.1 million women will gain elective abortion coverage under Obamacare through the Medicaid expansion and new federal premium subsidies. H.R. 7 would essentially codify the executive order used in 2009 by President Obama to secure the final votes needed from pro-life Democrats in order to pass the health care overhaul.
The pro-life group CatholicVote also supports the bill as do many other pro-life groups including Americans United for Life, the Susan B. Anthony List, Liberty Counsel and Family Research Council.
"This critically important legislation is called the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act," Brian Burch of CatholicVote said. "This legislation has been updated to deal with the horrible expansion of abortion that began with the implementation of Obamacare. The House is ready to lead. If they pass this bill, the pressure will be on Senate Democrats up for election this year in red states like Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina."
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'Ministers Together' Initiative Links Legislators, Pastors to Discuss Cultural Issues
January 28, 2014 /0 Comments/in Release /by Mara Joyce
PHILADELPHIA—The Pennsylvania Pastors' Network (PPN, www.papastors.net) is bridging the gap between pastors and the public square and has created an initiative like none other in the nation—it is called the PA Pastors' Network Ministers Together project. This will also be an initiative for the American Pastors' Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) on a national level.
The purpose of Ministers Together is to create opportunities to build relationships between pastors and elected officials on a biblical, not political, basis. The goal of the program is in line with the United States Constitution that was designed to keep the government out of religion, not to keep religion and biblical values out of the way in how our country is governed.
The Ministers Together effort rebuilds the biblical worldview perspective as ordained by God. This view is that those in the pulpit are "Ministers of God" and called by God to occupy a position ordained of God. They uniquely possess the command to "Preach the Word" (II Tim. 4:2) and are given the authority to speak the Truth—not only to their local congregations but into the public square. They are clearly God's prime leaders and communicators of Truth.
This biblical worldview also holds that those in elected office are not just 'politicians' but also occupy an equally ordained position as "Ministers of God," with a clear job description as servants of God and God's servants to the people. (Rom 13:4).
According to Sam Rohrer, President of PPN and the American Pastors' Network, "The purpose of Ministers Together is to bridge the gap between 'Church and State' and rebuild the biblical worldview perspective as ordained by God. We are already seeing results from the Ministers Together program and it is encouraging to see legislators who want to work with pastors to incorporate more of a Judeo-Christian worldview into their decision making processes.
The first Ministers Together event of 2014 is a breakfast set for this week. For more information and to register if you are a pastor or legislator, visit www.papastors.net/events.
For more information on Pennsylvania Pastors' Network, visit www.papastors.net or call 610.584.1225.
The Pennsylvania Pastors' Network is a group of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus' command to be the "salt and light" to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues; examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.
The Pennsylvania Pastors' Network is a state chapter affiliate of the American Pastors' Network. The American Pastors' Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501 C3 non-profit organization).
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Man Who Killed His Unborn Child By Tricking Girlfriend Into Taking Abortion Drug Gets 14 Years
John Andrew Welden is heading to prison for 14 years after he tricked his pregnant girlfriend, Remee Lee, into taking a drug, misoprostol, to cause an abortion. Lee was six weeks pregnant and refused to have an abortion as Welden had demanded.
Authorities say that 28-year-old John Andrew Welden did not want to be a father, so when his girlfriend, Remee Jo Lee, got pregnant, Welden faked a prescription for an abortion pill, switched a label so the medication appeared to be a common antibiotic, and gave her the drug. The drug did its job. The unborn baby died.
Now, Weldon is headed to prison.
A federal judge Monday afternoon sentenced John Andrew Welden, the man accused of giving a former romantic partner a drug to cause a miscarriage, to 13 years and eight months in prison.
"I don't think Mr. Welden is an evil person, but he committed an evil act and for that he's going to have to pay the consequences," said U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara.
That hearing concluded Jan. 10 with Judge Lazzara finding that a single dose of the drug misoprostol, which has the brand name Cytotec, caused Lee to lose a nearly seven-week pregnancy.
Welden once faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted of first-degree murder under the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act. Now, after pleading guilty to consumer product tampering and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, he faces no more than 15 years.
Welden's father is an obstetrician-gynecologist who performed the ultrasound and blood tests that confirmed Lee's pregnancy, though he weas not involved in the crime. After confirmation of the pregnancy, John Andrew Welden told Lee that her blood tests revealed that she had an infection. He gave her a bottle of pills in an orange plastic bottle of the type one receives from a pharmacy. Welden falsified a label somehow to indicate that the bottle contained amoxicillin and that a prescription from Welden's father called for her to take the medicine three times daily.
In fact, the bottle contained misoprostol, the second drug in the RU-486 abortion regimen. Misoprostol is used primarily to prevent patients who take large quantities of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) from developing ulcers. Very late in pregnancies it has legitimate obstetrical uses that, roughly speaking, have to do with inducing the delivery of a healthy full-term baby. However, early, in pregnancies a pregnant woman who takes misoprostol will begin to have uterine contractions that can kill the baby by causing the uterus to expel its contents.
Lee says she woke up on Easter Sunday in a pool of blood. The staff at a nearby hospital told her that her baby had died. It was quickly apparent to these medical professionals that the drug she had been given was not the antibiotic. Interestingly, Welden had gone so far as to eliminate drug-identifying features from the tablets. It was quickly determined that she had, in fact, been given misoprostol.
Dave Andrusko of National Right to Life has written about the case:
Welden's defense team offered two complementary explanations for why Ms. Lee lost her baby last March, or at least why it could not be attributed to Welden's actions.
First, they called on experts to testify that was not possible to definitively prove that the one 200 microgram dose of Cytotec (misoprostol) Weldon told Lee was an antibiotic caused her abortion. Lazzara rejected that out of hand. Reporting for the Tampa Tribune, Elaine Silvestrini wrote
"The judge said defense experts merely served as conduits for information they found in scientific literature, which the judge said amounted to no more than case studies with little supporting information. This, he said, was 'useless to me in determining a relationship of Misoprostol to a particular side effect.'"
On Thursday lawyers for Welden tried another tack, citing "medical records showing Lee was already experiencing bleeding in her seventh week of pregnancy suggesting other factors may have led to the miscarriage," reported WTSP's Eric Glasser.
But Lazzara was having none of that either.
"The suggestion that prior to the ingestion of this highly toxic drug, this victim was experiencing a spontaneous abortion is just speculation not supported by the record," Judge Lazzara said. "The only rational explanation for what caused the demise of the victim's embryo was her ingestion of one dose of 200 micrograms of Misoprostol."
Welden's defense team spared no expense, according to local media reports. "Defense attorneys flew in experts from New York City, one of which was affiliated with the World Health Organization," according to WFTS's Jacqueline Ingles.
"Welden's stepmother said she was disappointed in the ruling because the defense's experts are 'world renowned, '" Ingles reported. "However, the judge was not impressed with their lofty resumes and discounted their testimony."
