"Oh, the theology at our church – what's being preached and taught – is spot on," she said.
As she blinked back, I tried to explain.
Our conversation was a hypothetical one, because I was merely visiting her city for my youngest daughter's surgery so we wouldn't be coming to their church anyway. But I've been turning our conversation over and over in my mind ever since.
If your church is hearing the word but not putting it into action, then the Bible says you're fooling yourself. And if you say you love your city but you're willing to say no to people with disabilities – even knowing that nearly 20% of Americans have a disability, half of whom report their disability as severe, according to the 2010 US Census – then you're deceiving yourselves.
I'm not saying every church needs to put in place supports for every imaginable disability area. Our church, with a well-established special needs ministry, certainly doesn't have that! I wouldn't expect any new church to be fully equipped with how to support our family if we wanted to join. But I would expect, hope, wish, pray that they would be willing to love us enough to try to learn.
And if they didn't, no argument about the soundness of their theology would convince me that they were right. Because if the God you're following and teaching about doesn't compel you to welcome struggling families, then I don't think we worship the same God after all.
Shannon Dingle provides consultation, training and support to pastors, ministry staff and volunteers from churches requesting assistance from Key Ministry. In addition, Shannon regularly blogs for Key Ministry on topics related to adoption and foster care, and serves on the Program Committee for Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry's Disability Ministry Web Summit. Shannon and her husband (Lee) serve as coordinators of the Access Ministry, the Special Needs Ministry of Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.
This entry was posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Key Ministry and tagged church, Disability Ministry, Inclusion, Shannon Dingle, Special Needs Ministry, theology. Bookmark the permalink.
This is what I kept saying when the last church I went to tried to give me a contract that if I signed it was agreeing to continue to allow them to abuse me. Sadly, they violated the terms of the contract in such a huge way that I cannot ever truly get over the pain and the hurt. They talked so much about grace but when it came down to actually showing it to someone in need of it, they failed.
AMEN again and again! May God Himself remove the scales from our eyes and hearts!!
In what way did this church refuse to accommodate? What do you mean by "they wouldn't say yes to families" like yours?
As I said in the post, this wasn't a church we attended or even visited but rather a conversation with a children's ministry leader from a church in the town where my daughter was getting medical care. She said they didn't have enough volunteers to support kids with disabilities in the general classrooms and they didn't have space to have a separate class, so children with special needs – other than the most minor ones – wouldn't be able to come. One of our children has cerebral palsy, which limits her movement significantly, and visual impairments and significant speech delays; in other words, she can't move, see, or talk like other kids, and that means she needs extra support in Sunday school. This ministry leader said they just wouldn't be able to give her that support because of their limited resources (despite being a large, well-funded church, so "limited resources" really meant "accommodating people with disabilities isn't our priority"), so we would not be allowed to bring our daughter to Sunday school at their church.
If you're asking because this sounds unbelievable to you, you're not alone. This seemed unconscionable to me when I first heard from a family who had been explicitly asked to leave a church. Now that I've served in special needs ministry for nearly a decade, I've heard dozens of stories like this. In some cases, families were told they couldn't come anymore. In one case, a child sat in a corner and was ignored by the teachers and classmates from the time his parents dropped him off until the time they picked him up. In another case, parents told me of church leaders telling them "he doesn't have autism, he's just disobeying" and sternly told the parents that they needed to control their child's behaviors before he could return. When one family came to our church for a respite night for the first time, I said, "I'm so glad you're here!" She said, "yeah, all churches say that at first. If you're like all the others, that'll change." Another mom who had been turned away by three churches before us texts me almost every Sunday morning before coming to church, to make sure they are still welcome to come; she's been doing this for 3 years, still expecting that maybe this week is the week when we turn them away. I could go on, but my point is simply that some churches do say no to families like mine. Ours hasn't (thank you, Providence Baptist Church, for loving us so well!), but the situation happens more often than any of us would like to think.
Thankfully, since I began serving in this area, the positive stories of welcoming churches have become far more common while the negative ones of families being turned away have become less so… but it's still happening.
My intention is not to diminish the fact there are problems in this area. My concern is that conversation stimulated by this kind of a post would tend toward stirring hostility instead of fostering the care that is needed to expand such ministry.
It's important to remember that what may seem like a systematic refusal to include those with extensive physical needs could be more of an issue of systematic ignorance of how to love and minister to those people. Whenever we don't know how to do something, we can become fearful and obstinate.
I know how I would respond if parent showed up to my Sunday School to drop off their child with cerebral palsy. I would ask them to stay with me so I can learn how to minister to their child. Don't drop off the child with the assumption the volunteer will feel capable of dealing with needs they've never dealt with before. That opens the door to unnecessary conflict.
Now, the parent may sense *some* resistance from the teacher even if they offer to help; but it will be far less likely that the teacher will refuse. Why not assume the resistance is based in fear of the unknowns? Anyone with the love of God in them will, after learning how to serve in that situation, contagiously serve in that area and be a catalyst for growth there. Love constrains the Christian with those needs to an openness to loving those who feel inadequate to the task the parent has been able to master.
