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The Genoa Chronicles
JJ AndersNov 2017
Grayton Press
Switch to the audiobook
Time is running out for the world of Genoa and its magical peoples. A wizard's past mistake must now be set right if Genoa is to survive the battle that is to come.
Anna is clearly different from others. With obvious physical differences and powerful abilities, she's never quite fit in… anywhere. Having no knowledge of her parents, she sets out to discover her true origin. On the run for most of her life, she's become a master at eluding capture, even a little cocky you might say. When a sticky situation forces her hand, she hitches a ride with a wizard, who whisks her away to another world, where, according to him, she'd been exiled from as a child. This new magical place seems oddly familiar as Anna discovers powerful enemies and treasured allies on her quest for answers. The dangerous journey thrust her headlong into the arms of Kriston, who finds himself caught between sworn-duty and insatiable curiosity.
JJ Anders is the pseudonym used by the powerhouse writing duo of NY Times & USA Today bestselling author, Jill Sanders and her identical twin sister, Jody Luft. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, these two talented ladies have merged their creative forces to craft an amazing new fantasy series that will leave you begging for more.
With over forty bestselling romance books and counting, Jill alone is a force to be reckoned with, boasting thousands of glowing reviews with a cumulative 4.5 star rating.
Jody's powerful imagination and newfound love of writing has spawned the thrilling new world and enchanting characters of Genoa. As a furious reader and devoted mother, Jody's passion for storytelling reaches full bloom by teaming up with her talented twin to bring her magical stories to life for the enjoyment of readers everywhere.
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Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure
Fiction / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures
Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Wizards & Witches
Available on Android devices
Continue the series
Dragon-warrior, Té has spent her life hiding from the power-hungry king. Raised by her wizard in the native ways of warrior combat and dragon riding, Té must now put her skills to the test, joining forces with Kriston to protect Anna as they travel to the safety of Valorna where the queen awaits their arrival.
With the brutal murder of her parents, Tress assumes the immense responsibility of unifying Genoa. Ruling a vast kingdom of wizards, sorcerers, and mystical creatures, she fights to rid Genoa of the tyrant, Gillard. Surrounded by spies and the threat of war, Genoa's only hope of survival lies in Tress' long-awaited reunion with the fearless dragon-warrior and the prized scholar in her protection.
The world of Genoa seemed safe again for all the creatures living in this magical land. But safety comes with a price.
Tresstéanna finds herself now whole in mind, body, and heart, but she also finds herself in trouble once again. Her new quest is to return the Globe of Corpuscle to the dark and hazardous cavern of the Kylix. But being in danger isn't a shock anymore, and at least this time she finds herself in Kriston's arms.
Kriston, still recovering from injuries, discovers himself once again on a quest. This time he's surrounded by friends, but his number one concern is the queen of Valorna. The complex woman is a mystery to him, and he finds himself entrapped by her. The wonders and dangers they find on their journey will either bring them closer together or kill them all.
The Hidden
For the creatures living in the banished world of Midzark, life has been a hard one. Magic is in short supply, while the giants who built their palace off the sweat of imprisoned slaves, live like kings.
Following the dangerous journey through the Kylix, Tresstéanna now finds herself a small queen in a very large land. One where giants rule and enslave those who are gifted with magic. Her mission to return the goddess Genoa to her resting place has now been halted while she and her friends fight to reunite with the others from Genoa, including her fiancé, Kriston.
Kriston recovers from his recent injuries sustained in the dark tunnel of the Kylix only to discover his love, Tresstéanna, has been ripped from his arms. Now he finds himself in a century-old battle between two peoples in an unfamiliar land called Midzark, a world nothing like Genoa, as he and his band struggle to free their friends from the giants' grip.
The conclusion of the Genoa Chronicles.
For Tresstéanna and her band of gifted friends the struggle for freedom continues. The Queen of Valorna is still imprisoned within the giant's palace. Forced into servitude and charged with teaching the royal Grands magic, her and her friends hatch a plan to gain their freedom. But danger is around every corner and her initial mission to return Genoa to her resting place deep in the Kylix becomes even more hazardous.
Kriston struggles to return to Tresstéanna's side and free her and the other gifted from the clutches of the giants. As the battle picks up speed for freedom the prince's sanity will be tested as he struggles to keep Tresstéanna from harm.
More in contemporary fantasy
Knight of the Flame
There's so much left to learn.
Caymus had always thought he would be a priest, one of the masters of the Temple of the Conflagration, whose intimate connections with the realm of enduring flames have, for thousands of years, allowed them control over fire itself. The night that otherworldly monsters attacked his temple though—the night when people started dying—changed his life…changed everything. A malevolent force has invaded his world and is now spreading its dark and terrible influence over the land, over the people, over everything he knows.
If Caymus hopes to ever drive this force back, to rid his world of it and protect the people he loves, he'll need to learn more about this darkness, what it wants, and how in the world he can possibly fight it. Through his journey, he will also need to learn about an ancient war—a conflict so similar, but fought so very long ago—and also about a warrior who lived it and who seems, somehow, connected to him from across the ages…the Knight of the Flame.
Winds of a Growing Storm
The elemental war has begun.
The Black Moon army has been halted at Kepren, but Caymus, the young disciple of the Conflagration who gave up everything to return the Knight of the Flame to the world, knows the dark element is far from beaten. Even as Winter thaws, bands of the Sograve's soldiers roam the land, unchecked. From the north, stories emerge of a growing enemy stronghold. And at the Temple of the Conflagration, the masters keep a wary eye over the surrounding woods, certain that they're being watched.
All the while, the most important question of all plagues Caymus's mind: he isn't meant to fight this darkness alone; where are the other knights?
The Last Magi
Israel has signed the Peace Accord. The Third Temple is under construction. The world holds its breath as the Ark of the Covenant is rediscovered, And then Stolen. Having destroyed the witch's medallion, Gasper and Colt prepare to return home when their world is turned upside down. Led by Jacque de Molay St. John, the UN ambassador from France, Israel signs a Peace Accord with the PLO and the world is thrown into chaos. With the construction of the Third Temple underway, all eyes turn to Israel. But other forces are at work. A sinister organization discovered the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant and stole it. When the Institute in Antiquities is set on fire as a decoy, Colt and Gasper get separated. Colt, along with Israel's sacred treasure, is taken deep into the Gaza Strip. Finding him becomes Gasper's top priority, but in the process, he must find the Ark of the Covenant first. Little does he know there is a spiritual battle raging between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. Follow Gasper on a wild quest to save his young charge and stop the biblical clock from ticking. Using biblical prophecy, top-selling author Bryan M. Powell masterfully weaves a captivating tale in his Epic Christian Fantasy Series. His spiritual warfare has been said to rival that of Frank Peretti as he tugs back the curtain to give his readers a peek at the unseen angelic forces all around us.
Storm: The Last Aleantylar
When sixteen-year-old Warrior of Storm Thunder, who was born with powerful electrokinesis and healing powers, learns he is not human, sets on a quest to discover what being an Aleantylar is all about, he is attacked by the evil god Tutock's Guardians and forced into enslavement. Little does he know, Tutock plans to make use of his healing abilities to revive Asyl, an ancient dragon, a beast that has been dead since the Enlightenment period. Despite the misery he is about to endure, the shy, but stubborn-willed Thunder must remain strong and steadfast while searching for a way to escape and reunite with his family and friends. With the help of an unlikely comrade, he must do the impossible; fight the god of evil and escape in time to stop the dragon.
The Dragon, The Witch, and The Railroad
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Progress has transformed Queenston, capital city of Argonia. Once the land of witches, wizards, fairies, and other magical people and animals, since the Great War, the country has changed. Queenston, particularly, is now the city of contraptions and conveyances, including a modern international railroad.
In the Great War Argonia's dragons allied with the armies to push back an invasion. For their assistance, the beasts shared what food remained as the country rebuilt itself. But with the war won, the allies came to "recover" the war-torn country, bringing with them new ideas and inventions, most of which only needed a supply of iron and a reliable source of heat for their boilers. The dragons were again recruited, tamed, altered and virtually enslaved to power Progress.
Verity Brown is a modern girl. The magic of her witchy foremothers has become, if not actually illegal, highly unfashionable. The only magic that matters to Verity is her own curse, forcing her to know and tell the truth regardless of convenience.
On Verity's 16th birthday, a hot-air balloon crash kills her father. The balloon's dragon and wrangler rescue Verity, but are blamed and sentenced to be put to death. Her honorable quest to save them and find her father's murderer takes her straight into the den of the wild and ferocious Dragon Vitia.
Similar ebooks
JJ Anders
Anna is clearly different from others. With obvious physical differences and powerful abilities, she's never quite fit in… anywhere. Having no knowledge of her parents, she sets out to discover her true origin. On the run for most of her life, she's become a master at eluding capture, even a little cocky you might say. When a sticky situation forces her hand, she hitches a ride with a wizard, who whisks her away to another world, where, according to him, she'd been exiled from as a child. This new magical place seems oddly familiar as Anna discovers powerful enemies and treasured allies on her quest for answers. The dangerous journey thrusts her headlong into the arms of Kriston, who finds himself caught between sworn-duty and insatiable curiosity.
Dragon-warrior, Té has spent her life hiding from the power-hungry king. Raised by her wizard in the native ways of warrior combat and dragon riding, Té must now put her skills to the test, joining forces with Kriston to protect Anna as they travel to the safety of Valorna where the queen awaits their arrival
With the brutal murder of her parents, Tress assumes the immense responsibility of unifying Genoa. Ruling a vast kingdom of wizards, sorcerers, and mystical creatures, she fights to rid Genoa of its tyrant, Gillard. Surrounded by spies and the threat of war, Genoa's only hope of survival lies in Tress's long-awaited reunion with the fearless dragon warrior and the prized scholar in her protection.
The Hawk and His Boy: The Tormay Trilogy Book 1
Christopher Bunn
One night in the city of Hearne, a young thief named Jute breaks into a wizard's house and steals an old wooden box. It should've been a straightforward job. Climb down the chimney, creep through the house, find the thing and get out fast. Unbeknownst to the boy, however, the box contains the knife that killed the Wind. Overcome with curiosity, Jute opens the box. It was the worst thing he could've done. Soon, he's on the run from the wizard, his old masters in the Thieves Guild, and their client, who happens to be the Lord of Darkness himself. On his odyssey of escape, Jute is aided by an unlikely assortment of friends, including a guilt-ridden assassin, a reluctant wizard, and a hawk who just might be able to teach him how to fly. But the Darkness will do anything to find Jute, even if it means plunging the whole land into war.
The Hawk And His Boy is the first book of The Tormay Trilogy. The trilogy continues with The Shadow At The Gate, and concludes with The Wicked Day.
Death's Queen: Volume 1
Nameless. Unknown. Alone.
An assassin without a name, born to kill. Owned by a vicious man who refuses to call her anything but girl, she is forced to commit atrocious acts of violence. Vowing to take her future into her own hands, the seventeen-year-old decides to risk everything on one act of defiance—drinking from The Death Drink. The beverage kills most whose lips touch it—only allowing those who are destined to be royalty survive the first sip.
Powerful. Revered. Hunted.
To the astonishment of the nation of Valcora, she imbibes it and lives, which crowns her queen. Thrown into a life of royal intrigue, she now has a purpose—to rule with the fairness she was never shown. Despite her altruistic plans, it becomes apparent that someone wants her dead. The new queen must use her training from the former life she only wants to forget in order to stay alive long enough to turn her kingdom into something she can be proud of. She'll hold onto the crown… or die trying.
Moonlight And Midtown
After battling werewolves and evil aunties, Bryar Rose is ready to enjoy her new life. No more crazy aunties. Her curse is toast. And Bry's new man, Knox, is literally a dream come true. Best of all, Bry will soon attend a regular high school. Forget those sketchy tutors! To get ready, Bry is dedicating the rest of her summer to some serious back-to-school shopping with her best friend, Elle. It's a blast, except for one thing:
Mysterious strangers are following Bry across Manhattan.
All these stalkers have oddly familiar scents and an uncanny ability to slip into the shadows whenever Bry tries to confront them. Even worse, their presence is making Knox act crazy with a capital C.
"Bauer's unique voice blends magical fantasy, swooning romance, and a bucketful of teenage sass." – Booklist
But Bry's having none of it. Enough of her life has already been ruined by secrets. With Elle's help, Bry plans to confront these strangers, find out what they want, and send them packing. Trouble is, the truth about their identity won't be so easy to manage, especially when Bry finds out how these stalkers could change her future with Knox…and not for the better.
Fairy Tales of the Magicorum Series
A series of modern fairy tales with sass, action and romance
1. Wolves and Roses
2. Moonlight and Midtown
3. Shifters and Glyphs
4. Slippers and Thieves
5. Bandits and Ball Gowns
6. Fairies and Frosting
Also From Christina Bauer
- Angelbound, the story of a part-demon girl who fights evil souls in Purgatory's Arena
- Pixieland Diaries, the story of sassy pixie Calla as she pranks uptight elves
- Dimension Drift, a dystopian adventure with science, snark and hot aliens
- Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, a series of modern fairy tales with sass, action and romance
- Beholder, where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love
Get your FREE copy of Christina's novella, BEVERLY HILLS VAMPIRE, when you sign up for her personal newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/bauersbooks ***Not available in stores***
Earth Angel: Books 1-3
B.C. Burgess
In a fiery tale filled with villains and heroes, this boxed set of the first three books in the Earth Angel series takes readers on a magical journey rich with emotion, intrigue, and danger. Fans of Twilight, The Red Queen, The Selection, and Harry Potter will devour this breathless fantasy set in a modern mystical world.
It all starts with a letter . . .
Eighteen-year-old Layla Callaway doesn't believe in magic or soul mates. And if angels were real, her mother would still be alive.
But her mom's dead and a surprise inheritance is about to change everything.


