text:
Ramón Malla i Call, né le  à La Seu d'Urgell (Catalogne, Espagne) et mort le  à Lérida (Catalogne, Espagne), est un ecclésiastique espagnol. Il est évêque de Lérida de 1968 à 1999, administrateur apostolique du diocèse d'Urgell de 1969 à 1971 et à ce titre, coprince d'Andorre par intérim.

Biographie
Ramón Malla i Call est nommé évêque de Lérida par Paul VI en 1968.

En avril 1969, il est nommé par le pape administrateur apostolique d'Urgell en succédant à Ramon Iglesias y Navarri, évêque titulaire, et à ce titre il assure les fonctions de coprince d'Andorre par intérim jusqu'à l'installation du nouvel évêque, Joan Martí i Alanis, le .

Il se retire en 1999 et devient évêque émérite de Lérida.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Liste des coprinces d'Andorre
 Liste des évêques de Lérida

Évêque de Lérida
Évêque d'Urgell
Coprince épiscopal
Étudiant de l'université pontificale de Salamanque
Étudiant de l'université pontificale grégorienne
Naissance en septembre 1922
Naissance à La Seu d'Urgell
Décès en avril 2014
Décès à 91 ans
Décès à Lérida
Coprince d'Andorre du XXe siècle


of audacity". In a skillfully cultivated garden, he manages to overcome the abominable monster that suddenly jumped on him; it turns into an ordinary frog, and someone standing behind him calls him the name of the phantom. "This is Public Opinion," he says, "and I am Wit." Following his new companion, Julius sees amusing and instructive scenes in which, apart from the four young men, Daring is involved, first discouraging Julia by her defiant and bold look, Delicacy, Decency, Modesty; they walk around the green meadows created by the great sorceress fantasy, and they themselves are brought to life by her will. They then change their masks, then reveal their true faces; but it is precisely Insolence that, with its independence and perceptiveness, attracts our traveler more and more.
to meet something extraordinary. Nothing could hit him, least of all his own doom. Without a cause and without a purpose, he wandered between things and people, like a man who with trembling waits for something that his happiness depends on. Everything could deceive him, and at the same time nothing could satisfy him.
In this case, none of the manifestations of debauchery could not turn into an integral habit for him, for he had as much contempt as levity. In the end, this contempt turned him away from his current companions; he remembered the girlfriend of his adolescence, the tender, exalted and innocent girl; hurried to return to her, he found her already formed, but as noble, thoughtful and proud as before. He decided to possess it, with disgust, rejecting the slightest consideration of morality; but when he almost reached his, a sudden stream of her tears cooled him and caused in his soul something resembling repentance. After that, he again plunged into the old way of life; but soon in this whirlpool of entertainment he met another girl whom he wanted to possess completely, despite the fact that he found it among those, who almost openly belongs to everyone; she was almost as evil as she is innocent, and usually in her relations with men, doing what she considered her duty remained completely cold; But Julius had the good fortune to please her, and she suddenly became attached to him more than this can be expressed in words. Perhaps, for the first time, she did not like the environment, which until now was quite satisfied with her. Julius felt and rejoiced at this, but he could not completely overcome the contempt that his profession and her corruption had taught him. When she told him that he would be the father of her child, he considered himself deceived and left her. Her servant called him to her; after much persuasion he followed him; in her office it was dark, he was attached to her – and heard a deep sigh, which was the last; glancing at himself, he saw, that he is in the blood. In a fit of desperation, she inflicted numerous wounds, most of which were fatal… This incident filled him with horror and disgust for public prejudice. Repentance was suppressed by pride, only enhanced by that feeling of a new, more endured contempt for the world, which he felt in himself.
However, time passed, and he met a woman who relieved him of this disease. She combined courtesy and artistry with self-control and courage; deifying her, he did not consider himself entitled to try to disturb her family happiness; feeling for her became for his spirit a strong focus and the foundation of a new world. He again realized in himself the vocation to the divine art; his passion and his youth, he devoted to the artist's lofty work, and gradually the sea of inspiration absorbed the flow of his love feelings.
It happened, however, that he met a young artist who, like him, passionately worshiped the beautiful. Only a few days they spent together, and Lucinda gave himself to him forever, revealing to him the depth of her soul and all the strength, naturalness and loftiness that lurked in her. For a long time he called passion what he felt for her, and tenderness for what she gave him; flashed for more than two years before he realized that he was infinitely loved and loved himself with no less force. Love, he realized, is not only a secret inner need for the infinite; it is at the same time a sacred pleasure in the common affinity. Only in the answer of your "You" can each "I" fully experience its infinite unity.
The highest manifestation of the mind is not to act according to one's intention, but to indulge in the whole soul of imagination and not interfere with the fun of the young mother with her baby. Let the man worship the beloved, the mother – the child and all – the eternal man. And the soul will comprehend the complaint of the nightingale and the smile of the newborn and will understand the meaning of everything that the secret writings inscribe in colors and stars; the sacred meaning of life, as well as the eternal language of nature. She will never be able to leave this magical circle, and everything she creates or says will sound like an amazing romance about the wonderful mysteries of the children's world of the gods, accompanied by the enchanting music of the senses and adorned with the full bloom of a sweet life full of deep meaning.