Again, perhaps the situation relayed in the post is as bad as it sounds, but I also know there are two sides. Ministry is messy, and not just for the ones who have special needs.
Craig, I agree with you when you say this, "It's important to remember that what may seem like a systematic refusal to include those with extensive physical needs could be more of an issue of systematic ignorance of how to love and minister to those people. Whenever we don't know how to do something, we can become fearful and obstinate." But I don't think that's okay. The thing that makes us fearful and obstinate is pride not ignorance. We can be ignorant and not respond in that way.
You're right that you enter partway into a conversation in this post. To give you more context, it was between a good friend of mine and I, with absolutely no hostility. It was a civil exchange, though we were both passionate at times but not rude or angry. But beyond that bit of context that might have been helpful, the rest is irrelevant. Whereas one church might turn away a child in a wheelchair, another might turn away a child with autism or a child with intellectual disabilities. Rather than setting up one scenario that could leave readers thinking, "Oh, we would welcome a child in a wheelchair, so we're good," I intentionally left that detail out because some churches are including kids with visible disabilities well – like my youngest daughter – but being unwelcoming to others.
As far as the situation you're suggesting, that wouldn't be unwelcoming at all! I would love to serve alongside folks to show them how to love and include my child well. That's exactly what I mean when I wrote, "I would expect, hope, wish, pray that they would be willing to love us enough to try to learn." You gave a perfect illustration of what that might look like. I would NEVER drop off my child with an expectation that any church would automatically know how to include my daughter – who can't move, see, or communicate like most kids her age – without my help in doing so. If that's what you thought I was saying, then I understand your pushback and concern.
My friend and colleague Mike shared a similar experience in this post from a few years back, also on this blog: https://drgrcevich.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/thinking-orange-a-parents-perspective-mike-woods-from-making-room/ Except in his case, 30+ churches said no.
Finally, please know that I am writing as a children's/youth ministry leader turned special needs ministry leader nearly a decade ago turned special needs mama as well about three years ago… so I'm not writing as a special needs parent who is ignorant of church challenges or limitations. I get that. I don't expect a "yes" to my family to be without mess. Ministry is messy, yes. And special needs parenting is messy. But when special needs parents are willing to enter the mess of ministry to help others include their child while ministry leaders and volunteers and friends are willing to enter the mess of special needs parenting to learn, then beautiful things happen as God's people join together in affirming his design for the church.
I interpreted some of the same things as Craig did, so I understand him asking for more follow up. My son has high-functioning autism, so I'm not unfamiliar with that side of things. I've also been a teacher in a classroom with children on the spectrum or other physical or unseen conditions that impact them and how they can be best included. From the teaching side, I ask for and welcome any suggestions for behavior management and ways to be inclusive or to help the environment be less troubling! I get frustrated when a parent refuses to offer up any suggestions though, as has happened in the past. To be fair, sometimes parents don't know because of a recent diagnosis, change in situation (we've also fostered, and goodness knows we sometimes get insanely little info to go off of!), etc. That's fine. Please though, communicate something to me when I ask, even if it's simply that you have no idea what to do or try. In turn, if I as a teacher find something that sets off or pleases a child, I will try to communicate that to a parent because sometimes we don't see the same things at home as in a church classroom setting, and it can be helpful to get these nuggets from teachers.
As a parent of (granted it's considered by most to be an "easy" form) a special needs, kiddo, I can't imagine why parents wouldn't give me the best shot of helping their child as possible. As you have done, I am basing this off of my personal experience. When we were trying churches via VBS, we have had some that didn't directly say don't come back, but it was implied by every non-verbal form of communication, and that is frustrating, alienating, and hurtful. Even giving them info to work with, though it was little because we were still learning ourselves at the time, they didn't seem to try too hard. But please don't assume all parents of special needs are giving their child the best chance. If a parent assumes the church should just know all about how to do it with little-to-no guidance, it sets everyone, especially our great kiddos, up for failure.
Biggest thing- do your(our) best to love others, be honest with expectations, offer to provide as much information as possible, ask questions, and pray for both sides of these situations.
Love to both the parents and the teachers.
YES! We were super thankful for Thrive Church. I remember Keith saying, "That's it? That is all you need?" Yes.
I'll confess one of my not so proud moments. We had visited a large well known church in the Richmond area and Xander was turned away from his age's classroom. "We can't support him here, he can go to the 2 year old class though." He was four. Cognitively he was FOUR. He was wearing a pull up because after all his stomach issues we had a hell of a time completely potty training him. We had even ASKED that the preschool workers please page us and we would change him.
Fast forward to the sermon. It was all about acceptance and loving people where we are. I nearly vomited in the pew. All I could hear was "Unless you have a pull up on. Then we won't accept you." I heard it over and over in my head as I tried to listen to the sermon.