text:
A Nation Must Think Before it Acts China & Taiwan
Home / Regions & Topics / China & Taiwan
Event Report on the Situation in Kyrgyzstan and Its Implications
Matt Cesare
On October 4, Kyrgyzstan held parliamentary elections. Four political parties received enough vote to garner seats in the parliament. Of those four, three were closely aligned with then-President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. The results of the election sparked outrage against the...
Domestic Politics in Southeast Asia and Local Backlash against the Belt and Road Initiative
Angus Lam
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy project to expand the People's Republic of China's investment and trade ties in order to create "a big family of harmonious coexistence." Hailed as...
Dueling Visions: America's Role in the World and the 2020 Election
John Hillen
We know for a fact from polling that this is not an election in which major foreign policy issues or the differing worldviews of the candidates are looming large in the minds of voters. Where these issues do creep...
The Global Order in a Zeitenwende
Nikolas K. Gvosdev
The post-Cold War period, defined by American leadership promoting garowing integration under a liberal framework—a process aided by changes and developments in technology—is giving way to a new epoch, in which the rise of other major powers, coupled with...
China's Monopoly on Rare Earth Elements—and Why We Should Care
June Teufel Dreyer
According to geologists, rare earths are not rare, but they are precious. The answer to what appears to be a riddle lies in accessibility. Comprising 17 elements that are used extensively in both consumer electronics and national defense equipment,...
Uncertain Prospects: South China Sea Code of Conduct Negotiations
Felix K. Chang
For nearly two decades, diplomats from Southeast Asian countries and China have met to discuss the implementation of a "code of conduct" for the South China Sea. The goal of that code is to manage the tensions that may...
Rediscovering Debates on Nuclear Strategy, for the 21st Century
If we are re-entering an era of "great power competition," then there is an unavoidable question: what role do nuclear weapons play in that competition? China is set to double its nuclear capacity while it pursues its own nuclear...
Understanding China's Digital Yuan
The People's Bank of China (PBOC), China's central bank, is expected to publicly launch a digital version of the yuan as soon as late 2020. The project is being fast-tracked, partly in response to Facebook's Libra and the COVID-19...
Russia and China's Quiet Rivalry in Central Asia
Niva Yau Tsz Yan
How does the People's Republic of China use multilateral institutions in Central Asia? In the 1990s and early 2000s, multilateral bodies were a means of working with the Russian Federation and other countries in the region collaboratively. More recently,...
Why Russia is a Geopolitical Winner in Mali's Coup
Samuel Ramani
On August 18, Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was overthrown in a coup d'etat led by breakaway elements of the Malian Armed Forces. The United Nations (UN) swiftly condemned the coup, and the Economic Community of West African States...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Plenitude
Creativity, Innovation, and Making Stuff
by Rich Gold
Foreword by John Maeda
Publisher: The MIT Press
Lessons from and for the creative professions of art, science, design, and engineering: how to live in and with the Plenitude, that dense, knotted ecology of human-made stuff that creates the need for more of itself.
The Laws of Simplicity
by John Maeda
Pub Date: September 1, 2020
Ten laws of simplicity for business, technology, and design that teach us how to need less but get more.
Lives of the Laureates, seventh edition
Lives of the Laureates
Thirty-Two Nobel Economists
Edited by Roger W. Spencer and David A. Macpherson
Pub Date: June 9, 2020
Autobiographical accounts by Nobel laureates reflect the richness and diversity of contemporary economic thought and offer insights into the creative process; with six new laureates.
Developments in Global Sourcing
Edited by Wilhelm Kohler and Erdal Yalcin
Pub Date: February 16, 2018
Theoretical and empirical perspectives on the fragmentation of production processes across borders, shedding light on global sourcing decisions and their economic effects.
Customer-Centric Marketing
A Pragmatic Framework
by R. Ravi and Baohong Sun
Pub Date: March 18, 2016
State-of-the-art analytic and quantitative methods for using big data to craft effective real-time, dynamic customer-centric marketing plans.
Privacy on the Ground
Driving Corporate Behavior in the United States and Europe
by Kenneth A. Bamberger and Deirdre K. Mulligan
Pub Date: October 23, 2015
An examination of corporate privacy management in the United States, Germany, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, identifying international best practices and making policy recommendations.
I'll Have What She's Having
Mapping Social Behavior
by R. Alexander Bentley, Mark Earls and Michael J. O'Brien
Pub Date: August 26, 2011
How we learn from those around us: an essential guide to understanding how people behave.
Three Lectures on Post-Industrial Society
by Daniel Cohen
Translated by William McCuaig
A noted economist analyzes the upheavals caused by revolutions in technology, labor, culture, financial markets, and globalization.
Designing Interactions
by Bill Moggridge
A pioneer in interaction design tells the stories of designers who changed the way people use everyday things in the digital era, interviewing the founders of Google, the creator of The Sims, the inventors and developers of the mouse and the desktop, and many others.
The Second Century
Reconnecting Customer and Value Chain through Build-to-Order Moving beyond Mass and Lean Production in the Auto Industry
by Matthias Holweg and Frits K. Pil
As the auto industry moves into its second century, it suffers from low margins and a sclerotic value chain that cannot evolve with customer desires. Inventories of many weeks pile up on dealer lots...
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The Wax Bar in South Queensferry is the newest addition to our growing salon brand. Opening in February 2019, the salon will be at home in the pretty, shore location in the shadow of the Forth Bridges. Bringing the leading Edinburgh waxing brand out of the city, The Wax Bar is sure to be a popular addition to the ever expanding community.
The Wax Bar stocks only the latest quality products available in the industry. Where other salons take a "one size fits all" approach, our experienced team only use Lycon products, carefully selecting a wax to suit each client - ensuring your treatment is as comfortable as possible, with minimal pain.
Although we are specialists in creating unique wax experiences, the team at The Wax Bar also offer a range of other beauty treatments, ensuring we provide our clients with all services that they may require. Fully trained in HD Brows, LVL Lashes, CND Nail Treatments and more, our therapists are dedicated to creating your unique and luxury in-salon experience.


