And then when you have them, when they finally convert – tell them what they should be doing. No need to really listen anymore. It is their turn now to listen. Their arguments and concerns are now crowded out by the plain fact of ecclesiastical authority and their need to submit to that authority.
Even though I am intimately familiar with this line of thinking and working and ministering – I number myself among the guilty – I call it "strange" because there is no good scriptural reason to be this way.
Paul continues to woo and argue and discuss and make his case to believers throughout his letters. And Jesus shows radical, astounding patience to his disciples despite their bone-headed doubts and foolish questions. Heck, he died for Peter after being denied by him. We would have just labeled him carnal and moved on.
Jesus was actually very, very hard on some people -those who thought they had it all together and lorded it over those who knew they didn't.
The warp and woof of the New Testament is about how we are supposed to be a loving community. Sure, we rebuke and get frustrated. But we are to do it in the context of love. So, it's strange.
But I have a guess as to why it happens. The fact that it does indeed happen, I'm sure of. Why? I am only guessing about. Maybe it's the elevation of evangelization above discipleship. The evangelist and his deeds are the high water mark of spirituality, He helps them escape from hell and that is all that really matters anyway. Though we never say it, functionally we treat discipleship as the red-headed step-child of the Christian life. So, we put on our Sunday best (or is it Saturday night behavior?) to draw them in and then we can control them. Actually it's not that we don't care about discipleship. It's that we don't care about the disciples.
Those who argue for the primacy of evangelism use the Great Commission to argue their case. But the call is to "make disciples." So if we concede their point, the line between evangelism and disciple-making shouldn't be a stark contrast. (I know that deserves a looooong defense but work with me here, especially those who agree with me.) But it is, it's very stark.
We think the best-case scenario is to be patient with an unbeliever's wrong ideas about any number of issues – evolution, scripture, alcohol, etc. – and then once they are believers, it's time to fix their ideas on issues as small as their thinking on well, small groups. And if we see any inflexibility, we abuse them in the name of discipline.
Woo them with patience. Change them with authority.
Why don't we keep wooing them?
This is what God continually does with you and I. No one ever has all their theology right in the beginning. Actually, none of us will ever have it all right in the end. We will die as old men and women with wrong opinions on morals and theology. Of course, this is no argument for not caring about those things. But it is an argument for caring about them while caring for others. Belief in the gospel doesn't free us from wrong thinking. It frees us from the penalty and absolute power of sin.
I don't think our young people leave the church because we are not relevant. I think they leave the church because we cannot seem to walk the line of loving our theology and loving them even when they struggle with it. We love correcting people and stepping on their toes and bringing down the hammer far more than loving them. We want our pastors to bring it and "it" isn't the mercy of God.
I used to work with young people, so I see through that lens. Loving them won't keep them all in the fold through college and beyond. But if we listened and were patient it might help serve as an anchor to draw them back when the waves of rebellion threaten to pull them out to sea.
My temptation when I worked with young people was to shower praise and affection on the stronger ones, those who toed the line. When I probably should have bought more burgers and fries for the questioners, the ones who gave me sideways looks and made my job harder.
All that is easy to say now. I work in a bank.
Don't hear what I ain't sayin'. I am not suggesting we should reverse it. There are far too many people who are unkind to unbelievers and kind to believers. This should be anathema. What I am suggesting is we show loving patience and kindness to 'em all. Then our kindness will not be some trick we use to draw people in to the believing community. It will be simply who we are.
Otherwise we are just crappy Jesus salesman hocking spiritual goods and services, only kind and forbearing because we get the sale. Our numbers are low and we need to get them up, so smile we will and act like we care about their pitiful lives.
But I don't wanna be a crappy Jesus salesman, hoping my metrics appease a Sales Manager in the sky. I don't want to be part of that sales team. There's no joy there, there's just transient relief.
Besides I'm a terrible salesman. And I'm not much better with loving people well and showing them grace. Usually, I want to just fix them.
I started writing this a couple of days ago and I've been thinking about Jesus' relationship to his disciples. They were constantly blowing it in every way they could…as they followed him. But he never berated him. He showed them a foolish amount of respect and gave them tasks in the midst of their crazy beliefs and requests for glory and staggering unbelief.
Maybe that's our problem. We only respect those who we agree with and agree with us. Which is really dumb when you think about it. Because at some point you disagreed with them about something and vice versa.
We should just chuck it all… chuck anything that smacks of a "bait and switch" onto the fires of Gehenna and just switch – switch to a rock solid commitment to gracious patience with all who have trusted in this gospel of a patient Savior.
We've been visiting a new church. And I have to admit I'm not enjoying it. Not the church, the visiting. I'm enjoying the church. It's the visiting I don't really enjoy. I'm not used to it. We have not done much visiting of a church since I was in Seminary. Since then, each visit has been as a candidate to be a pastor on staff. Which is not like this kind of visiting. Even though we know the pastor and a number of members, it's been weird.
But they've been in the Gospel of Mark.
I have to admit, going to church over the past 6 months or so has been hard. No so much because I don't want to go. But because I've had to go for so long. You have to go when you are in Seminary. And when you are on staff you have to go. Even when the kids are sick, you go. It's part of your job. It's not that you don't want to go. There are just no options, so you go and wanting to go is neither here nor there on one level.
But now, it is no longer part of my job. So we go because we need to go and sometimes because we want to go. The first often makes up for the last. There are some Sunday mornings when my chair is just really comfortable and another cup of coffee sounds like a mini vacation and getting the kids ready sounds horrific and the drive is extensive.
But we know we need it, so we go.
We need to be with God's people and experience the means of grace and be prayed over. I don't go solely to learn anymore. And I certainly don't go to experience or feel God. God knows, I often don't feel a whole lot. No, we go now because we need Christ. And this corporate gathering is given for that reason. We mess it up sometimes, but it's God's idea, this gathering as a church.
Though it feels uncomfortable to go we go and hope for a little comfort.
I don't remember the context. But I've never forgotten what he said. It's been an an anchor for me over the years and even more so now as I navigate the waters of no longer being in vocational ministry and doing work I am pretty sure I am not crafted for. In the middle of this whirlwind of change, my soul's great need has easily been reduced down (up?) to a need for Jesus – his words and his deeds.
I can "see" him loving the rich young ruler even as he rebuked him. I need to be rebuked and I need to know I'm loved.
I need to see him dealing with sinners and saints and legalists and family and followers. I need to hear him eat food and speak loud enough to be heard above the blowing winds.
I know the prevailing wisdom tells me I should feel his presence in my life when I sing worship songs and pray. But that rarely happens. They are helpful in other ways but what really helps me fellowship with Jesus is when I can see his life on earth in front of me on the page. It's when my life can be tethered to the life and ministry and death and resurrection of Jesus regardless of how it feels.
Look, I'm no "red letter Christian." Christ is on every page of holy writ. But I am comforted by being able to go to his life in the Gospels and in a way commune with him there.
All this landed on me in a real way as we, the visitors, sat on the 2nd row this past sunday, in front of God and everybody. It's a little uncomfortable for me, sitting that close when you are a longtime member. Even more so when visiting. The life of Christ in the gospel of Mark pushed out much of the anxiety. He was comfort for the uncomfortable.
2. A steady diet of C.S. Lewis is good for the heart.
3. I renounce Satan and his Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons on Netflix.
4. Still mad at Yoko.
5. This may go down in history as the worst fantasy baseball week ever.
6. The longer I live in the land of grace, the more I see the value of sowing and reaping.
7. I am not sure it's possible to like anyone who is looking for a house on House Hunters.
8. Remind me to talk to our therapist about the lack of bacon in our home this week.
9. You know what's funny? Funny stuff.
10. Wife: When are the Summer Olympics.
Back about two years ago, a young man confronted me on Facebook. He could not understand why I was plugging a particular Christian writer/pastor when I could be reading and plugging the "Johns" – Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin and John Piper. I explained to him I started those guys when he was still reading picture books. I also explained the need for us to read broadly and to not dismiss those we may disagree with, so offhandedly.
But hopefully you will be. Hopefully, you will see the value of reading those authors and books less obvious within the Young, Restless and Reformed camp. Some of these will be more off the beaten path than others. Some will be so off the beaten path, you'll need a machete to find them. And then you'll have read them in secret.
But do it. You need varying perspectives. And you can learn things you did not know and see things you would not have seen about yourself and God and others by reading outside the "canon" of the YRR a little.
This is not a definitive list, just my list.
1. Eugene Peterson. I owe Peterson my sanity. That is no exaggeration. His vision of pastoral and ecclesiastical life were an oasis for this parched man. He taught and is still teaching me that God is very often in silent out-of-the-way places. Start with Christ Plays in Thousand Places.
2. C. S. Lewis. You may have read some Lewis but I encourage to move beyond the obvious and read something like On Stories. His writing is superb and his perspective is singular.
3. Thomas Merton. This one is going to be hard for some of you because he was a Catholic Monk. But he was a renegade and his writings are not only poetic but also full of the kind of gems who can think on for months on end. Start with his memoir, The Seven Storey Mountain.
4. Anne Lamott. I'm late to the party on Lamott. But just glad I arrived. She will offend on one page and then warm you to the core of your being on the next. Start anywhere.
5. Francis Schaeffer. I discovered Schaeffer in college and fell in love with his writings immediately. his love and respect for unbelievers is a model for the church in the West. Or at least it should be. Start with The Great Evangelical Disaster.
6. Rob Bell. I just blew your mind, I know. But hang on and let me explain. I have not read a lot of Rob Bell. But what i have read has been helpful for two reasons. First, my primary exposure to the "emergent church" was through criticism. And reading Bell gave me a closer look and helped me relax my criticism. Second, while I disagree with Bell on Hell, I think he genuinely cares for people and for the reputation of God. Reading that book helped me see this. By the way, he is closer to Lewis on Hell than you are.
7. Steve Brown. If you need a guy who oozes grace from every pore and page, this is your guy. And unless you are reading Keller, you of the YRR are probably not getting a lot of grace while talking about it. I owe you all a review of Three Free Sins, his new book. Start there.