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Hospital Cuts Pregnant Woman From Life Support, Killing Her Unborn Child
A Texas hospital decided not to appeal a judge's decision late Friday to allow a husband's bid to remove his "brain dead" pregnant wife from life support, an action that would end the life of his own unborn child.
Following the decision, Marlise Muñoz, 33, was taken off machines at a Fort Worth hospital about 11:30 a.m. Sunday and her body was released to her husband, Erick Muñoz. The husband's attorney released a statement saying the family "will now proceed with the somber task of laying Marlise Muñoz's body to rest, and grieving over the great loss that has been suffered." Erick Munoz's statement made no mention of his unborn child, who has now died as a result of removing Marlise from life support.
Earlier Sunday, a statement from John Peter Smith Hospital indicated it would not appeal, despite pleas from pro-life advocates to save the life of the unborn baby, who was 22 weeks and 5 days old
"From the onset, JPS has said its role was not to make nor contest law but to follow it," the statement read. "The hospital will follow the court order."
On Sunday afternoon, about 40 people gathered near the hospital for a prayer vigil.
Operation Rescue president Troy Newman, who coordinated the prayer vigil, told LifeNews he's saddened by what's transpired.
"We are grieved that the JPS hospital has removed life support from Marlise Munoz and her baby. As the term "life support" implies, Marlise's body was alive and supporting a thriving pregnancy at the time support was withdrawn," he said. "It is despicable that dehumanizing and deceptive language was used to refer to Marlise as a "corpse" and her baby's condition as "incompatible with life" in order to elicit public support for putting them to death."
Newman added: "A human being does not lose their God-given human beauty or dignity just because they are disabled or incapacitated. This case just goes to show how far we have slipped into the abyss of a Culture of Death and how intolerant we have become of those who are seen as "inconvenient." We strongly believe that the order that led to the termination of life support is in complete contradiction to Texas law that was enacted to protect pre-born babies just like the Munoz child. The courts have failed this baby, the attorneys who should have defended Texas law have failed this baby, and the hospital has failed this baby. May this tragedy serve as a wake-up call to our society, lest others wrongly fall victim to this dehumanizing utilitarian view of life and death."
Marlise Munoz collapsed in her home last November from an apparent blood clot in her lungs when she was 14 weeks pregnant with her second child. Her husband and other family members have asked the John Peter Smith Hospital in Ft. Worth to remove Marlise from life support after they were told she was "brain dead." Ending life support would also end her unborn baby's life.
Erick Munoz, who said a doctor has told him his wife is brain dead, had filed a lawsuit against JPS Health Network. The judge ordered the hospital to remove life support by 5 p.m. Monday.
The designation of "brain death" is a controversial one and presents moral and ethical issues, especially when the life of a baby is involved. There are many cases where babies have survived after the mothers have experienced similar situations to that of Marlise Munoz. There is a very strong possibility that Marlise's baby could survive, given a little more time.
"We feel great compassion for the family of Marlise Munoz and her pre-born baby. No one ever wants to be in their difficult and tragic situation," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. "Marlise wanted this baby, and as long as there is a chance that he or she can be saved, we support John Peter Smith Hospital in their bid to follow the law and protect this baby's life."
CLICK LIKE IF YOU'RE PRO-LIFE!
"The public has been given the erroneous impression that Marlise is a dead and decaying corpse. This assumption is completely false. Marlise's heart continues to beat and she continues to nourish her pre-born baby. A rotting corpse cannot do that," said Newman. "As for the baby, we have information that diagnostic tests have not been done on the baby to support allegations that there are developmental anomalies, but even if the baby does have health issues, that baby still does not deserve to be killed."
Abortion groups like NARAL have coldly sided with Marlise's husband in calling on the hospital to kill Marlise and her baby.
"Some people want to decide who lives and who dies based on their personal criteria. If that was allowed, none of our lives would be safe. We simply cannot murder sick or inconvenient people just because we don't want the hassle of caring for them. That is a dangerous road that will only end up unjustly depriving vast numbers of people of their right to life, just as we have seen with the issue of abortion," said Newman.
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American Bible Society Ranks the Top 10 Most Bible-Minded Cities in the US
Tennessee is the home of America's most Bible-minded city for the second consecutive year, according to new rankings from the American Bible Society.
Chattanooga jumped two places since last year to take over the top spot in the rankings, according to a press release. The title was previously held by Knoxville, which is now ranked 10th on the list.
The least Bible-minded place in the United States is the Providence, R.I./New Bedford, Mass., metropolitan area.
"An analysis of interaction with and views of the Bible continues to help us evaluate the Bible landscape in America," Geoffrey Morin, chief communications officer at American Bible Society, said in a statement. "To help people engage with the best-selling book of all time's life-changing message, we need to understand where people are starting from. But ultimately, we want people to know whether you live in one of the most or least Bible-minded cities, the Bible can speak to your needs, challenges and concerns, and help you make sense of life."
The list ranks the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on the level of regular scripture reading and residents' belief in the accuracy of the Bible. The study, which ABS conducted in partnership with the California-based Barna Group, is based on data obtained through interviews with more than 46,000 American adults over the course of seven years.
The study suggests that more densely populated cities are generally less Bible-minded than smaller cities. Of the top 25 most populated cities in the nation only one of them – Charlotte, N.C. – also received a top 10 ranking in Bible-mindedness. Of the top 25 scripture-minded cities, only Charlotte, Dallas and Nashville have more than one million households.
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The majority of the cities on the top 10 most Bible-minded list were in the top 10 last year, too, with a few exceptions. The Greenville, S.C./Spartanburg, S.C./Asheville, N.C., metropolitan area and Little Rock, Ark., broke into the top 10 this year after being ranked 11th and 12th, respectively, last year. They replaced Huntsville-Decatur, Ala., and the Charleston/Huntington, W.Va., metropolitan area in the top 10.
Below are the lists for the top 10 most and least Bible-minded cities in the U.S. The full rankings can be found here.
Most Bible-minded cities:
1. Chattanooga, Tenn.
2. Birmingham, Ala.
3. Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va.
4. Springfield, Mo.
5. Shreveport, La.
6. Charlotte, N.C.
7. Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C./Asheville N.C.
8. Little Rock, Ark.
9. Jackson, Miss.
10. Knoxville, Tenn.
Least Bible-minded cities:
1. Providence, R.I./New Bedford, Mass.
2. Albany, N.Y.
3. Boston, Mass.
4. San Francisco, Calif.
5. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
6. Buffalo, N.Y.
7. Hartford/New Haven, Conn.
8. Phoenix, Ariz.
9. Burlington, Vt.
10. Portland, Maine
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Obama Celebrates 41 Years of Abortion: Roe an "Opportunity to Fulfill Dreams"
President Barack Obama issued a statement today celebrating the 41-year-old Roe v. Wade decision that allowed for virtually unlimited abortions. in a written statement, the president said the Roe abortion anniversary is an "opportunity to fulfill dreams."
The decision, handed down on January 22, 1973, overturned pro-life laws offering protection for unborn children in most states across the country, and made abortions legal and virtually unlimited. Almost 57 million unborn children have been killed in abortions since.
The statement follows:
Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision's guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman's access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom. And we resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children. Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams.
