In 2009, our family took our first cross-country road trip. Since then, we have logged almost 70,000 miles together as a family, criss-crossing the United States many times.
It had two sets of bunkbeds in the back instead of a master bedroom.
It slept up to ten… not comfortably, but it could be done.
I could write for months about the RV, and indeed, I might—but I have met so many parents who want to roadtrip with their kids that I think for this post, I'll cut to the chase and give you some practical tips. If you're homeschooling, a word of caution for those of you who think you're going to be "roadschooling" and that it will look even remotely like regular school.
Also, my husband did not appreciate our lack of privacy—but that's another post for another day.
As I write this, we are on our way home from a long four months of travel. As an author and speaker, we depend on this time of year, as it's the "busy season" for conferences. Our travel is what supports our family in many ways—but we didn't start out that way. We started out with a desire to reach out and touch other families… and along the way, we discovered a new way to live.
Homeschooling? Leave your "regular" school books at home. Really.
Whenever possible, stop and see interesting things. Visit national parks. Visit local aquariums and museums. Learn the history of the places you're visiting. Go to the ocean. Instead of spending our limited funds on places like Disneyland, we opted for places like "The Hermitage" in Tennessee, "Fantastic Caverns" in Springfield, Missouri, "Monticello" and George Washington's home, "Mount Vernon." Our children have seen the Magna Carta, walked the battlefields of Gettysburg and touched the Liberty Bell.*side rant* My husband and I fear for a generation of children who don't know the history of the United States or the path to freedom that was so hard-won. It's not enough for us to expect our kids will learn all they need to know about our history from textbooks. Nothing can take the place of actually being there.Make some *real* memories instead of asking the kids to write about what they're "learning" on the trip. Trust me on this one. They're learning.
Less is more. I took everything and the kitchen sink with me on our first trip—because I didn't know that it was more realistic to think of myself as the "motorhome mama" that I inevitably turned into whenever I didn't feel like using all those "necessary" items. I mean to tell you, that Pampered Chef microwave cooker (which I paid top-dollar for) taunted me from it's place in the cupboard every time we ate at Taco Bell or cracked open a skillet meal from Costco. In 15,000 miles, I used it twice. Two years later, when we swapped our class "C" for a class "A," I brought three things I knew I would use: an electric griddle, a single serve coffee maker (saved us a million bucks in Starbucks) and my crockpot.
Protein > Carbs. When you're on the road for hours at a time, avoid snacks that are rich in carbs. Carbs make kids wiggly and wiggly kids do not last long on the road. We stock our car cooler with hard-boiled eggs, cheese, jerky, nuts, and veggies when we can. And just in case you think I'm no fun at all, we do indulge in bite-sized candy bars and local sweets. But trust me. If you can keep simple sugars and carbs low, your kids will last longer … and so will you! Check out this travel snack pack!
Maps like this are must-haves… if you have the window space!
Hit the road early—and get off around dinner time. We've done it all: traveled through the night, traveled until we were all just dead on our feet. But when we started being disciplined about getting up early and getting off the road around dinner, something wonderful happened: we started enjoying the road much more! If you think about it, it's common sense, which makes me wonder why it took me nearly 15,000 miles to figure it out.
This was our second RV. As you can see, we made the most of the space we had!
Hoteling it? Use price-cutting apps. I don't have time here to explain all the differences but I have found that I can stay sometimes up to 70% off using these apps. Of course, it doesn't always work; if you're in Yellowstone during peak season, you'll be hard-pressed to find great deals. Favorites? Priceline and Hotwire. Our rule-of-thumb is that we like to be under $65 per night, and that the hotel must have breakfast. Many of the hotels serve dinner and breakfast, making a higher cost worth it, especially if you're traveling with a crew like we have done.Come to think of it, I'm going to write a post about my favorite apps for traveling. I have several that we can't live without. This trip, we started using Air B&B … and I think we'll never go back to just hotels again. That's a blog post for another day.
RV'ers: if you're trying to save money, most WalMarts still allow RV's to stay overnight for free. It's great! Some of them even have hookups, but those are few and far-between.
Never take your safety for-granted. I hate to have to put this in here, but we've learned the hard way that the road is not always friendly to travelers. We were robbed blind in New Orleans on Father's Day in 2009—a memory that will stay with us forever. In just twenty minutes, a group broke into our RV and stole almost everything we owned. Nothing was spared. Now, we travel with our eyes peeled, and we never leave things like laptop computers in vehicles. We put them in backpacks and keep them with us.Know gun laws in each state if you conceal carry. Stay safe out there!
Carry a paper atlas with you. Phones can die. GPS systems can fail. Ask me how I know. You need to be able to navigate your way around the "old-fashioned" way. Use them, yes. But never rely on your electronic devices to get you where you're going.
It's been eight years since we became hard-core, homeschooling road-trippers. This year, we have traveled over 17,000 miles in our Honda Odyssey, which has pulled a small cargo trailer triumphantly from sea to shining sea. If it seems overwhelming, it is. But it's worth it.
I have a few days left of sitting in this car … and I'll try to put together some more tips along the way.
One of the biggest challenges I find with homeschooling is scheduling it all in. Even if we don't have a super set and outlined schedule, it's still one of the biggest stressors when it comes to the homeschool year. I want to make sure I fit in everything, but I also want to make sure I'm not overwhelming anyone. I tend to let my kids lead in that realm of things, as far as how much they can do. I set the guide because we do need to cover certain things each year, but beyond that – it's up to their ability and desire.
We usually end up doing much more than I had planned because my kids are eager learners and love to read. Often times at the beginning of the year I'm shocked at how much we have planned for the year. I believe that our relaxed approach to our schedule is a huge contributing factor to them having such a love of learning.
The next challenge is the wide age range of my children. My eldest is in 8th grade, then the next of my kiddos is in 1st, followed by my little one who is 3. I guess the three-year-old would be considered preschool or toddler school level.
As you can see, we have a pretty big age range. You might have more kids which might mean you have several kids in multiple different grades, more than I do.
So, how do we face head on homeschooling a wide age/grade range?
See if there is anything you can teach all of the kids together. For instance, if your 8th grader is studying American History, why not have your younger children study American history too? They don't have to do it at the same intensity or depth as the older one, but they can still do it. Many curriculum options out there offer this flexibility to tailor their curriculum for older and younger students to use at the same time. But if they don't have that option, you can easily relay the information to your younger one in a manner that they understand.
Next, keep your schedule super simple.
For us, this is essential. And as more of my kids are heading into school age, it's been a huge life saver for us.
I have a rather untraditional schedule with my kids. It works for us and it helps me teach each of them according to their needs without feeling like I'm overwhelmed, overwhelming them, or missing anything.
My approach: I don't teach every subject every day! That's right. We have designated days for our more meaty subjects. This allows us to focus on one topic at a time and allows me to spread myself amongst my kiddos to give them the best attention I can.
So, how does this look you're wondering?
Let's say we do Math on Monday, History on Tuesday, Science on Wednesday, Language Arts on Thursday, and Foreign Language on Friday. That's just a sample of what it could look like. Many wonder – but what about constant practice? What if they forget skills from one week to another until that subject day arrives?
Using the example above, Math would be taught on Monday. We would work through the lessons and then practice with our worksheets. I would work with the older student first and work my way down through the younger ones.
Then Tuesday comes along and we're on to History, but before we start History we do another Math worksheet. Our math program offers 5 worksheets for each lesson so it happens to work well with our schedule. If that weren't the case, I would simply create or find worksheets based on Monday's lesson.
This way, they are refreshing and practicing their newly learned concepts all week, but just with a simple worksheet which takes maybe 5 or 10 minutes. They've taken the core of the lesson on Monday – leaving the rest of the week for practice.
Back to Tuesday, when we're on History. After we do our Math worksheet we do our History lesson and discuss it. We do some map work and really dive in to any discussion questions that we may have. But we don't just forget about it until next week. On Thursday we would have a brief discussion with my youngest about what we learned on Tuesday and I'll have my big kiddo write down a paragraph or two. Catering to their capabilities.
This keeps things fresh in their heads, allows for time for it to really soak in for a day or so, and allows for me to see how much they have retained. It's a super chill approach to learning that we have grown to love.
If this schedule just does not appeal to you, I have another suggestion. We've tried this method before and although we liked it, we went back to our one-subject-a-day method.
Work with your older kids first. They are more likely to have work that they do more independently than your younger ones, but may need you to either teach the lesson or at least assign them the lesson for the day should they be working on it independently. When my eldest hit 6th or 7th grade, she did a lot of her work independently and I would just grade her work and discuss it with her after.
Once you've finished with your hands-on lesson teaching with your older kiddos, move on to your younger ones. You'll have the peace of mind that your older kiddos are working on their school work, which allows you time and focus to teach the younger ones.
Encourage independence as soon as they show readiness.
As I mentioned above, my eldest started doing a lot of her work indecently once she hit 6th grade, for sure by 7th grade. How did I know she was ready? It just got to a point where I realized she was ready to take a stronger hold of the reigns and work at her pace. She works much faster this way too. I think my schedule was holding her back a bit.
Total side note: This is something I just adore about homeschooling, my kids can begin to work at a pace that suits their learning needs and style so much sooner than they could in what's referred to as a traditional school setting. But with homeschooling booming, I think traditional is changing.
Don't try and teach each of them different subjects at the same time. If your kids are working on two different subjects at the same time, it should be independently. Stretching yourself into different subject directions AND grade directions will cause you to burn out.
Plan your schedule realistically. Don't try and do every single thing every single day with each kid. It's just not realistic. I like to think of it this way: in college, do you do every subject every day? Nope! So there is no harm in not doing every subject every day now either.
Work with the older kids first, then work with the younger ones. While you're working with the older ones have the younger ones work on something like handwriting or maybe give something for them to color. I have a few connect the dots booklets for my younger kiddo. This keeps her busy while I teach her big sister, and helps her practice her numbers!
And finally, encourage your kids to begin working independently as soon as they show readiness. This is beneficial to them and their development. Taking ownership of their work is exciting and encouraging for them!
Welcome back to my series, Delight-directed Learning for ANY Homeschool.
Part One: Talk to your kids or maybe just pay attention to what they talk about most. What piques their curiosity? There really are very few topics that cannot be developed into an educational experience. We often take these topics and create unit studies.
Part Two: Notice when your student gets excited by something you are already teaching. It really can be as simple as giving your student some extra time to follow a rabbit trail.
Part Three: Notice what has piqued the interest of your student and then plan a field trip based on that interest.
Part Four: Create a "fun school" jar with exciting activities you know your kids will enjoy.
This week, in my last installment, I want to expand on one last idea that I mentioned briefly in Part Two.
Fill a book basket with books on your student's topic of interest.
Using book baskets is something I learned early on in our homeschool journey, and this method of learning serves a dual purpose.
First of all, filling a basket full of colorful picture books, interesting nonfiction books, and inspiring biographies exposes your children to different genres of literature and encourages a love of reading.
Secondly, reading is just a great way to learn. Put away the boring workbooks and dry textbooks and let your students enjoy learning about interesting topics from real, living books. Even if you do nothing else but let your child read (and read to him), deep, rich learning will occur.
Head to the library and check out books on any subject your student wishes to learn about, and then spend a day (or a week) reading all of them. You will be amazed at how much your kids learn from reading about topics of interest to them. It's likely you can also shop your own bookshelves for books to read, too. You're a homeschool mom; every room of your house has a bookshelf, right?
If your kids don't read them all, that's okay, too. But chances are good that if you take them to the library, teach them how to find books based on a topic they love, and then set them free to choose the books, they will at least look at them! Use them for required reading, free reading, read aloud time, and bedtime stories. Any time, day or night. It doesn't have to be just during school hours. If your kids are reading about a topic they love, they will want to read (or listen to you read) about it all the time!
Using this method has encouraged my son to love reading for pleasure, and for school. For a long time, he didn't even realize he was "doing school." Today, I rarely have to make any kind of reading list for him. He devours books faster than I can supply them. Our library always has a stack ready to be picked up. And yes, there are many days that all he does for school is read. And I am perfectly fine with that.
Which brings me to the topic of working with kids who don't love to read so much. That is another great benefit of this method. If you have reluctant readers, be patient. This method of learning may not be an immediate hit, but if you fill their book baskets with books about subjects they choose and are passionate about, it's only a matter of time. In the beginning, they may only flip through and look at the pictures. That's okay. Give them time. Read to them more. Help them explore things they love with books. They will come around eventually.
Read more from Marcy in her Author Box below!
Welcome back! Did you catch the first installment in this series last month? I shared about how talking to your kids (or listening to what they talk about) can give you many ideas about how to incorporate delight-directed learning into your homeschool. If you missed that article, be sure to click over and read more about that.
This month, we're going to take a look at another great idea for accomplishing the same goal of adding delight-directed learning to ANY homeschool.
Another effective method to encourage delight-directed learning is to simply notice when your student gets excited by something you are already teaching.
Many homeschool moms are intimidated by delight-directed learning because they believe it means that everything has to be done from scratch. But that is not necessarily true. You don't have to create an entire unit study or do anything else particularly labor-intensive. In fact, our journey into delight-directed learning began when we veered off course from a pre-written, pre-secheduled, pre-purchased, boxed curriculum because something we were already studying piqued the curiosity of my son. And it happened more than once!
It really can be as simple as giving your student some extra time to follow a rabbit trail. You can do this by providing a themed book basket filled with picture books, chapter books, nonfiction resource books, and DVDs. Or you can add arts and crafts, projects, lapbooks, notebooking activities or website searches for their chosen topic. How much you give your student access to will depend upon how much time you are willing to veer off course.
We've had rabbit trails take just a day to satisfy the need to know more. Others have literally taken weeks, even months. If you suspect this new interest will be ongoing, you could simply create another "class" for your homeschool and offer that option for continued study on a daily or weeky basis. Then resume your usual lesson plan.
However you decide to indulge your student, there can be great rewards. Being willing to stop and follow rabbit trails can delight your student, and creating an atmosphere of delight does wonders to encourage a love of learning.
Isn't that our goal as homeschool moms?