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Q: Catching Event from module I have function for send email in one module where I have declared my custom event:
Public Module myModule
    Public Event emailCompleted()

In that module I have function which are triggered when sending email is finished:
Private Sub SendCompletedCallback(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.AsyncCompletedEventArgs)
    If e.Error Is Nothing Then
        RaiseEvent emailCompleted()
    End If
End Sub

All of that is working good, as expected.
Problem is that I don't know how to catch that event in my main program which call sendemail function.
How to do that?

A: You can only raise events from within a class and handle them outside that class:
Public Class myModule
    Public Event emailCompleted()
    Private Sub SendCompletedCallback(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.AsyncCompletedEventArgs)
        If e.Error Is Nothing Then
            RaiseEvent emailCompleted()
        End If
    End Sub

and in your calling code module:
dim WithEvents myModuleObject as MyModule

Sub HandleEvent() Handles myModuleObject.emailCompleted
...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


1. A general rule of thumb is to not hold the bass out of the water any longer than you can hold your breath.
2. Bass have a protective mucus on their bodies. This mucus protects against infection. The more you touch them, the more mucus is removed. If you do have to touch their bodies, wet hands first with water.
3. Grab bass by the lower jaw with your thumb inside the mouth. For larger bass place other hand on belly to prevent jaw from breaking.
4. Carry pliers or hook removers and try to back the hook out of the bass. If hook is in throat or stomach cut line leaving 4 - 12 inches of line. The hook will eventually remove or corroad away.
5. Try not to let the bass fall. Landing on a boat or bank can greatly reduce their chance of surviving. For the most part bass will shake once and realize you have a tight grip and won't shake again.
2. Gently place the bass back into the water.
3. Move the bass in a forward and back motion to force water through the gills. For the most part bass are hardy fish and will swim right off.


This week's program is my first chance to share 2015's music with you. The year may still be very young, but I already have some winners to bring to your attention, starting with Gandadiko by Mali's Samba Toure (pictured above), which I already can tell will be one of my favorite albums of the year.
I also have excellent new releases to share from Kasse Mady Diabate, Boubacar Traore (looks like another banner year for Malian music, what else is new?) and the Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band. Plus some old favorites sprinkled throughout, because that's how we roll on Global A Go-Go.


Outcomes spring from a place of momentum, while impacts are broader changes within the community. Put them to work today.
There's no right or wrong way to develop outcomes. The process will be unique to your organization and the needs of your program. In a general sense, though, outcomes spring from a place of momentum and often include words such as enhanced, increased, more, new, altered, improved. Outcomes are short-term or intermediate changes that occur in client or participant behavior.
In contrast, impacts are broader changes that occur within the community or society as a result of a program. Outcomes are fundamentally different from impacts.
Some organizations like to identify project outcomes at the start of every new campaign. This can help keep staff on the same page. It'll also help you determine what data you might need to collect to evaluate program success. You'll have a better sense of the value of this method after running through the process a few times.
In the nonprofit world, it makes sense to focus on the wide-angle impact lens first. Zoom out. What social issue are you rallied around? What broad change do you want to see across the country? In your neighborhood? If you had unlimited resources, what would that look like? What could you accomplish? More than anything else, your over-arching mission should be clear to everyone who comes into contact with your organization.
Outcome: Program participants will take part in weekly gardening sessions to learn about growing organic produce at home.
Impact: Three years from now every house in the neighborhood will have reliable access to locally-grown produce.
In the words of French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
What's the equivalent of your organization teaching people to long for the endless immensity of the sea? The key to getting people to support, volunteer and donate their time (and capital) is to make sure they understand how they're contributing to the broader impact of your organization.
Knowledge. What knowledge do you want participants to walk away with? Have they gained a deep understanding of your subject matter?
Skills. Have they gained a mental, verbal or physical ability?
Attitudes. Have you changed the way someone sees the world? What they believe?
Intention to act. When participants walk away from your program, are they intending to make a change in their lives (even a tiny one)?
Behavior change. Behavior change is the golden goose — elusive and hard to attain. Changes might include lifestyle adjustments, habits or advocating for policy change.
Once you've identified impacts and put together a team, it's time to grapple with outcomes themselves and how to measure them. The path between where you are now and the impact you hope to have in the community is paved with outcomes — short-term change after short-term change, on into the future.
Be careful to choose outcomes in sync with the scale of your organization and budget. By selecting outcomes across time, you can learn to chain them together (more below) into an actionable outcome plan.
Short-term (0 to 6 months): What knowledge and skills do you hope to see in your program participants?
Intermediate (3 to 9 months): Imagine a program participant nine months into the future. What behavioral change would you hope to see?
Long-term (6 to 12 months): What do you hope to have achieved a year or more from now? Are you trying to influence change nationally or are you more focused on a specific region?
Now it's time to connect short-term to intermediate to long-term outcomes to create a seamless plan. Use an if…then…model. If [short-term outcome] occurs, then [intermediate] occurs, and if that happens then [long-term impact] will be realized.
Example: In our community garden, we expect that increasing our participants' knowledge of organic produce will lead to more families growing food at home, which will help us achieve the impact of every family in the neighborhood having access to reliable, healthy, locally-grown food.
What program will you study first?
Do you need a manager or adviser?
Do you have the support and participation of your board?
Do you need help from outside your department or organization?
What's your budget for additional costs?
What are the available resources to conduct outcome measurement?
What's your timeline? Are you working on a brand-new program or are you studying an organization over years — or even decades?