The statement is similar to his 2011 one, which celebrated abortion while trying to stake out a middle position.
For most Americans, the day the Supreme Court handed down its decision was a day to mourn — a day to mourn the loss of tens of millions of unborn children — sons and daughters, brothers and sisters lost to a world that values choice over compassion. It was a day to mourn the damage abortion does to women — the medical problems, the mental health issues, the damaging of relationships with friends and family, and the destruction of relationships with God.
It was a day to mourn the culture of death abortion has brought to our nation and our world. A culture that believes death is a solution for those who are considered too old or too ill. A culture that believes human life is a commodity to be created and manipulated.
Polling data shows Americans are pro-life and few agree with Obama's unlimited abortion position.
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Report: Abortions Drop 32 Percent From All-Time High as Roe Turns 41
Today, the National Right to Life Committee issued a new report, "The State of Abortion in America."The best news from the report is that abortions have dropped 32 percent from their all-time high as Roe vs. Wade turns 41.
The report summarizes key legislative developments at the state and federal levels, finds that the annual number of abortions continues to decline, and shows that a majority continue to oppose the vast majority of abortions allowed under the doctrine of Roe v. Wade.
"While the most recent data indicate a decrease in the annual number of abortions, tragically, more than 3,000 unborn children are still killed every day in the United States under the legal doctrine of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton," said National Right to Life President Carol Tobias. "As we observe the 41st anniversary of the twin decisions that legalized abortion in America, the pro-life movement remains committed to restoring legal protection to unborn children and providing help and support to their mothers."
As noted in the report, on the basis of the most recent reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and by the Guttmacher Institute (originally founded as a special research arm of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America), National Right to Life now believes that there have been over 56 million abortions in America since 1973, the year that the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand.
The report also observes that after reaching an all-time high of over 1.6 million in 1990, the number of abortions performed annually in the U.S. appear to have dropped to around 1.1 million a year.
This drop in the annual number of abortions can be traced to pro-life legislative efforts at the state and federal level that have raised awareness about the humanity of the unborn child These laws not only encourage life-affirming alternatives to abortion, they seek to inform and empower women facing unexpected pregnancy.
"Laws enacted at the federal and state levels have helped immensely in reversing the disturbing trend established by Roe and Doe," observed Tobias. "As just one example, it is estimated that the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions in the Medicaid program, has saved well over one million unborn children since it was first enacted in 1976."
The report also discusses National Right to Life's major legislative priority, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The legislation breaks new ground in the fight to protect mothers and their unborn children by acknowledging the large body of scientific evidence showing that unborn children are capable of feeling excruciating pain by at least 20 weeks after fertilization and recognizing that states have compelling interest to protect these pain-capable unborn children.
As discussed in the report, the NRLC model legislation has now been enacted in 10 states. In addition, a federal version of the bill has been introduced, and National Right to Life has declared it to be the organization's top legislative priority for the current Congress.
"Abortion remains widely available. But after years of being told that abortion was 'the best choice' or 'their only choice,' women are learning that there are alternatives to abortion that affirm their lives and the lives of their children," added Tobias. "The bottom line is simple: the right-to-life movement is succeeding because even after 41 years and more than 56 million abortions, the conscience of our nation knows that killing unborn children is wrong."
https://americanpastorsnetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/APN-Logo-on-Blue.jpg 0 0 Mara Joyce https://americanpastorsnetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/APN-Logo-on-Blue.jpg Mara Joyce2014-01-22 10:10:542014-01-22 10:10:54Report: Abortions Drop 32 Percent From All-Time High as Roe Turns 41
PPN Encourages Pastors to Help Others Fight Abortion as Roe v. Wade Marks 41 Years
PHILADELPHIA—More than four decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court changed the landscape of the country with its devastating Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in America.
This week, 41 years later on January 22, 2014, more than 56 million unborn babies have died as a result of the 1973 court decision—1.2 million babies annually or one abortion every 26 seconds, according to LifeNews.com.
While it can be intimidating for pastors to bring politics to the pulpit, Sam Rohrer, President of the Pennsylvania Pastors' Network (PPN, www.papastors.net) and American Pastors' Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net), says pastors have a responsibility to bring biblical truth to their congregations on all issues—even sensitive ones.
"With the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 that the killing of our precious babies was legal and appropriate, our nation officially rejected God's law as supreme and declared that in essence, government was now God. The indisputable result is the genocide of an entire generation of Americans. Perhaps even far worse from God's perspective is that this action, then coupled with other actions of government that arrogantly spurn the God who established this nation – a once shining city on a hill – have placed this nation under God's Divine judgment. No nation can violate God's laws without severe consequences – not even the United States of America. We call upon all pastors across this land to speak not only to the evil of this murder but to the sins of God's people for being silent on an issue that is not political but moral. May we, as Americans, who fear God and love freedom fall on our knees in repentance for our sins and pray that God will have mercy upon our land which flows with the blood of innocent lives."
Rohrer encourages pastors to be involved in local pro-life events in their communities this week and to take advantage of the extensive Pennsylvania Pastors' Network online resource library, with hundreds of resources to help pastors tackle the tough issues in their churches, including a special section dedicated to the topic of abortion.
PPN's resource library is organized by genre (books, DVDs, articles, links, audio and video) as well as by topic. Some books are available for purchase, and the library also offer pastors information about classes or workshops they can attend online or in person for a fee. Many resources are free for pastors to read and/or download.
A list of topics also help pastors who are looking for insight on today's other pressing headlines, such the Constitution, creation vs. evolution, economics, education, homosexuality, marriage, prayer, the Culture War and the environment. The library also houses many sermon titles that can serve as intelligent and timely starts to sermons that will equip congregations to be the salt and light of the Earth in a dark world.
For more information on Pennsylvania Pastors' Network, visit www.papastors.net. For more information on the American Pastors' Network, visit www.americanpastorsnetwork.net, or call 610.584.1225 for information on both organizations.
The Pennsylvania and American Pastors' Networks are groups of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus' command to be the "salt and light" to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues; examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.
https://americanpastorsnetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/APN-Logo-on-Blue.jpg 0 0 Mara Joyce https://americanpastorsnetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/APN-Logo-on-Blue.jpg Mara Joyce2014-01-21 12:20:172014-01-21 12:20:17PPN Encourages Pastors to Help Others Fight Abortion as Roe v. Wade Marks 41 Years