text:
import THREE from 'three';
import Stats from '../../../../node_modules/three/examples/js/libs/stats.min.js';
import OrbitControls from 'three-orbit-controls';
import randomColor from 'randomcolor';
import Boid from './Boid';
import Horizon from './Horizon';
import GPGPUPatrticles from './GPGPUPatrticles';
import BrightnessShader from './BrightnessShader';

import 'shaders/BlendShader';
import 'shaders/CopyShader';
import 'shaders/HorizontalBlurShader';
import 'shaders/VerticalBlurShader';
import 'shaders/FXAAShader';
import 'postprocessing/EffectComposer';
import 'postprocessing/MaskPass';
import 'postprocessing/RenderPass';
import 'postprocessing/SavePass';
import 'postprocessing/ShaderPass';
import 'postprocessing/TexturePass';
import * as dat from 'libs/utils/dat.gui.min';

import 'utils/GPUParticleSystem';

export default class Step12 {

    constructor () {

        this.options = {
            blending:.94,
            brightness: 1,
            speed: .6,
        }

        this.clock = new THREE.Clock;

        this.stats = new Stats();
        this.stats.domElement.style.position = 'absolute';
        this.stats.domElement.style.top = '0px';
        document.body.appendChild( this.stats.domElement );

        this.scene = new THREE.Scene();
        this.scene.fog = new THREE.Fog( 0x000000, 0, 160 );

        this.camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera( 75, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 1, 100000 );
        this.camera.position.z = 10;
        this.camera.position.y = 2;
        this.camera.lookAt( new THREE.Vector3(0,0,0) );

        this.renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({ antialias: true, alpha: false });
        this.renderer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );
        this.renderer.setPixelRatio( window.devicePixelRatio || 1 );
        this.renderer.setClearColor( 0x000000, 0 );
        this.renderer.autoClear = false;

        document.body.appendChild( this.renderer.domElement );

        this.horizon = new Horizon( this.scene );

        this.particles = new GPGPUPatrticles(this.scene, this.renderer, this.camera);

        this.controls = new (OrbitControls(THREE))( this.camera, this.renderer.domElement );
        this.controls.enableZoom = true;
        this.controls.minDistance = 10;
        this.controls.maxDistance = 160;

        this.rttParams = {
            minFilter: THREE.LinearFilter,
            magFilter: THREE.LinearFilter,
            format: THREE.RGBAFormat,
            stencilBuffer: true,
        };

        this.effectSave = new THREE.SavePass( new THREE.WebGLRenderTarget( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight, this.rttParams ) );

        this.effectBlend = new THREE.ShaderPass( THREE.BlendShader, "tDiffuse1" );
        this.effectBlend.uniforms[ 'tDiffuse2' ].value = this.effectSave.renderTarget.texture;
        this.effectBlend.uniforms[ 'mixRatio' ].value = this.options.blending;

        this.effectBrightness = new THREE.ShaderPass( new BrightnessShader );
        this.effectBrightness.uniforms[ 'brightness' ].value = this.options.brightness;
        this.effectBrightness.renderToScreen = true;

        this.effectCopy = new THREE.ShaderPass( THREE.CopyShader );

        this.renderPass = new THREE.RenderPass( this.scene, this.camera );

        this.composer = new THREE.EffectComposer( this.renderer, new THREE.WebGLRenderTarget(  window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight, this.rttParams ) );

        this.composer.addPass( this.renderPass );
        this.composer.addPass( this.effectBlend );
        this.composer.addPass( this.effectSave );
        this.composer.addPass( this.effectBrightness );

        this.gui = new dat.dat.GUI();
        this.gui.add(this.options, 'brightness', 0, 10).step(0.1).onChange(function(){
            this.effectBrightness.uniforms[ 'brightness' ].value = this.options.brightness;
        }.bind(this));
        this.gui.add(this.options, 'blending', 0, 1).step(0.01).onChange(function(){
            this.effectBlend.uniforms[ 'mixRatio' ].value = this.options.blending;
        }.bind(this));
        this.gui.add(this.options, 'speed', 0, 4).step(0.1);

        window.addEventListener( 'resize', this.onWindowResize.bind(this), false );
        this.onWindowResize();

        this.animate();

    }

    onWindowResize() {

        this.camera.aspect = window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight;
        this.camera.updateProjectionMatrix();

        this.renderer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );

        this.composer.setSize( window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight );
    }

    animate() {

        requestAnimationFrame( this.animate.bind(this) );

        this.stats.update();

        let delta = this.clock.getDelta();

        this.horizon.update( this.clock.elapsedTime );

        this.particles.update( delta * this.options.speed );

        this.composer.render( delta );

        this.renderer.render( this.scene, this.camera );
    }

};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The lyriQ Single Source, 2-Zone Kit is the perfect all-in-one solution for whole house audio. Homeowners can enjoy the main music source in two rooms, or choose to listen to a local source in only one room. Its Cat 5 backbone allows whole house commands and passes Infrared remote control signals for easy sound management. lyriQ Studio Single Source 2-Zone Kit includes: 2 lyriQ Studio Amplified Keypads, (Flush Mount Single Source Input, lyriQ Advanced Single Source Module, Remote Control, A/V IR Emitter, Power Supply and Wallplates.
Presented in the all new Studio Design that complements the look of any home.
Universal remote control provides whole house control with the push of a button.