Today's blog is about notice, quorum, the right to speak, the right to record meetings, handling disruptive attendees and meeting minutes.
The notice requirements for a meeting are contained in the Bylaws and/or Articles of Incorporation of the association. Sometimes they are even contained in the Declarations if special notice is required to decide a particular piece of business, such as increases in assessments which require membership approval.
Regular board meetings must be "posted in a conspicuous place in the community at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting, except in an emergency."
If notice is not posted, then the association is required to mail notice to each member at least seven (7) days before the meeting.
Any meeting in which assessments will be levied must be noticed with a statement assessments will be considered and the nature of the assessments. This includes levying annual assessments, even if assessments are not increased. While this sentence in the statute does not state 14 days advanced notice is required, it is in the same subsection that requires 14 days notice for meetings to consider special assessments and amendments to rules affecting parcel use. My opinion is to provide 14 days advance notice and that seems to be the industry standard.
Any meeting in which special assessments will be considered must be noticed by mailing the notice to each homeowner at least 14 days in advance of the meeting and the notice must state assessments will be considered and the nature of the assessment. This includes levying annual assessments, even if assessments are not increased.
Whenever a majority of the board meets, even if it is at a picnic, and discusses board business, it is a board meeting and must be noticed and open to all members.
For membership meetings, the quorum is the number of owners listed in the bylaws or other association document. Florida Statutes provide a default of 30% if the documents do not provide for a quorum.
It is truly amazing how many associations try to circumvent these two rights. Either they are misinformed, are unaware of the law regarding these rights, or have gone rogue.
Every member has the right to speak at least three minutes at a meeting on any item on the agenda. This law used to have requirements the member had to provide advance notice, which meant the members were not given an opportunity to speak if the agenda was not published in advance. The laws have changed. The board can adopt reasonable rules on how to comply with this and control disruptions, but not to the point members are denied their rights. Many associations still use the technique of holding all member commentary until the end of the meeting in an open forum, but this could be troublesome eventually. If there is a topic which has generated a lot of controversy, the members should be allowed to speak as long as they remain orderly. Robert's Rules of Order help in these situations. Appointing a parliamentarian to keep the meeting in order is helpful too. If you do not want your meetings to go on all night, plan them out specifically. If you know you have a controversial topic, allow a specific amount of time to discuss it. If you know you have someone who will want to talk three minutes on every topic, limit the number of times a member can speak, but make it reasonable. Use a timer for the three minutes so no one will accuse anyone of not allowing the full three minutes. If the discussion is still heated and taking quite a bit of time, consider tabling the topic for a special meeting and plan for a longer amount of time to discuss. If the topic is that important to the membership, the board should be paying attention to their concerns.
NOTE: Any changes to the way meetings are conducted, including adopting Robert's Rules of Order, should be adopted as a policy by the board through a resolution, which can be written, voted upon, recorded in the public records if necessary, and published to the membership. This will avoid any accusations of making up the rules as you go along.
Florida law allows members to record board meetings. IT IS THE LAW! They can use either video or audio recording and do not have to provide notice the meetings are being recorded. There is no expectation of privacy in an association meeting and board members do not have to give their consent. Assume all meetings are being recorded. The board of directors can adopt rules to make sure any cameras are not interfering with the meeting, such as blocking the view of other members. Caution should be taken to not create a rule under the right to adopt rules just to make sure the members do not get a good recording and especially do not adopt a rule requiring the member to provide notice the meeting will be recorded. Do not put your association at risk of a lawsuit for treading on the members rights. They have very few, but the few they have they will fight aggressively to protect. If the board is not doing anything illegal or unethical there should be no concern with meetings being recorded.
While an association has the right to remove a member from a meeting if they are being too disruptive, the trend to have law enforcement issue a trespass warning against an owner in order to keep them out of all future meetings is just plain dumb. All meetings must be open to all members, so if an association trespasses an owner from their clubhouse, then the association will need to move the meeting to another location where the owner can attend. Putting up physical barriers to prevent owners from attending is not a good idea either, especially the disabled. You would think common sense would not make this an issue, but it became necessary for one homeowner to actually lobby our elected officials to amend Fla. Stat. 720.303(2) to include "A meeting of the board must be held at a location that is accessible to a physically handicapped person if requested by a physically handicapped person who has a right to attend the meeting." His association spent over $100,000 in litigation costs because the association refused to hold any meetings where he could attend in his wheelchair. He wasn't even asking for all meetings to be moved, just when there was a agenda item that was important to him.
This is a very important topic because all too often the minutes do not reflect enough information about the meeting. Each topic discussed, whether it was on the agenda or not, should be reflected in the minutes. Each board vote should list specifically how the board members voted by name. The only exception is if a vote is unanimous, which could be stated as "motion passed by unanimous vote." Each item should have a motion to present the item for a vote and a second.
Now some words of caution. The Florida Statutes have been revised to allow board members to "communicate" by email, but votes may not be taken by email. While this has always been the method used to provide information to board members about an upcoming agenda item, there has been a rise in the number of associations who obviously are discussing agenda items in detail in emails and then simply voting on the item at a meeting without discussion, thus circumventing the rights of members to be informed about the details of an issue. This will certainly cause a rise in litigation and is not in the best interest of the association.
The bottom line is board members and owners alike need to use common sense. Board members should not look for creative ways to hide things from the owners and owners need to communicate in a reasonable manner at meetings. Shouting at someone will not get them to agree with you.


Ovah Coffee: Poncho Sale – Please Come Our Way, Soon!
Poncho Sale – Please Come Our Way, Soon!
I have been planning on getting myself a poncho since I can't remember when. There's this on and off feeling about grabbing myself one. Perhaps it's mostly because I never have owned one yet. I am apprehensive that I might not look good in it and all excited at the same time about my first poncho purchase.
Anyway, since I missed that huge all must go sale online this morning, it is but wise to wait for another great deal. With December fast approaching, I am pretty sure that there will be more lovely sale days to come my way. Patience. Patience.
Yeah. They're super cool, right? If I am to choose only two, I'll get the Anne Harvey and the Vila able ponchos. Huge sale… please come our way soon!


The Belgian Sports press contacted BCD looking for solutions to several logistical challenges they were facing prior to the FIFA World Cup. Their first challenge was the need for a cost-effective solution to their hotel needs. They had a preference for lodging near the Belgian National Team's 'base camp' however, due to a late confirmation of the Belgian team's accommodations in northwest Moscow they were faced with both timing and planning obstacles. Their secondary dilemma centered around securing a domestic charter flight that could also shadow the same flight schedule as the Belgian National Team throughout all match play in Russia.
To provide the best possible experience we chose to collaborate with a reliable local agency who had previously executed contracted work with us for other football related projects and programs in Russia. Additionally, we elected to work with a BCD preferred and vetted charter company with relationships on the ground with local Russian airport authorities. To solve our client's hotel challenges we secured all blocks of a 3 and 4-star hotel for the majority of the stay. Each hotel had two dedicated staff members and a DMC staff member fluent in Russian on-site to assist with any client needs and the oversight of food, WiFi, and transfer requirements during the Belgian Press Group's stay. The on-site staff was also given the ability to change or book tickets to additional Russian match-play cities in order to quickly anticipate client needs during the elimination stages of the tournament and accommodate for any last minute needs.
The Belgian Sports Press group was extremely happy with the level of personalized service they received throughout the program. Our clients expressed overwhelming gratitude for the logistical support provided while under incredible stress and pressure—especially given the diversity of the TV networks, news outlets, and media houses, and the fact that many of them were industry competitors. They adamantly expressed our service commitment, strategy, and people made all the difference in providing the smoothest possible programming throughout the event.
Thank you also for all your energy and dedication for the smooth running of this World Cup. I found - and still think - the collaboration was more than successful and I am very happy that we came to such a good relationship with BCD...you - and the rest of BCD - can certainly be proud of what you have realized here, and are still doing.
Let's plan your next meeting or event.
We are here to discuss, plan, and get started, when you're ready.


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President Confers Nishan-i-imtiaz On Turkish Commander
President Mamnoon Hussain conferred the award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) on commander of the Turkish land forces General Salih Zeki Colak at a special investiture ceremony in Islamabad. The award has been given to him in recognition of outstanding services and contributions in strengthening relations between the armed forces of Pakistan and Turkey and for enhancing strategic cooperation between the two countries. The special investiture ceremony was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Secretary Defense, Ambassador of Turkey to Pakistan and high officials. Speaking on the occasion, the President reiterated Pakistan's strong desire to further strengthen its partnership with Turkey in defense sector. Commander of the Turkish land forces said that strong brotherly relations between Turkey and Pakistan are rooted in history. He hoped that bilateral relations between the two countries would be taken to new heights in the future and they would collectively overcome the common problems of terrorism, refugees and border security.