8. G. K. Chesterton. Witty, funny and my favorite apologist for the Christian faith. Also a Catholic and one who is very critical of Calvinism in Orthodoxy, you may want to take off your Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy T-shirt before you begin.
9. Donald Miller. I was a vocal critic of Miller until I actually read Blue Like Jazz. Shockingly, I liked it. And he just seems like a likable guy, who can write well and pull back a layer of hardness to reveal the fleshy tenderness of a soul.
10. Mary Karr. Sorry, she's Catholic too. You know, they are the best writers. And her book Lit is outstanding. It's the story of her overcoming her alcoholism and her embrace of Catholicism. I cried like a school girl often while reading of her failures and victories.
Go here for parts One, Two and Three.
We pick up the story with Mom calling at 3 AM to tell me Emma has been getting sick every 15 minutes for a few hours.
I've gotten myself ready. I'm awake for the most part and in shock.
I tell you the truth, it sounds funny now but it was really horrific at this time of day. You see I hate everyone at 3 AM. When I was a youth pastor – that is after my first gig – I wrote it in my contract I would not do lock-ins. I don't like hating people. And at 3 AM, I get crazy. Not even God escapes my irrational fury.
Plus, I like to sleep.
Now I have to wake up Knox. This is surprisingly easy. I grab him a change of clothes and we get in the van.
The fog was thick and we were indeed virtually alone until we merged onto the interstate. This is the same interstate we were on earlier. No longer is it a parking lot. We are traveling in a different direction. And Knox is no longer sick. In fact, he is wide-eyed. This is really an adventure for him. He cannot stop smiling and asking questions about the fog and our inability to get away from it.
We pull up to my parents. The street is dark – the house darker. But my mom is waiting and she ushers us both upstairs. Emma looks terrible. Just like Knox did about 15 hours earlier.
A suppository always works for Emma so I decide to use one.
I know what you are thinking but you have to understand we have had to admit Emma twice to stave off dehydration. And I've already been to the ER once in the past 12 hours. This madness has got to stop.
The suppository has been, errr, administered. Knox is on a pallet at the foot of the bed Emma and I are in.
No change at all. This virus is having it's way with her just as it did with Knox. Every 15 minutes a nightmare.
I'm having to come to grips with the fact this looks exactly like what happened with Knox. And the result is going to be the same. I call the ER at Children's. The doc I get tells me the exact opposite of what I was told by the pediatrician earlier in the day.
Dear Doctors, Can y'all get on the same page, here? OK, thanks!
The sun is up. Lights creeps through the blinds. For some reason this brings relief and resolve. It's around this time, I realize I feel fine. No nausea and no achey joints. Just worry over Emma.
I'm going with my gut. I let my mom know, Emma and I are headed back to the ER.
So I dress my beautiful little girl, pick her up and carry her down to the van. Bowl in hand.
She also gets sick on the way to the ER. The drive is twice as long as when I took Knox. But she does well. She sleeps most of the time.
I should probably admit that if there had been no free valet parking at the ER I would not have been as ready to go. Feels good to admit that.
We walk in with a couple of nurses who I assume will be starting their 7 AM shift. No one is waiting in the waiting room. We go back at once and are helped by the doctor who I talked with on the phone. He takes vitals and is nothing but kind to Emma and myself.
We are in a private room and in walks a nurse – one of the nurses who helped us yesterday. She wonders what is going and realizes it is a different kid.
I explain that she reminded me too much of what I saw in Knox. And she responded by telling me they would take care of it.
They may think I'm insane but they did not say it to my face.
I am now famous throughout the ER for being the Dad to bring in two kids in two days while mom is on vacation. They know she doesn't know. There is often 3 to 5 people in our room – nurses, doctors – some helping, some just talking and hanging out.
I'm kinda one of them now. I mean, I know where the bathroom is, how the TV works and where the Pharmacy is. I belong.
Thankfully they give Emma some Zofran. It works like magic. I make a note to invest in Zofran and hoard supplies of it.
They finally let me know I made a good decision in bringing her in. She was "very dry" according to the awesome young lady Doctor.
She does not do quite as well as Knox with the IV but once it's in, she goes right to sleep.
I'm glad to see Emma already doing better. There is much more color in her face after an hour of fluids. But now I'm wondering how Bethany is.
Phew. I don't like lying to her and leaving out the fact I am in the ER for the second time in 24 hours but she is about to have an epic day at the beach with two of her best friends. She deserves this.
She barely wakes up to drink a little every 5 minutes or so.
Doc says she is looking good, so we are free to go. I make all the calls necessary letting the in-laws and my folks know we are leaving the hospital soon. My mom says she will have the boys ready when we get there.
We pick up the boys, thank my parents for the heroic help, and head home.
It was pretty much sleep, sleep, Phineus and Ferb, Spider-man cartoons and more sleep. There was one point not long before bed time where Emma said her tunny hurt a little. So I quickly called my father-in-law who lives around the corner and got him to run down to the Pharmacy and pick up a prescription for Zofran. He made it just as they were closing, like a hero. I was stoked to see this was a drinkable version and she was feeling better within minutes.
Wait, I need to back up.
Bethany is about an hour from home. And so I decide to tell her the whole story before she gets home. She didn't even know Emma had gotten sick. So I started by telling her that because I didn't want her to worry about her getting sick. She can relax knowing we've all had the disease now and lived to tell.
She was thankful but could not believe it.
And to be honest, I lived through the whole thing and I still have trouble believing it.
Parts 1 and 2 for those who need to catch up with the action.
The drama had reached a fevered pitch with the pediatrician telling me I needed to take Knox, my 6 year old, to the ER at Children's Hospital.
To say this is not what I wanted to hear is an understatement. But to be honest I was not surprised. This was not my first rodeo. We've had to do this before. We have experience with dehydration and ERs and hospitals for Children.
I called my Mom and Mother-in-Law and let them know what was going on. I made them swear they would not tell Bethany.
Knox and I are on our way to the ER. he and his little body are up front with me. I'm holding the bowl.
I shoot Bethany a text while sitting at a light.
We get on the interstate and it's only a few minutes till we get to the ER from there. But it's after 4 PM on a Friday on I-65, the largest parking lot in Birmingham.
So Knox gets sick before we even get off the interstate.
Now, I have only been to Children's Hospital as a visitor. I've never taken a kid there. So, here I am driving around downtown Birmingham looking for the ER entrance holding the bowl with a boy who could need it any minute.
Knox and I walk into the ER. Thankfully a kind face greets us and I explain the situation. I assume we will fill out a bunch of paperwork and wait. But we didn't. I answered a few questions and they took us back to a small room to get vitals.
Wait? I don't have to wait out there with the others?
Bethany sends me a text.
Now that was a true statement as far as it goes. Of course she had no idea we were in the ER. But I mean, it would have done her no good to know. I had it all under, ehem, control.
The nice young nurse takes us back to a shared room with Disney Jr. playing. Knox lays down on the bed and goes right to sleep and then gets sick. Another nurse comes in with purple Gatorade. I'm supposed to give him a syringe full every 5 minutes till he gets sick and then they will check him out.
So I do. And he gets sick after the 2nd.
Courtney, our awesome nurse then pricks his finger and he barely notices. He is worried about a shot and who wouldn't be?
Our brave little boy is getting an IV put in. And he does great. He has gotten sick again but only minutes after the Zofran courses into his little vein, he starts perking up.
He cannot understand what is happening as they push in this little miracle drug through his skin. He keeps looking at me wide-eyed.
Next the fluids. And he reacts to the coolness flowing into him, again, not understanding. This is all new to him and might as well be science fiction for all the science he grasps. I tell him it's kinda like getting super powers injected into him.
Knox is better. He looks like himself and is smiling and talking and not getting sick. He says his tummy no longer hurts.
The doctor is encouraged. Dad is relieved…and pretty much ignoring any texts from the wife.
The change is now dramatic. He is cold but being silly.
I'm exhausted. And now my stomach hurts and I'm achey again. I've been taking Tylenol but now that I'm in the hospital, I don't have any. So I ask the nurse for some and she kindly sends me to the Pharmacy. I buy some in hopes it will help.
The Doctor orders us up some tasty "Gatorator," as Knox calls it. Old school green. But he is happy to be drinking anything. Heck, he's just happy. We both are, Phineus and Ferb just came on.
Knox has kept down the Gatorade and so they are sending us home. I call everyone and let them know. Everyone, that is, except Bethany. We thank the Doc and the nurses.
We get to the house and immediately set up our little "sleepover" in Daddy's bed. He is excited about sleeping with me tonight. He falls asleep almost immediately.
There is a bowl between us, just in case.
I watch Braves baseball and read, just so I can keep an eye on him. Bethany and I text each other and I use his sleeping to keep from talking on the phone. She is relieved that she is feeling better. And even more relieved Knox feels better.
I decide to turn off the lamp, put down the book, turn off the game, and go to sleep. And it comes quickly. It's been a long day and I've longed to be here in my bed with a healthy Knox.
The phone rings. I'm delirious and cannot understand why my Mom is calling.
The first installment ended with me feeling awful and getting a call from Bethany (who is on the way to the beach) telling me our 6 year old had gotten sick at school.Friday May 4th, 11 AMNOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo…..
At least that is what I said in my head. On the phone I responded with appropriate grief but reassured her we would be OK.
And I ask you dear reader, what could go wrong? My 3 year old got sick that morning in his crib, I got sick on the side of the road almost 2 hours earlier, and now my 6 six year old has gotten sick at school.
Scenarios rush through my mind quickly to fix this problem. I land on one. It's solid. Secure. It will work.
Bethany is still clueless about me getting sick less than 2 hours ago.
My mom has agreed to take Dylan and Emma with her. They are excited about hanging out at GiGi and DiDi's house and spending the night there. I pack their things – and it was painful because my stomach hurt and every joint ached. Plus Knox was going to get sick any moment. They leave.
Knox and I watch Spider-man when I am not emptying the Tupperware bowl. He is getting sick about every 15 minutes. He is so thirsty. And sad.
Like I pointed out earlier, our 3 year old had this same bug earlier in the week. His pediatrician called in some Zofran for him. We had one left over. So I thought I might as well give it a whirl.
The Zofran was a small pill meant to be held under the tongue. Hello? That's gonna make a healthy Knox gag! So of course, that's exactly what happens when I give it to him. It had no time to dissolve before going into the bowl.
But I wait and hope to see if it did any good…for 15 minutes.
Aaaaaaaaaand it did no good. At all.
Knox has not stopped getting sick. He looks worn down. The Zofran was my own personal chimera.
At this point I begin to to think about the unthinkable. I begin contemplating a remedy I can hardly bear to think about. You see, I have a queasy stomach. I don't do well in hospitals. My skin crawls very, very easily. Not sure why, just does.