text:
Gibraltar poised to become first cryptocurrency hub – CNET
The British overseas territory is reviewing a proposal for blockchain firm Valereum to acquire the Gibraltar Stock Exchange, which would allow the territory to serve as a platform to trade bitcoin and dogecoin alongside traditional bonds, according to The Guardian.
This is just the latest indication of the rise in prominence and influence of cryptocurrency, with bitcoin, ether and dogecoin, among many other cryptocurrencies, seeing an explosion of value over the last two years. Thanks to exposure from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, who talked about dogecoin on Saturday Night Live, and Jack Dorsey, who changed the name of his payments company from Square to Block, mainstream consumers have taken an interest in crypto.
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The Guardian notes that a best-case scenario would mean the territory becomes a center for the ultra-hot market for cryptocurrency, while a worst-case scenario with loose regulations could lead to reputational damage and potential diplomatic sanctions.
Valereum and the Gibraltar Stock Exchange didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the report and pending deal.
Spice up your small talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews. Delivered on weekdays.
Gibraltar, once seen as a tax haven, will start a new life as a global hub for cryptocurrency trading.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php
declare(strict_types = 1);

namespace App\Services\Notification\Notifications;

use App\Services\Notification\Notification;

class Warning implements Notification
{
    private $type = 'warning';

    private $content;

    public function __construct(string $content)
    {
        $this->content = $content;
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     */
    public function content()
    {
        return [
            'type' => $this->type,
            'content' => $this->content
        ];
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Sinzig es un municipio situado en el distrito de Ahrweiler, en el estado federado de Renania Palatinado (Alemania). Su población estimada a finales de 2016 era de .

Se encuentra ubicado al norte del estado, cerca de la frontera con el estado de Renania del Norte-Westfalia.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Localidades del distrito de Ahrweiler

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Is the IMF right to think there is only a 1pc chance of a global recession over the next year?
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) puts the chances of growth in global output falling below the recession threshold of 2pc next year at just one in a hundred. Is this too sanguine a view?
Yet right now, the world economy is all over the place. Some advanced economies - notably the US and the UK - are rebounding quite strongly, others are sinking yet further into the mire, and almost everywhere, estimates of potential future growth are being revised down.
A year ago, the IMF confidently predicted that by now, a mild recovery would have taken hold in the eurozone. These hopes have been dashed, many would say predictably so. In Japan too, Abenomics is already disappointing the high expectations vested in them.
It is also a very mixed picture in emerging markets; some are still going up, others - such as Brazil - have ground to a halt. The overarching story, however, is one of slowdown.
Put all this altogether and you have what Christine Lagarde, the IMF's managing director, has termed "the new mediocrity", a somewhat trite soundbite, perhaps, but one that describes the becalmed overall nature of the global economy quite well.
The IMF is nearly always wrong to some degree in its forecasting, sometimes spectacularly so, as occurred with the financial crisis. Even a becalmed global economy is better than a shipwrecked one, so it is worth asking what could come along to disrupt the IMF prognosis of ongoing mediocrity?
With help from the latest WEO, which details some of these risks, here are what I think of as the top ten threats.
1. Geo-political risk is at its highest since the Iraqi war, and many would argue, much more dangerous, with Russia apparently determined to re-establish its old Soviet borders whatever the economic costs and to relations with the West. Always chaotic, the Middle East has descended into an apparent inferno with severely negative economic consequences for much of the region, never mind the consequences of Western nations getting bogged down in another costly war. Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong meanwhile threaten an ugly denouement.
2. Both the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East pose a severe threat to oil and gas production, which could cause fuel prices to spike, further adding to deflationary pressures in the West. This might, admittedly, seem the least of our worries at the moment, with oil prices in apparent free fall on fears of reduced demand and oversupply. Falling prices might reasonably be thought of as a boon, except that they also tend to be indicative of something more sinister - a fast slowing global economy.
3. A hard landing in China seems to me to be pretty much hard baked into the system already. This is what the IMF has to say about it. "Real estate investment has been an important engine of growth in China, and it will be challenging to allow the imbalances in the market— including signs of overvaluation in large cities and oversupply in many smaller cities—to correct while preventing an excessively sharp slowdown". To this should be added the observation that a great many other industries depend on China's real estate boom, from construction to steel and household appliances.
Credit booms of a similar order of magnitude elsewhere have historically nearly always led to sharp corrections. It is naive to think that China, because it is a command economy, can somehow avoid such an outcome. Admittedly, it can more easily write off, or otherwise monetise, the debt overhang than would be possible in the West, but the idea that this can be done without consequences is for the birds. Investors remain far too sanguine about this threat.
4. Normalisation of monetary policy in the Anglo-Saxon economies could prove highly disruptive to financial markets, grown drunk on years of ultra-easy money. Quantitative easing is due to end in the US either this month or next, with an interest rate rise likely to follow towards the middle of next year. Britain is likely to embark on interest rate rises sooner still. Nobody thinks rates will rise very far, yet in any tightening cycle, markets have a habit of taking things into their own hands . The risks of a disorderly unwind remain quite high, despite all the warnings markets have had of tighter money to come. Higher rates and less easy credit will also have adverse consequences for still stretched household balance sheets.
5. The existential threat to Europe's single currency has been removed, but it has left the Continent in a state of economic torpor, with even Germany now struggling to achieve meaningful growth. Outright deflation remains a real and present danger, with the authorities apparently incapable of moving fast or boldly enough to nip the condition in the bud.
6. The idea of "secular stagnation", touted by a number of fashionable American economists, is in my view a somewhat meaningless concept, but there is no doubt that potential growth more or less everywhere has slowed considerably. Business investment has been worryingly reluctant to pick up.
7. This loss of potential growth may have something to do with the size of the debt overhang, which the crisis was meant to fix. In fact the very reverse has occurred since then, with the world economy gearing up even further. The only form of growth the world seems capable of is the credit fueled variety. Total indebtedness - public and non financial private debt - has risen by a further 20pc of global GDP since the crisis. Some of these debts will never be repaid - think public borrowing in Japan and Italy.
8. Grown complacent on easy money, financial markets are once again badly underpricing risk, with spreads compressed and volatility at exceptionally low levels. As already noted, this has so far failed to induce a meaningful pickup in investment, confirming the presence of bubble like conditions.
9. Few of the lessons of the crisis seem to have been learned. House price bubbles, a major contributing cause of the crisis, have re-emerged in a number of advanced and developing market economies.
10. Ageing populations are reinforcing the loss of economic potential, which in turn will leave many countries struggling to maintain their pension and healthcare promises.
Is the IMF right to think there is only a 1pc chance of a global recession over the next year? I'd say that's wishful thinking.