Ricker, an American skipper, recoverd from his waist sprain at Sanya Chinese Medicine Hospital. He spoke highly of the 'miracle' Chinese traditional treatment when he left the hospital on the morning of 21st February.
Ricker sprained his waist while riding waves on a luxury yacht passing through Sanya seas. At first, he thought it was only a slight strain, but he felt pain all over the body and he couldn't move the following day.
He was delivered to the Sanya Chinese Medicine Hospital after a clinic found he needed more advanced treatment. Ricker felt painless the following day and he got well enough to move about after 4 days with traditional Chinese characteristic physiotherapy.
The skipper said he didn't know anything about TCM before, and he learnt about it due to the unexpected waist sprain. "Very good!" He spoke highly of TCM and wrote a thank you letter to the Sanya Chinese Medicine Hospital.


Get "the message" across using today's tools.
Are there connections between the Hollywood film industry and Washington, D.C. politics? The similarities begin to emerge when we examine the conventions of both politics and digital storytelling and see where they overlap.
This new course on politics and digital storytelling in the post-broadcast era is taught by Arun Chaudhary, a filmmaker working in politics. He was the first Official White House Videographer, a position created for him at the beginning of the Obama administration. He is the creator and architect of "West Wing Week", the first-ever online video diary of the White House. During the 2008 campaign as the New Media Road Director, Chaudhary oversaw the team responsible for capturing the day-to-day life of the future president in video and stills. He and his team set a new standard in documenting history, delivering crucial images to the public from the road in real time. Chaudhary is currently Creative Director at Revolution Messaging and was recently Digital Creative Director for Senator Bernie Sanders.
Marshall McLuhan said, "Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today's jobs with yesterday's tools!" First print media, and now broadcast (radio and television) journalism have slowly become "yesterday's tools" as more and more consumers receive their news online, via social media, through podcasts, and other "tools" of today. This course will train and equip aspiring filmmakers and journalists with the knowledge and skills to use these new tools to tell digital stories in the digital age. The similarities betweeen the Hollywood film industry and Washington D.C. will emerge when we examine the conventions of both politics and digital storytelling and see where they overlap. While both have always depended on conveying a narrative, the available tools and technologies have changed.
The application for January Term 2019 is now closed.
Please read the following admissions information before starting your application.
Housing is provided by NYU Washington D.C.


text:
Lawrence Batley
Close the Coalhouse Door, will you pet? Plater classic at Lawrence Batley Theatre
THE Alan Plater masterpiece Close the Coalhouse Door was written in Sixties but remains as punchy and relevant today as it was when it was premiered.
Val Javin
Get the latest Yorkshire what's on news and updates delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for free email updates
In a landmark collaboration between Northern Stage and Live Theatre, a new production of this contemporary theatre classic opened to rave reviews and a sell-out run in April.
It plays the Lawrence Batley Theatre next week and promises to be one of the stand-out shows of the season. Performances start on May 23.
Close the Coalhouse Door charts the strikes, victories and tragedies in British mining history, capturing the political anger and fight for justice of ordinary people – from the formation of the first mining union in 1831 through to the miners' disputes of the 1980s.
Alan Plater CBE, who died last year, was one of the greatest writers of British television drama.
As well as 18 episodes of Z-Cars, he wrote Fortunes of War, The Beiderbecke Affair, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells and A Very British Coup.
Lee Hall, writer of Billy Elliot and a prodigy of Plater's, has updated Close the Coalhouse Door to include the most recent mining disputes of 1984/85 while keeping the humour and working class quality of the original play.
He said: "At first I was worried that what was once a celebration would seem like an elegy; but on closer examination, far from being an exercise in nostalgia, the play is more urgent than ever."
Close the Coalhouse door is told through the stories of wives, vicars, sons, daughters and the miners themselves.
The soulful score by Alex Glasgow captures the spirit of mining communities through music hall, vaudeville and drinking songs.
The production is being directed by Samuel West, best known for his acting credits with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and films Van Helsing and Notting Hill.
Close the Coalhouse Door is described as having the irony and lively mischief of Oh What Lovely War; the dark grit of Our Friends in the North; and the triumph over adversity of Billy Elliot.
The LBT is working with The National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield and the National Union of Mineworkers to celebrate a play that maps the highs and lows of an industry that was deeply embedded into Yorkshire culture.
Tickets for Close the Coalhouse Door, with performances from Wednesday, May 23, to Saturday, May 26, are £16, £14 and £12, with £2 off for concessions.
All Saturday matinee tickets are £12. Call the booking office on 01484 430528 or book online at www.thelbt.org where there is also more information on the LBT season.
Lawrence Batley Theatre
National Coal Mining Museum
MorrisonsWe tried Too Good to Go app magic bags from Morrisons and independent shops - and saved a fortuneRestaurants, supermarkets, fast food companies and more sell their surplus stock through the 'Too Good To Go' app.
Morrisons, Asda and Tesco giving out free £275 supermarket vouchers to struggling Yorkshire families
MorrisonsThe Household Support Fund helps pay for food and essentials with vouchers worth up to £275 available to those in need
21 things to do in Sheffield everyone should try at least once
SheffieldThe buildings, parks, pubs, restaurants and more which should be on your bucket list
The exclusive members-only Company Shop in Bradford with M&S and Waitrose food for 'next to nothing'
BradfordCompany Shop Group sells food, drink and other products at a massively discounted price
The Sheffield KFC labelled 'the worst in history' with 'shocking' food that is 'unfit to eat'
SheffieldThe KFC restaurant in Drake House Retail Park has been slammed on TripAdvisor and is rated as the worst place for a 'quick bite' to eat in Sheffield
Fun StuffWhen is Chinese New Year 2022? The Year of the Tiger and finding your animal signMillions of people across the globe mark Chinese New Year annually
Asda and Morrisons to end NHS Covid discount for key workers
NHSMorrisons have announced they will operating an alternative
Peaky Blinders stage show coming to Bradford - here's how to get tickets
Peaky BlindersBy Order of The Peaky Blinders fans of the Cillian Murphy BBC drama will want to see this production at the Bradford Alhambra
We tried afters-only restaurant Heavenly Desserts and can't help going back for more
SheffieldWe taste tested Heavenly Desserts in Leeds and in Sheffield
Holly WilloughbyWhere is Holly Willoughby on This Morning? Philip Schofield issues statement as Rochelle Humes replaces herPeople have been wondering where Holly is this week on This Morning with the presenter notably absent
Sheffield Wednesday confirm second departure of January transfer window
Sheffield Wednesday FCCentral midfielder Alex Hunt will spend the second half of the season at Oldham Athletic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you love beauty and hair trends, you'll love us on Social Media! Follow Salon Vanity on these social networks to see everything from client transformations to hair and makeup tips: Befriend us on Facebook. Follow along on Twitter. Enjoy our eye candy on Instagram. Stay updated on Google+ And of course, check in regularly to our blog page, where we'll be keeping you up to date on all of the hottest hair trends, celebrity styles and tips and tricks from our very own stylists.