I've never gathered my children and left a church so fast. When we got home, before I changed out of my church clothes (this is how you know it is serious folks!) I grabbed my computer and found the pastor's email and let him know how despite what he was preaching, the head of the nursery was teaching a much different doctrine to the parents as they checked their children in. And to top it all off, Xander didn't even need his pull up that day. I was hot. And I chewed that pastor up one side and down the other. Not so proud of that moment. But I PRAY that despite my righteous anger that he saw the hypocrisy in his message that day. We never returned to the church to find out. And THAT, my friends, is one way we lose Christians at an alarming rate.
We have a similar story from an experience we faced once. We did work with the church through that rough spot, but my heart still aches a bit thinking about how it felt to be turned away. Hugs, fellow Mama Bear!
Did the pastor reply to your message?
I am so, so, so sorry.
And as far as the liability excuse goes, all ministry comes with liability. People are messy. That means church is messy. Messes come with liability. So if you want to have no liability, then you ought to close the doors of your church and walk away… because that's the only way to avoid liability (the earthly/legal kind, that is. I have a feeling God would hold that action accountable in a whole 'nother way when we stand before Him).
Brandy…I sent you a message through Facebook. Let me know if our crew at Key Ministry can help you find a church prepared to welcome your family.
In 29 years in child psychiatry, I've NEVER been asked to write anything for a church before they would agree to minister to a child. Wow.
Well, oops. I actually hit post before I finished. Anyway, it was the final straw for me because at the heart it was a GOSPEL issue. If the gospel isn't GOOD NEWS for all –even my son! — then whatever gospel that church preaches is not good news period. And it's certainly not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Shannon. You rock!
YES x1000 to this: "If the gospel isn't GOOD NEWS for all –even my son! — then whatever gospel that church preaches is not good news period. And it's certainly not the gospel of Jesus Christ." Exactly.
From this post, it sounds like you guys have found a place that welcomes your son.
Have you written anything more for some of the folks posting here who don't even know how to start looking for a church, or are too afraid to try as a consequence of past experience?
No, I haven't. At least not yet! I have several things in the works but it's hard because it's such a sensitive topic & still so fresh for my family. We are at a different, smaller church now that doesn't have a formal special needs ministry, and yet has a very welcoming congregation. And it's a different denomination. I think it's important to keep an open mind about that, even though I was hesitant at first. So I would encourage families to think outside the box because church doesn't have to look like what you grew up. Church is where you can be yourself & still be loved, accepted, & welcomed. Unfortunately for special needs families, those churches are often much too hard to find.
My family was attending a very large church in our area, and I set up a meeting with children's leadership to say that I was willing to spearhead a special needs ministry so that parents could attend service, even if their child needed one on one attention during that time.
The children's pastor did not show up to the meeting. When I contacted him again, I heard about it not really being the place/time/heart of this church right now.
It made me so sad. We had attended a church in another state with that sort of program, and it was fantastic for so many people.
We ended up leaving that church soon after, mostly for other reasons.
But the lack of desire to minister to a segment of God's loved ones was definitely one of the proverbial straws.
Christ, this sounds like almost exactly what I went through at my previous church. I was eager and willing to do all the legwork, but it just wasn't a priority for that church and I was shut down. We left soon after as well.
And I meant to type Chris, but as you can see my fingers prefer "Christ"! Haha!
I have worked diligently to convince my local church that a special needs ministry is the right thing to do for everyone. We attend one of the nation's fastest growing churches. As a family, we began when my son was just a newborn. We went for a while, then all of a sudden, before he was even a year old, we began getting calls to pick up our child during service. He cried, screamed and was inconsolable throughout the hour long services. They didn't really encourage the idea of having our son sit in the service, since it is broadcast to multiple locations, and a crying baby could be heard in multiple cities. It became very apparent that services was simply not something we could attend. We left. we tried a few other churches, but nothing worked. Flash forward to a year later, our son had been diagnosed with Autism. My husband and I were lost spiritually and emotionally.
So, one day, I said, let's give this church another chance. Let's explain his diagnosis and see if they are willing to help or have other ideas. They put him in his age group at age 2 and we discussed what we had learned on calming techniques with a wonderful volunteer. He had since blossomed and loves to go to church. We became very involved and beloved among the volunteers. We also volunteer as a family within the church, as we as a family have a lot to give! I began researching and found that we were not alone when it came to church and disabled children. It took 3 years, but finally, they opened up a sensory friendly room. I was thrilled! My son has benefitted, but when I mentioned letting other families know, I have hit roadblock after roadblock. Currently, the only one who comes to this room is my son, but there are not many options locally in my city of 250,000 for church and special needs children. The room cost the church a pretty penny, no doubt!
Staff has changed since way back when this push for the special needs room began, and now the newer staff just don't see the need, or have liability concerns, or not enough volunteers or a litany of other excuses as to why they do not see any "need" to do anything other than have this special room available to my kid or any other kid within the congregation they already serve. If they could only see what I already do…. The special needs community is grossly underserved.
One thing I have learned in life is that things take time. For now, if I have to reach out and share the Word of God on my own, then, that is just what I will have to do, one family at a time! I do hope that there would be a special needs ministry in my city, but the wheels of this idea are grinding ever so slowly!