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The "Transfer of Memory" exhibit is on display at MSP Airport through Feb. 5, 2018. Photo by David Sherman.
'Transfer of Memory' Holocaust Exhibit Displayed At MSP Airport
After travelling across Minnesota and into North Dakota for the nearly six years since the exhibit launched, "Transfer of Memory," the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas exhibition of stories of Holocaust survivors, will help welcome the hundreds of thousands coming to Minnesota for the Super Bowl.
In partnership with the Airport Foundation MSP and the Metropolitan Airports Commission, Transfer of Memory will be on display at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at MSP Airport.
The exhibition is located near gate C18 in the film screening room – cleverly called "See 18" – at Terminal 1, and at the [email protected] Gallery, across from gate H3 at Terminal 2. Since exhibits at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are located post-security, those planning to see the exhibits will need a boarding pass to get through security.
David Sherman, the photographer of the exhibit, said getting to put the show on at the airport is a really big deal.
"Its been at public places, its been at universities, and it has had a really big impact in small communities, but never had this wide an audience," Sherman said. "That's the piece that's exciting. The exposure will be great. I don't know what the number is but the hundreds of thousands that walk by. It's all a little daunting."
That Minneapolis is hosting the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 will only increase the number of travelers coming through MSP.
"It's by luck," Sherman said of the timing. "We had no idea this would even be a possibility. I make my living in the sports industry and the whole idea that in the midst of the sports orgy, here's this reminder that there are really important things in life – it's bigger than the Super Bowl. Not Transfer of Memory, but the issue of the survivors and the Holocaust, and continued bullying and hatred because people are different."
Each Holocaust survivor in Transfer of Memory shares a story of survival during exceedingly difficult circumstances, yet as a collection, these images focus on life and hope. From Europe to Minnesota, it was here they fashioned their dreams, their futures, and their families – their lives are a constant reminder of the value of freedom and the enduring human spirit. Sherman and writer Lili Chester, in partnership with the JCRC, created this exhibition.
"We've been working for some time to bring the exhibit to MSP Airport and we're pleased to have the opportunity to host it for the traveling public," said Robyne Robinson, [email protected] Director for Airport Foundation MSP. "This is a deeply moving and powerful exhibit that links Minnesota to an important chapter in world history."
The exhibition features 44 portraits of survivors living – or who lived – in Minnesota. The color images depict the survivors as living full and fulfilled lives – full of life and vitality – not defined by victimhood. Each survivor was photographed in their home and everyone was interviewed and videotaped prior to making their portrait. Chester's text, distilled from the survivor interviews, accompanies each portrait and provides background and a short history in the survivors' own words. The exhibit space in Terminal 1 features six 60-inch televisions screens that make one large screen which will play the video testimonials of the survivors.
"We have people who survived death camps, escaped with their families to Shanghai, hid in the Greek Mountains, hid in the open, were hidden in monasteries in France," Sherman said. "All of those are ways people survived the Shoah. We're lucky to have been able to photograph them, interview them, and tell their stories."
The exhibit will be on display at MSP Airport through February 5, 2018. For more information about the exhibition, please visit www.transferofmemory.org. Follow Transfer of Memory on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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In the fourth quarter of 2011, Holcim charges extraordinary cash-neutral impairments of CHF 775 million against net income after tax.
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Financial restructuring agreement relating to AfriSam (South Africa) leads to an impairment charge.
Weak demand for construction materials and insufficient production capacity.
utilization rates in Spain, parts of Eastern Europe, and the US prompt impairment charges.
Payout potential for the 2011 financial year remains unchanged.
As announced in 2007, Holcim initiated a transaction to create AfriSam (previously Holcim South Africa), the leading cement and construction materials company in the country, as part of the South African policy to support Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). Holcim sold its majority stake to a BEE-compliant consortium, and has since held a minority stake of 15 percent in AfriSam. The Group continued to support the company technically, and in 2009 subscribed to a notes issue in the amount of ZAR 2.6 billion, or CHF 292 million. As demand for construction materials has heavily decreased since 2010, AfriSam found itself forced to initiate additional financial restructuring measures in 2011. Holcim agreed to these measures yesterday after extensive negotiations. Due to this restructuring decision, Holcim is writing off investments, made up of the notes issue, accrued interest and foreign currency movements, by CHF 415 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.
As a consequence of the decrease in demand for construction materials in some regions, Holcim is making value adjustments. Since the financial crisis in 2008, cement consumption in Spain has decreased by 65 percent, in parts of Eastern Europe by 30 percent, and in the US by 45 percent. As demand for construction materials will only slowly recover, and production capacity utilization rates will remain unsatisfactory, property, plant and equipment, and goodwill impairment amounting to CHF 360 million will be charged in the fourth quarter 2011. This figure comprises CHF 328 million from Group region Europe (Spain and certain markets in Eastern Europe), and CHF 32 million from North America, related to the permanent closure of the Catskill and Artesia plants of Holcim US.
The total of these cash-neutral impairments amounts to CHF 775 million. A payout potential for the 2011 financial year (pre-impairment) remains. The Board of Directors will decide on the level of the payout at the end of February 2012, as part of the year-end financial statement to be submitted to the Annual General Meeting.
Holcim is one of the world's leading suppliers of cement and aggregates (crushed stone, gravel and sand) as well as further activities such as ready-mix concrete and asphalt including services. The Group holds majority and minority interests in around 70 countries on all continents.
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Tonight we have the wonderful privilege of continuing in our study of the book of Daniel. I'm so thrilled at your response. I just thank the Lord for the adventure that is ahead of us as we move through this tremendous, tremendous book of Daniel. Take your Bible, if you will, and let's look together at chapter 1 again, and beginning at verse 8. Tonight we're going to look at verses 8-21, 8-21, a narrative text. I don't know how far we'll get, but we'll move along, and see what it is that God has for us in this tremendous, tremendous section, in the opening portion of this prophecy of Daniel.
An eminent naturalist, in one of his textbooks, describes a marine plant which grows from a depth of 150 to 200 feet and floats on the breakers of the western ocean. The stem of this plant, according to the naturalist, is less than an inch thick, yet it grows, and thrives, and holds its own against the fierce smitings and pressures of the breakers that continue to crash against the shore.
What is the secret of this seemingly slender and frail plant? And what is the key to its marvelous endurance and resistance of the pressures that are brought to bear upon it? It is because, says the naturalist, the slender plant can face the fury of the elements since it is anchored solidly, grasping, as it were, for its very life to the naked rocks that lie at the very bottom of the water.
It is amazing how in our own lives we can endure the crushing blows of the breakers of life if we have a proper anchor. No matter how frail we seem, or how slender is the plant, when we have the proper roots and the proper anchor, we can hold ourselves to that ground. If we are to turn that illustration upside down, in a sense, we could say that while the feet of Daniel were in Babylon, his head was definitely in heaven. He really had himself anchored to the things of God. And I believe that the key to the willingness of Daniel to take a stand against the pagan society in which he lived was an unwillingness to compromise the absolutes of God.
Now, one of the things I've believed in since many, many years ago when I first made an affirmation to teach the Word of God is that where there is a principle of the Word of God, you never deviate in terms of your behavior. There are some doubtful things. There are some things in the gray area where we do not have a specific biblical word. But where we know definitely and definitively what the Bible teaches, we take our stand and never compromise. That is where we are anchored.
And that is precisely what characterized the life of this man, Daniel. He would not vacillate when it came to the absolutes of the law and the Word of God. And it anchored him to a rock of confidence that allowed him to endure all of the storms of the Chaldean-Babylonian situation.
And by the way, if you weren't here last time, I'll just remind you that the Chaldeans were really bent upon brainwashing Daniel, his three friends, and all the rest of the young Jewish boys that they had deported in the first deportation in 606 B.C. They were committed to a brainwashing process. And Daniel and his three friends resisted that.
Now, remember that I told you last time that they selected these young men in that first deportation really as hostages to make sure that Israel didn't overreact to the initial coming of Nebuchadnezzar. When he first came and started to establish his power in the land of Israel, really in the kingdom of Judah, the hostages were taken to kind of assure the fact that Israel wouldn't rebel or revolt.
But, there was more to it than just that. The Babylonians wanted these young men to be groomed for use in the Babylonian court. I'm sure they had in mind that with their Jewish heritage they could assist them in handling Jewish affairs in future years. And you'll remember that they selected these young men on three basic features or characteristics. Number one was their physical beauty and physical form. Number two was their intellectual prowess and ability. And number three, their social graces. They picked those young men who had the greatest physical attributes, mental attributes, and social capacities, to use them in the courts of Babylon.
The plot was very simple. They would brainwash them. They would manage to eliminate in their thinking their homeland, their heritage, their religion, their God, their loyalties, and everything. And you remember they attempted to do that by changing three things. Number one, they wanted to reeducate them, to give them a Chaldean Babylonian education. Number two, they renamed them giving them Babylonian names in an effort to cut them off from the past. Thirdly, they wanted to impose upon them Chaldean lifestyle.
So, it was a matter of reeducation. It was a matter of redefinition of who they were. And it was a matter of reorientation to the matter of living according to a Chaldean lifestyle. And if it worked, they would be sufficiently brainwashed.
Now, historians tell us that it is estimated between 50 and 75 of these young men were taken out of the court of Judah. These would be royal seed and the sons of the nobles and the princes of Judah. So 50 to 75 were taken and we only know of four that drew the line and were uncompromising. So, it is likely that the brainwashing process worked in the majority of these very young men.
You'll remember that I told you also that they probably were around the age of 14 or 15, not usually a time when a young man has the character that it takes to resist a very sophisticated brainwashing operation, which has latent within it some tremendous promise for advancement, for fame and fortune in the Babylonian court.
Now, as we shared last time, Daniel and his three friends did not resist the first efforts. They did not resist the educational process. Secondly, they did not resist the changing of their names. But, thirdly, when it came to reorienting the lifestyle by forcing them to eat the king's food and to indulge in the fare that was the daily fare of the palace, to reorient themselves to that kind of thing, that's where they said no.
And the reason is clear and simple. There was no biblical mandate against the education. There was no biblical mandate against the names. But there was a clear biblical mandate against eating Chaldean food. Number one, it was food offered to idols. As was the common custom, all of their feasts were, first of all, offered to gods, their own pagan gods.
Secondly, they had very strict dietary laws which would not be adhered to by the Babylonians, and therefore while they could do the first two, realizing really what the effort was trying to accomplish and resisting it in the strength of their upbringing and their commitment to God's Word, they could not accept the third, because that would have been to deny the absolute statement of the law of God.
No. Not really because they were so committed to the Word of God, they would see that education only in light of God's Word, you see? They would interpret it in the light of God's Word. And the second, they could change their names, but they sure couldn't change their hearts. They couldn't change their souls. They couldn't change their minds about what they knew to be true.
But if they had given in to the third thing and accepted and adapted the Chaldean lifestyle, then they would have denied the Word of God and fallen victim certainly to the educational process. For if they would have compromised the Word of God in their eating, they would have easily compromised the Word of God in other areas, as well.
And so we see, then, that the bottom line in an uncompromising life is the statement of the Word of God. Now, we shared also with you last time that this is a pretty amazing stand for a 14-year-old young man. It says a lot about his character. It says something about his parents. It may say something about the impact on his life of the great revival under Josiah. Somewhere along the line, Daniel had a tremendous education. Somewhere along the line, he made a commitment to God not to defile himself. And even at that early age, he lived that commitment out against incredible odds.
We need to have that same kind of character, obviously. It takes an uncompromising stand on the absolutes of the Word of God. And Daniel did it, and so did his three friends. And all of the inducements, and education, and all the encouragements, and all the bribes, and all the pressures, and all the ambitions, and all the glories and promises of the king's court couldn't make these four young men compromise what they knew to be the truth. They wouldn't do it.
They would learn the king's language. They would study the Chaldean education. There was science, and there was mathematics, and there were many things that would be helpful. There were some things that were philosophical and theological that they would reject. But there was, in their own hearts, such a commitment to the Word of God and the law of God that all of that education would be filtered through the truth of God.
And I think we still have this today. I think as Christians, very frequently, when our faith is strong, we hear what the world is saying and we are educated in the world's universities and colleges, and so forth, but if our faith is strong, and our commitment to the Word of God is strong, that education is filtered through the Word of God. And in many cases, it makes us better able to turn the tables, and take the Word of God back to them, because we can see the weakness in their theories and their theology.