After the second parliamentary buildings at Front and Berkley Street burnt, until new buildings were erected, the members of the assembly met at the vacant hospital on the northeast corner of John and King Street West. The hospital was empty as although its construction had been completed, there were no funds to furnish, equip and staff the facility. However, in 1829, the hospital regained possession of the premises, as funding had been secured. Members of the legislature relocated to the York Courthouse on the northwest corner of King Street East and Church Street. This building, designed by John G. Howard, was built in 1827 and demolished in 1853.
There was considerable disagreement over where to build new parliament buildings, many members of the assembly favouring reconstruction on the site of the ruins of the previous structures. Others argued that the site was unhealthy due to the malarial swamps near the mouth of the Don River. Finally, they decided to build on Front Street, to the west of the town, between John and Simcoe Streets. Today, the CBC occupies the site.
Construction commenced in 1830, and the first session of the legislative assembly opened on October 12, 1832. The ruins of the previous building (second parliament buildings) near the Don River still existed and were inhabited by a destitute family that had simply moved in without any legal permission. The new (third) Parliament Buildings in York (Toronto), were designed by Thomas Rogers of Kingston and were considerably more ambitious, reflecting the growth of the province. Facing south toward the lake, the buildings were aligned east-west. There was a centre section, on either side of it wings containing offices and records. Large chimneys reached skyward, in an era that lacked central heating and fireplaces were required. The area soon became known as the "Government quarter," as the residence of the lieutenant governor of the province was nearby, at King and Simcoe.
The assembly met in the building from its opening in 1832 until 1841, when the capitol was relocated to Kingston following the union of Upper and Lower Canada. The structures on Front Street were empty at times, and for a few years were employed as an asylum. Between 1856 and 1859 the seat of government returned to Toronto, but during the years 1861 to 1867 they became barracks. In 1867, after confederation, Toronto was declared the permanent site of the government of the province.
The buildings now remained in continuous use for the legislative assembly, but by the late 1870s, they desperately needed updating and repairing. In the late-1880s, they finally decided to erect new and larger buildings on a different site. In 1892, the seat of government relocated to Queen's Park, overlooking University Avenue.
The Parliament Buildings on Front Street in 1910, after they had been abandoned. Toronto Archives, F1244, It.3177.


Place ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High in 30-second bursts, stirring between, until mixture is creamy (about 2-3 minutes of total microwave time). Spread immediately on cooled cakes, cookies or brownies. Allow to set at room temperature before serving.
Place leftover frosting in a parchment-lined loaf pan and refrigerate. Slice into squares and enjoy like fudge!


text:
Governmental Organizations Collaborated with Department of History /
Current page: Governmental Organizations Collaborated with Department of History
Collaboration with the Department of History has been central to the partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), which was reaffirmed in January, and the efforts of E. Thomas Ewing, a professor of History and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, have played a key role. Among the recent successes of the partnership are four workshops: the NLM-hosted Viral Networks workshop, "The Spanish Influenza of 1918," "Flu! The 1918 Spanish Influenza in American and World History," and "Images and Texts in Medical History."


Whether you play RTS, FPS, MMO, or RPG, this is the gaming keyboard for a serious gamer like yourself to get your hands on.??
BAT axles design with various tactile feedback to provide the ultimate gamer's "Golden Touch"
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And get 10% discount off all your future orders until end of 2017.


text:
Q: MasterMind Decoder Console App using C# FilterMethod I need to have my computer solve the game MasterMind, given a secret code that I am thinking of. The secret code that I am imagining consists of digits from 0 to 9 and can be composed of 3, 4, or 5 characters. The only information that I can provide to my program is how many digits my secret code has, whether duplicates are allowed, and for each attempt that my program makes, I can tell it how many digits in the code it tried are present and in the correct position, and how many digits are present but in the wrong position.