The story of the weekend in OCR was the weather. Torrential rain and high winds in Kansas turned Atlas Race into a soggy battle. At BattleFrog the rain poured down as elements had to be changed mid-race because of rain and cold temperatures. Mother Nature may have thought she had the last laugh but racers battled through the elements. Find out who ended up on top.
The obstacle racing season continued to pick up the pace over the weekend with races in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and everywhere in between. Spartan Race Hawaii kicked off their season with a stadium race, the first Bermuda Triple Challenge took place, as well as Atlas Race and BattleFrog in Texas and Florida. In addition to these races the soon to be aired ESPN Collegiate Special with BattleFrog was filmed this past weekend in Florida. Below are the scores and highlights from the weekend.
his past weekend the world of OCR was buzzing from coast-to-coast with the relaunch of Atlas Race, the season opener for BattleFrog Race Series as well as the new extreme endurance event The Brutality making it's debut. In case you missed any of the action we have it all here in our recap.
Calling all Texans! Atlas Race just announced it's new Heart of Texas ThrowDown a three race series with some big prizes and awards at all levels.


The lawyer in question was Jennifer Paige Clark, who was found dead at her Mobile home last May 26, nine days after the state bar had suspended her license on charges that our research shows were unfounded. The clients were Ms. Clark's parents, Larry and Hilda Clark of Flowery Branch, Georgia.
At least three major oddities about the Jennifer Paige Clark case strongly suggest that bar officials knew they had no legitimate grounds for investigating her, much less imposing discipline. So why did they do it? It's almost certainly because Ms. Clark was doing exactly what lawyers are supposed to do–she was providing her clients with zealous representation, and certain judges did not welcome that.
Our investigation shows Ms. Clark uncovered facts that made powerful interests uncomfortable in two states. When politically connected judges could not force her off the trail, they apparently sicced the Alabama State Bar on her. The bar responded by charging Ms. Clark with rules violations that she clearly did not commit–and by conducting a disciplinary trial that, public documents show, make a kangaroo court look dignified by comparison.
Even the Alabama State Bar seemed to acknowledge that its original charges against Jennifer Paige Clark were bogus. How do we know? In suspending Ms. Clark's license and seeking her disbarment, the bar made almost no mention of the original charges. Rather, it cited Ms. Clark's conduct during the discipline hearing as the primary grounds for suspension.
Our review of the hearing transcript shows that Ms. Clark did not engage in inappropriate conduct–unless you consider it inappropriate to express irritation at being forced to defend yourself against trumped-up charges. Ms. Clark's main response was to repeatedly, and correctly, state that she could not violate attorney-client privilege by discussing inside information about the case. The Alabama State Bar decided such "misconduct" merited sanctions that essentially would ruin Ms. Clark's career.
Jennifer Paige Clark's story provides a tragic twist to one of many ugly truths in our dysfunctional justice system. As we have shown in several posts, your own attorney often can prove to be your worst enemy in any court battle. Why does this happen? We will provide more details in a moment, but here is the short answer: The outcomes of many legal battles, in both state and federal courts, have little to do with the relevant facts and law; rather, they often are decided by compromised judges who play favors for certain parties or attorneys.
If Jennifer Clark provided vigorous representation for "the lowest of the low," imagine how hard she would fight for her parents? Ms. Clark represented her parents in a pair of property-related cases, using aggressive discovery tactics–and documents in the cases indicate the Clarks uncovered misconduct involving powerful forces in two Southern locales.
The other hot spot is in Baldwin County, along Alabama's Gulf Coast and home to a burgeoning real-estate market where beachfront condominiums can yield massive profits for certain developers.
* The Alabama State Bar initiated the investigation on its own–The bar can do this under Rule 3(c) of the Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure. But I know from personal experience, and based on information provided by other citizens, that the state bar routinely declines to investigate cases where evidence of attorney wrongdoing is clear and irrefutable. That suggests it is rare for the bar to launch an investigation on its own.
* There was no client complaint against Jennifer Paige Clark–Our research indicates the vast majority of bar investigations are launched by a client complaint. But there was no such complaint against Ms. Clark; by all accounts, her parents were pleased with her representation.
* The investigation was launched based on information that Jennifer Paige Clark provided to the bar–You heard that correctly: The Alabama State Bar launched an investigation because of information that Ms. Clark herself sent to them. That strongly indicates Ms. Clark did not have a "guilty mindset." Would she have copied the bar on correspondence that she thought contained a violation of bar rules? Of course not. Ms. Clark clearly did not think she was violating any rules, and our research indicates she was correct about that.
Why do so many lawyers turn against their own clients? For many, it's a matter of survival in a profession where the pursuit of power and billable hours has become far more important than the pursuit of justice.
In far too many cases, corrupt judges decide that one party or attorney is going to receive a favorable judgment–or at least will not suffer the kind of damages that might be inflicted in an honest court. That leaves the other attorney to convince his client that it's best not to push too hard–that justice really is being done, even though it might not look that way.
Experience has taught me that the stronger your case, the more likely you are to be the victim of such a con game. That tells me that Hilda and Larry Clark probably had very strong cases–both in Hall County, Georgia, and in Baldwin County, Alabama.
Many lawyers, under pressure from corrupt judges, would have convinced the Clarks to either give up on their cases or accept offers that amounted to a fraction of what the cases were worth. If that didn't work, many lawyers would have withdrawn from the cases, keeping the Clarks' money and leaving them to seek other counsel or fend for themselves.
By refusing to go along with the game that many lawyers are expected to play, did Jennifer pay with her career–and her life. We think the answer is yes.