text:
Our Mission Log in
Is Christmas dinner worth dying for?
The Government should be clearer about potentially deadly policy calculations
BY James Kirkup
Happy Covid Christmas
James Kirkup is Director of the London-based Social Market Foundation
jameskirkup
Faith & Meaning	ChristmasCoronavirusCOVID-19lockdownPolicyValue of a Prevented Fatality
How much is a nice Christmas lunch with your family worth? Can you ever measure the moments that make life memorable? Well, here's a way to think about how much value you see in that plate of turkey: how many human deaths are you happy to accept in exchange for it?
The UK's various authorities have agreed to relax Covid-19 restrictions for five days over Christmas. The result will be that some people will die who would not otherwise have died.
I don't say this as criticism — either of the policy, the people who made it, or the people who will make use of it. Because there's actually nothing unusual about a policy choice to accept some deaths in exchange for something else. Policy decisions that kill people are made all the time. Which is why we need to get better, and more honest, about the process of deciding when to let people die.
It's worth taking a risk over Covid-19
By Timandra Harkness
How much is a human life worth? Philosophers and theologians would give answers in words. Civil servants and — though they never say so explicitly — politicians have a simpler answer: £1.6 million.
That is the current Value of a Prevented Fatality, according to Her Majesty's Treasury. This is not, technically, the value of a single life. It's just the maximum sum that HMT says is worth spending to avert a death that would otherwise take place. The figure exists to help officials and politicians decide whether any given policy is justified by the lives it would save — and, by implication, to decide when deaths are acceptable because it would cost too much to prevent them.
That figure of £1.6 million is potentially hugely important. It is baked into all sorts of choices, made by government and the private sector — which transport safety improvements are justified, for example, or how much money to spend reducing the chances of nuclear power stations blowing up. But there's a tiny problem with that "VPF" figure. It's nonsense.
The VPF is essentially based on some numbers plucked out of the air by a few dozen random members of the public in 1997; 167 members of the public, to be precise. They were responding to the Carthy Study, which asked how much they thought it was worth paying to prevent a minor and then major injuries. The Carthy authors calculated each respondents' implied answer about the value of a death prevented. Then they averaged out the results and came to the remarkably neat figure of £1 million, which has subsequently grown with inflation.
And according to some academics, it's far too low. Professor Phillip Thomas of Bristol University reckons it should be between £16 million and £22 million. If that's even vaguely accurate, we've been spending far less on making safe reactors and railways than we need to in order to reflect the value people actually place on the lives of their fellow citizens.
What's wellbeing worth?
By Tom Chivers
But the trouble is, this is a crude measure that takes no account of the differences between people. Have you ever wondered why the accidental deaths of children get much more media coverage than the comparable deaths of adults? Of course you haven't: we all instinctively recognise that there is something more viscerally upsetting about the passing of a child.
Part of that gut reaction has a sound economic basis: a child stands to live longer than an adult, so the death of a child means a greater loss of life-years. If we must put a cash figure on lost lives to reflect our collective valuation of life, shouldn't that figure vary with the amount of life foregone? That would certainly accord with our instinctive gut feel about life, death and loss. But it could take us down a dark path, which we have occasionally caught sight of during the pandemic. Some lockdown sceptics have come close to arguing that the lives of older people are simply less worthy of preservation, meaning the case for precautionary measures that do economic harm to younger people are less justified. Some older people have made the same point. "Should we die, we deserve fewer tears than do those who come after us," wrote 74-year-old Max Hastings in March.
Those arguments make me uncomfortable, because what happens when their underlying logic is applied on a population-wide scale to things such as healthcare: do we really want to formally declare that older people's lives are less worth saving than those of the young? And if life expectancies determine our value, are rich southerners' lives worth more than those of poor northerners?
But the answer to this stuff isn't to shy away from the issue; it's to debate it properly and systematically.
Boris Johnson doesn't get God
By Giles Fraser
The good news is that the Whitehall machine is, slowly, moving to replace that nonsensical VFP figure with something that might just capture the different weights we give to deaths at different ages. Over the summer, the HSE published a comprehensive "scoping study" describing how government could better calculate the values that we collectively assign to human lives.
As the paper concludes:
"Applying such values would lead to better and more informed policy decisions and would have major implications not only for efficiency of government spending but also for equity in population well-being."
Unsurprisingly, there is no sign of politicians engaging with that study or its implications, even though it's their job to balance "efficiency" and "equity". That's probably because explaining clearly and openly how you strike such a balance would mean telling some painful truths to voters. Truths such as: sometimes we decide that a few deaths are a price worth paying in order to keep the traffic moving, keep your taxes down or let you spend Christmas with your relatives.
What value has been assigned to the lives that might be lost from that festive relaxation? How does it compare with the benefits for the vast majority who don't die? If the ministers who advanced the policy — or the opposition parties who accepted it — have answers to those questions, they aren't sharing them. No doubt in due course a SAGE estimate for the number of additional deaths expected from those five festive days will come to light. But only after the fact, rather than as part of the Government announcement, the scandalously limited political debate about it, or any individual's decision-making about whether to get together with others for Christmas.
Simplicity is at the root of policy failures
By Polly Mackenzie
The pandemic has been a test of our thinking about the value of life. Yet we have largely taken decisions that can have life-or-death consequences without a proper conception of how much we are prepared to give up to prevent deaths. And despite the evidence that it will kill, and polls showing the electorate is split on the case for it, the five-day Christmas Covid amnesty is effectively going through on the nod. It's a stunningly casual way to enact a policy with potentially fatal consequences.
To repeat, I don't criticise people who chose to travel and mingle at Christmas and in so doing marginally increase the transmission, symptomatic or otherwise, of the virus. Because we all routinely do things that marginally and sometimes indirectly increase the chances that other people will come to harm. If you drive at 80mph instead of 60mph, you make it more likely that someone will die if you have an accident; you also contribute more to both air pollution and climate change, both of which are associated with some additional fatalities. (And yes, I have driven at 80mph and may well do so again.)
The state that acts in our name, uses our shared resources and sets the rules for all sorts of activities, makes similar decisions of life and death on a regular basis, and generally on the basis of shoddy evidence and limited, if any, debate.
Household mingling over Christmas will mean more people die than would otherwise have died. And that's a perfectly defensible choice, both for individuals and the people behind the policy that allows and encourages it.
But those are choices that should be based on a clear and open discussion of their consequences, not least since those consequences are likely to fall on others. If our representatives have concluded that having a nice lunch with your family in late December is worth contributing to the risk that someone's gran dies in January, they should set out that calculation calmly, explicitly and openly, rather than by mute implication.
People choosing to make use of the freedom to mix might want to give it some thought too. Enjoy your turkey.
Perhaps one of the positives about having a scaled down Christmas celebration is that people will buy less food and therefore less food will be wasted. Every year we throw away around 2000 tonnes of cheese and 4800 tonnes of mince pies. Read more
Alan Matthes
Brilliantly said Richard. Read more
David Uzzaman
The premise of the argument is wrong. However much you spend you can't prevent death. You can at best delay it. Read more
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Tagged Christmas, Coronavirus, COVID-19, lockdown, Policy, Value of a Prevented Fatality
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We hope you want to best in something.
There is something wonderful about having a bar of excellence that is high.
A bar of excellence and giving your all to be best.
I do not want to be just average.
You do not want to be just average.
No one wants to be just average.
No No No!!! We do not want to be just where everyone else is.
We want to achieve, and more!
We want to be best at something.
We all are unique, and can be best at something.
There is something we can do better than anyone else.
Find out what that is, give it your full-time effort, and strive to be best.
Oh Oh Oh!!! and give it your best effort!


E-Textbooks in 2012– Frank Ganis, a general partner at Gilfus, said he believes 2012 will be a banner year for digital textbooks on college and university campuses.
Open Resources – The California Senate is currently considering a bill that would push schools toward using open education resources in the form of free online textbooks for the state's 3 million college students as a means of saving them money.
The Online Classroom – Textbooks won't be the only educational resource that we will see online in 2012. Online classrooms will continue to grow in popularity.
Mobile Devices– Mobile devices will continue to grow on college and university campuses as more and more students access online lectures and other learning resources with their smartphones or tablets.
Campuses Move to the Cloud – With so many resources and learning opportunities moving online, and pressed by the need to reduce IT infrastructure costs, more and more campuses will take advantage of the benefits provided by cloud technologies.
Read the Gilfus Education Group report in its entirety for more information.


text:
The Stroke of Midnight
Posted on January 21, 2021 (5781) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner
Egypt was in ruins, utterly devastated by the first nine plagues. The cities were reduced to piles of rubble, with dead and wounded everywhere. Bloated carcasses of livestock littered fields denuded of crops and vegetation. The rivers and irrigation ditches were polluted and lifeless. Now it was time to administer the coup de grace. The tenth and final plague, the death of all the firstborn, would sweep away the last vestige of resistance in Egyptian hearts, and they would finally release the Jewish people from bondage.
As the time of the Exodus draws near, Hashem instructs Moses to warn Pharaoh about the impending death of all the Egyptian firstborn "at the stroke of midnight." Moses, however, made a small revision in this statement when he transmitted it to Pharaoh. Instead of saying "at the stroke of midnight," he tells Pharaoh that the firstborn will die "near midnight."
Why did he do this? The Sages explain that Moses was concerned the Egyptian astrologers might be somewhat less than accurate in their time-keeping. It was thus possible that the plague would indeed commence precisely at the stroke of midnight but that the astrologers would think it was a few minutes before or after midnight. Pharaoh might then be encouraged to mock Hashem's might by accusing Him of being off in his timing and continue to resist. Therefore, in order to defend the honor of Hashem, Moses told him the plague would take place "near midnight."
It is utterly amazing that even at this point Pharaoh would find it in himself to continue to deny the power of Hashem and refuse to let the Jewish people go. How could a mere few minutes on the clock lead him to ignore the overwhelming evidence of his shattered country and the ubiquitous corpses of the firstborn, just as Hashem had warned?
There can be only one explanation. The total irrationality of the human ego under attack. Faced with total humiliation and defeat, Pharaoh sought desperately for the merest straw to grasp, no matter how insubstantial, no matter how irrational. As long as there was even the slightest flaw in the execution of the plague, he could delude himself into believing he could be ultimately victorious, if only he did not lose heart. Reason and good sense had absolutely nothing to do with it. No matter how absurd continued resistance appeared to wiser heads, he would refuse to capitulate.
While listening to the traffic report on the radio, an elderly woman heard that a car had entered the wrong way on an exit ramp of a major highway and was traveling against the flow of traffic. Suddenly, the woman realized that her husband was driving on that very highway.
In a panic, she called him on the car phone to warn him.
"There's a crazy guy driving the wrong way on your highway," she asked. "Watch out for him."
"One crazy guy?" he screamed back into the phone. "There are hundreds of them, all coming towards me."
In our own lives, we have the tendency of going to great lengths in our own defense, like the man driving down the wrong side of the highway and calling everyone else crazy. Rather than admit to our own shortcomings and limitations, our natural inclination is to justify our actions and positions, even at the cost of viciously attacking opponents and detractors. If we were to stop and consider the wisdom of such a reaction, we would have to admit that it is irrational to defend an erroneous position rather than admit our error and go on. We would also have to face the possibility of damaging relations with spouses, families, friends or associates, or otherwise inflicting gratuitous damage. But the ego is a harsh master, and only when we gain control of it can we be said to be truly free. Text Copyright © 2010 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.
Looking From the Outside
Parshas Yisro - Epilogue to the Decalogue
Recognizing Divine Providence: The Constitution of the Civilized Society
Tu BeShevat
Accepting Torah as a Command, not as a Choice
Shabbos: A Day to Teach Independence
Divine Computers
The Death Of Humanism
Recognize the value of others
Respected Stones and Others
We Were Not Chosen For Our Brains
Two Types of Perfection
It Will Be Good For You
Torah Study and the New You


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These 2,678 streets are home to over 225 LondonTown.com featured venues, which include 64 restaurants, 36 shops, 21 attractions, 9 clubs and pubs and 43 leisure venues.