But I'm getting worried for Knox. And I'm tired of watching him suffer so, every 15 minutes.
So I get on the Internet. I call my friend, the doctor. And then I decide to do it.
I go to the fridge and take out the…suppositories.
Let's just say I made it through the unpleasant experience. Knox was a trooper. But all my promises – given to him as seeds of hope he would get better never found purchase.
Right after I give him the suppository, Bethany sends me a text telling me she is not feeling too good and asking if I would pray for her.
She still has no idea what is going on back home. Now is not the time to tell her.
The suppository always works. Always. And….and the unpleasantness of the experience is supposed to be offset by the surety of it all stopping. At this point I decide to call the pediatrician. I get a receptionist who listens to my pain.
"Who is your child's doctor?" is her response.
(Parenthetical thought: Listen, I think everyone who works with people day in and day out should be nice and friendly. Am I crazy to think the person who answers the phone at a Pediatrician's office should be more so than most? First qualification? Winning a Miss Congeniality contest. OK, I'm done now.)Then I rehearse the whole ordeal again to the nurse. Who responds by telling me she will talk to the Doc and call me back. She seemed particularly interested by the ineffectiveness of the suppository.Knox is now sleeping because of it and only wakes up to get sick. But hardly anything is coming out. As soon as he finishes he closes his eyes and sleeps for about 12 minutes.
While I'm waiting for the nurse to call me back, I'm getting more and more anxious. This is not like any other stomach virus I've seen hit my kids. Though I only got sick once and am starting to feel remarkably better, I am worried about Knox. His tendency is to get over these things quickly.
The questions start forming. Do I tell Bethany? How much do I tell Bethany? When do I tell Bethany?
I decide to at least wait till she is better.
This is the first of at least a four part series. Everything I am about to tell you about this past weekend is true.
About 3 minutes after I wake up, I find myself in the kitchen with my stomach in intense pain. I assume it is hunger. we did not have a big dinner the night before and we both acknowledged we would be hungry the next morning.
The problem was nothing sounded good. And it felt more like nausea than hunger.
So I ate a banana and drank my coffee – slowly. I still felt terrible. And the fear in the back of my mind was creeping to the forefront of my mind – stomach virus. The very stomach virus my 3 year old had a few days earlier, his first by the way.
I tried to ignore it. Today was too big a day.
Bethany, my wife was headed to the beach with two friends. I was watching our three kids. This was her first trip like this since we've had kids – just her and some friends, with us kids at home alone without her. I'd taken off work to be superdad and give the kids a weekend so awesome they will not notice how poorly they are being taken care of.
Dylan, the 3 year old who had the stomach virus has not yet shaken it obviously and has gotten sick in his bed. This means cleaning him and his bed up quickly. The wife is supposed to meet the girls at 8 AM at a Cracker Barrel parking lot about 20 minutes away. I still have to take the kids to school and then come back to get her and take her down there. Dylan will be riding with us.
My wife's stomach is bothering her also. But it has been for a few days, so she is not all that worried. I get down a granola bar hoping it will curb the grueling hunger pains.
I am on the way with the kids to school and Knox, my 6 year old tells me his stomach hurts. I hope it is hunger because he often is hungry and begins his plea for food or snacks with, "my tummy hurts." But fear shoots through me like lightning. He tells me he feels sick and it is not hunger. So we drive back to the house. Bethany is getting worried till we see the glee on Knox's face at being able to watch Spider-Man and play Angry Birds. So we tell him to get back in the car and I take him to school. I drive carefully because if you know anything about Birmingham, AL, there are no flat, straight roads – especially on Shades Mountain, where we live. I feel terrible, by the way.
I think it is at this point we delay the meet up between the girls. Holly's little Ellie has a fever.
Let me preface this by saying I feel terrible but I am still optimistic. I've been nauseous before and seen it disappear in a few hours. When I get back to the house, Bethany is worried the trip is not going to happen. Me too. She needs this trip and deserves it. She never does things like this. I want her to go on this trip as much as she wants to go. Her excitement has been a real source of fun for us. Plus I can eat unhealthy food while she is gone and watch Phineus and Ferb with the kids.
The trip is on. We load her gear up and then her, Dylan and myself are on our way. We had to stop and mail something at the post office because I didn't want to worry about it feeling the way I did while having the 3 year old with me.
Have I mentioned that I don't fell well? And the contours of the roads in my fair city? About 5 minutes in to the drive I burp and it helps.
We arrive before anyone else at the parking lot of Cracker Barrel. I immediately get out of the car because I thought it might make me feel better. It does for a moment but I am anxiously looking for concealed bushes in case I get sick. It's been many years since it has happened but I know the feeling well enough. Just typing about this makes me feel terrible. I hate being that kind of sick. I hate that I'm even having to tell you about it. But I was worried. Imagine my worry – I'm about to drive off with Dylan – who, by the way just really got potty-trained about 2 weeks ago – and will be picking the other two kiddos up a little later in the day.
The ladies are driving away and I step out of the car again and I'm worried. Another good burp makes me feel better. I start driving home but I'm worried enough to stay off the interstates. I take highways and the straighter the better. Yeah, right.
OK, at this point I am done with optimism. I'm going to be sick. It is going to happen. I just want to get home first.
Because we were worried still about Dylan, we brought along a tupperware bowl. About a stone's throw from home I needed that bowl. I will spare the details but there was one part that needs to be told.
Dylan: Are you sick Daddy?
Me: Yeah buddy, I'm sick.
I know what you are thinking. But I did not call her and tell her. She needs this trip and the less she knows the better time she will have. She may kill me later, but she will enjoy herself now.
This is when I started to pray like a Pentecostal.
Dylan is watching cartoons. I'm down the hall in bed. He can't do too much harm. Besides, I feel a little better and I rarely deliver a sequel in these situations. But now I feel achey and feverish.
Bethany sends me a text checking on me and I tell my first of many, many lies on this weekend of Lying. I told lies of omission and I outright told some big whoppers. Sometimes the truth was technically there, but I was really a liar, liar pants on fire.
How many lies did I tell her over the weekend? Well, let's put it this way, if there was a land called Liardom, I would be Founder and King. But as King it is my job to protect the fair maiden of this household from the truth so she can relax in sun-soaked bliss.
By this time, I have called my own mommy and asked her to come over and watch Dylan while I lie in bed and moan. She had already volunteered, so back off. Bethany's mom is closer, but if I'm going to be sick I want my own mom to be there.
1. Let me start by thanking all of you for praying for my fantasy team. I can see that you are praying just by looking at my stats.
2. I now only have one or two pastors in my twitter "reading list." I can only handle so many mini sermons a day.
3. After a thorough review, I heartily approve of Aldi's bacon.
4. Speaking of prayer, would you pray the vault doesn't open today so my 4 day weekend would transform into a 5 day weekend? Thanks.
5. My wife is going to the beach this weekend and it will be just us kids.
6. Suddenly, no one is all that passionate about justice for Trayvon. Go figure.
7. My wife just asked me how old she is.
8. I'm calling it – the argument that evangelicalism is too wedded to politics is preposterous.
9. You know what's awesome? Awesome stuff.
10. Some days work is so bad, I ask my friend Sean to send me Red Sox Trivia. I'm a Yankees fan.
I don't really enjoy writing book reviews and you don't usually read them anyway. But you do read these lists. So let's meld the two – because I really want you to read Make Your own Application by Michael Newnham.
Michael is one of my favorite bloggers. His thoughts and observations are always helpful. I sometimes skip over a lot of stuff in my blog reader to read what he has to say. I don't always agree with him. But here's the thing – I always feel like I need to pay attention and I always feel like I can learn something.
Out of his blog has been born a book. Here are 10 reasons why you might like it.
1. It's a book of original stories. It's fashionable these days to talk about "story" and the importance of them. I hope it stays that way and doesn't fade. Christians need to tune their minds and eyes and hearts and souls to see and hear and feel all the little stories happening around them. This is a book of these kinds of stories – the little ones we are prone to pass over. Usually it's the little ones that contain the truths we need to apply early and often.
2. The writing is very good. I often get asked, "What is good writing?" All I know is what I like – the writing that draws me in and keeps me there long after I've stopped reading. This book has that kind of writing. I actually started reading it, thinking I would do so over a few days. But I kept picking it back up and finished it very quickly because I wanted more. Good writing is rare in Christendom these days, and this is some pretty dang good writing.
4. It's funny. Listen, it is hard to find a funny book written by a Christian. We are not known for this. (If they are funny, it's at the expense of others a la Mark Driscoll.) But this book has some great humor in it. It's not a comedy book. But sometimes the little stories God uses to teach us are full of comedy. I found myself in these stories a lot and usually I was laughing at myself.
5. This is a book for everyone. From skateboarders to cat-lovers. You think I'm kidding? I kid you not.
6. Great illustrations for teachers. I don't know about you but if I hear another sermon with the story of Eric Liddell ("When I run, I feel God's pleasure") or of Aslan ("Of course he is good, but not safe") I'm gonna become go postal. These stories are true and and the kinds of stories we see around us every. single. day. We can all relate. If you are a preacher, you need these kinds of stories to take up residence in your mind.
7. These are mundane stories. One of the things Make Your Own Application can do for us is tune our own eyes to see and then tell similar stories. We tend to tell stories of the fantastic. We tell stories of celebrities. We tell stories of the super-spiritual pastors who are legends. In other words, we are just like our culture. These stories are for the most part really ordinary. But Michael does a masterful job of making us pay attention to them and see ourselves and our world within.
8. It's short. Never trust a person who does not like short books. If you think only long, thick, heavy books are what christians should be reading, I don't like you. And neither does God because the books of the Bible are pretty short. So is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. And many of you will think this is great – "I may actually finish this one!" It is a small book with a price-point to match.
9. You can stroll or dash through it. Maybe you are like me and have trouble reading slowly and taking your time with books. You run through them with breakneck speed and then sit back and enjoy what you have written. This is a book for you. Or maybe you are the kind of person who can stop reading as easily as you have started. You read a passage and feel you must stop and let roll around in your head for awhile. This is a book for you. I dashed through it the first time and now I'm strolling.
10. I wish I had written a similar book. Seriously, I wanted to write a book based on lines from songs and movies and let them be illustrations of various transcendent truths. This book is way better and I wish I had written it.