I think of men like Francis Schaeffer who is God's gift, in many ways, to this age. A man who has studied for years and years the philosophies of the world in order that in understanding the philosophies of the world, he might understand how the Word of God speaks to those philosophies, and that he might meet them on their own ground with the truth of God.
I think of scientists who have, for years, studied the theories of evolution in order that they might be refuted with the text of the Word of God. The philosophies of different cults and false religions have been studied in great detail by godly people who, in turn, have provided for us resources to counteract, and to bring the gospel to people who are trapped in false systems. Daniel and his three friends didn't fear this because they knew they had the grid of the Word of God through which to filter all of this education.
I would warn you at this point not to expose yourself to those kinds of educational opportunities unless you have that grid, or you'll find that you're liable to meet a shipwreck of your faith. People say to me, "Do you think Christians ought to go to secular universities?" The answer to that is I think some Christians ought to go there, not all of them. Some of us, maybe, have to be exposed to that in order to deal with it.
So, they didn't mind the education because they had what it took to deal with the education. And they would even take the Chaldean names. That's not so rare. We live in a society where we're named according to what's current in our society. Names don't mean anything nowadays. That didn't really bother them at all. But they never would adopt the lifestyle.
And as I said last time, it's the lifestyle of any society that is the most corrupting, you see? Because once you begin to live the way the society lives, you have abandoned yourself to their philosophy, no matter what you've been taught. Lifestyle will always be the most corrupting element of any pagan society.
And so, we see Daniel rejecting at that point. He stops the brainwashing process and will not adapt to their lifestyle. In Proverbs 4:23 it says: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." And what it means is guard your heart, because if you ever lose your heart, if you ever give away that basic part of your being that thinks, and responds, and motivates, and makes you act; if you ever abandon that, the issues of life will be corrupted. Guard your heart, and that's what Daniel did.
Now, for our study, I want us to see the consequences of such a commitment. He made the commitment last week. Now what are the results? And by the way, they could have all been bad. I mean, you know, Nebuchadnezzar was not the all-time nice guy.
And when he came along and said, "I want all these young fellows to eat the king's food. I want to obligate them to me. I want them to feel obliged to me. I want them to know that I have supported them and I have given them the very best. I want them to get a taste of the great stuff that we have here in Chaldea. I want them to hunger for these things, and forget the stuff of the past. I want them to adapt to the lifestyle. This is part of the process." And to say, "No thanks, king," could have been a pretty serious issue.
All you have to do is read a little further in the book and you find out that one time when somebody didn't do what the king said, he threw him in a fiery furnace. And another time when somebody didn't do what the king said, he threw him in a den of lions.
So, the results of taking an uncompromising stand sometimes will be bad. There's no question about it. Sometimes there's a great price to pay. Going against a pagan monarch could be very, very dangerous. But Daniel had to do it because it was in his character to do it. And his three friends, those wonderful young men mentioned in verse 6, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, they took their stand, and they walked right into that fiery furnace. Daniel took his stand and he walked right into that den of lions. If that's what it has to be, then that's what it has to be. There still would be no compromise.
Now, let's look at the text, beginning in verse 8, and I want you to see a sequence of characteristics - I think this is so exciting - a sequence of characteristics that are true of one that takes an uncompromising stand. When a person determines in his mind to live in an uncompromising way in a pagan society, there is a sequence of characteristics that I see illustrated here, and they're not in any particular order, but I just see them manifest. And they are so practical. I'm just going to give them to you kind of in a grocery list, so you can just start writing them down.
Number one, an unashamed boldness, an unashamed boldness. Verse 8, now look at it. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs - " that's Ashpenaz whom we met last time " - that he might not defile himself." Now, stop right there.
This is fascinating. Here is an unashamed boldness. Daniel says, "Ashpenaz, I do not wish to eat the king's food; I do not wish to drink the king's wine because it will defile me." Now, wait a minute, Daniel. That's pretty bold stuff. I mean, couldn't you hem and haw a little bit? I mean, you're telling the king that his food will defile you? I love that kind of boldness, don't you?
He doesn't say that. He could have said that. We might do that. You know, many times when we want to get out of a situation that is really a spiritual issue, we give a reason other than a spiritual reason to get out of it. We don't want to admit that's it. Somebody says to you, "Hey, why don't you come along with us? We're going to do this, and we're going to do that." And we don't say, "Well, you know, I don't believe that's right. I believe it's sinful to do that and I wouldn't compromise my commitment to Jesus Christ." We say, "Well, yeah, it would be real nice but I gotta stay home tonight. I gotta do something and well, you know." We hem and haw. We don't really establish the fact that there's a spiritual issue here.
Oh, I love that. Daniel is fourteen years old, what character. He says, "By the way, tell the king I can't have his food, it will defile me." An unashamed boldness goes with an uncompromising life. It's a great thing, courageous.
He could have used a word other than "defile." That's a very strong word. Something that is defiled, it says in the Old Testament, is an abomination to the Lord. But the reason he can't eat and drink is because he would be defiled, and so that's what he said. He would be defiled, number one, because it's meat offered to idols, and he wouldn't come near an idol. Secondly, held be defiled because it wasn't prepared according to Jewish dietary law, and he would be violating God's laws, and that constitutes a defilement.
Oh, you know something? Isn't it a wonderful thing when somebody in the midst of a very tough situation is not ashamed to speak the truth of a commitment to the Lord's Word? That's real character, people, real character, real uncompromising character. He wasn't ashamed of his God and he wasn't ashamed of his faith in God, even in the midst of a pagan society, even though he was a prisoner of the king, even though the king had the right to kill him for disobedience and rebellion, it never phased his commitment.
Frankly, for normal people, the Bible says the fear of man brings a what? A snare. For most people, a fear of man traps us. Not Daniel. But those who have an uncompromising character always seem to have the unashamed boldness.
I thought this such an interesting point that I decided to chase it around a little bit in the Bible. And you know I saw it in Moses. I just love that. I see it in Moses. Moses just walks up to Pharaoh and says, "Pharaoh, let my people go." Oh, I like that. Let them go, Pharaoh. And Pharaoh says, "Let me show you who's boss." And he calls his magicians and they do tricks, and throw their little sticks down, and their sticks turn into snakes, and Moses throws his little stick down, and it turns into a snake and eats their snakes.
And he says, "Let my people go." He wasn't afraid to stand up for his God. I love it when I see Moses and he actually slays an Egyptian who is suppressing a Jew. He wasn't afraid to stand up for God and for his people.
I see it with David. A couple of times the Psalms record things that give us this insight into David's heart. Psalm 40:8, I love this, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God. Yea, Thy law is within my heart." Now, anytime a person has the law of God in their heart and they want to do the law, that's the uncompromising spirit. That's just like Daniel. David says, "I know your law, and I'm committed to doing it." So, "I have preached righteousness in the congregation: Lo, I have not restrained my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest." I never pulled a punch. I never held back a word of righteous truth.
"I have not - " he says in verse 10 " - hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness. I have declared Thy salvation: I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness. I have not concealed Thy truth from the great congregation." He says, "God, I am committed to it, and I have unashamedly, boldly preached it." O, God, give us people like this.
Later on in Psalm 71:15, "My mouth shall show forth Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day." All day long, he says, my mouth will show forth Thy righteousness and salvation. Unashamed boldness.
Daniel's friends had it. Look over at the third chapter of Daniel. It's just really great. Verse 13, Nebuchadnezzar was so furious and filled with rage that he brings in Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael - renamed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. And he brought them in and he said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?" Have you failed to do what I told you to do?
"Now if you be ready that at that time that you hear the sound of the - " and then he names the whole orchestra that blew when it was time to worship the gods " - If you don't fall down, I'll cast you in the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" He has a rather weak view of God.
"Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, answered and said - " I love this " - O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this manner." It's no big deal to respond to you. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we'll not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." It doesn't matter what happens, we won't worship your image. Oh, what boldness. What upright character is manifest in those three young boys.
We see it again in the New Testament so many times, this same kind of unashamed boldness that comes with an uncompromising heart. I'm thinking of a verse here, yes, Mark 8:38. Our Lord says, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Wow. That's pretty strong stuff, isn't it?
A beautiful verse is recorded in Psalm 119:46. It says this, "I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." Isn't that great? "I will speak Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." There shouldn't be anybody in this world to intimidate you out of your message, nobody.
Daniel had the character that stands fearlessly and boldly and unashamedly before kings, and speaks what is the truth, an undaunted spirit of complete commitment to God that rendered him amazingly honest. Isn't that great, being valiant for the truth?
Ezekiel calls it "setting your face like flint." And flint, of course, is very hard, being resolute, non-compromising. In fact, in 1 Chronicles 12:8, the same virtue is called "setting your face like a lion." Not too many things intimidate a lion.
In Philippians 1:27 – I just love this, "Only let your conduct be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel - " now, listen to this one " - and in nothing terrified by your adversaries." Isn't that great? In nothing terrified by your adversaries, boldly willing to stand and speak.
I found an interesting illustration in an old book. This is out of a sermon by D. L. Moody and I'm going to read it to you.
"There's a story of a young man that came up with a little handful of men to attack a king who had a great army of 3,000 men. The young man had only 500, and the king sent a messenger to the young man saying that he need not fear to surrender, for he would treat him mercifully. The young man called up one of his soldiers and said, 'Take this dagger and drive it to your heart.' And the soldier took the dagger and drove it to his heart. And calling up another, he said to him, 'Leap into yonder chasm.' And the man leaped into the chasm.
I trust D.L. Moody, but I don't know how true that story is. I'm certainly not going to despair of the man who isn't around, but it illustrates the point. There's a level of commitment involved. Uncompromising character has a holy, fearless courage that knows no shame in bearing the name of Jesus Christ. And so, in a way, you can measure whether you have that uncompromising stand, whether you're living that uncompromising life if you find that unashamed boldness.
I tell you, once in your own mind, like Daniel, you purpose in your heart that where God's Word draws an absolute line, you will draw an absolute line, and unashamedly and boldly you will stand there, and you will speak His testimonies before kings, you're going to find that boldness a reality in your life. And you know what? Those are the kind of people God really uses.
I have a friend, and some of you may have met him, Rick Wilder. He lives up in San Francisco and he feels God's called him to confront sinners. And that's the place to do it. He has a church there. He has that church and he just takes his people out, and they just go right down the street, and he just goes right up to the homosexuals and tells them they need Jesus Christ.
And he starts on the street corner and he just preaches Jesus Christ to the top of his voice. He gets drug addicts, addicts, former homosexuals, the most dissolute people you can imagine, the outcasts of society, those harlots, and everything else, and he's started a little church, and he's got a church of the biggest pile of has-beens you ever saw.
And he says trying to mold them into some semblance of a body is just a difficult task. He told me, he said, You know, "I'd like to take a vacation. I'd like to take a day off. But if I leave these people one day without hanging on the edge of them, they'll fall back into their old ways." "So," he says, "I can't leave town for a day." And he spends all day, all week long, ministering to these people. He has an uncompromising spirit that issues in an unashamed boldness.
Let me give you a second point. I believe an uncompromising life will result in an uncommon standard, not only an unashamed boldness, but an uncommon standard. You know, people who have an uncompromising life just don't do it the way everybody else does. Have you ever noticed that?
Now, I hear him. He's saying for people who have this kind of uncompromising life, there will inevitably be an uncommon standard. They won't do it the way everybody else does it. They will set their standard a cut above the masses, even a cut above the Christians. They just don't live on that normal plane. They set standards that always exceed the norm.
I remember when I was a little kid, just in high school, I got to reading some people who are great at prayer, and I just couldn't believe the commitment they made to that. And I read a couple of missionary biographies, and these people were just, they didn't live the Christian life the way anybody I knew did. And there were lots of people, you know, who went by the book, but it seemed as if these people just went up to another level.
Well, look at the end of verse 8 again. He says that I don't want any portion of the king's food; I don't want any of the wine which the king drinks. Now, go down to verse 12. He says, in fact, I'll go a step further, "Just give us vegetables and water." Now, wait a minute. You don't have to eat the wine of the king, and you don't have to eat the food of the king, but you could certainly eat some other food, and you could certainly drink some proper kind of wine.
But, Daniel says, "Look, I want to go to an uncommon standard, not any wine at all." He was a teetotaler, total abstinence, drinking only water, and not any kind of meat, just what they call "pulse," some kind of beans and seeds. That's it.
Well, you say, "Daniel, this is not really necessary." But, people who make the kind of commitment he made always want to live at the highest plane. They seem to choose a standard above everybody else. Their ministries are a cut above the rest. They have a higher level of commitment. They have a more faithful prayer life. They're just a little bit more committed to a deep study of the Word of God.