text:
Larrondissement di Les Sables-d'Olonne è una suddivisione amministrativa francese, situata nel dipartimento della Vandea e nella regione dei Paesi della Loira.

Composizione
Larrondissement di Les Sables-d'Olonne raggruppa 83 comuni in 11 cantoni:

cantone di Beauvoir-sur-Mer
cantone di Challans
cantone di L'Île-d'Yeu
cantone di La Mothe-Achard
cantone di Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits
cantone di Noirmoutier-en-l'Île
cantone di Palluau
cantone di Les Sables-d'Olonne
cantone di Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
cantone di Saint-Jean-de-Monts
cantone di Talmont-Saint-Hilaire

Voci correlate
Cantoni del dipartimento di Vandea
Comuni del dipartimento di Vandea

Sables-d'Olonne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
A board to collect posts from Twitter and Email.

[![wercker status](https://app.wercker.com/status/46a7f3acafbddcd95d1de9e61a3c0ad2/m/master "wercker status")](https://app.wercker.com/project/byKey/46a7f3acafbddcd95d1de9e61a3c0ad2)

## Getting started
1. `npm install`
2. `npm start`
3. Visit [localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000) in your browser

## Linting
`npm run eslint`

## Building for production
1. `npm run build`
2. `npm run server`

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Horsehair worms help keep the cockroach population in check.
Horsehair worms may be frequently seen in swimming pools.
Horsehair worms are round worms appearing as threads similar to the mane and tail hair on a horse. These worms might grow more than 1 foot long (0.3 meter), with hundreds intertwined into a loose ball resembling a Gordian knot. Horsehair worms get their scientific name from this twisting characteristic, often called Gordian worms, but also called cabbage hair worms in some regions.
These worms are harmless to people, pets, and plants. Horsehair worms might be prevalent in animal water troughs, ponds, and lakes. They are also frequently seen in pet water dishes, swimming pools, birdbaths, and sidewalk puddles, especially after heavy rain. Sometimes, horsehair worms are found on wet garden plants or in saturated soil.
Horsehair worms mate in spring or early summer in water or wet dirt. The female might lay millions of eggs connected by a thin string. The eggs hatch between two weeks and three months later as minute larvae. Two theories explain how these larvae mature into adult worms, which first appear white but quickly turn yellowish or dark brown.
Larvae might attach to plants at the edge of water waiting for insects to appear. When water levels recede, grasshoppers, roaches, crickets, or other insects might seek exposed plants as food. Larvae could discard their outer shells and bore into these insects to obtain nutrients. Once mature, horsehair worms escape the hosts' bodies while in a pool of water.
The second theory proposes that larvae enter immature insects, such as dragonflies, mayflies, or other bugs that feed on water surfaces. Once these insects reach adulthood and begin to fly, the horsehair worm larvae emerge from hosts as adults, according to this theory. In both scenarios, the hosts die once worms leave.
Horsehair worms are considered beneficial to keep down populations of cockroaches, grasshoppers, centipedes, and other pests that damage crops or garden plants. Some people use screens to control tangled balls of worms in ponds. If these worms appear in household toilets, sinks, or swimming pools, they might be controlled by chemical treatments or filters. Animal water troughs should be frequently flushed to eliminate these worms.
People sometimes believe horsehair worms found inside the home come from internal parasites, especially when they appear in toilets. Actually, they can emerge when large insects infected with the parasites are crushed inside the home. Caulking or sealing cracks might help keep insects outside and decrease the number of worms inside a residence. One myth that led to this worm's name contends hair from a horse falls into water and mysteriously comes alive.
What is a Worm Snake?


This lovely Chichi washi paper tape from Djeco, shows a gorgeous repeat pattern containing small characters, as well as butterflies and flowers! Its a fantastic way for any child to decorate easily, whether its in a collage, on prior owned toy or on edges of a notebook, this tape will brighten up anything! Illustrated by Chichi Huang this tape is also super easy for any child to use. All they have to do is tear out the desired amount and stick down, what could be easier?


About the unusual tourist site the Pony Express Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri, history and information.
Each pony express rider received a small Bible with the firm's name on it, upon which he took an oath promising good behavior, loyalty to the company, and allegiance to the U.S. and the Union.
The original stables were built in 1858 by a freighting and stagecoach entrepreneur, Ben Holladay, who became Missouri's 1st multimillionaire (though his fortune eventually crumbled). Holladay's outfit was known as Pike's Peak Stables--since much of its business was to the Colorado territory--until the company was employed by the Central Overland. With Holladay getting a piece of the action, Central Overland was begun by the firm of Russell, Majors and Waddell, with William H. Russell the guiding spirit behind the pony express concept. In the 1850s, St. Joseph was an increasingly prosperous city. Many fortunes had been made by outfitting the emigrants who used the city as a gateway to the California gold mines. With the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad finally reaching the growing city from the east, the city fathers fully expected St. Joseph to outstrip other Midwestern communities such as Chicago.
When the mail reached the city by train, it was transferred to the mochilas (the large flaps of leather with lockable pockets covering the riders' saddles). The riders began by galloping up to the ferry landing at the foot of either Jules or Francis streets, to cross over the Missouri and begin their odyssey over the plains and mountains.
The actual stables were some 125' long with a 60' frontage, covered by a shingle roof supported by heavy timbers, and with pine board walls. There were stalls for 200 horses. The stables were rebuilt in 1888 by new owners, the St. Joseph Transfer Company. The exterior, except the roof, was rebuilt with brick but the timbers and much of the other material was left intact.
The Chamber of Commerce purchased the stables in 1946 to ensure their preservation as a historic site, with a foundation created in 1950 by the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company to further this goal. Subsequently, the stables were opened to the public as a museum in 1959 and deeded the following year to the St. Joseph Museum. Exhibits tell the early history of St. Joseph, with emphasis on pony express days, and such vintage items as mail-sorting desks, advertisements for riders, saddles and mochilas, photographs of riders and relay stations, and other memorabilia.
Location: 914 Penn Street, St. Joseph, Mo. Admission: Free. Hours: May to mid-September, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.; Sundays and holidays, 2 P.M. to 5 P.M. Winter months: Open only for school classes or special-interest organizations by advance request.