My Main code:
string code;
bool guessed = false;
int correctPeg, presentPeg;
mm.setOptions();
do {
    guessed = false;
    while (!guessed) {
        // Insert code necessary for logic

        if (!mm.IsGuessCorrect(code)) {
            Console.WriteLine("Code incorrect");
            continue;
        }
        // Verify if code is correct
        guessed = mm.IsGuessed(code);
        if (guessed) {
            Console.WriteLine("I Win");
            break;
        }
        // Ottiene gli aiuti e lo mostra all'utente
        mm.ReadHelp(code, out correctPeg, out presentPeg);
        Console.WriteLine($"{correctPeg} {presentPeg}");
    }
    if (mm.LimitReached(code)) {
        Console.WriteLine("You Lose");
        break;
    }

} while (mm.MoreGuess());

This Main is built following a library that served only to give the number of digits in the combination and give me as output; if digit is in the correct position and if digit is in the wrong position.
I thought to use a list of all combinations and then start to filter it in based on the User's answer but don't know how to filter this list.

I need help to implement Filter Method for the list.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home/News/AI is Solving Classical Computing's Quantum Problem/Full Text
AI is Solving Classical Computing's Quantum Problem
By R. Colin Johnson
By running clever AI neural networks that analyze the similarities among interactions, the number of equations that need to be solved to fully describe the many-body problem of quantum interactions can be reduced to solving just four.
Credit: Flatiron Institute
Artificial intelligence (AI)—in particular, machine learning (ML)— recently began to solve problems for which quantum computers are targeted, according to researchers at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), the Flatiron Institute (New York City), and IBM (Yorktown Heights, NY).
"ML cannot emulate every quantum algorithm," said Hsin-Yuan Huang, a quantum information theorist at CalTech, "but ML can emulate more quantum algorithms than classical algorithms that do not have learning abilities. For example, to solve the problem of finding quantum ground states [lowest energy levels], one typically wants to use adiabatic [thermodynamic] quantum algorithms. But we've proven that a classical ML model can learn from data to predict these ground states efficiently."
Quantum computers, once thought to be "superior" to classical computers, increasingly are being seen as yet another accelerator for specialized problems, according to IBM, which is developing what it calls neuro-symbolic AI—an ML method using classical computer hardware. IBM also is experimenting with hyperdimensional ML accelerators to work alongside classical computer hardware. These alternative accelerator architectures are being developed in parallel with its continued development of quantum computer accelerators for classical computers.
"Quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but [like other accelerator architectures] will rather work in concert with them, since each have their unique strengths," according to IBM Research's Jay Gambetta, John Bunnels, Dmitri Maslov, and Edwin Penault, who wrote an IBM Research Blog post in 2019 arguing that the claim of quantum "supremacy" over classical computers is flawed.
The Classical Advantage
More recently, physicists at New York City's Flatiron Institute, in association with the University of Bologna, Italy, reported a 25,000-times speed-up in solving a daunting quantum problem using classical computers accelerated by ML. The Flatiron Institute research, led by visiting researcher Domenico Di Sante, demonstrated a solution to the quantum physics many-body problem that future quantum computers will aim to solve, but which classical computers struggle with today. By harnessing AI along with classical computer algorithms, the Flatiron Institute researchers reduced the problem of solving 100,000 coupled differential equations to just four.
Explained Di Sante, an assistant professor of the University of Bologna currently in residence at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Quantum Physics, "Differential equations form the language used to model almost all physical phenomena in both the classical and the quantum world, from weather forecasts to the evolution of the universe to the dynamics of quantum electrons and subnuclear particles. All ambits of physical modeling benefit from tackling the problem of a large number of coupled differential equations. In this sense, our new data-driven approach to compress the complexity of many-body problems will be helpful to both classical and quantum fields."
Since classical computers using Di Sante's ML algorithms can simplify the solution of problems previously thought to require future quantum computers to solve efficiently, its accomplishment mitigates the need for full-blown universal quantum computers.
"Efficiently solving for the effective interaction among many-particles is a big deal in quantum physics, especially for interactions within quantum materials. It saves memory, computational power, and offers physical insight. Our work demonstrates how ML and quantum physics intersect constructively. It is difficult to quantify what will be our work's direct impact on quantum computers, but that field is facing the same problem—large, high-dimensional data sets that need compression in order to manipulate and study efficiently," said Di Sante. "I would love to discover that our more-efficient solution method can shed light onto the intricate nature of future quantum computer architectures."
One caveat to Di Sante's approach is that the entire body of 100,000 equations must first be solved (which, in this example, took weeks of classical computer time). His ML algorithm then derived from that solution the smallest set of equations that could provide a specified level of accuracy. Hopefully, now that the ML algorithm has been constructed, future tweaking of it will enable the group to solve similar quantum problems without requiring weeks of preliminary computer time.
Other research groups have been following similar paths in integrating AI algorithms to solve quantum problems on classical computers, but without the weeks-long preparatory computer time of Di Sante's solution. One such group working with the U.S. National Institute of Science and Technology and Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria, recently demonstrated new results at CalTech. Instead of devoting weeks of classical computer time to first solving the gigantic space of purely mathematical equations describing a many-body interaction, this group used its ML algorithm to analyze empirical many-body data measured in the real world. Although applicable only to a single problem—since empirical data is only available to be collected from specific cases—this method avoids the long weeks of preparatory computer time using Di Sante's approach.
The group, led by Caltech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, proved that ML combined with classical computers also can solve a quantum many-body problem (efficiently predicting not only the ground-state of a quantum material, but also classifying the quantum phases of the material, and similar problems that future full-blown quantum computers also will be able to solve efficiently.)
Caltech agrees using ML with classical computers cannot emulate every quantum algorithm. However, ML accelerators for classical computers have now been demonstrated by these researchers to emulate more quantum algorithms than classical algorithms that are not based on learning.
The landscape is improving, according to Huang. CalTech first solved the quantum ground state problem for its particular case, then reapplied that algorithmic approach to predict quantum phases of matter, raising the group's hope that it can apply the approach to other quantum problems as well.
R. Colin Johnson is a Kyoto Prize Fellow who has worked as a technology journalist for two decades.
Robot Dog Contributes to AI Research
Effective Altruism Is Pushing a Dangerous Brand of AI Safety
A History of One Brute-Force Attack
Alex Vakulov