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"Sheffield is testing the largest fleet of hydrogen vehicles outside of London and is the first large city to introduce anti-idling measures to stop people leaving their engines running outside schools. As a further sign of its commitment, the Council has also introduced the UK's largest dockless bike sharing scheme.
Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability at Sheffield City Council, said: "Our Green City is a deliberately ambitious and far-reaching plan, with big implications for how we live and work in Sheffield. We believe this is the clearest, boldest and most developed plan of anywhere in Britain.
Councillor Scott said: "We have a great track-record of delivery and we need to work collectively to achieve our ambitious goals.


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text:
Joy Unplugged
Yaves
Willie Moore Jr
Darlene McCoy
Home › National News
Here's The Black Choir That Gave Us Chills Singing 'Stand by Me' At The Royal Wedding
Written By Missy B
There were so many amazingly beautiful and touching moments during the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, but one of our favorites included an amazing choir that totally brought down the house.
The Kingdom Choir, from South East England, sang Ben E. King's classic song "Stand by Me" and "This Little Light Of Mine."
Take a look for yourself:
✔@voxdotcom
Watch the breathtaking rendition of "Stand by me" performed at the #RoyalWedding by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir.
9:03 AM – May 19, 2018
Killed it!
Clearly, the majority Black choir was excited to take part in this history-making moment.
"We are extremely excited to be taking part in such a historic moment and know that it is one that we will always treasure," the choir said in a statement.
"We'd like to take this opportunity to wish the couple all the very best for their coming union and thank them once again for their kind invitation."
Led by founder and director Karen Gibson, the award-winning multi-denominational choir has been in existence for nearly 20 years, performing all over the world.
"I started The Kingdom Choir in response to a request from the BBC, who needed a choir for a special program they were broadcasting," she said on the choir's Facebook page.
"I now know that this was not a random incident or by accident, but the beginning of something that has blossomed in purpose and passion."
✔@KensingtonRoyal
Replying to @KensingtonRoyal
19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, winner of 2016 @BBCYoungMus. Last June, Prince Harry saw Sheku play at an event in London in support of the work of Antiguan charity the Halo Foundation. pic.twitter.com/C3QSfcbXJl
Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir. The Choir is made up of a group of British artists dedicated to creating a sound that demonstrates the community they share, and has been performing both nationally and internationally for over 20 years. pic.twitter.com/tae19p6G6E
9:03 AM – Apr 24, 2018
The royal wedding wasn't the first time they have performed for Queen. They performed at the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, celebrating her 50 years on the throne, in 2002, ABC News reported.
British	, choir	, London	, marriage	, Meghan Markle	, melanin	, Prince Harry	, Royal Wedding	, UK	, Wedding
More By Missy B
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On the Mic With Missy B: Special Guest Ruben A. Minor Founder President of F4 Men's Movement
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GEORGE ZIMMERMAN ONLINE We have all been wondering where the heck George Zimmerman's been since his fatal shooting of unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin and now the neighborhood watchman has broken his silence with a new website that tells his side of the story. On the site, Zimmerman expresses how he's lost his own life (by way of losing his friends, family, job etc) The site's traffic is causing it to be temporarily unavailable, so in case you haven't had a chance to see the site, it's basic and includes a manifesto from Zimmerman, an American flag background, a tab named "My Race" that has this quote from Thomas Paine-"The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion," images from his supporters and a Paypal link. What is the paypal for? More than likely Zimmerman's legal counsel because as of today, his lawyers have quit. They claim they haven't been able to contact their former client, but it seems that Zimmerman's been busy creating personal websites from himself. Trayvon Martin's family's attorney criticized the site on Good Morning America, saying, "George Zimmerman is trying to have us believe that his life is so terrible now. You know he says that he experienced a life-altering event. Well, Trayvon Martin experienced a life-ending event."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! If today is your birthday, you share it with the following celebs.. Singer Lisa Stansfield is 46. Rapper David Banner is 38. Singer Joss Stone is 25.
OCTOMOM DEATH THREAT People are seriously upset that Octomom NADYA SULEMAN is on welfare. On Saturday, she awoke to find her car window smashed, and a handwritten note that said, quote, "Leave California or you will die."
RAZOR RAMON ARRESTED Wrestling legend Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon) was arrested Friday after allegedly choking out his girlfriend in a drunken fit of rage. According to the report, cops were called to Scott's home over a domestic disturbance in progress around 5pm. When they arrived, Scott's GF Lisa Howell informed police he had attacked her. According to Lisa, Scott had been drinking for days and the two had gotten into some kind of argument. Lisa says she got into her car, and in a blind rage, Scott grabbed her by the throat and tried to pull her out of the driver's seat. According to the report, police confronted Scott -- who appeared heavily intoxicated with an "unknown white secretion flowing from both sides of his mouth" -- but he denied ever getting violent. Police observed several signs of physical injury on Lisa -- including red marks around her neck -- so they placed Scott under arrest for domestic battery. Scott -- billed at 6'7" and 287 pounds -- required TWO sets of handcuffs. Scott was so drunk ... the jail refused to book him ... so the arresting officer had to drag him to a nearby hospital to get medical clearance. Here's Hall's booking photo.


Emptyself is hauntingly beautiful music from New Orleans-based artist/producer Eric Johanson (see Cire), featuring lush acoustic guitars, trip-hop and industrial beats, and emotionally revealing lyrics. Fans of Portishead, A Perfect Circle, Massive Attack, Zero 7, and Nine Inch Nails should give Emptyself a listen. Emptyself's self-titled debut CD was released 5/27/05, and is now available from GenomeRecords.com.


On May 3rd, we will welcome speakers from the Hetrick-Martin Institute to run a workshop about gender identity for BSGE parents and guardians.
To this generation, gender expression and pronoun usage is critical to developing adolescents. One of the central goals of the workshop is to help parents communicate with their children around these themes.
Please join us for this event on Thursday, May 3, 2018 from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Next Post BSGE #1 in NY State top high schools in 2018 US News Best High Schools Rankings and #9 in the U.S.