text:
Benjamin Mendy
When you discuss the best left backs in world football the first two names that come to mind are Marcelo of Real Madrid and David Alaba of Bayern Munich, both are multi functional players equally comfortable in defence or attack, in space or in tight areas, with or without the ball. Now though we can add a third name to that illustrious list, the new Manchester City signing Benjamin Mendy.
The French full-back was, in my opinion, the best full back in football last season, as part of an attacking and enterprising Monaco side, Mendy was a key component to their attacking structure. In full flight, he is a force to be reckoned with, tall and powerful with a long stride Mendy can be exceptionally difficult to stop whether he has the ball at his feet or when running into space.
That Mendy was identified early on as a target by Pep Guardiola and Manchester City this season is indicative of the quality that the player possesses. Equally comfortable when attacking up and through the wide area as he is coming inside and linking play in the half space Mendy offers the kind of tactical versatility that Guardiola covets from his fullbacks.
At 23 years of age, Mendy is now coming into the prime of his career having enjoyed a well rounded, if somewhat eclectic, footballing education in his native France. From his early years in the youth academy and the first team of Le Havre, a well-known club for developing players, he moved south to Marseille and played under the tactical instruction of Marcelo Bielsa. In 2016 he was identified as a key component to the youthful revolution being created by Monaco, fast forward just a year and the young French full-back has been signed for a reported £52 Million.
There are still rough areas in his game, not least when it comes to the tactical side with Mendy used to relying on his pace in order to recover position when caught high up the field and occasional lapses in his positional play in the defensive phase. These are issues that can be negated though with the type of coaching that he is likely to get in positional play from Guardiola and his coaching staff.
Defensive Recovery
As touched upon above Mendy has extreme pace which can be used to recover his position when his side lose possession of the ball and the opposition look to transition into the attacking phase.
His willingness to join in the attacking play tends to mean that he takes up extremely high positions when his side are in possession of the ball, depending on the team structure ahead of him this can see Mendy either holding the width of the field in a wide area or moving in to the half space to link play with this playing centrally.
It is likely that Guardiola will look to encourage this attacking instinct in order to stretch the width of the field and allow the left winger, most likely Leroy Sane, to play a more traditional inside forward role. I have seen a lot of talk since City completed the signing of Mendy and Kyle Walker questioning their ability to play the inverted fullback role that Guardiola made famous at Bayern Munich, this involves the fullbacks moving infield to act as auxiliary central midfielders in the attacking phase, a role played perfectly by David Alaba and Phillip Lahm at Bayern. This does not, however, mean that we would see Guardiola look to use his fullbacks centrally in every game, look at his time with Barcelona with Dani Alves for example, a far more indicative measure of what we can expect from Mendy this coming season.
Here we see an example of Mendy already in position when the opposition, Guardiola's Manchester City, in this case, look to attack, as the ball is played forward into the wide area by City we see that Mendy is already well positioned and aware of the pending danger.
He is strong and quick in stepping in front of the receiving player to take possession of the ball for Monaco. What is most illustrative of his mentality, however, is the desire from Mendy to immediately launch a counter attack in transition as he drives with the ball up and into the wide areas.
Once again in this example, Monaco are in a more established defensive phase with Juventus looking to attack and add to their lead. As with the previous example, the timing of the challenge from Mendy is the key as he moves in to dispossess the Juventus player before the attack can progress to a dangerous situation.
The reaction after winning the ball back illustrates my previous point regarding the ability of Mendy to stretch the width of the field and create space centrally for teammates. The fullback immediately bursts down the touchline and in doing so creates space for the player in possession of the ball to attack diagonally from the half space towards the central area of the field.
Ability in 1v1
As with most modern attacking fullbacks, Benjamin Mendy is superb when given the opportunity to attack an opponent in a one on one situation. His combination of size and speed, combined with quick feet and good technique make him a difficult opponent for any opposition player.
In football today the player on the field who enjoys the most freedom and space in possession tends to be the fullback, this tactical trend is partially responsible for the amount of wingers who are now being converted to fullback at a young age in order to maximise the impact they can have when afforded this freedom.
Mendy is in no way a frustrated winger but his ability to stretch the play and contributing in the attacking phase really stood out last season for Monaco, indeed this attacking intent is likely to see Mendy make the French fullback position his own for the next decade.
Here we see Mendy on the far side of the defensive line for Monaco as the opposition have an attack that break down in the Monaco half of the field. As the ball breaks across the field it comes to Mendy who is immediately engaged by an opposition player.
Instead of panicking in this situation we see Mendy open up his body to take the ball on his far side and manipulate it past his immediate opponent. Having played the pass off however we again see Mendy immediately burst into the opposition half dragging an opposition player with him and once again creating space in the central areas for his teammates to approach.
This time we see Mendy take possession of the ball in the wide area isolated against a defender at the edge of the penalty area.
The piece of skill that Mendy shows in beating the defensive player is by no means an example of perfect technique but he is intelligent enough to use the defender's momentum against him by cutting the ball back. He also shows a definite preference for his left foot as he moves around the ball to clip it into the area, perfectly weighted to allow the forward to score with ease.
Crossing ability
Another aspect of modern full back play is the ability to cross the ball accurately from a variety of depths and angles. Since the signing of Mendy this week I have seen many people in the media question this part of the game as in their view 'City don't cross the ball'. This, however, is not entirely true, whilst it is fair to suggest that lofted crosses from deeper wide areas are not a part of City's attacking game plan they do favour hard crosses from closer to the touchline where cut back crosses are more dangerous to the opposition defences.
Mendy is a fantastic crosser of the ball with the ability and composure to pick out attacking players whether static in the area of running from deeper areas.
Once again in this clip we immediately see that Mendy has taken a position high and wide of the pitch, stretching the opposition defensive structure.
Whilst the diagonal pass out to Mendy in the wide areas has to be admired for its quality the technique from Mendy to hit the cross first time, into an exceptionally dangerous area, easily matches the quality of the first pass. The volleyed cross finds an attacking player in the area and the chance should have been finished.
In this clip against Dortmund, we again see the quality and the variety of crossing that Mendy is capable of. In the initial moment, Mendy is behind the ball but we see his pace and desire combined as he gets up the field in order to overlap and support the man in possession of the ball.
When the ball is slipped into space for Mendy to collect the temptation would be to blast a low cross into a crowded penalty area, instead, we see Mendy take stock of the positions inside and clip a wonderful cross over to the back post, once again the chance really should have been finished.
I am confident that come the end of this coming season the decision to spend what is (currently) a world record fee for a defender in order to sign Mendy will be vindicated.
He is a huge upgrade on the likes of Kolarov and Clichy, who Guardiola had at his disposal last season, and he is young enough to develop still further until he is unquestionably the best left back in world football.
Manchester City fans should all be looking forward to seeing their new left back dominate the opposition.
Ajax Vs PSV
West Bromwich Albion and their corners
Two defeats for champions: Bayern Munich and AS Monaco

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package net.firejack.platform.generate.service;

import net.firejack.platform.core.config.meta.IPackageDescriptor;
import net.firejack.platform.core.model.registry.domain.PackageModel;
import net.firejack.platform.generate.beans.web.api.Api;
import net.firejack.platform.generate.structure.Structure;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;

public interface IResourceGeneratorService {
    /**
     * @param descriptor
     * @param api
     * @param structure
     * @param version
     * @throws java.io.IOException
     */
    void generateResource(IPackageDescriptor descriptor, Api api, Structure structure, PackageModel version) throws Exception;

    /**
     * @param structure
     * @throws java.io.IOException
     */
    void unPackageResources(Structure structure) throws IOException;

    void copyJar(IPackageDescriptor descriptor, InputStream stream, Structure structure) throws Exception;

    /**
     * @param structure
     * @param commands
     * @param version
     * @throws Exception
     */
    void buildMavenProject(Structure structure, String commands, PackageModel version) throws Exception;

    /**
     * @param version
     * @throws java.io.IOException
     */
    void generateOFR(PackageModel version) throws IOException;

    /**
     * @param descriptor
     * @return
     * @throws java.io.IOException
     */
    Structure createTempProject(IPackageDescriptor descriptor) throws IOException;

    void generateUpgrade(PackageModel model) throws InterruptedException;
}


The older men get, the harder it can become to buy for them. A lot of guys are seemingly content with what they have and happy to spend their evenings watching TV, down the pub with friends, reading or working on projects.
It's hard to pinpoint what's so fantastic about something homemade, or at least what's the best thing about something that's homemade. Perhaps the most wonderful quality is that the creation automatically earns sentimental value.
Throughout the centuries and over all of the continents, few things have remained as universally appreciated as music seems to have been. Think about it. Have you ever met someone who didn't like any music at all?
So much attention is given to certain works in the literary world, ones that have stood the test of time to cement their statuses as classics.
When it comes to art, taste can be an individual thing, and this concept is noted in the variety of genres of music, movies, books, etc. that people experience. Each representation of those categories could come with people who are strong fans.
You've no doubt heard of Amazon Prime and maybe even scrunched your brow in confusion about why a person would pay to be a member of the site just to shop. The truth, however, is that this membership can be wonderful and actually save you money for year.