text:
Netherlands PM Mark Rutte WARNS Russia's Putin over Malaysia plane crash
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has described as 'disgusting' pictures of Ukraine rebels digging through the possessions of people killed in disaster.
In a short news conference, Rutte said he had just had a 'very intense' phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. 'I told him "time is running out for you to show the world that you have good intentions, that you will take responsibility",' Rutte said.
Putin now 'has to show that he will do what is expected of him and will exert his influence,' the Dutch prime minister said.
'It is 35 degrees there. The bodies need to be recovered now. I want to see results, unhindered access and the repatriation of the victims.'
The phone conversation with Putin was 'very personal', the Dutch prime minister said.
'I think the entire Dutch population knows people who directly or indirectly know someone who was on board. There were 80 people under the age of 18, of whom 23 were under the age of 12 and three were babies. It is too terrible for words.'
Images of rebels holding up children's toys were 'too disgusting for words', Rutte said. Such action is also hindering the investigation into the crash, he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans met Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in Kiev and told him the Netherlands was 'angry, furious' at the news that bodies were being dragged around the crash site, Reuters said.
'Once we have the proof, we will not stop before the people are brought to justice. Not just the people who pulled the trigger but also those who made it possible. I think the international community needs to step up its efforts in this respect,' Reuters quoted Timmermans as saying.
According to Dutch broadcaster Nos, Poroschenko in turn told Timmermans it is unacceptable that international experts are being denied access to the disaster zone.
'We will not tolerate interference with the work of the commission and that those representatives of other countries do not have the possibility of conducting an objective investigation,' Poroshenko is quoted as saying.
However, the separatists deny interfering, Nos television reports. It quotes 'one of their commanders' as saying they have promised the OSCE that they will not touch bodies or the remains of the plane.
As well as Dutch, Malaysian and Ukrainian researchers have arrived in the region to begin investigating the crash. Two German forensic pathologists are also on their way to Ukraine, as is a six strong-British team, Nos television said.
Malaysia Airlines released the full passenger list on Saturday. The Dutch death toll is now put at 193, out of 298 people on board the plane.
Read more Dutch News
Filed Under: Global