Oklahoma's defense has come a long way in a year, culminating in the Sooners' revenge win at Ohio State. DC Mike Stoops reveals what's changed, plus more notes from Week 2.
Lincoln Riley's first road trip as a head coach couldn't have gone much better. His Sooners, led by star quarterback Baker Mayfield, produced a dominant performance at No. 2 Ohio State, winning 31–16 in a game that wasn't even that close. Mayfield carved up the Buckeyes' defense before he literally planted an Oklahoma flag right in the heart of the Horseshoe. Perhaps the biggest revelation, however, in a jaw-dropping night in Columbus was how well the Sooners' D played against Urban Meyer's offense on the way to the Buckeyes' worst home loss since 1999.
One third of Ohio State's 69 plays went for zero or negative yards or resulted in an interception. Senior QB J.T. Barrett averaged only around five yards per pass attempt. This all served as quite a jolt to the narrative that no one in the Big 12 plays defense. Last year, the Buckeyes drilled Oklahoma 45–24 in Norman. It was one of four times the Sooners surrendered at least 40 points in 2016.
It helps that this year's defense starts seven seniors. Stoops has leaders in defensive backs Steven Parker and Jordan Thomas, and the evolution of end Obo Okoronkwo is the unit in microcosm. The 6'1", 240-pound senior from Houston always had exceptional quickness, and late last season he emerged as a pass-rushing terror as the Sooners' defense started to blossom. Against Ohio State, he had 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, adding to two TFLs and a sack in the season opener against UTEP.
"It's crazy how we've grown," Okoronkwo said before the start of this season about his relationship with his coach. "We used to be at each other's throats. We talk all the time. He calls me just to see how I'm doing. My understanding of the game has grown so much just because of his patience with me.
That patience is paying off for a group that is has allowed the second-fewest plays of 20-plus yards per game in the country (1.00).
• Clemson's defense flexed its muscle last weekend, notching 14 tackles for loss and 11 sacks against Auburn. Brent Venables's unit has only allowed five plays of 10-plus yards this season. That's half as many as the next fewest by any FBS team that has played two games. That makes this weekend's showdown against Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and Louisville that much more compelling. If Jackson lights this Tigers defense up again, his odds of becoming only the second player to repeat as Heisman winner will increase significantly.
• I had a chance to spend a few days around Oregon last weekend for the Ducks' game with Nebraska. The vibe around the football program seems to have changed dramatically under coach Willie Taggart, with so much more energy and enthusiasm, and the Ducks are 2–0 after beating the Huskers. This is an intriguing team because it's so young. It starts 12 sophomores and freshmen, including three O-linemen and stud QB Justin Herbert. Things are going very well on the recruiting trail, too.
The 6'6", 227-pound Herbert is a good story. He leads a deep crop of gifted Pac-12 QBs in completion percentage (78%); QB rating (199) and yards per attempt (12.0). Credit former coach Mark Helfrich for bringing him in. Herbert was a three-sport star who told me he didn't go to camps or combines, which left him under the recruiting radar. His only other FBS offer was from Hawaii.
Taggart thinks Herbert will become a first-round pick—he loves his accuracy, athleticism and intelligence. Herbert is still developing as a leader and has worked hard on his composure because he is such a perfectionist, going hard on himself after interceptions during spring practice.
Those things, though, can be nurtured. His talent is pretty special, and he's a good fit for the Gulf Coast Offense that Taggart brought from South Florida, which has some similarities to the Ducks' old system but with different terminology.
Another reason for optimism is defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt's young linemen. Freshmen Austin Faoliu and Jordon Scott can become real forces to build around. Leavitt loves the 6'0", 330-pound Scott's strength and smarts and thinks he'll become an even bigger factor as he gets into better shape and can play more snaps. Leavitt says the 6'3", 289-pound Faoliu can be really special. "He's got a serious demeanor about his craft and has really strong hands." He also may be the toughest guy on the defensive unit. Keeping Faoliu in the signing class through the coaching transition was a big get for Taggart's staff—USC made a late push to keep him, and he grew up just down the street from the Coliseum.
• Coolest video of the Week: Oregon and Nike partnered up for something truly awesome. Three pediatric cancer survivors—Joe MacDonald, Sophia Malinoski and Ethan Frank—collaborated with three Ducks players to design Oregon's new "Stomp Out Cancer" uniforms that include inspiring graphics and slogans. Along with the uniforms, they helped design T-shirts, hats and other gear that are available for sale, with 100% of the profits benefiting the pediatric cancer fund at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. After the Ducks' victory, Taggart presented each of the kids with game balls.
I spoke with the father of one of the survivors, Joe MacDonald, who told me the day before the game on Saturday, his son played in his own high school football game wearing the Nike cleats he helped design and had a 70-yard touchdown. And it all came on the fourth anniversary of his cancer going into remission.
• San Diego State has another star running back. Last year it was Donnel Pumphrey and now it's Rashaad Penny, who ran all over Arizona State to give the Aztecs their first win against a Pac-12 opponent in 42 years. The 5'11", 220-pound Penny scored three touchdowns (a 95-yard run, a 33-yard scoring reception and 99-yard kickoff return) and rushed for a career-best 216 yards. In all, he accounted for 353 all-purpose yards. He came into the season as a two-time Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, with five kick returns for touchdowns. That 2014 class of running backs in the state of California was pretty strong. Also in that class: Royce Freeman, Joe Mixon and Arizona's Nick Wilson.
• Stat of the Week: When Frank Wilson led UTSA to a win at Baylor last weekend, it marked the third time Wilson's UTSA teams have been at least a 17-point underdog and won the game outright.
• Another stat to keep in mind this week: Tom Herman is 6–0 as a head coach when he faces a Top 25 team. Not 6–0 against the spread—outright. His Texas team goes to No. 4 USC Saturday. As a first-time head coach with Houston, Herman won his first game against a ranked opponent by one point, a 35–34 win over No. 25 Memphis in November 2015. Since then, his teams have won by 21 (against No. 16 Navy), by 11 (against No. 20 Temple), by 14 (against No. 9 Florida State), by 10 (against No. 3 Oklahoma) and by 26 (against No. 3 Louisville), an average margin of 14 points.