In 2008 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was invited to be one of the catechists at the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City. Below is the full text of the talk he gave during his catechesis session.
The Lord proclaims: I am the Eucharist, gift of God for the live of the world. This theme of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress comes from the Gospel of John, where the Lord proclaims that he is the living bread come down from heaven. The bread I give is my flesh for the life of the world.
The Eucharist, gift of God is the core theme of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis of Benedict XVI. In the first section of the encyclical, the pope exhorts us to adore the Eucharist as the most Holy Trinity's free gift for the life of the world. And at the end, in the third section, the Eucharist is shared. He exhorts us to become the Eucharist for all, like the Lord. The vocation of each one of us is to be the bread shared for the life of the world, after the example of Jesus.
In the first section of the encyclical, the Eucharist is presented as gift, and in the third as mission. Gift of God received and gift of life given to others.
This is the desire of Jesus Christ: that people have life in him. It is also how Jesus is present in the heart of the Aparecida document, with its tone of praise, adoration, and missionary fervor. Life is a gift of God and sharing.
The Eucharist is the vital center of the universe, able to satisfy our hunger for life and happiness. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood in this happy banquet participates in eternal life, and thus our daily existence is transformed into an extension of the mass.
Between gift—the first section of the encyclical—and mission, the third section, the Church is the central motif of today's catechesis: the Eucharist and the Church mystery of the covenant. In presenting this catechesis, we will proceed in three steps, as in a lectio divina. The first step will be a brief meditation on the covenant. I think of this as a key to better understanding our theme today.
The second section will be a contemplative synthesis in the course of which we will have the opportunity to experience and admire a few representations of Our Lady, as Eucharistic woman. In the third section will aim to draw a few pastoral conclusions to help us in our personal lives in the Church.
The Eucharist and the Church are covenant mysteries. With the word covenant, we want to bring out the ecclesial and nuptial dimensions of the gift of the Eucharist, through which the Lord wishes to give himself to all human beings. The Eucharist is living bread given for the life of the world and blood poured out for the sins of all human beings.
By accepting in our hearts the gratuitousness of the gift and its universal missionary dynamism, we place ourselves inside the covenant dynamic. This covenant that no one can break. "Can anything cut us off from the love of Christ?" asks St. Paul.
This burning desire for a covenant no one could break was prepared by the Lord over the centuries in the heart of Israel. Jesus fulfills and perfects this desire until there is no space left in the heart for a desire to break it.
And to consolidate this covenant, the institution takes place before the passion. This is what I want to emphasize. It is essential to its role that the covenant come before the passion. In anticipating his supreme gift in the Last Supper, the Lord transforms the moment when the covenant could have been broken through Judas's betrayal into a kairos of time and space of holiness where this new covenant will be lived out forever.
In approaching the covenant, I wish to look at this Eucharistic anticipation within the economy of the Passion. In meditating on this mystery, I will refer to certain insights of John Paul II that help us see the importance of this Eucharistic anticipation. The pope said that the keen desire of Jesus is to call forth the astonishment at the Eucharistic institution. A parenthesis: preparing for the celebration of or participation in the Eucharist must involve preparing our hearts for Eucharistic astonishment. The Lord's institution of the Eucharist before his Passion is the main grounds for this astonishment.
The blood that had just been given to the Church began to be shed in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was then truly poured out in self-giving as the instrument of redemption.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. When the priest says or sings these words, the faithful respond, Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restore our life, Lord Jesus, come in glory. Taking our cue from Christ, in the mystery of his Passion, we also remember the mystery of the Church itself.
The pope goes on to set out the characteristics that make the Eucharist the most fundamental core of Christian life as gift and mission of the Church. These constitute the first and third sections of the encyclical.
If the Church is born and journeys for the life of the world, the most important moment for its task is therefore the institution of the Eucharist. Its foundation sums up the entirety of the Easter Triduum. All is contained and summed up in the Eucharist.
Jesus Christ has entrusted the Church with the permanent actualization of the Easter mystery. With this gift, he instituted a mysterious oneness in time between the Easter Triduum and the Church's life through the centuries. Each time we celebrate the sacred mystery, the wellsprings of the Church are anticipated and summed up in the Eucharist. It is through this gift that the Lord brings about that mysterious oneness in time between himself and the centuries that pass. The encyclical invites us to marvel at the possibility of redemption; the entire life of the world is summed up in this event.
Taking up John Paul II's very words: space and time, contents, anticipation and concentration, we notice the originality of the synthesizing density of the pope's formulation. How can we make it our own without robbing it of its native power? I think approaching it on a pedagogical level may help us understand. What pedagogical value does this conclusion have: anticipation and concentration of the Easter Triduum in the gift of the Eucharist? It seems to me that the Lord's intention directs us to the function of disposing and preparing the recipient of the gift, that is, to the personal and ecclesial dimension of each disciple's heart. By concentrating this entire moment in the Eucharistic gift, the Lord succeeds in showing the disciples that they hold a stake in this great redemptive sacrifice.
The Lord's desire for the covenant and self-abandonment, self-giving, and death on the cross are not isolated facts: they aim to imbue the memory of the faithful with the Eucharistic gift at the Last Supper.
The anointing at Bethany was an important moment for the Lord to prepare his gift. Without that anointing, we would be placed before a unilateral act of God, without there being vessels to receive the new wine in the old wineskins. The Lord's act of total self-giving on the cross was received in the hearts of those who had already welcomed it in the gift of the Eucharist. This concentrates the Passion by giving it a form and scale appropriate to our ability to receive it. That is why the entire Passion can be seen as salvific, because it is part of communion and the saving love manifested by the Lord. It is a breakthrough joining the small and large, the everyday and the exceptional. The Lord's love is made available for our faith while ensuring that this extraordinary salvific act neither escapes from us nor is diluted into banality.
There is a profound similarity here to the sacramental formula of marriage in which spouses give themselves to each other and promise to be faithful in all that awaits them in their lives. Just as in the anticipated institution of the Eucharist, bride and groom anticipate their love and the difficulties they may encounter along the way.
I would like to emphasize this Eucharistic anticipation. The Lord's entire Passion is anticipated and summed up in the Last Supper and in every celebration of the Eucharist. That is how I describe the Eucharistic covenant.
To see the mystery of the covenant clearly, we must turn to the image of Mary—enter the school of Mary, Eucharistic woman. In the encyclical, the pope says, "If we wish to rediscover in all its richness the profound relationship between the Church and the Eucharist, we cannot neglect Mary, Mother and model of the Church." If we turn to the image of Mary, we see how the mystery of the covenant is made possible through welcoming the gift of God. This is done in the Universal choice and in every soul.
Let us follow the dictum of the Fathers, according to which, with a few nuances: What we say universally of the Church, we can say in a special way about Mary and individually about each faithful soul. In Mary's relationship with the Eucharist, three images stand out and reveal features of the covenant already mentioned, which can be applied analogically to the universal Church and to our own souls in particular.