Han hesitated. He gently opened the first page of this ancient book and started reading it carefully.
Han wasn't worried about not being able to read the contents on the book, because he already knew that the so-called Milky Way Universal language wasn't some god-race language but was something the god race learned from the dark net. Han even went as far as guessing, the majority of the universe's high level civilizations all used this language.
This kind of language's biggest feature is its precision. Everything all had their most precise description, and if a contract was written in the universal language, no one will have to worry about there being any loopholes, because the universal language was created for the purpose of preventing language and text loopholes.
In general, the Boundless Ten-Thousand Beasts was a manual on multi-gene compression fusion technology.
The fusion beasts were called fusion beasts because they were a combination of all sorts of different genetic beasts.
With the currently known technology by Han, being able to combine five different genes could already be called a top-tier masterpiece.
Take Han himself for example, the Ghost Claw is the fusion between the queen bug and dark apostle. Although it used up dozens of different species' genes, it still couldn't reach the completely synchronized state and can only be counted as a fusion beast that was cobbled-together. As for the Demon Claw, due to the lack of perfect synchronization, there's a significant defect, and that was how stayed it gets.
This shows that although fusion beasts could be easily assembled like building blocks, as long as the skills are sufficient and even the subtlest neurons are connected, it can be considered a success.
But not all fusion beasts could reach the degree of perfect synchronization.
According to the principle, if the product reached perfect synchronization, a new species will be produced. For Demon Claw, any experienced individual can take one glance at it and know that it uses Demonic Star-Chasing crabs' claws, and that won't work. A perfectly synchronized genetic fusion beast wouldn't have any traces of gene combination.
This Boundless Ten-Thousand Beasts manual talks about one principle, synchronization.
If one really grasps this technology, then he can limitlessly fuse beasts forever, and finally come up with a product of ten-thousand beasts, a godlike existence.
When Han read this on the first page, he was stunned, and his heart began racing.
How can someone forge a godly beast?
The only direction was to keep on combining, and combine, nonstop fusion!
Each beast has its own strength. Monkeys can climb trees, tiger could bite, and even fleas have incredible jumping abilities.
If a fusion beast merged ten unique strengths, it will become extremely terrifying. And what if a beast merged a hundred genes and their strengths? A thousand? Ten thousand?
Han could not imagine. If he captures all the beast types in the universe, let them be star beasts, wild beasts, dark beasts, and then merge them into a single species, what kind of power will this species have?
The person that wrote this book must definitely be a madman!
But this mad idea, Han loved it!
In the blink of an eye it was time for 9527 to get up. This ball-shaped old man's life was very fixed, Han had never seen him eat or drink anything, but everyday he would spend a long time sleeping.
On average, besides the 6-8 hours of time 9527 spends on work, he would always be sleeping.
Han reluctantly put down the book. Although it was impossible to make it look untouched, since 9527's most important job everyday is to check these hidden items. He for sure would see that Han had touched this book, so Han didn't want to hide anything, and if 9527 asks, he will just answer truthfully.
Sure enough, not much longer later, 9527 walked out from the depth of the passage. It was said his bedroom was there, and there's an energy barrier that prevented anyone from entering.
He checked over the things inside the lobby like usual, and then he took Yuan Yuan and Silver Fox out to play. As for the work of repairing the transition station, he handed it all to Han, at most, he would just come over to give a few pointers when Han ran into any problem.
Han doesn't feel anything after he was done work, but 9527 would look exhausted and then go back to sleep. When Han snuck back into the hall again, the strange thing was, that Boundless Ten-Thousand Beasts book was actually still outside of the energy protection shield, as if 9572 deliberately left it out for Han.
Han finally understood, so this was actually the prize for his hard work these days. Of course, a bigger reason why 9572 suddenly became this generous was because of Silver Fox and Yuan Yuan.
Even fools could see that 9527 really liked these two little guys too much, spending all day with them. When Yuan Yuan called him grandpa, smiles will bloom on his face; when Silver Fox gets naughty and actually goes to pull 9572's beard, 9527 didn't get frustrated as well.
Han often observe 9527's smile. That warm smile wass clearly like an old man hanging out with his two grandsons.
In any case, an opportunity to learn the top tier fusion technique was not something Han will miss. 9527 and him were all quiet about it, no one mentioned that book.
In the blink of an eye, it has been two months since Han was last trapped here. Repair of the damaged parts were done and it was finally time for Han to leave.
Han actually didn't have time to come in contact with devices and technologies of a deeper level in the transition station, the damaged part was only the energy system, but this task still allowed Han to learn a lot, and improve his mechanical skills through practice.
Not to mention the Boundless Ten-Thousand Beast manual, the top level genetic fusion beast technology book, now Han couldn't wait to go back and give it a try and see really just how powerful the fusion beasts were after the genes are perfectly synchronized.
"Bye bye grandpa." Yuan Yuan's warm words almost had 9527 drop tears. The fat man turned around and didn't look at Han and the others.
Han and 9572 actually had many opportunities to meet again, the moment Han enters the transition station, it would be like entering 9572's territory. The moment Han gets enough credits, he will for sure come back here to train.
Inside the genetic biology lab that Han spent enormous effort renovated, he threw himself back to work the moment he came back, trying to make his first genetically synchronized work.
Han's interest in genetic synchronization exceeded everything, he just briefly reported to Pathless about his recent situation, and then briefly listened to Long Chuan about Earth's current situation, and then he dove right into his lab.
Sometimes the surgical laser scalpel drew perfect arcs in the air.
Sometimes Han would carefully carve as if working on an art piece.
The Demon Claw, Ghost Claw, Yuan Yuan, and Silver Fox all silently laid outside of the sterile room's glass, and they all became a bit stunned and overwhelmed from watching Han's work.
Without a question, Han was very serious when he worked, and the fully devoted him was like an artist working on his proudest artwork, his movements were fast and clean, and his eyes were completely fixed on the corpses he was working on.
The laser scalpel was consistently adjusting power in Han's hand, sometimes it will even reach the level of microns.
Han's work efficiency had always been very high, and it wasn't long until he completed his fusion beast sample.
To genetic fusion beasts, the most important part wasn't about putting the parts together, but the activation process.
In the past fusion beast technology, activation was also an important task, but it was no where as close to how important it was today.
In simple words, now Han needed to use his genetic power to completely activate all the cells in this body, and then push the cells to perform division and integration.
This process can be described as rebirth.
According to the book, the founder of this technology himself didn't even figure out how to control the outcome of the synchronization. Sometimes he wanted to a snake-like beast, and then a lizard came out. Sometimes he wanted a high-speed aquatic beast, but the outcome was a big clumsy dumb bear.
All in all, don't look at how Han's sample has four legs right now and was a typical land beast type, but the outcome after synchronization might be a shark.
Faced with a completely unpredictable outcome, Han has a sudden urge inside his heart, this was like a guessing game where no one knew the result. It was getting really exciting.
Han folded his hands and placed it on the sample, and then he started channeling his source energy.
Minor issue, 9527 has been named 9572 several times.
Haha thank you very much for those Chapters.
ohhh, maybe the author messed up. it wasnt intentional because it's talking about the same person.


Ecccckkk! I'm starting school, again!
I've wanted to start this school since I heard about the pilot program and I was 60. I thought I could handle it all back then. I knew it was in Glendale. Oh the trip! It's 100 miles down and back. Then, it was in Valencia and I was sure I was going then. Valencia is so much closer and about 45 minutes away without any traffic on one of the most dangerous highways in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. My husband; if you have read this blog at all you know he was a firefighter and the memories of this road haunt him. He wasn't ready for me to commute. Finally, it's now at our own Stake building and Institute. My one daughter jumped at it because she already had her Associates Degree from Ventura College and this program will transfer all units if it's from a certified school, like a national, state, or community college.
So I signed-up and since that time, it didn't really stress over the day to start school. Now, it's tonight! I'm a little nervous, but more than that, I'm excited! After I received my call today to confirm the time, I started shaking. I'm not sure of my emotions with this. I know I need to pray for help to remember what's needed for me to do this well.
No, I'm not going to back-away or "shrink" like Elder Maxwell described fear. That's the last word I said before I had my heart surgery. It makes me brave and just do what needs to be done. The surgery time was 3 hours and the best nap I've ever had. I had so much energy! Good booster and positive word.
My husband called me to remind me about my medication that I have to take at noon. I think he was sure I would forget because I'm so preoccupied with tonight. I asked him that if I happen to fail, could I start over? He's answer was that I could and as many times as I would like to take Pathway. It's learning! But, he told me I wasn't going to fail and it was going to be wonderful. I hope it is. I will update my blog to report on how all of this went.
I'm not quitting so the opposite is trying, that would be me.
My start on school will be like when I'm trying to accomplish my homework or studies. I'm going to pray. Is there any way else to have help to give me strength, determination, and of course, a good attitude?
This is the logo I see when I sign-in below. I was so surprised about the modules and the way school is taught. My daughter learned online with Utah State College and she said her learning was very, very similar. I was so surprised she didn't tell me about it. It is hard to find a completely quiet place in our house. I'm distracted by the animals outside, the clock ticking, or even quiet music. These kind of distractions have always been with me and florescent lighting is the worse. My phone is going-off with notifications, non-stop, so I do know I need to temporarily block the little noise. I'm not looking now at my phone. It isn't time. I'm going to change and mentally block the noises I don't have control over and not let them bother me. I was born bothered, so I'm not sure if that's possible. I'm going to pray for that special blessing. I can do that when I'm having my blood pressure tested, I can do this.
My children and my husband pushed me physically up to the front of the room to sign-up for school. They have been my cheerleaders and I appreciate them. It's so odd to be on the other side when I used to be their cheerleader and help them go to new classes. Big difference with me this is college and not Kindergarten or high school.
I didn't know what was coming! I am so relaxed and happy for my oldest daughter as we celebrated her graduation from college and received her Master's Degree. I cried a lot, but she made the graduation fun by using her laptop to show her and hear the speakers so well. The party that night was incredible. I remember Tatum thinking a gopher was like a pet squirrel. She went to pet it and surprise! She danced all around worried the gopher would suddenly run-up her pant-leg. We roasted Starbursts and marshmallows and had a lot of happy talk. Our driveway parties are the best because we are a ways of the main road. There's not too many that can even see us. My middle daughter and family can see us because they live right next door.
This was the biggest surprise ever and it is a true statement, below. I need a solid plan for when I study and when I play. I need to get-up and walk around during study time. I have a Pomodoro and I'm going to use it! I need rest between real concentration. That was the only way I could learn any piano. A type of Pomodoro. One musical selection session and go get a Coke. Nah! My favorite was to go sit on the side of my dad's Model T Ford Flatbed. It was big long step on the long-running step-side with my dog, Scoots and tell him all about what I was doing and I'd be back. So Pomodoro is one goal, exercise is another, reading my scriptures and taking notes, take time to make an organized place to work, be early to my my class meetings, and have my laptop, cord and extra supplies including water with electrolytes with these I can enter my class each week ready and organized. Is that too much?
I know there will be other goals for this class. I've never gone to one before and I'm not sure of what I need to add. Oh! Stay off Facebook and Instagram. That's a given. I still love my friends there, but for a time, I need to FOCUS.
I bought a name for a dot com address though Enom. I watched a couple of videos on you tube to make a header. (I've got to get my old photos from photobucket, grrr) A lot of people love Wordpress and it is a little more money. Your name can be bought through bluehost. I tried it and then came back to google's blogspot. The reason is with google blogspot; they seem to do better at catching spam. I was deleting spam so much on Wordpress, I didn't have time to blog.