Ihave had problems not being able to sleep for days before a meeting. Getting to the meeting was even harder. Everyone was telling me I'm doing okay, but they do not know how much it takes me to do it.
I have tried exercises, new age music, talking to myself in positive ways, reading many books and listening to audio books. It has helped, but not enough. So, I bought this program with a real hope that I would be ready to face "the music: again this year.
I listened to the CD for three days before my first presentation. I slept a little better and to my surprise I was calm the day of the presentation. Even more, I was looking forward to taking the microphone. The presentation went very well, I may have even spoke too much and surprised many who know I don't like the microphone.
We love it when our albums work this well, if you have a similar experience please get in touch, hearing your positive changes is the most rewarding part of our business.


text:
Page from an official investigation into the explosion in the Allan mine on April 16, 1935. MOI Collection.
Database of fatalities
We have received many enquiries over the years from people researching genealogical or family history regarding men who died in Nova Scotia coal mines. This project is intended to provide a resource to answer these kinds of queries. It includes a database of more than 2,500 recorded deaths in Nova Scotia coal mines. There has been no single official and complete source to draw on for this compilation; it has been painstakingly put together from a number of sources. Despite this care, it is inevitably incomplete because of inconsistencies in the source materials. It also does not include deaths from natural causes of men on mine sites.
Prominent mine disasters
Sketch of an explosion in the ventilating shaft of the Foord Works, Albion Mines, ca. 1880. MOI collection I91.32.579, scan 200600117.
For each of the counties included, we have provided brief summaries of some of the most catastrophic incidents leading to the highest loss of life at particular coal mines. This is a sampling and does not in any way include every major loss of life. As well, there were accidents and incidents that caused the death of one or a handful of men. It is beyond the scope of this project to describe each of those events.
Investigation Drawings
"Plan of No 2 bord east of sinking 6 west of Cage Seam showing where John Cullens met fatal accident, October 30, 1934". MOI I97.30.
One resource we have that provides information on smaller events, are drawings in our collection that would have accompanied the official investigations into fatalities of one or more men. We have provided a listing of the names, dates, and mines for which drawings exist and a couple of sample illustrations. If you are interested in more information about this, please contact us with an enquiry.
Many thanks to Judith Hoegg Ryan, researcher and writer for this project.
Thanks also to the following who provided information and advice to help us make the database as complete as possible:
Anna MacNeil, Beaton Institute Archival Assistant, who provided images and citations for much of the Cape Breton content and confirmed some fatality locations.
Mary Willa Littler, coal mining history researcher in Springhill, who was a resource on fatalities in Cumberland County coal mines.
Mary Pat Mombourquette, Cape Breton Miners' Museum, who fact-checked details of Cape Breton coal mine fatalities.
Judy Jollymore, River Hebert Miners' Museum, for information on casualties in the Joggins-River Hebert coal area.
Tracy Lenfesty, Librarian, NS Department of Lands and Forestry, for her support with mining history records.
Jessica Kilford, Nova Scotia Archives, Men In the Mines online resource
Brown, Roger David, Blood on the Coal: The Story of the Springhill Mining Disasters. Windsor, Nova Scotia: Lancelot Press, revised edition 1990.
Cameron, James M., The Pictonian Colliers, Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Museum, 1974.
MacKenzie, Rennie, Blast!: Cape Breton Coal Mine Disasters, Sydney, NS: Breton Books, 2007.
Ryan, Judith Hoegg, Coal in our Blood: 200 Years of Coal Mining in Nova Scotia's Pictou County, Halifax, NS, Formac: 1992.
Archival Documents
Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University, Miners Killed in Nova Scotia [PAM 3691], originally compiled by the Cape Breton Miners' Museum.
Colchester Historeum sources, including a compilation, "Debert Coal Mine" by Stacey Culgin.
Cumberland County Genealogical Society, "River Hebert Mine Tragedy in Fall of '30", by Robert Ross with content from Amherst Daily News, September 18, 1930, and the later inquiry report, dated 31 December 1930 from The Citizen, Saturday, December 12, 1992, Page 3 and December 26, 1992 – "A Touch of Cumberland History".
Calder, J.H. et. al., Coal in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy, 1985.
Calder, J. H. et. al., One of the Greatest Treasures: The Geology and History of Coal in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, 1993.
Judith Hoegg Ryan, "A Physical Description of Coal Mining in Nova Scotia", Museum of industry research report.
Nova Scotia Department of Mines "A History of Coal Mining in Nova Scotia", Information Series No. 2, 1978.
Nova Scotia Department of Mines Annual Reports, 1866-1992.
Hope Harrison, "The Life and Death of the Cumberland Coal Mines", Nova Scotia Historical Review, vol.5, number 1 (1985): 73-83.
www.mininghistory.ns.ca "History of Coal Mining in Nova Scotia", Website authored & compiled by by Gary Ellerbrok features The Louis Frost Notes 1685 to 1962, by Louis J. Frost, Chief Mining Engineer of the Dominion Coal Company, owners of the Cumberland Railway and Coal Company Limited.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Hundreds of Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Drop Off Radar in the UK Every Year According to Secret Figures
Kate McCann, Telegraph, June 15, 2017
Up to 250,000 people drop off the radar and end up as illegal immigrants in Britain every year, according to secret Home Office figures, amid warnings that border controls are completely ineffective and will only get worse after Brexit.
David Wood, who was head of immigration enforcement at the Home Office until 2015, said that more than 1.2 million illegal immigrants are currently living in Britain, predominantly after overstaying their visas.
People are not aware of the scale of the problem because official figures are not published and Home Office estimates for illegal immigrants are kept secret by ministers because they are "embarrassing", according to experts.
In a highly critical paper for Civitas, written with Alasdair Palmer, a former Home Office speechwriter, Mr Wood disclosed that the Home Office has privately estimated that between 150,000 and 250,000 foreign nationals fail to return to their home country when they should.
They include people who come to the UK illegally in the back of lorries, those who are refused asylum (around 26,000 last year) and students and others who overstay visas.
But the true numbers are not recorded officially because the Government's new e-borders system does not share data with the Office for National Statistics and others, leading to inaccurate figures that are as good as "guesses", they said.
Mr Wood and Mr Palmer said: "It is understandable that the Home Office should have kept those estimates to itself: they are politically extremely embarrassing.
"Large numbers of illegal immigrants are a clear indication that immigration policy is not having the effect it is meant to", they added, and ineffective controls "can be worse than no immigration controls at all" the researchers found.
They warned that because Government policy does not take into account the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants living in the UK: "Not only does it fail to reduce the number of foreign citizens settling in the UK, it also ensures that a very high proportion of them will not pay taxes and will be involved in illegal activity".
The researchers, both highly experienced Home Office staff, added it is "obviously wrong not to release the estimate of the number of illegal immigrants to the public".
They said: "They are a critical element in the debate on immigration. Keeping them secret may save ministers from embarrassment. But it makes proper policy planning impossible."
The researchers also called on ministers to use National Insurance Numbers to estimate immigration instead, which show there were 827,000 foreign citizen registrations in 2015 alone. By contrast, over the same period, the official system estimated around 550,000 people came to the UK.
The authors warn that Brexit could lead to a surge of illegal immigrants unless the Government does more to tackle the issue.
"Without effective enforcement of immigration laws and regulations, the result of Brexit won't be that we "take back control" of our borders, as the prime minster has promised. It will be a surge in illegal immigration", the report said.
Ministers must get better at deporting people who should not be living and working in the UK, they added.
Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said: "Our laws are being enforced. In fact, it is harder than ever before for those with no right to be here to remain in the UK.
"We expect those with no basis of stay to leave voluntarily. Where they do not, we will enforce their removal. This includes foreign criminals of whom we returned more than 6,000 last year.
"At the same time, we are continuing to reform legal routes to the UK from outside Europe and will use the opportunity of leaving the EU to take control of immigration from within the EU too."
Official statisticians have said it is impossible to accurately quantify the number of people in the country unlawfully.
In an estimate 12 years ago, a Home Office assessment put the total unauthorised migrant population living in the UK in 2001 at 430,000.
The main count used to track trends in regular immigration is net migration, which is based on a survey of passengers and measures the difference between the numbers arriving in and leaving the country for at least a year.
Net long-term international migration was running at an estimated 248,000 last year.
The report also raises questions about whether data collected at the border and from National Insurance registrations could shed more light on immigration estimates.
And it claims that the Government has great difficulty enforcing tough-sounding policies to tackle illegal immigration.
Dr David Green, director of Civitas, said: "In recent years, successive governments have shown all the signs of wanting to hide the true scale of immigration from members of the public.
"The Government has better calculations of the scale of both legal and illegal immigration but has deliberately suppressed publication."
Topics: Britain, Europe, Illegal Immigrants, Immigration, Immigration Law
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Craig Moore has extended his loan at League One side Ayr Utd until the end of the current campaign.
The forward, who netted six times in twelve appearances during the first half of the season for the Honest Men, will remain with Ian McCall's side as they aim for promotion to the SPFL Championship.
21-year old Moore made his debut for the Steelmen back in August 2013 in the UEFA Europa League match against Kuban Krasnodar in Russia.
Since then he has found regular first-team football hard to come by, particularly after a cruciate ligament injury at the tail end of the 2013/14 season kept him side-lined for several months.
He has spent time on loan prior to his spell in Ayrshire' a successful period at then Championship side Cowdenbeath where he hit seven goals in 12 games for the Blue Brazil.
Mark McGhee will monitor Moore's progress during the loan with one eye on next season.
He said: "Craig has been a little unfortunate with injuries and almost as I arrived at Motherwell, he picked up a knock that ruled him out for most of October, November and December.
"He's only now back to fitness and I want to see him in competitive action as we plan ahead. As a 21-year old striker who is still developing and learning his craft, he needs regular first-team football, week in and week out, and at the moment that couldn't be guaranteed here.
Ahead of their 2016 SWFL1 campaign, the Ladies have signed striker Colette Fleming from local rivals Mill Utd.
Having secured promotion from SWFL2 in record-breaking style, the Fir Parkers are keen to make a big impression in the new season and Fleming is seen as a vital cog in the wheel.
Colette started her career with Hamilton Accies before joining Mill Utd, playing a big part in their drive towards promotion in 2014, including a brace against the Ladies of Steel in a tightly fought 2-1 victory that campaign. Since then, she has been a regular scorer and standout performer in SWFL1.
Commenting on the signing, Ladies boss Graeme McArthur said: "This is another great signing for us; we only came to fully appreciate just how good a player Colette was when she played and scored against us for Mill Utd.
"We've tracked her progress since and when the opportunity arose to sign her, we made every effort possible despite intense competition from a number of SWPL clubs.
Extended highlights from Fir Park as Motherwell and Hamilton Accies share the spoils in an entertaining 3-3 draw.
Mark McGhee cut a frustrated figure as a 94th minute penalty denied his side a fourth consecutive victory.
Goals from Louis Moult and a Scott McDonald double looked to have been enough for the Steelmen in what was a pulsating ninety minutes at Fir Park.
However, a late shot hit Keith Lasley's hand on route, with Greg Aitken quickly pointing to the spot to ensure a share of the spoils in the second Lanarkshire derby of the season.
It was a bitter pill for McGhee's men, who had again turned in another impressive performance, full of attacking threat and menace.
"It's turned out to be a frustrating one to lose the lead so late in the game," the Fir Park boss said.
"Even when we were two-one down, we still had opportunities to make chances, had one cleared off the line and I told the boys at the break that they should continue to push and we will make chances and score goals.
McGhee felt a sense of injustice at the equalising goal, which came via Accies midfield Ali Crawford, who netted from the penalty spot.
The Fir Park boss conceded the penalty was probably a correct call, but questioned if Crawford should've been on the pitch to win and take it in the first place.
Asked if he thought the penalty was controversial, McGhee said: "I've not seen it on replay as yet, but at the time I thought it hit Las' (Keith Lasley) hand, so it probably was a penalty.
"My point is the lad who wins and then scores the penalty should be off the park. Why the referee hasn't sent him off for what was clearly a second bookable offence makes no sense.
Action images from today's 3-3 draw with Hamilton Accies in the Ladbrokes Premiership at Fir Park.
Motherwell were denied a fourth consecutive win when Accies grabbed an 94th minute equaliser from the penalty spot.
It looked like another three points for Mark McGhee's men until Keith Lasley was adjudged to have handled Grant Gillespie's shot.
That produced a red card for the Fir Park skipper and a spot kick which Ali Crawford swept home to make it 3-3 and bring a dramatic derby to a close.
It had looked good for 'Well until then, although the home side lost its way for bit in the first half after a Scott McDonald goal had given them the perfect start to the year and game.
However, two goals from Lucas and Darian McKinnon midway through the half swung the advantage to Accies.
In a blistering start to the second half, though, a second from McDonald and Louis Moult, with his 12th goal of the season, restored the Fir Parker's lead which they held comfortably until the closing minutes.
'Well were unchanged for the fourth consecutive game and the consistency in team selection paid off with a pressing start, which was rewarded with the opening goal after only 8 minutes.
Josh Law cut in from the left and whipped a low ball into the six yard area where McDonald's touch carried the ball past Michael McGovern for the perfect start.
The Aussie striker might have doubled the lead three minutes later when a fabulous pass from Moult sliced open the Accies defence but from an angle McDonald's thumping drive was parried by the Hamilton 'keeper.
Motherwell still had the upper hand when a typical burst and cross from Marvin Johnston just evaded McDonald and Moult in the six yard box.
Gradually the visitors found their feet and a low curling free kick from Crawford forced Connor Ripley into his first save, throwing himself to his left to beat the shot away. Minutes later Dougie Imrie fired a shot narrowly past the post as Accies threatened to draw level.
The equaliser duly arrived after 24 minutes when Crawford swept a free kick into a packed box and the towering Lucas climbed above everyone to nod the ball past Ripley.
Within three minutes Hamilton had grabbed the lead when Darian McKinnon tried his luck from 30 yards and his left foot shot drifted over Ripley and under the bar to turn the game on its head.
It took the home players a while to regain their composure and just before half-time almost grabbed the equaliser. Law's in-swinging corner was punched out by McGovern but only as far as Johnston whose controlled half volley was net bound until blocked on the six yard line.
The equaliser was only delayed until a minute into the second half. 'Well came flying out of the traps to break into the Accies box but after Moult fed the ball to McDonald the chance seemed lost as he fell to the turf but even grounded the striker showed his experience as he scooped the ball beyond the 'keeper to make it 2-2.
That raised the tempo of the game as 'Well looked to regain the upper-hand.
And after 56 minutes the home side reclaimed the lead with a super goal. Liam Grimshaw's burst from the half way carried him past Antons Kurkans and when he curled his cross to the near post Moult's glancing header sent the ball flashing past McGovern to make it 3-2.
With Accies chasing an equaliser more chances came 'Well's way the best falling to Johnston whose charge took him into the visitor's box before his fierce left foot drive was palmed over the bar by McGovern.
While a fourth goal would have eased the tension in the closing minutes Ripley's goal was seldom threatened until injury time.
And in the final minute the 'Well keeper at full stretch brilliantly beat away Alex D'Ancol's snapshot but as Gillespie fired the rebound into the packed box it struck Lasley's raised arm allowing Crawford, who was lucky to escape a second yellow card twenty minutes earlier, to convert the penalty and cruelly deprive 'Well of another three points.
Penalty to Accies! Lasley off for a second booking!
Docherty goes close for Accies, drilling a shot just wide of the right hand post.
McManus booked for hauling down Brophy on the touchline.
Lengthy stoppage in play as the stretcher is out for Lucas, who took a sore one when a cross was delivered into the box.
Young 'Well fans can vote now for their Man of the Match. Use #MatchAttaxMOTM with their name, age & choice.
Referee goes for his pocket again, this time it is a booking for Kurakins.
Johnson lashes a shot away from the edge of the box which McGovern does well to parry over the bar for a corner.
Pearson tries a chip from range and it almost comes off,drifting inches wide of McGovern's post.
Promising Motherwell break ends with Grimshaw trying his luck from 20 yards but it is well over the bar.
Accies sub, Redmond on for Imrie.
Lasley booked for a trip on Crawford.
5477 in attendance, 546 in the away end.
Docherty goes for a run and does well to get down the right. His shot from 15 yards can only find the side netting.
Grimshaw with a great burst down the right and ball into Moult whose diving header flies past McGovern!!
Game is heating up as Crawford is booked for a rash tackle on Lasley.
Now Imrie enters the book for handling the ball as 'Well broke.
Law booked for a late challenge on Imrie.
At the second attempt, McDonald makes it 2-2 from Moult's square ball!
Accies get the second 45 underway….
Nice play down the right sets Law free in the box but with the angle narrowing, he can only shoot into the sidenetting.
Close! Johnson rasps a volley into a crowded box which hits someone in the face as it looked goalbound!
Grimshaw booked as Imrie goes down screaming. Straight back up though, and is absolutely fine.
Goal – MacKinnon fires off a shot from range which nestles in the top corner. 2-1 to Accies.
Goal – Lucas squares the game, nodding home Crawford's whipped free-kick.
Good save from Ripley, getting down low to Crawford's free-kick and palming it to safety.
Great wing play again from Johnson and a great cross to match but McGovern just gets there ahead of Moult.
Brophy turns on the edge of the box and gets a left-footed shot away which thankfully trickles wide of the post.
Very nearly 2 there as McDonald gets space down the right and fires off a shot but McGovern is equal to it, saving well.
Law fires in a great low ball which McDonald gets the final touch on to make it 1-0 to the Steelmen!!
Motherwell get the game underway. COYW!!
Out come the teams………usual colours for both sides.
Motherwell FC is today delighted to confirm the loan extension of goalkeeper Connor Ripley until the end of the current campaign.
The 22-year old Middlesbrough stopper has enjoyed an impressive five months at Fir Park, becoming a fan-favourite for his consistent displays.
The 6ft 3-inch former England U20s 'keeper has played every minute for the Fir Parkers this term, fighting off competition from both Craig Samson and Dan Twardzik to retain the number one shirt.
His loan extension now ties him to Motherwell until the end of May 2016.
Speaking of his the new deal, Ripley said: "I'm really pleased to be staying; I've always said my preference was to stay and see it out and thankfully we've got it sorted today.
"I've really enjoyed my time here. We've had some highs and lows, but I think my experience here is making me a better goalkeeper.
Extended highlights from Fir Park as goals from Ben Hall and Stephen Pearson give Motherwell a 2-0 win over St Johnstone at Fir Park.
Action images from today's 2-0 win over St Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Premiership at Fir Park.
'Well boss Mark McGhee was delighted with his side's hard-fought 2-0 win over St Johnstone tonight.
The Fir Parkers never quite reached the heights of previous games, but battled for their win thanks to goals from Ben Hall and Stephen Pearson.
The win helped the Steelmen jump a few places in the tightly-packed SPFL Premiership table, and McGhee praised the spirit and determination of his players.
He said: "I'm thrilled with the win and thrilled with the three points.
"If I am honest, I didn't think we played quite as well as we have been and were a little fortunate to be two up at half time.
McGhee singled out two players for specific praise in tonight's win.
Youngster Ben Hall and experienced front man Scott McDonald shone as 'Well recorded their third successive victory.
Speaking of Hall, he said: "The boy only knows how to win so far. No doubt he will learn the other side at some point but I thought he was terrific, I really did.
"But on saying that I thought Scott McDonald's performance was outstanding. He looked as good as he's ever looked out there.