The covenant as presence, as trust and hope—this is what we see in Mary.
In the first Eucharistic image of Mary, the Virgin is shown as included in the Church. Here, we use the same category, that is, Mary included in the Church and mysteriously present in all her smallness. The pope emphasizes Mary's participation in the Eucharist. The mystery of the covenant between God and human beings is a mystery of accompaniment. It is Mary who accompanies the Church in the first Eucharist, as pointed out in the preface of the mass of Mary, Mother of the Church. The mystery of the presence that accompanies us is truly summed up there.
The covenant is the mystery of presence shared. The bread and wine shared at the family table are a mystery of continued closeness. In this fragmented postmodern world, the time has come to turn toward a true sacrament of closeness. This accompaniment is characteristic of the Lord's teaching that transforms every person the way it did the disciples of Emmaus whom he accompanied on the road, or as a model of closeness, as set forth in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
What we see in Mary as a figure of the covenant introduces us to the covenant as trust. Mary is seen as a wife who places all her trust in her husband. John Paul II characterizes this Eucharistic attitude in which Mary lived her life as self-abandonment to the Word. She sums up in herself all that is involved in following the Word. For those who prepare themselves to receive and fully live out the gift of the Eucharist as memorial of the death of Christ, self-abandonment does not mean just letting go. It is much more about remaining always in a state of receptivity. It means always taking in, after the example of John, she who is given to us as our mother. We see here an invitation to become like Christ by joining the school of his mother, by letting her be with us.
Total trust and the obedience of faith make the heart of Mary the perfect receptacle for the Word to become incarnate and fully transformed in. It is the covenant as presence, the covenant as trust, and finally the covenant as hope.
These three images of Mary show us what it means to live in anticipation and what a promise can be. Pope John Paul II wrote: "In her daily preparation for Calvary, Mary experienced a kind of "anticipated Eucharist"—one might say a "spiritual communion"—of desire and of oblation, which would culminate in her union with her Son in his passion." In our will to oblation we transform ourselves into the likeness of Mary by becoming open vessels, so that the Word can become incarnate in our lives.
Mary is presented as the model of the covenant between the Lord and his bride the Church, between God and human beings. Mary is the model of the covenant as the presence of love and of trusting and fertile self-giving, filled with hope. These three of Mary's qualities correspond to three categories: initiated, anticipated, consecrated. John Paul II shows us how the Magnificat sets out this Marian school's complete program of studies. Here we see the Good News lived out as a song of glory.
Just as Mary anticipates, by her prophetic presence, God's act, so too does the Eucharist anticipate the re-creation of history. What the Eucharist manifests in its sacramental aspect, Mary sings in the Magnificat. And when the Church takes up her song, in her, we become contemporaries of Mary and live out her spirituality.
I'd like to suggest some personal consequences before I bring up some of the consequences for the Church.
I am speaking here about catecheses that can be taught. We are invited to open up the mystery a little, but also to establish a plan of action for our personal lives.
In this catechesis, in which we have contemplated the mystery of the covenant in Mary, the richness of the Eucharist and the Church has been revealed to us. In our Mother, everything becomes concrete, everything becomes possible. In her school, God comes to us as a loving mother. One conclusion for the spiritual life of each of us is that we should choose what we like the most, following St. Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, and unite the sacramental Eucharist with Mary. We can ask for the grace that the Eucharist become flesh in us, as in Mary who received the Word in herself. Lastly, we can receive the Eucharist by holding our hands like a crèche and acknowledging that it is Our Lady who entrusts it to us. During communion, in silence, we can ask for the grace to sing the Magnificat with Mary and to look forward in the Eucharist to everything that will make up our day and our week, its joys and sufferings, in union with the Father and Word. The grace to lovingly believe in order to remake our life in the image of the one we receive.
I think it would be a good idea to draw a few conclusions in light of the richness of what we have just described and that can help us in our lives in the Church.
The love and admiration we spontaneously feel for Our Lady and the Eucharist must be cultivated in our Church. Let us remember that what is said about Mary can be applied analogically to the Church as well as to each of us. Mary and the Church are transformed by the one who chose to inhabit them. Mary and the Church are the first of the new wineskins that make Jesus Christ present. Mary becomes the image of the Eucharist when the Word comes down to her. By becoming incarnate in Mary, Jesus pre-eminently transforms his mother on the highest level of reality, as anticipated in the privilege of her Immaculate Conception.
The Church acknowledges the covenant that the Lord wished to make with Mary. This is why, when Christians look at the Church, they want it to be simple and pure like Mary. They see the Church as the body of Christ, the receptacle that perfectly preserves what is put in it. Like this faithful bride, Christians share fully in what Christ asks of her, that is, to grow each day in the contemplation of our Holy Mother the Church.
The Church's sacraments allow us to share fully in the life the Lord came to bring us. Even if her children violate this covenant on an individual basis, the Church makes it possible through Baptism and the Sacrament of Reconciliation for them to find it anew. Christians see the Church as catholic in every sense—universality, fullness, a place of reconciliation, a covenant community. Naturally we can look at it in other ways to improve particular aspects, such as its cultural life. But all such efforts must be imbued with a tremendous love for the Church.
It is just this spirit of covenant that is our part, as in a good marriage, in as far as human love was initiated and sanctified in Christ.
The Church is called to participate fully in the incarnation, life, passion, death, and resurrection of its Lord. It is the Church of Mary in its concrete universality. The eternal Word became flesh and his Word entered our history for all time. We need to better savor the Church and Mary's examples of the covenant so that we can transform ourselves into the Good News.
To contemplate God's covenant with humanity, originating in the Old Testament, applying to all human beings of good will, we must look at Mary who comes to us as God's sanctified and sanctifying vessel for the life of the world.
According to Vatican II, Mary's Church as it celebrates the Eucharist receives from its Bridegroom the bread of life as well as the mission of distributing it to all for the life of the world. The close Mary-Church covenant is made holy in faith and love by its Lord, who wishes it holy and unstained.
The irrevocable immensity of self-giving that is handed down requires that the Lord sanctify the Church as he did his mother. This gift has been definitively established to be handed down and received for the life of the world. This mystery of the covenant, which makes the Church holy, is a mystery of service and life. In defending its integrity, the Church defends the faithfulness of the covenant in service and life. We must never cease to marvel at the openness of Trinitarian life, which is given not just for the few, but for the life of the world. God wishes his gift to be total and for all. By joining with Christ rather than closing in on themselves, the people of the new covenant are transformed into a sacrament. We are a sacrament for humanity. We are signs and instruments of salvation in the work of Christ, the light of the world and salt of the earth for the redemption of all.
The Church's mission carries forward the mission of Christ. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you. The Church receives the strength it needs to accomplish its perpetual mission from the Eucharist, linked to the sacrifice of the cross. Presence, sacrifice, and communion: the Eucharist is the source and summit of all evangelization, because its goal is the communion of human beings.