Today's the day that many New Jerseyans sign the documents and slip their tax returns into the mailbox -- or electronically file them – with a sigh. And there is good reason for that. New Jersey ranked second on the Tax Foundation's list of state's with the highest state and local tax burden, at 12.3 percent of income.
With an average family income of $54,422, New Jerseyans paid $4,659 in local and state taxes. However, they also paid $2,017 in taxes to other states and localities -- presumably New York and Pennsylvania -- to bring the average local tax burden to $6,675. These monies are what seems to really push the state tax burden as a percentage of income over the edge.
Connecticut, for instance, was ranked first in this survey. It paid a slightly higher local tax burden of $4,885, but also paid $2,264 in outside-Connecticut taxes, again presumably to New York and New York City. Connecticut came in first in this ranking, which is based on 2011 data, because its average income was also higher than New Jersey's that year at $60,287.
New York, on the other hand, had a much higher average local tax bill at $5,258, but only ranked fifth in the country, presumably because the amount paid to other states -- $1,364 – was lower.
The average rate of local taxes for the country was 9.8 percent of income that year.


text:
Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet ( – October 1631), of Gosfield, was an English aristocrat.

Early life
He was the eldest of two sons born of John Wentworth of Gosfield Hall, and the former Cicely Unton. His sister, Anne Wentworth, was the wife of Sir Edward Gostwick, 2nd Baronet. His father was High Sheriff of Essex and MP for Essex and for Wootton Bassett. After his father's death in 1613, his mother married Sir Edward Hoby before her death in 1618.

His paternal grandparents were Sir John Wentworth of Horkesley and Gosfield and Elizabeth Heydon (a daughter of Sir Christopher Heydon). His maternal grandparents were Sir Edward Unton and Lady Anne Seymour (the widow of John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick and daughter of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset). His uncle was Sir Henry Unton, English Ambassador to King Henry IV of France.

Career
Wentworth was created baronet Wentworth, of Gosfield, in the baronetage of England on 29 June 1611.

Upon his father's death in 1613, he was left "a splendid inheritance", but reportedly "ruined the family through extravagance."

Personal life
Wentworth married Lady Catherine Finch, a daughter of Sir Moyle Finch, 1st Baronet and the former Elizabeth Heneage, suo jure Countess of Winchilsea. Among her siblings were Thomas Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea (who married his sister, Cecily Wentworth), Hon. Sir Heneage Finch, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Hon. Francis Finch, MP for Eye. Together, they were the parents of two daughters:

 Cecily Wentworth (d. ), who married William Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Werke of Chillingham, in 1619.
 Lucy Wentworth (d. 1651), who married Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Cleveland in 1638.