Welcome on Solar Africa Shop's Namibia country profile!
We deliver Namibia among 16 countries in southern and eastern Africa with regular shiplines.
Our containers leave Mauritius and reach Walvis Bay, Windhoek at the lowest rates negotiated with Ocean Air International Limited and insured by Mauritian Eagle (see conditions here).


>>Has anybody else tried these?
available to the query at all as it is not recorded in the outer merged RDF graph.
the query graph be workable, using a predicate that is different from log:semantics?
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In reply to: jos.deroo@agfa.com: "RE: A few simple tests"
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text:
Dolphins hire Lazor to guide offense
Posted by	 January 16, 2014 Leave a comment on Dolphins hire Lazor to guide offense
Updated: January 15, 2014, 4:24 PM ET
ESPN.com news services
The Miami Dolphins have hired Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator, the team announced Wednesday.
Lazor spent this season as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterbacks coach.
The 41-year-old Lazor replaces Mike Sherman, who was fired after two seasons.
"I am excited to be joining the Miami Dolphins," Lazor said. "I look forward to working with Coach Philbin and his staff. I want to thank Jeffrey Lurie, Chip Kelly, and the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization for the great opportunity they gave me over this past year. I am eager to get to Miami to help build the 2014 Dolphins."
Lazor did wonders with Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who started the season as a backup and led Philadelphia to the NFC East title. Miami needs someone to work closely with Ryan Tannehill, who will enter his third season as the team's quarterback.
Miami was 27th in total offense and 26th in scoring at 19.8 points per game this season. The Dolphins scored just seven points in their final two games, losing to the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs after they controlled their destiny with two games left in the season.
ESPN Senior NFL Insider Chris Mortensen and ESPN.com Dolphins reporter James Walker contributed to this report.
Roddy White: Seahawks perfect holding on defense
Zimmer hired as new Vikings head coach


Learn all about what a home health worker should look for when entering a home here.
Do you have what you need for a healthy home? Click here to get a list of items you can buy at your local hardware store to keep your home healthy!
Explore HUDs consumer action guide called "Everyone Deserves a Safe and Healthy Home" to learn more about how you can keep your home healthy!
Green cleaning recipes! Available both in English and Spanish!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel, to learn more about healthy homes videos!
Online Healthy Homes training courses! Click here for more information!
A Healthy Home, one that supports the health and safety of it's residents, is important for everyone but especially children because they spend close to 70% of their time in their home. An unhealthy home can cause or worsen serious health issues. According to the National Center for Healthy Housing the annual costs of environmentally caused childhood diseases in the US is over $54.9 billion! These diseases include, but are not limited to, lead poisoning, neuro-behavioral disorders (ADHD), asthma and cancer. Asthma alone accounts for 3% of the country's total healthcare costs and is also responsible for more than 10 million missed school days per year. Unhealthy houses also affect many adults, especially seniors, due to hazardous exposures and unsafe conditions.
Click the Video Below to Learn about Healthy Homes!
Keep It Ventilated – Pollutants can become highly concentrated in homes; these include radon, VOCs, environmental tobacco smoke, allergens, mold, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Ventilation also prevents moisture and mold.
Keep It Maintained – A poorly maintained home can be harmful to occupant health. Some examples are carbon monoxide leaks, unsafe wiring and water and mold in basements.
Keep It Temperature Controlled– Houses that do not maintain adequate temperatures may place the safety of residents at increased risk from exposure to extreme cold or heat.
See The 8 Elements of a Green and Healthy Home by the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. Also please check out the Healthy Homes for Healthy Families page by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).