And I can illustrate this principle by just dealing with the issue of wine, for example, here. Now, why does Daniel say, "I don't - I'm not going to drink any wine at all?" And by the way, he sustains this commitment all the way through this thing. Why does he do that? It isn't required of him.
In fact, the Old Testament talks about yayin, which is a word for "wine," as a very common part of Jewish society. We went into that a little bit, I believe. As you know, it was a mixed wine so that it was diluted, and it was proper to drink it. In fact, drink offerings were used in the sacrificial system. There was even a supply of wine kept in the temple. Isaiah 24 talked about wine drinking being associated with singing and having a joyful time. Isaiah 55, wine is actually a symbol of salvation.
So, in the Old Testament, it wasn't that wine in itself - a properly mixed wine in itself - was wrong or evil. Well, why does he choose this standard? Well, that's just the way it is with those kind of commitments. Let me give you an illustration. Go back to Leviticus chapter 10 for a minute - Leviticus 10:8.
In other words, don't touch it because if you ever touched it, you might find yourself falling prey to its temptation, and then you would lose the ability to properly distinguish between holy and unholy and to rightly teach the people. You're in too precarious a position to fool with it.
Now listen, it wasn't required that everybody live this way. But somebody who wanted to set their life in a unique way as separated unto God set an uncommon standard, do you see? It was a matter of your choice. But when it was established that you wanted to live on the very highest plain, and when you took that occasion to do so, you set an uncommon standard.
Look with me for a moment at the 31st chapter of Proverbs, the final chapter, and you find a similar thing. In Proverbs 31:4, "It is not - " now listen to this. "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink." And by the way, Daniel well may have come from a royal family, and then been taught this tremendous biblical principle, and that is part and parcel of the reason he never would touch the wine. It may have been that he had already made this commitment as a part of the royal family.
But "it is not for kings, it is not for princes, lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish." When somebody is in the last throes and the agonies of death, sedate them with it. But don't give it to people who must make decisions on a spiritual level. There is an uncommon standard for the greatest spiritual responsibility.
First Timothy chapter 5 takes us into the New Testament thought on this. And I think it's interesting to hear the apostle Paul say to Timothy, "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake." Why do you think he said that? "Drink no longer water?" I'll tell you why I believe he said it, because Timothy never drank anything but water. The fact that Paul has to instruct him to take a little wine, and tell him not to just drink water indicates to me that Timothy did not customarily drink wine. That wasn't something that was necessarily an overt command to him. That was a choice he made, an uncommon standard.
I believe in Luke chapter 1, it says of John the Baptist, "He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink." It tells us that an elder in 1 Timothy is not to be given to wine. It says it in Titus he's not to be given to wine. The point is this, people. Those who choose the highest and the best, those who desire to live at the most uncompromising level of commitment, seek an uncommon standard.
And I think in this day, I know in my own life, that's a choice that I've made. It doesn't make me more spiritual. It's just that I feel that that's one place where I can set an uncommon standard for myself, that I might not be drawn into a compromising position, that I might avoid all appearance of evil.
So, Daniel, though the king commanded it, didn't drink. How much easier it should be for us when there's no such command upon us and no necessity, either? Great men, you know - and I'm sure that Daniel knew God's laws on this - great men have fallen to the power of drink. You have only to look further in the book of Daniel to see Belshazzar losing the Babylonian Empire in the midst of a drunken stupor.
You have only to study history to realize that at the age of 33, Alexander the Great lost the world empire because he was already a full-fledged drunkard. When the iron duke of England, called the Duke of Wellington, was marching his army across the Iberian Peninsula, word was brought to his headquarters that ahead of him was a vast store of Spanish wine that his troops could enjoy. He stopped his army on the spot. He sent some of his men ahead. And he said, "Blow it to bits." And they blew the winery to pieces, and then he marched his army on.
It is said that the reason Napoleon Bonaparte lost the battle at Waterloo to the victorious Duke of Wellington was because the night before Marshal Ney tarried too long over his favorite glass of wine, and the next morning his head was clouded, his mind unsteady, and he made bad decisions.
When France fell in World War II against Hitler, Marshal Petain said, quote: "France was defeated because its army was drunk." And the Vichy government of 1940 said the reason for the collapse for the moral fiber of the French army was due to alcohol, plain and simple.
It's never done anybody any favors. Daniel had an uncommon standard. A really uncompromising life will not play on the edge of what is right, it will choose the highest and the noblest and the best. Let me give you one more.
An uncompromising life is characterized by an unashamed boldness, an uncommon standard, and thirdly, an earthly protection, an unearthly protection. This is great. Verse 9, "Now God - " I love those two words. Did you get that? "Now God - " You know as well as I do - get this - that when anybody establishes a standard like Daniel did, God will be on his side, right? So, it's only a matter of time until we read, "Now God." It didn't take long. "Daniel purposed in his heart," in verse 8, and God moved in verse 9.
Beloved, if you don't get anything else, get this, that God responds to this kind of commitment. "God had brought Daniel into favor and compassion with the prince of the eunuchs." Amazing.
Now, you know, let me just talk about this for a minute. It's axiomatic, I think, that even if people disagree with your convictions, they admire you for sticking up to them, right? I mean, everybody loves somebody with character. You know, you're so sick of wishy-washy, pusillanimous little puny people who vacillate about everything, who flow like flotsam and jetsam with the tide, like water-soaked sticks washing back and forth under a pier. You get so tired of people who are spineless. It is axiomatic, that when you meet somebody with convictions, you respect that person, especially if their convictions are strong, moral, conscientious convictions.
Integrity, I think, is a valued thing. We put a premium on integrity. But that's not the issue here. It wasn't Daniel's integrity that swayed Ashpenaz, the prince of the eunuchs. Now, you say, "Well, maybe it was just that Daniel was such a nice guy." Well, I think he was. I think Daniel had a gracious and loving personality. I think that comes out further on in this section as we see some more things about him. The way he talks is such a loving, and there's such a gentleness about him, such a lack of pushiness. He's just a beautiful kind of character that naturally goes with a godly man. We would expect to find it.
But I don't even think it was even his amazing personality. So I don't think it was the human value placed on integrity and so forth. I don't think it was the pleasing personality of the man. I think the reason things went so well is this. "Now God brought Daniel into favor and compassion." Sovereign act of God.
This is so important, folks. God is controlling everything. God had a plan for Daniel. God had a purpose for Daniel. And God wanted Daniel to be a witness in Babylon. I believe Daniel is the key, in one sense, to a great part of the panorama of the Christmas story. I question whether ever would be wise men coming from the east if there never was a Daniel. I mean, God had a long-range plan for this guy.
Behind the scenes of the return at the end of the 70 years, as the people go back to their land, behind the scenes is the character and the ministry of Daniel, whom I believe brought it to pass as the agent of God. Amazing man. God had a plan and God - now watch this - just moved into the heart of that guy and He just pushed in there favor and compassion, and He said in His sovereignty, "Ashpenaz, you will love Daniel." And he did, and he did.
And I don't guess he knew why he did, but he did. It's tremendous. And you know, even Nebuchadnezzar, who was brilliant, who was powerful, couldn't do anything to sway or change the plan of God. God put it into that man's heart to be kind to Daniel.
Well, I might worry about it for a minute, but it passes very rapidly. Because I'm saying, "Look, God. This is Your Word. You got me into this, now get me out of it." And I believe that until the time comes when God says, "It's time for you to be finished, MacArthur," I believe I enjoy an unearthly protection. That's just the way it is. I think God protects those who make a commitment to Him.
Now, what's important about this is - now listen to me - usually we compromise because we're afraid we'll get into trouble, when the fact is if we didn't compromise God would be our protection in the midst of trouble. But as soon as you compromise, you forfeit that unearthly protection and you're on your own. And then one compromise leads to what? Another compromise, and another one, and then you're really stuck, because if you ever tell the truth, they know you've been a phony all along. Uncompromising, that's Daniel, and God protected him.
In 1 Kings 8:50, it says, "And forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against Thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion upon them." Here are people saying, "God, give them compassion." And God will do it, God will do it.
People say, "You know, if we were living in a society that was oppressive and if we were - people were coming down on us, and shooting us for our faith, and so forth and so on, would we still speak the truth?" Listen, if we didn't speak the truth and compromised, we would be on our own. If we spoke the truth, no matter what happened, then God is our unearthly protector.
And if God says, "You live," there isn't a king in the world that could take your life, right? Not one. Boy, that's terrific. You have nothing to fear. You say, "Well, if I really say what I think, if I really stand for the truth, I'll lose my job." So, compromise and lose God's resource. Does that make sense? Who do you want on your team, your boss or God? There isn't a boss in the world who could move you until God allows it.
Psalm 106:46. I just have to share this with you, because I think it sums up the whole idea. Listen, this is great. It's talking here about how God cares for His people. This is so good. "He made them - " this is talking about His people Israel. "He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives." Now listen to me. This isn't just Ashpenaz. God made the whole pile of Chaldeans and Babylonians compassionate toward His people. Do you realize that God can not only sway a king, God can sway an entire society?
Why? Because, verse 45 says He is a covenant keeping God and He made a covenant with His people. And, beloved, we have a covenant with our God in Christ, don't we? If we live an uncompromising life, God will take care of us.
Instead of confronting that pagan situation, he gets afraid. So, you know what he does? He pretends he's nuts. That's right. That's exactly what he did. He pretended he was crazy. And the first thing he did was he started slobbering in his beard. The Bible says he drooled all over his beard. Now the beard in the orient was a sign of your dignity. To slobber in your beard was very, very undignified. I think it still leaves a lot to be desired. But anyway, it was a very undignified behavior.
And you know what the king says? Look, we've got enough nuts in this court. Get rid of that guy. That's what he said. And they shipped him out of there and he goes, "Oh, oh, my plan worked." And then he crawls in a cave out in the middle of nowhere, and he pens a psalm. And the psalm, in effect, says, "God, I was really a fool, wasn't I? I compromised." And for all history, God recorded that stupidity so everybody would know it. Instead of believing that You were my deliverer, and if I had lived in an uncompromising way, unashamedly bold, before those people, if I had lived at an uncommon standard, I would have had an unearthly protection.
And those Philistines couldn't have laid a hand on me anymore than Goliath with his great big Philistine sword could do anything against my little handful of rocks. Oh, how soon David forgot. An unearthly protection is promised to the one who doesn't compromise.
There's a great word. You have to hear it. Proverbs 16:7, just listen. "When a man's ways please the Lord, - " listen to this " - he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Is that great? "When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." So, what is the point in life then? Please the Lord. Live with an unashamed boldness. Live at an uncommon standard and gain an unearthly protection. Boy, it's exciting to have that sense of being invincible.
Beloved, can I say this to you? The hearts of all men are in the hands of God. You see it? They're in the hands of God, the hearts of all men. Not some men, the hearts of all men. And all you have to do is please God and He'll control their hearts. So, Daniel's life portrays what God will do for a person who is faithfully obedient to Him.
By the way, look back at verse 9 for a moment. The word "favor" is the word for "tender love, compassion," so forth, really means "unfailing love." He had a virtuous kind of unfailing love, as well as a gut-level, just an affection. It was both a true kind of love, and one that knew emotion. This guy really loved Daniel. Oh, what a setup this is for Daniel.
You know something? If you want to get somewhere in God's kingdom, you don't have to play politics. Just don't compromise. Let God put you there. If God wants to life you up in a society, or lift you up in a church, or lift you up in a ministry, or lift you up in some kind of situation, live an uncompromising life, and let God work on the hearts of people who will draw you to that place. Don't seek it on your own.
God takes special care of His faithful, uncompromising people. I think of little Moses. What does Moses know? All he knows is he's floating down the Nile River. He doesn't know from what. Next thing he knows, he's living in Pharaoh's palace.
You say, "How did he get there?" He just got picked up and stuck there. And you know what? Even his own mother was there to nurse him. Who masterminded that? God did. We don't need to use politics, self-effort. When we don't compromise, we have an unearthly protection. Let's bow together in prayer.
Father, what great truths we've learned tonight. An uncompromising life. Oh, the blessedness of an uncompromising life with an unashamed boldness that calls on us to live at an uncommon standard, that allows us to depend totally on an unearthly protection. And that's only the beginning, Lord. There are at least five other things in this chapter. How majestic, and marvelous, and thrilling to know that blessedness from You is given to the one who lives by Your standards.
Thank You, Father, for what You've taught us tonight. Make us an uncompromising people with the same kind of love, the same kind of gentleness, the same kind of tenderness that we saw in Daniel. The same kind of gentleness and tenderness we see in Jesus, but never compromising on what we know is the absolute truth of Your Word.
Help us not to live the way other people live. Help us to choose a cut above. Help us never to be ashamed. To echo with the apostle Paul, "I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation." May we never be ashamed so that when we see You face to face You will never be ashamed of us.
Thank You, Lord, for calling us to this life and promising us Your protection when we live it. For the glory of Christ we pray. Amen.