text:
Renaud, Alexandre (Mohamed Ben Jemia)
NOTICE is hereby given that Alexandre Renaud (Mohamed Ben Jemia), former real estate broker, licence No. F1275, whose establishment was located in Laval, has been found guilty by the OACIQ Discipline Committee of the offences summarized below:
Count 2: On the following three occasions, as of March 15, 2015, concerning the sale of an immovable he owned, did not avoid placing himself in a conflict of interest situation: a) by drafting 2 promises to purchase for prospective buyers; b) by participating in a meeting between the prospective buyer and the mortgage representative; c) by suggesting to the prospective buyer to have a third party act as a co-buyer to make it easier to obtain mortgage financing and complete the transaction.
Count 3: On or about March 15, 2015, concerning an immovable, received a cheque of $10,000 from the prospective buyer and did not deposit in a trust account and use it in accordance with clause 4.3 of the promise to purchase.
Count 4: On or about April 22, 2015, concerning an immovable, allowed false documents and / or inaccurate information to be sent to TD Bank as part of the prospective buyer's financing application.
Count 5: On the following three occasions, on or around May 28, 2015, concerning an immovable: a) did not inform the acting notary that he was the real estate broker for that transaction; b) failing to ensure that the said notary has a copy of the promise to purchase and c) falsely told the said notary that he received a deposit of $32,000.
Count 6: On or about May 28, 2015, concerning an immovable, received remuneration directly and failed to remit it immediately to the agency he was acting for.
On May 18, 2017, the Discipline Committee ordered the suspension of Alexandre Renaud's (Mohamed Ben Jemia) licence No. F1275 for a period of 180 days, to be served whenever he becomes a licence holder again.
This notice is given in accordance with section 33 of the Regulation respecting the issue of broker's and agency licences (R.R.Q., c. C-73.2, r.3).
Brossard, June 29, 2017