1. What led you to begin the adoption/foster care process?
Investing in youth and students is something that Logan and I have been passionate about throughout the course of our marriage and when we were single. I grew up in New England and Logan was raised in Ohio. We met in Springfield, MO in 2006 and since that time, the Lord has allowed us to join Him in some amazing adventures. One of which is our journey in foster care and adoption... something neither of us ever considered when we were growing up. Neither of us had any experience with foster care but God started to open our eyes to it in 2013. Little did we know, He had been preparing our steps long before.
While working and serving at our church in San Diego, we helped to lead a missions trip to Tijuana and that was when the Lord really started to press on Logan's heart. He saw a grandmother raising her 8 grandchildren and the questions started to surface. What happens if grandma is not around? Who else do these kids have? Meanwhile, around the same time, we happened to meet another couple who was fostering through an FFA agency in San Diego and we were intrigued.
We started to pursue some different avenues and finally landed on Angels Foster Family Network. Their ultimate goal is to provide stable, loving homes to foster children ages 0-5 in San Diego. It's also important to note that we had chosen to pursue foster care - where the main goal is reunification with the birth family. Oftentimes, people can misinterpret the purpose but ultimately, the purpose of foster care is to provide a temporary home (temporary can mean a week, a few months, or even years) for these kiddos while their parents or guardians complete case plans in order to reunify.
Logan and I came from incredibly different backgrounds, but we both have had strong influences step in at crucial points in our lives to continue to reflect Christ's love and sovereignty. We wanted to do the same for these children.
2. What is the greatest blessing from your experience?
There are so many blessings! I think I can sum it up to two themes... I'll try. First, we have seen God show Himself so clearly throughout the past few years. We have witnessed His character - His INTENTIONALITY, His SPECIFICITY, His SOVEREIGNTY, His GRACE, His TIMELINESS (note: not mine! :), His PEACE that literally goes beyond my understanding. To know Him in this way has been the greatest blessing. Secondly, He has built our family and given us children through foster care and adoption. During our journey, it was confirmed that we would not be able to have biological children of our own and even still, God had a greater plan. The absolute miracles that we witnessed in our children's adoptions are unbelievable and I'd love to share more at another time.
If you're considering foster care or adoption to meet your own needs, you are going to be sorely disappointed and extremely challenged.
3. What are some of the challenging aspects?
ALL OF IT. I could leave it at that, but essentially every part is hard. In essence, if you're considering foster care or adoption to meet your own needs, you are going to be sorely disappointed and extremely challenged. Nothing about this is about you. You are going to pour into these children night and day, and then you are going to give them back to their families despite what you think or believe is best which is ultimately a test of your faith in God's sovereignty.
Your faith will be challenged, your character, your marriage - everything! But you will taste and see that the Lord is good.
4. How can the church support you?
Oh man, the church is so amazing! We have had numerous people step in at just the right moment, bringing a dinner, dropping off clothes, praying for us... I think just asking the question, "How can we support you guys?" is a great way to open the door.
One thing that I would caution against is to ask questions about the kids' scenarios like, "Where is his/her mom?" and "Are you going to adoption him/her?" There are many things that as foster parents we are not at liberty to share, nor do we want to comprise our kids trust and stories.
Probably the best way that we have been supported is through faithful prayer. There were some seasons that I literally did not think I could make it through mentally, and the prayers of the saints carried me.
5. What advice would you give others, who are interested in pursuing adoption or foster care?
As mentioned earlier, I think the best advice that I can give you is to walk into this journey with your eyes wide open to what the Lord is doing and is calling you towards. Keep your eyes on Him, and not what you think you want or what you think is best. He is the ultimate story teller and despite what you know or see, He is sovereign. Ask Him to open the doors and just show you the very next step that you need to take. If you go into this with your goal being to know Him more, than you cannot lose!
The big answer - The Lord. The practical answer - Infertility. We knew we wanted more children, and we weren't getting pregnant again, so we decided to proceed down the adoption route. We had friends who were foster parents and encouraged us to choose that route. I was scared to death when we started, but now I am so thankful that the Lord brought us down this road.
Too many to list! Probably the biggest is getting to love on these precious children, and learning that my life is not about me. The most unexpected is how our journey impacts others. We have had many opportunities to share Christ with people simply because of the platform of foster care and adoption. Also, I have had the privilege of seeing the Lord work in my life and my family's life because of this journey.
Also too many to list! My schedule is not my own. The department of human services tells me all the many (many!!) appointments/visits/meetings I need to fit into my schedule, and I am often not given much choice in the matter.
It's super inconvenient, and everything is across town from my house, so LOTS of driving. Also, saying goodbye is just as hard as I had feared it would be, but I've also been able to experience firsthand the Lord's healing because of my heartbreak.
My kids have behaviors and challenges that other children don't, and it often makes me feel like a bad mom because of it. I don't think others usually are judging me, but it's hard anyway. We are extremely limited on discipline techniques, which can be super frustrating.
*Trusted friends who are safe to cry to!
Everything you are afraid of happening is real and probably will happen, but it's worth it anyway. The Lord is bigger than your fears, He will sustain when you have nothing left to give, and He will heal when you are broken.
My sister lived in Africa for five years and was a foster care parent. During that time we fell in love with the children that she fostered during our Skype conversations. We felt like God had given us a heart for adoption.
Probably the greatest blessing in our adoption journey has been the opportunity to love outside of our comfort zone. It's been a joy to open our hearts and home to more children and learn from them and their story.
Some challenges have been having to learn how to parent a new way. It's not the same having adopted children and so you can't parent the same.
I think the greatest support is prayer and then offering to watch the kids while the parents and /or biological children get to do something together. Adoption isn't just new life but also a death to what was. That can affect the biological children and so it's important to make sure they understand that while one season may be finished another beautiful season awaits.
I would say to not adopt because you think it would be a good idea but do it because God has called you to it. There are many amazing aspects to adoption but the commitment is the most important part. Feelings come and go but the commitment will keep you going!
When we adopted out first daughter from China in 2006 we visited an orphanage for special needs children. It totally broke our hearts! We got in the taxi to go back to the hotel later that day and through our tears we gave God a promise....that if He ever called us again, our answer would be yes! That prayer changed our lives forever.
People tell us all the time that our adopted children are so fortunate to be here. And I guess that's true. A few of them would not be alive today had they not been adopted by us or another family. But the ultimate blessing has been for US. They have taught us so much about what truly matters in life. They have taught us to slow down and appreciate each day as a gift. And they have taught us to rejoice in the things that we so often take for granted.
Raising six children who have special needs means that each day can definitely have new challenges. And they do! No day is ever the same and issues crop up all the time. Some days it feels like every day presents some kind of challenge. But we have learned along the journey that God's grace is enough for us--He is present in every circumstance and in every trial we face with our children. His grace meets us right in the middle of the challenge. We have actually learned to just embrace the difficult days and trust that something good will always come out of it...because it always, always does.
Sadly, church has been our greatest heartache and challenge in raising our family. Over the years we have been involved with a few churches and have always struggled to find a place to call home. The church simply has not known how to care for our family. They have not known how to reach out, provide child care or just come alongside us. We understand! The church in general is just not equipped to care for those who have special needs. It's been a lonely journey and at times the isolation has felt heartbreaking. Thankfully, this year we did find a church who has gone out of their way to love us and provide the care that each one of our special needs children needs. For that, we are so grateful. To answer your question, I would say that the greatest way that the Church can support families like ours is to find tangible ways to help...especially when it comes to parents being able to sit in church together while their child is taken care of. So many special needs families no longer even go to church because they can't find a place where their family is supported. This breaks my heart.
Stand with arms and hearts wide open. Go into it with realistic expectations--being fully prepared for the journey to be hard and stretching. But even in the hard and the challenging, God shows Himself faithful and true.
After Regina and I had been married for several years, we really began gaining a heart for children and for orphans. After we had been thinking about adoption for some time, we began looking into different options. Initially, our heart and mind was to pursue international adoption, however, we found that we were too young to adopt from most foreign countries. Also, we discovered that there was a massive push to stop international adoption in general, mostly coming from an organization called UNICEF. Due to these factors, we eventually began entertaining the idea of domestic infant adoption. This too was met with some roadblocks.
While we were at a discipleship school in Colorado, in 2013, a girl approached us and mentioned that her friend from back home was 16 and pregnant, and alluded to the fact that we should pursue adopting her baby. At this point we were seriously beginning to be ready to actually step in and commit to adoption. For whatever reason, nothing came of this venture. The baby was adopted by somebody else, which is still fortunate. We also heard of another baby that was up for adoption, and began praying about possibly being her parents. Since we were not licensed or anything, there was no way to pursue this little baby girl that we had been praying about.
A month or so later, one Sunday morning, we listened to a bold message about "The Battle Over Adoption". Our hearts were deeply stirred like never before; we were praying about what this meant for us. The next day, we went to a foster/adoption information meeting at a church. The church was huge, with lots of rooms and hallways and stairs and such, but the room that the meeting took place in was tiny. There were only a handful of people at the meeting, there was no mention of God or the Gospel at all, and there was an overt negativity expressed in regards to the whole idea of international adoption.
At this point, we were invigorated more than ever, and ready to dive in. The next day, in the summer of 2013, we made the decision to pursue foster care, whatever that would look like. We would finish our year in Colorado, and begin the process of becoming licensed foster parents in the beginning of 2014. And that's what we did! And God has been so incredibly gracious and merciful to us in the entire process. We have had 4 children placed with us, and we have adopted three of those little ones as our own. God is good!
One of the number one blessings for us is knowing that these are God's children, this God's work, and God's cause. It is a tremendous privilege to be these little one's Daddy and Mommy. We truly believe that this is life-changing, world-altering, history-shaping work! And God is in this work, and this is His heart. The entire Gospel is about adoption, and we are thrilled to be partners with God in this calling and work.
Foster care specifically has its own challenges, aside from the general adoption difficulties. Having the state directing you, watching over your shoulder, and being so involved in your lives and home is difficult indeed. That would probably be on the top of our list of difficulties. There are other things too, such as children that have been neglected, where they need extra intentional love, affection, guidance, direction, and interaction.
One of the greatest ways our church has supported us is that they have openly and warmly welcomed and accepted our children. They have prayed for us, they brought us meals after we received new placements, brought gifts for the children, others committed to prayer on our behalf, some gave us gift cards, and when we consummated our adoptions, we had a courtroom full of friends celebrating with us. Prayer is definitely the most powerful support, acceptance is huge, and also speaking words of encouragement. Being able to have a place where we could share some of our struggles so that others could feel with us was important too.
Just take the next step. Remember that there is a battle raging, and children, namely orphans, are caught up in the middle of it. They are vulnerable. Raising children, doing foster-care, and adopting orphans is spiritual warfare. The enemy is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus is seeking to give these little ones abundant life. We are the hands and feet of Christ, so we need to be extending His abundant life to others. Surround yourself with a strong support system, and don't forget that it is not more holy or spiritual to do things "on your own". Accept the help that God gives through other people.