text:
by Nicholas Henare
A spirited encounter: catching up with Glenmorangie/Ardbeg's director of distilling and whisky creation
Interviewing the director of distilling and whisky creation from Glenmorangie/Ardbeg with the title of Dr was more than slightly intimidating but my fears were put to rest when the rumours of him being more like Dr Emett Brown from 'Back to the Future' were right on the money. In town for the biannual Dram Fest, Bill and I caught up at the George Hotel, not for a whisky but an Earl Grey tea.
I asked him how Glenmorangie got to where it is now. "I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and ran with it. I knew Glenmorangie was something special."
Part scientist, part artist, Bill's skills and attitude to whisky is one of experimentation and discovery and he's here to release the Pios, the 9th release from Glenmorangie's acclaimed 'Private Edition' series, fully matured in ex-American rye whiskey barrels.
Aptly named for the Gaelic word 'spice', these barrels impart flavours never before seen in a Glenmorangie – rich and sweet with toffee, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, with brazil nuts and citrus developing in the finish.
I asked Bill what he was most proud of and I was pleased to hear it was one of my favourite chocolate malt whiskys, the Glenmorangie Signet. "I found the Signet ground breaking. I achieved what I wanted in that. Although I'm seeing other brands making similar styles its still stands out as a great benchmark for me."
"I see a great future for whisky lovers and, with such a fine event as Dramfest, there's plenty of room to expand one's palate."
With his son and daughter following in his footsteps, there's a great future too for the Lumsden legacy.
Dramfest
Glenmorangie/Ardbeg
Action north of the Waimak': a guide to what's on in North Canterbury
A woman of many hats: Q&A with Angela Stone


text:
scoped_refptr<Library> Library::instance_ = NULL;

namespace {

base::Thread* import_thread = NULL;

static std::vector<Track*> tracks_;

}  // namespace

Library::Library() {
  LOG(INFO) << "Library()";

  if (!import_thread)
    import_thread = new base::Thread("import thread");
}

Library::~Library() {
  LOG(INFO) << "~Library()";

  if (import_thread->IsRunning())
    import_thread->Stop();
  delete import_thread;

  // TODO(brbrooks) delete tracks_
}

// static
void Library::CreateInstance() {
  if (!instance_)
    instance_ = new Library;
}

// static
Library* Library::GetInstance() {
  DCHECK(instance_) << "Library::CreateInstance must be called before getting "
      "the instance of Library.";
  return instance_;
}

// static
void Library::DeleteInstance() {
  LOG(INFO) << "Library::DeleteInstance()";
  instance_ = NULL;
}

void Library::AddObserver(LibraryObserver* observer) {
    observers_.AddObserver(observer);
}
void Library::RemoveObserver(LibraryObserver* observer) {
    observers_.RemoveObserver(observer);
}

void Library::ImportFromLibraryDir() {
  base::FilePath dir(
      Prefs::GetInstance()->prefs()->GetFilePath(prefs::kLibraryDir));
  // TODO(brbrooks) validate |dir|.
  root_path_ = dir;

  CHECK(import_thread->Start());

  FOR_EACH_OBSERVER(LibraryObserver, observers_, OnBeginImport(this));
  import_thread->message_loop_proxy()->PostTaskAndReply(
      FROM_HERE,
      base::Bind(&Library::Import, this),
      base::Bind(&Library::NotifyImportDone, this));
}

void Library::Import(void) {
  std::set<std::string> extension_set;
  extension_set.insert(".aac");
  extension_set.insert(".flac");
  extension_set.insert(".m4a");
  extension_set.insert(".mp3");
  extension_set.insert(".ogg");

  LOG(INFO) << root_path_.value();
  base::FileEnumerator iter(root_path_, true, base::FileEnumerator::FILES);
  for (base::FilePath name = iter.Next(); !name.empty(); name = iter.Next()) {
    if (extension_set.count(StringToLowerASCII(name.FinalExtension())) > 0) {
      Track* track = new Track(name);
      tracks_.push_back(track);
    }
  }
  LOG(INFO) << "Import got " << tracks_.size() << " tracks..";
}

void Library::NotifyImportDone(void) {
  FOR_EACH_OBSERVER(LibraryObserver, observers_, OnFinishImport(this));
}

Track* Library::GetTrackForPlaying(int index) {
  DCHECK(index >= 0 && index < tracks_.size());
  current_track_ = index;
  return tracks_[current_track_];
}

Track* Library::GetNextTrackForPlaying() {
  current_track_ += 1;
  if (current_track_ >= tracks_.size())
    current_track_ = 0;
  return tracks_[current_track_];
}

Track* Library::GetTrack(int index) {
  DCHECK(index >= 0 && index < tracks_.size());
  return tracks_[index];
}

int Library::GetNumTracks(void) {
  return tracks_.size();
}

void Library::PrintTracks(void) {
  for (std::vector<Track*>::iterator it = tracks_.begin(); it != tracks_.end();
       ++it) {
    Track* track = *it;
#if defined(OS_WIN)
    LOG(INFO) << base::WideToUTF8(track->file_path_.value());
#elif defined(OS_POSIX)
    LOG(INFO) << track->file_path_.value();
#endif
  }
}

// static
void Library::RegisterPrefs(PrefRegistrySimple* registry) {
  registry->RegisterFilePathPref(
      prefs::kLibraryDir, base::FilePath("../test-data/"));
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Materials: Brass, gold painted iron. The lampshades and the painted parts are made of aluminium. The lampshades are painted red, green and yellow and they are perforated in the shape of a flower with 5 leaves. White Bakelite sockets.
Electricity: 4 bulbs E14, 4 x 40 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred. For this setup small refrigerator light bulbs were used. This chandelier has two circuits. 1 for the lamp in the middle and one for the 3 others.
A typical Italian chandelier from the 1940s, 1950s. It was acquired in Italy some years ago. No information to be found, unfortunately.
The most famous artist who created lamps and furniture in perforated metal was Mathieu Matégot (1910 – 2001). This lamp is not by his hand.


The mission of CMCI Internships & Careers is to connect students and alumni with employers in the media, including digital, journalism, broadcast, print, web, communication, film, advertising and public relations industries. Starting from the solid foundation students gain the classroom, we team with employers to help students gain real-world experience and launch successful careers. Students, alumni, employers and faculty members work together to support this mission.
Students can use CMCI Internships & Careers from the moment they set foot on campus. Take advantage of one-on-one career counseling and resume reviews, workshops, career fairs and mock job interviews. Our office helps students identify, apply for and secure for-credit internships and jobs.
Employers are educational partners: mentoring students, teaching real-world skills and preparing graduates to enter the job market. Employers directly supervise interns and evaluate their progress and skills. We offer academic credit for approved internships. Employers provide valuable experience and guidance to our students.
Alumni have free access to our extensive online job database. Graduates are Forever Buffs. We also encourage you to let us know where you are working and if you'd like to host an intern. One on one appointments are available. Email for more information.
Faculty work closely with Internships & Careers to approve, evaluate and grade interns. Faculty work one-on-one with Internship Coordinator Christine Mahoney to oversee the learning experience.


His account @tweetsoutloud quietly went from 200 followers to 11,000 in just a few hours.
NASA has now been using social media, and in particularly Twitter, to keep the public informed for a while now. Many astronauts have accounts that they update while on missions in space, and some of the pictures sent back down to earth are absolutely stunning.
Next Post Are Women Less Concerned With Backing Up Data Than Men?


Essex Community Services is recognized as a leading community resource identifying needs, coordinating solutions and offering accessible, dynamic programs through multiple access points in the Greater Municipality of Essex. We are a registered charitable organization providing community services to the residents of the Town of Essex and neighbouring municipalities in the County of Essex since 1975. Our agency is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Approximately 100 volunteers participate on committees or assist with direct service each year. Our clients include men, women, children, families, frail elderly, low income individuals of all ages, disabled persons, as well as the unemployed and under-employed. Over the years, our organization has developed several programs and services as a result of the process of assessing the expressed needs of our residents. We are also a point of access to a variety of services which otherwise would not be available locally. Essex Community Services is in compliance with Accessibility Ontario.
Once Again Collecting Printer Cartridges!
ESSEX COMMUNITY SERVICES © 2013. All Rights Reserved.


Disney story always gives inspiration for wedding, as it is shown by Disney princess wedding rings. Everyone likes to watch Disney story. Disney always presents enchanting story that easily amaze all people. Disney mostly presents you romance stories. In the stories, you usually will find wedding scene. The wedding and the love story usually will be present perfectly just like most people's wedding dreamed of. Due to they are affected by the movies so much, they usually will equip some identical attributes of the movies for their real wedding. Here are some the ideas of Disney wedding ideas that may inspire you.
Wedding ring is one of the most vita thing is wedding. People always try to find the most special wedding ring inspiration for their wedding. Some Disney princess wedding rings that you find in some Disney movies may inspire you. Those rings have their own uniqueness based on the stories. Those designs of course present you great designs. It is because the rings usually will be equipped for royal wedding in the movies. Thus, those Disney princess wedding rings designs are obviously beautiful.
You can realize your dream wedding easily. Disney movies usually present you a whole picture of a wedding. If you will not only be able to equip Disney princess wedding rings as your wedding ring, but also you can equip the whole concept of the wedding for your wedding, and you will realize your own Disney wedding.
You do not need to worry to find Disney princess wedding rings. You can order it from many jewelries shop. You just need to go there and show the beautiful Disney princess wedding rings design to the expert there. Thus, you can realize your Disney wedding party completely just like you dream of.


Chimney & Masonry Outfitters strives to build equity into your home. We want to educate, equip and empower you as a homeowner to add value to your home, whether that is through routine chimney and fireplace maintenance or by making necessary restorative repairs.
Chimney & Masonry Outfitters understands that restoring the beauty of the chimney or masonry is extremely valuable to our homeowners, we value that too! We strive to persevere and restore existing chimney and masonry structures through careful brick-matches and proper industry practices.
Peace of Mind is why you sleep soundly at night, it's why you breathe deep, it's why you light fires in the fireplace – we totally get it. At Chimney & Masonry Outfitters, ensuring that after a sweep service is performed, or repair/restoration work is completed you are left with peace of mind in knowing your chimney or fireplace is safe and functional.
We established ourselves in 2011 with a simple goal of providing an uncompromising level of quality service to our homeowners. We strive to make our homeowners happy by performing above and beyond their expectations.
To employ persons of character and integrity and equip them to meet the chimney and masonry needs of our city.