CHISPA EMPRENDEDORA is an organization that is led by a group of young people. The organization Chispa Emprendedora arose out of the necessity of creating social conscience regarding the value added by the entrepreneur, at the individual as well as societal level, transforming dreamers into doers who adopt a culture of entrepreneurism as their life's work.
To motivate and drive the culture of entrepreneurship in the Dominican Republic, stimulating an attitude of empowerment and the creation of opportunities.
To be an influential agent for sociocultural transformation in the ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Latin America.
Spark Wednesdays are the monthly meetings of the community of entrepreneurs of one city, where they share topics, stories and resources that are of collective interest.
•	To create a community of integrated entrepreneurs in the city.
•	To motivate the entrepreneurial spirit among the participants.
•	To connect entrepreneurs and amplify their network of contacts in the community.
•	To hear stories and learn lessons of successful entrepreneurs and from others who are making the attempt.
•	To facilitate information and access to useful resources.
•	To promote entrepreneurship as a philosophy of life.
The Sparkathon, formerly Entrepreneur Spark Forum, arises from an intense motivational encounter in which entrepreneurs, some successful and others trying to be, share their life trajectories, helping the participants visualize new horizons, awakening an interest in pursuing their dreams and taking action to this effect.
The event takes place in four to eight hour sessions, in which a program of activities is developed based on interractions of different formats that guarantee a very active and entertaining dynamic, which seeks to ensure that by the end of the meeting the participants are submerged into a world in which exploring new opportunities is converted into their philosophy of life.
The university tour is a program based on entrepreneurship workshops of two hours involving a dynamic program about the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.


If you can have dairy, I recommend using vanilla whey protein powder. Low carb. I use vanilla or chocolate flavored vegan protein and because of this I add a few extra drops of peppermint extract for taste.
*Another great addition to this is adding 1 tsp instant coffee for a little pick me up.


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