Yes, it's finally our favorite time of year again! I did a quick photoshoot with my seasonal wardrobe and I wanted to share with you why these pieces were so important I wanted to spend my super limited annual clothing budget on them. And by saying limited budget, I'm not kidding- I give myself $150 a year to spend on clothing. Max. And with my focus on buying quality pieces that will last season after season, it can be a little hard to buy an entire wardrobe of separates, but I still managed it.
Part of the magic of my spending strategy is that I mostly don't actually buy my Winter clothes in Winter. That's right, I'm one of those people the haunts early Summer sales of clearance Winter items and I just have to wait for a few months before I can take any of them out to play. If you aren't as hard pressed on budget and want to buy this season's clothes now OR you are willing to go with lower quality pieces OR you are willing to buy your clothes second hand then you can likely get the same sort of pieces to set up your own Winter capsule wardrobe.
I think the most essential part of a Winter wardrobe- for places cold enough to have true Winters, at least- is the sweaters. You can obviously see I feel that way by the number of sweaters I've included here. The important thing if you are only going to buy a few of them, though, is to make sure you buy sweaters of different warmth levels. Feeling how thick the fabric is or how heavy it is is usually a good way to tell which sweaters are warmer and which are better suited to wearing in a warm building like at a packed party.
Here the red sweater is warmer and of an unobjectionable design that could work doing errands on the town, at the workplace, or even lounging at home.
The black sparkle sweater is both festive and chic and it's lighter, so it works well as a party sweater as well as a fun weekend or night piece. As I live in a city where some sparkles can be seen as classy instead of tacky I also feel quite comfortable wearing it for everyday living as well.
I have here two very different pants. One is a five pocket jean-like design made out of velvet, and the other is a black trouser with a gold foil design on it. These pants work great color wise as the theme of this capsule wardrobe is sparkle metallics and deep red. Material wise they are also perfectly suited to the season.
I will admit most people would find a more subtle sparkle design would work better for their style than the bold gold leaf design here, but you have to remember that bright loud pieces work perfectly paired with the minimal or even plain pieces you probably have in your wardrobe. I think the gold pants would work well even in an office space if paired with a plain white button down, while for going out at night or just out and about at any time of day I'd happily put it with the black sparkle sweater for a matching kick of fun design. I like to be bold with what I wear like that!
The maroon velvet pants work great for those times you want to wear something a little aesthetically calmer that still looks seasonal and fits the palette of the rest of the pieces here.
I only included one shirt here. Why? Personally, I think you don't actually need many long sleeved shirts, especially when you are layering your shirts with a sweater on top. Plus, you can always just wear a sweater and not actually put a separate shirt underneath. If you wanted to though you could also include any collared sleeveless shirts you normally keep with the out of season clothes this time of year just so that you have the look of a collar popping out without getting too hot from wearing too many warm clothes inside a heated building.
I did include this long sleeve though because I think having at least one is still important for those days when a sweater is too hot but short sleeves are too cool. This is a kelly green waffle weave so it has some texture that will stand up to several seasons of use, and I bought it very affordably at Old Navy. The exact shirt may not be on sale this season but I think if you search affordable retailers like Target or even Amazon you should be able to find a similar waffle weave tee this year as well. Or you could pay a little more for a shirt that will last at a fair trade store?
These are not the only Winter shoes I have- I also have snow boots. I don't need snow boots where I live until sometime after Christmas though. Sadly, we don't get many white Christmases. So for the purpose of a December capsule wardrobe, it wasn't necessary to include them.
These two heels are amazing though. I still use my beat up tennis shoes during my commute, but I like to have heels around for those times when only a heeled shoe will work. That's why I have black sparkle stilettos, and red leather midi heels. The stilettos were bought several seasons ago as part of a Spring collection at Macy's. The red heels were bought on clearance from Topshop last year so they are very gone out of stock now. You can get similar shoes at many stores online this year though- I did check for you guys!- and I think that if you have heels in your closet at all these should be considered staples. In fact, they are two of the four total heels I own at all, and the other two is a pair of espadrille wedges in yellow polka dots for spring and a pair of fiery colorblocked chunky heeled sandals for Summer. I think these two especially are staples for any season's capsule wardrobe and I would happily own just them if I were more of a minimalist.
You don't have to use heels, though. A pair of red leather sneakers and sparkle black flats would also be great shoes to wear for the season that would match the rest of this capsule wardrobe.
What do you think of building outfits from these 7 pieces? Could you wear them to work or parties, or are they too flashy for you?
Love the look, but not feeling the season? Head on over to my warm season post about forest and robin hood inspired fashions!
Love it! I also super thrifty.
It makes life simpler AND gives me a bigger cushion if I ever need that money I saved some day, so it's a win-win to be thrifty for me!