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Worship Coordinators: Lead, learn, and let go
Today's worship coordinators do far more than sing into a microphone. They lead congregations to broader, deeper worship. A feature story exploring how today's worship leaders can lead, learn and let go.
leadership, worshiping communities
Before the Good Friday service at Bridgeway Community Church in Haledon, New Jersey, a few members chose roles of Jesus, Pilate, and others named in the John 19 account of Jesus sentenced to be crucified.
After worshipers gathered, but before the Good Friday service officially began, worship coordinator Jacie Sytsma led the congregation through a little rehearsal. They read aloud the verses with lines spoken by the crowd gathered outside Pilate's palace.
"The service was simple but meaningful. The congregation shouted, 'Take him away! Crucify him!' It was the first time they were put in that position as sinners, as unforgiven," says Claudia Godoy Cortes, who met Jacie Sytsma while coordinating worship for Good Shepherd Christian Reformed Church in Prospect Park, New Jersey.
Since becoming worship coordinators, Sytsma and Godoy Cortes have mirrored the changing roles of worship coordinators in many places. They've expanded their view of what worship is, how to lead it, and how to learn from other worship coordinators.
What worship coordinators do
Worship coordinators often work part-time as paid or volunteer staff, so must balance church work with other roles. Claudia Godoy Cortes, who coordinated worship at Good Shepherd for two years before coming to Bridgeway, is also a high school Spanish teacher.
At East Whittier Friends Church in Whittier, California, worship coordinator Jeremy Cosand squeezes a lot—church staff meetings, planning, preparation, rehearsals, leading worship—into a dozen or so hours each week.
Cosand also plans bi-monthly praise and prayer services, coordinates seasonal services and events, and reports to the elders and congregation. Plus he's a graduate student in philosophy and adjunct professor.
If you search online to find worship coordinator job openings or see how church websites describe this task, you'll notice that many churches
Use the terms "worship" and "music" interchangeably
Want someone to lead a "contemporary" or "blended" service
Seek someone good at singing and playing one or more instruments
Hope for a worship coordinator who also has pastoral and administrative gifts or can design entire services, lead substance abuse events, oversee setup and takedown, run sound and AV systems…
How worship coordinators define worship
Although worship coordinators and congregations may begin with the idea that worship equals music, many are expanding their view of what counts as worship.
"The conviction is pretty widespread that worship equals only singing. When my husband and I moved cross country to plant Bridgeway, we knew so little at first, not even how to structure a service. We'd spend 45 minutes on Saturday night to pick songs," Jacie Sytsma says.
The experience of planning on the fly pushed the Sytsmas to seek out worship seminars, books, and mentors. They realized that worship is a multidirectional relationship that goes beyond individuals singing praise to God.
Worship also means listening for what God says to us. Amy and Henry Schenkel came to this understanding gradually. They began Monroe Community Church in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, when they graduated from seminary.
Amy says, "Although we had book knowledge, we were pretty green. Jeremiah Briggs has been worship team leader since the week before we started regular worship services. At the time, he could sing and play guitar but he knew nothing about worship, about leading worship, or even about organized church.
"We realized we have to approach planning and executing our worship with the belief that God is real! That belief ignites a passion to choose songs with truthful and important lyrics, read God's Word as the most important words we hear all week, and pray like God is really listening," she says.
Princeton Christian Reformed Church in Kentwood, Michigan, already had a history when Kristy Ruthven hired on to direct the worship and youth programs. "In designing worship, we use music, art, and words to highlight—and respond to—the truth of who God is and how he works throughout history and now in our lives," she says.
Ruthven says some worship services focus on God's beauty and compassion, others on God's power and justice. "But each time we gather, the gospel is central because we present the life and mission of Christ." Some weeks this comes out most strongly in a song, such as Martha Butler's "Alleluia, He Is Coming." Other weeks it's in the sermon or Scripture readings.
During four years as volunteer worship coordinator and ten years as a paid one, Jeremy Cosand has helped East Whittier Friends see a third direction in worship. There's God speaking to us, us responding to God…and all of us experiencing ourselves as part of Christ's body.
"We've learned that, in addition to celebrating the Lord, a large purpose of worship is what Paul calls edification and mutual submission—building others up by sharing with each other openly, accepting one another lovingly, respecting (and in some cases encouraging) one another's differences," he says.
Cosand says people experience worship as a corporate activity in congregational singing and prayer as well as in contemplation, while the whole group is silent together. This often leads to spontaneous participatory testimony and calls to action. He reminds worshipers that offering financial gifts is a major part of corporate worship.
Worship conversations for the long haul
"It's a lot of work to train people to participate successfully in worship. Before skills training means anything, we need to articulate what we believe is going on," Jacie Sytsma says.
After planning worship according to a new theme each week and learning to ask good questions, Jacie Sytsma began to see worship as "a holy conversation with God, one that goes beyond our Sunday experience to affect all our life. Worship has the potential to shape people's lives. So how will our worship practices form us long-term?"
She and Claudia Godoy Cortes set up a schedule of monthly meetings so teams from Bridgeway and Good Shepherd could study worship together. They also hosted worship workshops open to area churches.
Learning about worship together helped people internalize a "worship as conversation" approach. Godoy Cortes relays an insight from a Good Shepherd teen, Anthony Mathias, who said, "God wants us to be actively involved in worship. It's not enough to be a benchwarmer. When God calls us to worship him, that requires an intentional response on our part."
Two Bridgeway women who'd grown up Catholic, one in Jamaica, the other in Kenya, told Sytsma, "Hey! We were in dialogue with God in the rote and structure of the Catholic mass. We just didn't know it."
Looking at worship as a conversation that shapes people for the long haul led Bridgeway to include confession and assurance every week. "We used to praise only but we realized we need to say 'I'm sorry' to God—and leave guilt and shame on the floor," Sytsma says.
Being a Worship Coordinator Is about God, Not You
As they deepen and broaden their views of worship, worship coordinators often long for more people to help plan services.
"We've learned to make worship relevant, experiential, meaningful, and engaging. But we've tried—and failed many times—to get more people involved in worship planning," says Amy Schenkel, co-pastor of Monroe Community Church in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. People in this small congregation don't have time for yet another committee meeting.
At Princeton Christian Reformed Church in Kentwood, Michigan, worship coordinator Kristy Ruthven says, "I struggle with getting more people involved in planning worship. I'd like more ideas."
Worship coordinators have a big job, even after defining and internalizing a broad and deep view of worship. They still need to find people to plan and lead services. And they have to find ways to fully enter worship in services they plan or lead. In this important yet sometimes lonely role, worship coordinators say it's vital to learn from and with other churches.
Inviting more people to lead worship
The late tennis player and AIDS activist Arthur Ashe is known for a slogan that also applies to worship coordinators: "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
Jacie Sytsma, worship coordinator at Bridgeway Community Church in Haledon, New Jersey, advises starting from your strengths. "Mine is vocal, so it was easy to start a youth choir." Over time she recruited teams focused on music, Scripture reading, congregational prayer, visual arts, and prayer and lay counseling after worship.
Ruthven sponsored a congregational services survey to tap latent talent for running projection technology, playing instruments, singing, acting, reading, teaching, planning, and encouraging.
Worshipers from fifth grade on up got a survey. Parents also volunteered younger children for certain tasks. "We asked people to check whatever sounded interesting, even if they'd never tried it. I was very surprised by people demonstrating an interest you never would have thought of," she says.
Ruthven often asks people to do something easy, like the call to worship, or participate in a group, whether reading Scripture or accompanying holiday hymns.
Jeremy Cosand, worship coordinator at East Whittier Friends Church in Whittier, California, has learned to respect vulnerability in himself and others. "My preference is for completely egalitarian leadership, and that is hard to realize. I've had to embrace my role as a leader more than I would like.
"I've had to learn how to be comfortable with myself and courageous enough to share my own personal expressions of worship. And I've had to learn to respect what others are comfortable with," he says.
He's had to balance leading things he doesn't feel skilled at with learning how to delegate such tasks. "We've grown in our willingness to recognize that worship can be led in many different ways, by different people—all in the same service—and that it is the Holy Spirit who guides worship," Cosand adds.
Trusting God's power
Cosand says his "absolute dream for worship leadership is just to be one with the congregation before God." He finds that easiest during what in the Friends tradition is called "open worship, unprogrammed silence during which anyone in the congregation is allowed to share. I sense God at work because I'm no longer trying to do anything other than be in his presence as part of his people."
Sytsma often reminds herself that worship coordinators may create avenues for people to use their spiritual gifts to help the whole church worship more deeply. "But we are not the source of the power and giftings. The Holy Spirit is."
Likewise, Ruthven says, "As a worship planner, it's important for me to always remember that I cannot change others or myself. Only God, by his Spirit, can do that." She says the best way for her to worship in a service she's helped plan and lead is to rest "content in the truth that God can take his truth and pierce my heart…and the hearts of everyone gathered."
Learning with other churches
During two years as worship coordinator at Good Shepherd Christian Reformed Church in Prospect Park, New Jersey, Claudia Godoy Cortes worked to learn about churches her members had come from.
"My niche is connecting cultures. At Good Shepherd we have a blend of many cultures—Caribbean, Puerto Rican, Central American, some from Peru—and people from Catholic, evangelical, and Pentecostal backgrounds. We try to have different keys to meaning that help people connect with their roots and have dialogue with God," she says.
Godoy Cortes found several ways to draw on members' church traditions to create a unified approach to worship. She looked for songs that "are emblematic to a congregation and help us go deeper to the Lord. We kept the spontaneity and improvisation in prayers and songs, the rhythm and joy of Latin worship.
"But we integrated it all into a Reformed liturgy that makes sense for different people from different backgrounds. And we use the liturgical calendar and lectionary to have unity in the whole service," she explains.
Meanwhile, Godoy Cortes is acutely aware that "if the church continues to worship only in Spanish, they'll lose the second generation." So she often included verses, songs, prayers, and explanations in English.
She says that studying worship with Bridgeway's worship team, along with monthly breakfasts with worship leaders from area churches helped Good Shepherd people feel more connected.
These New Jersey worship coordinators share bilingual songs, lyrics, and mp3s. They trade ideas about visual arts, projection technology, and more.
"It's much easier to combine resources when you have a relational dynamic going. This peer mentoring and spiritual cross-pollination expands our ideas about what worship is. It reminds us that what we're doing is important," Sytsma says.
Resources that Worship Coordinators Recommend or Long for
Worship coordinators often report having lofty goals but limited time and funds. Here are resources that help them do the most with what they have…as well as resources they hope others will invent, share, or alert them to.
Already available
Your congregation likely has people who will surprise you with their gifts and interests in leading worship. You just have to ask them, according to Kristy Ruthven, who directs worship and youth programs at Princeton Christian Reformed Church in Kentwood, Michigan.
She used a congregational services survey to find people interested in volunteering (or learning a new skill) for worship. "Particularly during Lent, we have several services involving a large number of people from all ages.
"For Easter and holiday services, we invite anyone who plays an instrument to join in playing the hymns. We invite through the bulletin and church announcements. People sign up. I make music available. We have one rehearsal for about 60 to 90 minutes before the service. We get up to 40 people playing, and they're from all skill levels.
"On Easter, one six-year-old played along for just one song on her violin. Her dad said she'd worked hard for three weeks on that song," Ruthven says.
She uses Psalter Hymnal instrumentations from Faith Alive so people who play B flat or E flat instruments can join in. Sometimes she asks others in the congregation to help transpose instrumental parts.
Books and magazines worship coordinators recommend include:
Sunday Morning Live! How and Why We Worship by Jane Vogel and Mary Sytsma helped people from Bridgeway and Good Shepherd study worship and build bonds together.
The Art of Worship by Greg Scheer has practical advice on choosing and leading music.
The Peacemaker by Ken Sande helps worship coordinators deal with an inevitable part of their jobs—conflict.
The Valley of Vision, compiled by Arthur Bennett, is a collection of Puritan prayers still relevant today.
The Worship Sourcebook has print resources for every element of a worship service and every season in the Christian year.
Worship Leader is a monthly print magazine and Song DISCovery, its bimonthly companion, includes music and lead sheets on a CD.
Worship coordinators suggest these online resources for images, sermon helps, tunes, and worship service plans:
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship offers enough online resources to keep you busy for more time than you probably have. It also makes grants and sponsors events.
Christian Reformed Church in North America has many worship resources, including several focused on disability ministry, justice, and languages such as Spanish or Korean.
CCLI licenses audio, movie, and video downloads and contemporary Christian music. Its SongSelectfeature lets you hear the music and order transpositions.
www.cyberhymnal.org provides public domain hymn texts, tunes, and histories.
www.flickr.com has millions of photos uploaded for non-commercial use…so you can add them to PowerPoints used in worship services without needing a license.
www.HymnCharts.com is an affordable place to download sheet music.
Visiting online forums and blogs lets worship coordinators share ideas and stories without leaving the office:
www.worshipmatters.com by Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries mixes personal insight and thoughtful worship theology.
www.worr.org is Ron Man's strategy for helping people from many countries share worship resources.
Meeting and worshiping with peers from around the world helps too.
At the annual Calvin Symposium on Worship, you can see new ideas—in dance, drama, visual arts, drumming, Lord's Supper practice, technology—in action.
Sovereign Grace Ministries hosts regional and annual worship weekends and conferences.
But there's no substitute for getting to know worship coordinators in churches near you, say those who've organized and attended regular meetings. They advise inviting worship coordinators from many denominations, not just your own.
"Great relationships in my church and other churches have helped me grow as a worship leader. These trusted friends listen and offer ideas, help, and prayer. This is probably the most helpful resource in my job. Conferences and books help, but these relationships help keep me going!" Ruthven says.
Jeremy Cosand, worship coordinator at East Whittier Friends Church in Whittier, California, says, "I desperately need contact with other worship leaders in my area and denomination. I need either more musical and technical training or more people to delegate those tasks to. Also, I would love to participate in services led by others, but I usually don't have (or don't make) time to do so.
Amy Schenkel knows where she, co-pastor Henry Schenkel, and worship coordinator Jeremiah Briggs get their best ideas for worship at Monroe Community Church, in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. "They come when we are given the chance to collaborate and hear ideas from other worship teams and churches, especially emerging churches like ours.
"Church plants desperately need people who can worship, not just sing with a microphone. But most church plants don't have time or leaders to send off so they can learn worship planning and theology," she says.
Schenkel dreams of a simple website that would be "like a Wikipedia for worship." It would go far beyond the current Wikipedia worship page. People could search by topic, scripture, or theme. Emerging churches could find or offer "their own ideas for making a passage real—maybe with an inexpensive hands-on activity, banner picture, or artwork."
Read and see results from "More Than Music: The Spoken Word in Worship," sponsored by Good Shepherd Christian Reformed Church and Bridgeway Community Church, and led by Ron and Deb Rienstra and Julie Romeo.
Feel free to copy or adapt the congregational services survey that helped Kristy Ruthven recruit worship participants at Princeton Christian Reformed Church in Kentwood, Michigan. Administrative coordinator Yvonne Elliott put the results into Power Church Plus, a congregational database, and printed out reports for various committees. But you could input into Microsoft Excel or Open Office, freeware with a spreadsheet.
Read why John Witvliet describes worship coordinators as shepherds. Back in 1996, Robert Webber advised not getting hung up on worship style.
Need discussion ideas for your next worship committee meeting? You can discuss foundational worship principles, customize a worship element planning grid, identify gaps in your service plans, or choose a worship area to focus on for the next several meetings.
Ever run into conflicts while coordinating worship planning with other church staff or teams? Read this list of essentials for healthy partnerships.
If you are having trouble coming up with new and meaningful worship ideas, try visiting other churches. Or take a virtual visit, courtesy of The Rochester Pluralism Project or the book How the Other Half Worships by photographer Camilo Jose Vergara. What can you learn from traditions very different from your own?
Browse related stories about designing worship together, equipping worship leaders, the "in between" words, multistaff ministry, and worship masters programs.
Talk about the role of worship coordinators.
What are the main tasks of the worship coordinator at your church? How well do these tasks align with how your church defines worship?
In what ways and how often do your worship coordinator and other worship leaders study worship together? How have you applied this learning? If you don't study, why not?
In what ways could your worship coordinator and other worship leaders move the congregation to a broader, deeper view of worship? What first steps might you take?
Name one or two regular worship practices that form people's habits and lives in your congregation. Which worship practices might you add so that worshipers grow into the people your sermons ask them to become?
Share Your Wisdom
What is the best way you've found to expand the definition of worship from mainly music to include all that goes on in worship services?
Did you find a conference, workshop, book, multimedia series, or other resources that helped you engage more people in learning, planning, and leading worship?
Did you create a worship or education series to help people experience different worship traditions, perhaps drawing on congregational members as resources? Which new worship ideas has your congregation been most receptive to?
Have you developed a grid to help you identify places in a worship service or Sundays in the church year where you could easily plug in volunteers?
Which methods have worked best to recruit more people to help plan and design worship?
Soaking in Scripture: Memorization and public reading
Many churches devote far more planning and worship service time to music, the sermon, and other service elements than they do to public Scripture reading. A feature story exploring the importance of Scripture memorization and public reading.
Pentecost Resource Guide
This list of Pentecost resources, including hymns, songs, visual arts, books, and sermon ideas, will help you plan worship for Pentecost Sunday, traditionally celebrated 50 days after Easter. Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' disciples, marked by a strong wind, tongues of fire, and manifested in the disciples' speaking in foreign languages.
Church Military Support that Any Congregation Can Do
Even if you agree that churches should reach out to armed forces members and their families, you might think your church isn't up to the job. But don't discount what your congregation can do in military ministry.