Sir John died in October 1631 at which time the baronetcy became extinct.

References

1583 births
1631 deaths
Baronets in the Baronetage of England

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Pulling all your photographs together is difficult. But if you make use of some handy software tools, you can simply the scrapbooking process. Learn how to use Google Drive, Picture Project, Snapfish, and a Planner to be one organized scrapper!
Use Google Drive to sync my phone (LG Stylo 2) photos on my computer (Dell Windows 7).
Love my Nikon camera software called Picture Project for transferring from my camera to my computer.
Use a planner each year to keep track of events and whether I have printed and made scrapbook layouts for my albums. I used Scrapbook & Cards Today planner, but they stopped making in 2017. Now I keep track in Evernote.
Organize my photos on my computer in folders using YEAR-MONTH-DAY EVENT format. This will sort them in chronological order, just like I scrapbook them. I frequently copy the folders to an external back-up drive.
Load photos to Snapfish, to share, order prints, make hard copy books & cards, and have as a back-up if I loose my computer photos.
Next PostNext Wondering your Life's Purpose?


Paul was a man who was dedicated to Jesus Christ, a man of very great faith. He showed this by his perseverance in much suffering. In this lesson we will note the ways in which Paul suffered. That will lead us to look at what ways we might suffer as disciples of Christ.
Paul describes his sufferings in a kind of poem (2Corinthians 11:23 to 12:10), to encourage us not to let tribulation destroy our devotion to Christ.
It is easy to be discouraged by our natural fear of suffering and our knowledge of our own weaknesses. Paul's example helps us to be strong in theface of tribulations. The following is the list Paul gives of what he endured (2Corinthians 11:23-28).
Later in the reading Paul tells of a "thorn in the flesh" which troubled him much, and how he had come to accept "weaknesses... insults... distresses... persecutions... difficulties... for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2Corinthians 12:7-10).
This is just a taste of the sort of things one might have to endure. We can find many passages of the Bible that describe tribulation. For example Jesus said, "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars. In various places there will be famine and earthquakes" (Matthew 24:7).
These things happen all the time, and Christians are not immune to them or other atrocities and disasters.
Paul tells Christians, "No temptation1 has overtaken you but such as is common to man" (1Corinthians 10:13).
The tribulations to which Christians are vulnerable are the same bad things that happen to others. Our trials are "such as is common to man." (1Corinthians 10:13).
First, we should expect tribulations from time to time and "not be surprised at the fiery ordeal... as though some strange thing were happening" (1Peter 4:12).
Second, we should expect God to care about us and not forsake us, to provide for our needs and help us endure even "through much tribulation." (Acts 14:22).
1Note:— The Greek word for "temptation". The word πιρασμος (pirasmos), is not limited in meaning to temptation to sin through lust (James 1:14). It can also mean a trial that tests one's faith (eg Acts 20:19, 1Peter 1:6).


Angle aiming in ArghRad uses two angle measurements to determine direction. The first is yaw, and the second is pitch. Yaw is the rotation horizontally. Everything that uses an angle key, such as doors, monsters, or player starts, uses the yaw value since the vertical rotation is not important. Yaw is measured from 0 (the positive x axis) to 360 (the same as 0) counterclockwise.
The second angle is the pitch. Pitch measures the angle up or down. A value of -90 will result in an aim pointing straight down (regardless of the yaw), and an angle of 90 will result in an aim pointing straight up.
An angle aimed at 180 -45 will be pointing toward the negative x axis (left, if viewed from above on the xy plane) and 45 degrees down.


text:
Anthus pratensis (Linnaeus 1758)
Marion Zöller cc-by-nc-4.0
Anthus pratensis (Meadow Pipit) is a species of birds in the family Motacillidae. They are listed as near threatened by IUCN. They are found in the palearctic and Afrotropics. They are diurnal. They have parental care (occasionally breeds cooperatively). They rely on flight to move around.
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/nearThreatened
Definition: A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
Source: http://apiv3.iucnredlist.org/api/v3/taxonredirect/22718556
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/Afrotropical
Attribution: https://www.oneearth.org/realms/afrotropics/
Definition: animal behavior characterized by activity during the day, with a period of inactivity at night.
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/occasionalCooperativeBreeding
Definition: The species has been known to breed cooperatively, with nonparents providing care.
Attribution: Richard M. Sibly, Christopher C. Witt, Natalie A. Wright, Chris Venditti, Walter Jetz, and James H. Brown. 2012. Energetics, lifestyle, and reproduction in birds. PNAS 109(27):10937-10941, doi:10.1073/pnas.1206512109
URI: http://purl.bioontology.org/ontology/SNOMEDCT/165109007
Definition: Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended daily by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state.
Attribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Basal_metabolic_rate&oldid=581343469
foraging habitat
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/ForagingHabitat
Definition: Primary habitat where the species forages during the breeding season.
Definition: A biome that applies to the terrestrial realm.
Definition: largest of the eight ecozones constituting the Earth's surface
Attribution: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palearctic.png
Decreasing
prenatal development duration
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/PrenatalDevelopmentDuration
Definition: The duration of the development from fertilized, deposited or implanted egg to hatching/birth. Corresponds to egg incubation duration in oviparous animals and to gestation period duration in viviparous animals.
invertivore
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/invertivore
Definition: An organism that feed on invertebrate animals (insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, etc.)
type specimen repository
URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/TypeSpecimenRepository
Definition: The institution that holds a type specimen for a given species. The recommended best practice is to use the identifier in a collections registry such as the Biodiversity Collections Index (http://www.biodiversitycollectionsindex.org/).
Staatliches Museum fuer Naturkund Stuttgart
URI: http://biocol.org/urn:lsid:biocol.org:col:34840
Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of Meadow Pipit. View this species on GBIF