There have been many strange reports of paranormal activity in the hotel, which is still in operation. Staff have reportedly seen a grey-haired walking around the building after closing hours, but upon investigating have found no one there, as well as a ghostly man sitting in the cigar room. The former owner who passed away in the hotel has been seen walking up and down the stairs to the kitchen. Furniture moves around by itself and guests and staff have reported hearing strange booms late at night when there is no one around. Another reported apparition is a red-haired woman who has been seen by guests and staff in an upstairs hallway. Rumours have it she was a witch that was murdered and buried in a nearby cemetery.


It won't be long before Joel Quenneville is trending on Twitter, and not just in Philadelphia.
Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios was in Chicago for Thursday night's Flyers-Blackhawks game, but it was his appearance earlier in the week on WGN Morning News where he opened up about the 60-year-old head coach.
Chelios is hoping the Maple Leafs get bounced in the first round of the playoffs, and with that, the organization elects to part ways with Mike Babcock, currently the league's highest-paid coach after signing an eight-year, $50 million contract in the summer of 2015.
Chelios and others in Chicago see growing tension between Babcock and the Leafs organization, and the former Blackhawks defenseman prefers to see Quenneville land in Toronto or with the future expansion team in Seattle that doesn't start play until the 2021-22 season.
Unquestionably, Babcock's style can wear on players, and with the probability of facing the Boston Bruins again in the first round, Babcock and the Leafs are looking at the possibility of another first-round exit.
As for Quenneville, even his former players believe the three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach is ready to jump at another chance, whether that's in Philadelphia or somewhere else.
Several Blackhawks insiders believe Quenneville's relationship with the general manager and input regarding personnel decisions will go a long way toward determining where he eventually coaches again, pointing to the trades of defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and forward Artemi Panarin, which created organizational strife the past few years in Chicago, and eventually led to Quenneville's firing in early November.
There could be as many as nine teams looking for a permanent head coach heading into the 2019-20 season.
Quenneville admitted he still watches a lot of NHL games, but not as many Blackhawks games.
Perhaps he's evaluating what he sees on the ice and which organization might be a good fit.
When it comes to the Flyers, there's a lot to like.
The Flyers stayed hot at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday by shutting out the Blackhawks, 4-0.
They also did a beautiful job honoring Ray Emery.
The Flyers and Blackhawks wore the No. 29 on their helmets to remember Emery, who died on July 15 at the age of 35.
Emery played for both clubs during his 11-year career and won a Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2013, while helping the Flyers get to the Final in 2010.
"Ray was an outstanding teammate and an extremely gifted goaltender," Flyers president Paul Holmgren said in July. "He had exceptional athleticism, was a fierce competitor and battled in every game he played with the Flyers.
"His performances through the 2009-10 season were a very big part of the team's success in making the playoffs and reaching the Stanley Cup Final. Ray's talent, work ethic and determination helped him enjoy a successful 11-year NHL career."