International companies are among the most successful businesses in the world, having proven their mettle in their home markets, outperforming competitors, and then moving on to compete on the global stage. Along the way, these companies and their management have accumulated invaluable institutional knowledge, industry know-how, and refined senses of management best practices. They have learned how to get the most from their human, physical and financial capital. When these companies invest in the United States, they "import" this knowledge and these best practices.
Tables 3 and 4 include variables that speak to the aggregate economic performance of international companies and the broader economy. How much value added are they creating? How much revenue are they generating? Is that revenue being generated in a sustainable way—by consuming more inputs of labor, materials, and overhead (rather than by charging higher prices), and by integrating operations into the broader economy? Are the companies focused on cultivating markets, not only in the United States, but abroad?
Contribution to U.S. GDP from $434 billion to $895 billion, or by 58.7 percent in real terms.
Sales revenues from $2.2 trillion to $4.0 trillion, or by 37.4 percent in real terms.
Cost of goods sold from $1.6 trillion to $3.3 trillion, or by 67.2 percent.
Value of U.S. exports from $145.5 billion to $352.8 billion, or by 86.5 percent in real terms.
Increased value added per worker in the United States from $75 billion to $131 billion, or by 34.2 percent in real terms.
With respect to these performance metrics, the relative importance of international companies to U.S. manufacturing is even more pronounced.
Contribution to U.S. manufacturing-sector GDP from $201 billion to $409 billion, or by 64.4 percent in real terms.
Sales revenues from $817 billion to $ 2.0 trillion, or by 65.5 percent in real terms.
Cost of goods sold from $718 billion to $1.7 trillion, or by 93.5 percent in real terms.
Value of U.S. exports from $89.8 billion to $201.9 billion, or by 81.2 percent in real terms.
International companies are establishing, broadening, and deepening their domestic supplier relationships.


Skill #1 Take time to create a new life: If you don't make the time to evaluate your current life patterns, then you won't know what to change. Select skills and habits to change. Practice new approaches. I have needed to simplify and slow down my life. For me, daily prayer, meditation, and contemplation have been invaluable.
Skill #2 Make great tasting, healthy food/meals a priority: Even in the midst of a hectic lifestyle, my menus get planned ahead. They celebrate vegetables and fruits. I use food to fuel my busy lifestyle and to provide energy for my activities. By planning ahead, I avoid fast food, junk foods and save $$$!
Skill #3 Move more: The reward for consistent physical activity is vibrancy! I feel the power to celebrate inner strength and well being from allowing my body to experience the joy of movement. I make it a priority to take time for an active life. I plan family and personal vacations around activities, or invite a colleague to talk business over a walk rather than lunch. I hike in beautiful natural areas. My increased physical abilities bring me personal freedom and a sense of awe and appreciation for life.
Skill #4 Learn the skills for emotional nurturing: These skills helped me transform emotional eating, addictions, and low self-esteem. I learned to celebrate my life! I became a compassionate and loving friend—to me!
Skill #5 Get the help you need: Counseling and support groups have been invaluable. In the past I didn't have any role models for living healthfully with wholesome relationships, effective problem solving, and strategies for respectful conflict management. Through reading, individual counseling, and support groups, I was able to dismantle unproductive responses to life events and learn to be my own personal lifestyle coach.
HW Q: What are two of your other key skills for long term weight control? Why are these also critically important?
BW A: Skill #1: Pay attention: I can't change what I don't observe so I keep a lifestyle journal to continue to look in the mirror. I can see the type and amounts of food I eat each day, and how my emotions, people, places, and events influence my choices. I can identify my problems as well as eating and lifestyle patterns. I use a daily personal check-in to find answers. Gradually I developed my "witness-self" that observes patterns of success or self-sabotage and helps plan alternatives.
Skill #2: Cultivate life-long health: You manage to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight through your daily choices. It's an ongoing investment in YOU. You feel empowered and capable because of your self-discipline.
BW: A: Yes, I explore the same skills that support lasting weight loss and maintenance as the National Weight Control Registry. Several are: maintain a high level of physical activity, eat out less often, learn to prepare delicious and healthful home-cooked meals, develop self-management strategies and individualized tools to support your weight maintenance.
HW Q: Do you suggest a particular eating plan for long term weight control or do you find that people need to explore and find what works for them?
BW: A: I suggest people start where they are and plan a healthier eating plan, step by step. I do share guidelines for a foundation food plan. I like the Healing Foods Pyramid. It shares terrific nutritional guidelines. I DO suggest people find out what works for them and learn how to follow the plan within the context of the various environments of their life.
HW Q: As we know, much of the work for long term weight control requires mental mindshifting. A person needs to change their relationship with food, as well as the role of food in their life. What are psychological strategies people can try to do change their mindset?
BW: A: Consider choosing to be healthy not because a healthcare provider said to, but because YOU want to love and respect yourself more. Learn to free your heart and mind from personal distress, release self-judgment. Become your own best friend. To best understand the process, view this YouTube video.
HW Q: Do you continue to enjoy food and eating? What's your balanced approach?
BW: A: You bet! I celebrate the pleasures of healthy foods. Food is one of the ways I nurture myself, but it is not the only way. To promote my healthy life style, I find one new recipe and new food idea at a time. Have "mouth fun," enjoying what you eat! This is essential if you are to make your new choices a permanent part of your lifestyle and not just a "diet." I also suggest learning and practicing mindful eating, It can help people eat less and enjoy their food more!
HW Q: Do you have any "mantras" that you say to yourself day in/day out which keep you on this path?
BW: A: I start with gratitude and thankfulness for life's joys and blessings. I remember where I've come from and how my life has improved. I'm aware of my root challenge: "my head and heart can dream up commitments that my body, mind, and emotions can't keep up with!" I balance self-care with service to others. This is a dynamic dance. Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent!
HW Q: What will people find in your book Lighter and Free from the Inside Out?
BW: A: Lighter and Free From the Inside Out!, describes effective paths toward developing a holistic well-being of body, mind, and spirit. It can be ordered at my website and through Amazon.
Thanks for sharing, Bob! Continued success to you as one of the "Biggest Maintainers"!


text:
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Life at KPMG
© 2023 KPMG, a Sri Lankan partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.


Can a Self Persist Across Time?
Hume famously noted that when he introspected, he found no self, just a constantly shifting "bundle" of impressions. The self, such as it was, was at best a fleeting thing, having identity only as long as the bundle remained consistent, and losing that identity as the bundle shifted to new thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
Galen Strawson took this idea to imply that instead of a self, we have a series of selves, "pearls" on a string, as he first conceived them, each passing to the next. The self was a thing that lasted, on Strawson's account, only for a few seconds or minutes, until its character was dissolved by the next set of impressions.
Others, like Locke and Parfit, have noted that there is a somewhat greater consistency to the self in that it draws upon the same memories and evinces the same habits, at least for a time. These, too, drift, but they last far longer than the seconds or minutes of Hume's bundles or Strawson's pearls.
All of these focus solely on the experiencing self. But what if we looked at the underlying hardware, as it were. If Hume and Strawson are right, then we cease to have selves when we sleep. And when we awake, we are new selves, not at all the selves that went to sleep.
But imagine working on a computer. You have a paper in progress, you're keeping a few browser windows open, there's a game in another window, and the hard drive is full of all your previous works. When you put the computer to sleep for the night, it ceases to be actively attending to any of these tasks, but they're ready and waiting when the computer is roused in the morning.
Similarly, our brains hold much of our mental life in place. Certainly not with the precision (and parsimony) of the computer, but when we go into sleep mode, while some active processes are lost or start to degrade, much remains for when we restart in the morning. And if we think of the self not merely as the experiencing self, the passing show or bundle, but as the entire organism of subjective potential, contained, at least largely or in important ways in the matter of the brain, then there is a self across time. And, though it isn't doing much while we sleep (at least during dreamless sleep), that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's there, just as our computer's memory state and capacities are there, waiting to be woken.
Perhaps a non-active self makes no sense, perhaps that's not what "self" means. But if by "self" we only mean "self-experience," there must be still be some self to be experienced, and it seems profitable to think of it as a thing that can sometimes be doing nothing. We don't think of other things as vanishing when inactive; perhaps the self is best thought of as simply quiescient, rather than gone, when it is not in service. And if that's the case, then the "bundle" is merely some activity of the self, and not the self itself. The self could be both the active content of consciousness, and our storehouse of ideas and memories, and our capacities to act upon them, all of which have a persistence across time that some fleeting action only gives a glimpse of.


Wood Working plans are our specialty! Traditional Interior Designers offers the largest categorized collection of plans from Delhi most popular plan companies. Traditional Interior has extensive manufacturing expertise in high-end non-upholstered furniture, ready-to-assemble home office solutions & cabinets as well as seating, furnishings for hospital ,healthcare environments.
Looking For Traditional Interior Decoration or Decorator?
Traditional Interior Designers and Architects in Delhi Noida NCR. We are an interior designing firm based in New DELHI JANAK PURI. Best Interior Designers in Delhi, Noida, and Gurgaon. Our interior design consultants will help you design your Dream Home, Corporate offices, Restaurant, Showroom, Play School, Hotels. We have handled Interior Designing solutions for Showrooms, Office Spaces, Restaurants. We also provide Interior Designing and Architecture for Residential Apartments, Commercial complexes and Bunglows all across New Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida.
Traditional Interior is well-established to add elegance & aroma to your gracious living and dazzling lifestyles. Ours expertise in the Interior Designing & Decoration, can easily give to your home well-rounded magnificence in respect of looks, feel, and living. Interior Designing & Decoration is nothing but structuring, arranging, furnishing, and decorating the home in such a way that it naturally offers you lavish spaciousness & convenience for various activities, comforting privacy, luxurious ease & comfort, celestial ambience, and rejuvenating gratification to your keen senses for luxury, architecture, trim & tidiness, enthralling aesthetics, and high-brow, sybaritic lifestyles.
Moreover, we can also design & decorate impeccably all types of business institutions and commercial organizations.
We are the leading interior Decorators for luxury homes, smart modern offices, theme restaurants, Play Schools with premium projects in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and all over India. Contact Traditional Interior Decorators and Contractors for getting instant Top Interior Designing Services and Interior Decorators in Delhi, Interior Designers in Noida, Interior Decorators in Gurgaon and Interior Decorators in Delhi NCR at your door step with very reasonable price.
Consulting with a interior designer is not about imposing ideas and personal taste onto a client. It is about client and designer coming together to create a unique space. Its about helping the client develop their vision while analyzing their design requirements. In the end creating a flexible, functional environment that optimizes your space and relates to your clientele, business, image and location.