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For years (maybe even decades?) at all levels in the field of workforce development, from practitioner to system leader, from vendor to funder, from direct client facing to policy wonk, we have discussed the need for better soft skills among the job seeking customers we serve. We even toyed with naming these skills something else for a while since the moniker itself isn't particularly descriptive. For a short time, some in the field called them "essential employability skills," not exactly a catchy title. So, for better or worse, it seems that we are back to the term "soft skills." In fact, I have noticed that even the employer community with whom we engage to supply talent are now easily and regularly referring to soft skills as well. Employers who are hiring know what they are and seem perpetually frustrated that the workforce development system can't consistently supply a talent pipeline possessing these soft skills.
What exactly are these soft skills anyway and why are they so hard to find? Who is responsible for teaching or instilling these skills that seem so real and basic and yet continue to be the Holy Grail for some employers seeking to fill their talent needs?
Interestingly, some employers are simply summing up soft skills in two words: Fast thinking. While that doesn't exactly capture EVERY soft skill necessary, it does show a 21st century trend toward problem solving, effective communication, leadership and willingness to keep learning new skills.
The workforce development system has a distinct and important role to play here: our local boards and regional organizations and service delivery organizations can add value by tracking employer trends, listening closely to business and industry sector needs and responding with nimbleness and speed to provide new training solutions. With every training developed, it is critical to factor in the soft skill component and—in working with our training providers—to push them to do the same. Soft skills are no longer a "nice to have" for job seekers, they are vital skills needed by everyone whether they are looking for a career in customer service or manufacturing.
By partnering together, workforce boards, service providers and businesses can more consistently develop the talent pipelines that deliver candidates that not only have the technical skills needed by industry, but also possess the soft skills making them the well-rounded candidates needed to propel businesses forward.


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The Best Ways to See the Wonder of a Hawaiian Waterfall
There are countless waterfalls across Hawaii that need to be seen to get a full sense of the islands. The various waterfalls are recognized as some of the most beautiful in the world. Aerial views of these spectacular waterfalls create some of the best ways to see these natural wonders.
Manawaiopuna Falls ("Jurassic Falls")
One of Kauai's most notable waterfalls is Manawaiopuna Falls which is one of the reasons the island earned its nickname of the "Garden Isle." Manawaiopuna Falls has also been referred to as "Jurassic Falls" since appearing in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film Jurassic Park in 1993. Because it is located on a private stretch of land, the only way to see Jurassic Falls is by air.
Seen on Tours: Kauai Explorer, Kauai Discovery
Wailua Falls
Wailua Falls is a double-tiered waterfall so lovely that it was featured in the opening scene of the long-running TV show Fantasy Island. While you can just barely see this waterfall from the ground, the best photos of the falls come from a helicopter tour where you fly very close to the falls as well as other falls upstream of it.
Seen on Tour: Kauai Discovery
ON MAUI
Twin Falls is the first waterfall group along the Road to Hana. They are a group of smaller waterfalls surrounded by lush foliage and dreamlike caverns in the rock walls. The limited parking in this area fills up quickly, so to avoid the headache consider taking a helicopter tour of Maui for great views of Twin Falls.
Seen On Tours: the Hana Rainforest Experience, Maui Dream or Maui Spirit
Honokohau Falls
Nestled deep within the rugged terrain of the West Maui Mountains, Honokohau Falls cascades majestically into two tiers that course 1,119 feet. The falls are so impressive that producers of the film "Jurassic Park" insisted on including aerial shots of the cascades in the film because of their impressive appearance. This is truly one of those sites that actually leaves the passengers of our tours speechless.
Seen On Tours: Maui Dream, Molokai Voyage
For more information and help planning your perfect helicopter excursion, contact Maverick today. Be sure to share your Maui helicopter tour photos on our Facebook page!