I think I've died and gone to jewellery heaven! Just look how amazing these pieces by London-based Ruth Tomlinson are! With their un-polished, natural quality, the metals used remind me of lichen; as if it's taken centuries for the silver and gold to grow over the colourful gems, almost engulfing them and but not quite completely gobbling them up, leaving the gems on display in a subtly muted way. Surely the perfect collection for anyone who, like me, enjoys a bit of sparkle but not in a showy way.


One of Boston's best kept secrets is a community of filmmakers who contribute to the city's creative economy. Many of Boston's African American filmmakers live and work in the neighborhoods that inspire their stories. Basic Black leads a discussion with community leaders, who are working to help Boston and it filmmakers realize their full creative potential. Guest include Robert Spruill, president and CEO of FilmShack; Lisa Simmons, executive director of Color of Film Collaborative; and Candelaria Silva, director of ACT Roxbury.
Chicago: "Basic Black; East of Hollywood," 07/14/2004, WGBH Media Library & Archives, accessed April 24, 2019, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B4D3C6F4E6EC41E1968BECEE1CC9E868.
MLA: "Basic Black; East of Hollywood." 07/14/2004. WGBH Media Library & Archives. Web. April 24, 2019. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B4D3C6F4E6EC41E1968BECEE1CC9E868>.


Congratulations to Jonathan Ziegler for creating the winning entry in our 2013 Seeing is Believing Video Contest.
Meet miniature artist Connie Sauve and learn about the inspiration behind her work and her use of unusual containers.
Filmed at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson, Arizona in April, 2012 during an exhibit of Ms. Sauve's work.
Meet master silversmith Pete Acquisto as he describes his process and what inspires him to create fine-scale miniature silver.
Produced by Walter Arnell, Directed by TMTM Business Manager Dorana Lopez, Edited by Peter Tesluk.
This video, created by The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson, Arizona, explores the big role that the little Bliss House played in the evolution of dollhouses from status symbols of the wealthy elite to accessible playthings that became the cherished toys of children all over the world.
Meet miniature artist Era Pearce, who specializes in miniature landscapes as interviewed at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson, Arizona in April 2012.
In 1942 a murder took place at the brownstones on Dayvewood Avenue. The case was mysteriously closed before the murderer was identified. This crime still remains unsolved. Based on the fictional story by The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures founder, Patricia C. Arnell.
Produced by Walter Arnell, Directed by TMTM Director of Marketing, Gentry Spronken, Videography by Desert Penguin Media, Edited by Peter Tesluk.
Meet renowned miniature artist, Madelyn Cook, as she talks about her miniature work of art, The Collectors, as filmed at the event, Lagniappe- An Evening with the Artist, at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson, Arizona on December 16, 2010.
Anthropomorphism, or the concept of animals with human traits, or even inanimate objects having human characteristics, is a common theme in the world of miniatures. Take a look at how anthropomorphized miniatures have been portrayed in the realm of fables and mythology throughout human history, and enjoy some of our many wonderful modern examples here at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson, Arizona.
Produced by Walter Arnell, Directed by TMTM Museum Services Manager Emily Wolverton, Editing by Peter Tesluk.
A Wonderful World of Art: The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures presents exclusive interview footage with renowned miniature artist, Brooke Tucker, known for her exquisite interior design in miniature.
Produced by Walter Arnell, Directed by Mini Time Machine Museum Executive Director, Nina Daldrup, Videography by Walter Arnell, Editing by Peter Tesluk.
Recreating a life-like figure in a smaller scale is no easy task. Miniature artists must conduct thorough research to accurately portray the figures they create. Meet artist George Stuart, whose work was featured at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson, Arizona and hear about his process. Fourteen of Mr. Stuart's Historical Figures were on exhibit in the temporary Centennial exhibit, Shaping Arizona Statehood: The George Stuart Historical Figures of the Movement West, at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures from January 27, 2012 through April 15, 2012.
Produced by Walter Arnell, Directed by TMTM Associate Director and Director of Education, Lisa Hastreiter-Lamb, Videography by Desert Penguin Media, Editing by Peter Tesluk.


Ranma has never had the best of luck, what with all of his multiple fiancees and enemies trying to kill him for one reason or the other. But one day, all of a sudden, his luck changes for the better. A strange man offers him a chance to get rid of his Jusenkyo curse and unwanted fiancees. The only catch is that he has to give up his Identity as Ranma Saotome.
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and Men in Black belong to their respective owners and creators. I do not claim to have come up with the idea for this fic either. I am just continuing the idea that Animeaddiction rejected.


Establishing a word-of-mouth, referral-based business sometimes requires getting people to come to "your cave" to learn more about your products and services. Throwing a business mixer is a great way to do this yet, I'll admit, throwing a successful business mixer isn't easy.
If you have a large enough office, throw a business mixer there to get exposure for your business.
Allow all to bring information on their products or services. Have one or more large tables set aside with a sign for this purpose.
Designate several "Visitor Hosts" to greet the guests as they arrive. When people start to arrive, make sure all fill out their name tags properly. Have few chairs available.
Conduct a short networking exercise, such as having each guest meet three people he hasn't met before or having everyone find someone in a similar business and ask one another what their most effective networking tactics/efforts have been.
Always remember what's mentioned in the intro to this blog: your primary purpose is to facilitate networking and if you focus on that and don't try to distract from that purpose by dominating the event with speeches or presentations, you'll be on track for mixer success.
At the end of the mixer, spend no more than about ten minutes doing introductions and giving door prizes.
If you've hosted networking mixers before and have some additional tips to offer or if you have interesting stories to tell about your experience with hosting a mixer, please share your thoughts in the comments section so we can all learn from what you have to say. Thanks!
If I could impart one piece of wisdom regarding networking and getting more referrals, it would be this: Networking is about farming for new contacts, not hunting them.
It's a point that needs to be made, because most business professionals go about networking the way our cave-dwelling ancestors went about hunting food–aggressively and carrying a big stick.
You'll see them at any gathering of businesspeople. They're so busy looking for the next big sale or trying to meet the "right" prospect that they approach networking simply as an exercise in sifting through crowds of people until they bag the ideal client, the big customer who can turn their business around. They don't have time for regular people like us; they're stalking the director of marketing, chief operating officer or other high-octane connection, looking for the big kill.
"Farmers take a different approach. They don't waste time looking for the right person; instead, like those who plant seeds and patiently nurture their crops, they seek to form and build relationships wherever they can find them. If they get an immediate payoff, that's fine, but it's not their principal goal. They know that the effort expended upfront will pay off in a rich harvest later on–much richer then the hunter's quick kill–and that truly profitable relationships can't be rushed.
Share your thoughts OR experiences relating to farming vs. hunting in your networking activities.


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