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September 14, 2014 | David F. Coppedge
How Did the Archer Fish Learn Physics?
A little fish that shoots down bugs out of the air learned some tricks of optics and propulsion that impress scientists.
A video clip on New Scientist shows a fish sneaking up to the air-water interface, pausing, then spitting a bug out of a bush with uncanny accuracy. "Archer fish are expert marskmen," the article begins. "Now it seems they fine-tune their jets to pack an extra punch."
The article, and similar write-ups on PhysOrg, Science Daily, Nature, the BBC News and Live Science, speaks with admiration about how this little fish overcomes numerous problems of physics to do this. Because of the air-water interface, the fish has to be able to calculate the angle correctly, taking into account the index of refraction. The fish also has to accurately calculate the distance to the bug from beneath the water. And now, scientists at the University of Bayreuth have learned, the fish can pack that "extra punch" by reinforcing the first spit with a rapid series of follow-up spits too quick to see except with a high-speed camera.
The BBC article quotes one of the surprised scientists coming up with a "crazy idea." He wonders if these fish, with their "dynamic jet control," are showing signs of cognitive evolution:
Prof Schuster believes that their spitting accuracy may have evolved in a similar way to human throwing, which some theorists argue sparked an accompanying expansion of our cognitive abilities. …
"People have calculated that to double [throwing] range requires roughly an 8-fold increase in the number of neurons involved in throwing," Prof Schuster said.
So are these fish evolving into the cleverest animals under water?
"I don't think they will develop into humans. [But] they have many strange abilities that you wouldn't expect from fish.
"Maybe we can show by looking more closely at the brain, that shooting might have played a similar, prominent role in driving these abilities, as it's thought that throwing played in human evolution.
"That's just a crazy idea of mine."
None of the other articles mentioned evolution, except for a brief summary of the above by Nature: "This ability is analogous to throwing in humans and could similarly have contributed to the evolution of cognitive skills in the fish, the authors say."
So far, no Archer Fish Philosophy Clubs have been observed yet.
It's weird how we have to classify many articles as both "amazing" and "dumb". They're usually accompanied by apparitions of Charlie's Ghost.
Tags: archer fish, cognition, fish, marksmanship, propulsion, refraction, shooting, throwing
Categories: Amazing Facts, Darwin and Evolution, Dumb Ideas, Early Man, Marine Biology, Physics


Nuh district is one of the 22 districts in the Indian state of Haryana. It has an area of 1507 square kilometres (582 sq mi) and 10,89,406 population. It is bounded by Gurgaon district on the north, Rewari district on the west and Faridabad and Palwal districts on the east. It is predominantly populated by the Meos, who are agriculturalists, and Muslims.
e Quotations are invited for Projector and Allied Items.
Nuh 18th October: – A meeting was organized in the Secretariat's conference hall regarding Antyoday Saral under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner Vikram Singh..


The position is based in Cox's Bazar. Please send your Application Letter, CV and at least 3 References to hrcxb@ri.org or submit your application to our Cox's Bazar Office address at White House (5th Floor), In front of Police line, Kolatoli Cox'sbazar-4700 on or before 14th April , 2019. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted, so candidates are encouraged to apply early. A decision may be finalized before the deadline.
চাকরির বাজারে বড় হুমকি হয়ে উঠছে রোবট !


We have been offline for a while, taking in the savage beast that is Detroit, home of Ultraviolence and Garage Rock. It is also the home of sooooper-slow innernet. We confine our "surfing" to the LAN at work, or the mercies of Roadrunner from Time Warner. So when we actually confront internet that matches the ludicrous scenes from adverts for DSL, we tend to throw up our hands and go for a bracing walk instead.
We did spent a listless Saturday in the confines of the Somerset Collection, cruising around the posh north end in preference to the crowded but more richly beshopped south end. We'll confess that after the mauling we suffered at the hands of Harbour City in Hong Kong, we have somewhat cooled on the Mecha-Mall. And we are no closer to relatives gift-nirvana, aside from a self-purchased Pistons T-Shirt, bought largely to scare the overly refined Knicks fans that infest the Apple.
But we digress. The main point of this little post (interrupted for a couple of hours while we entertain an excitable Chilean road-builder on the phone) is to point out how close to the Detroit rock aristocracy we are. Very proud were Gringcorp and cute companion when we stumbled upon a massive White Stripes Thanksgiving show last year at the Masonic Temple Theater. After browsing through Mojam, which is very patchy, and Detroit Citysearch, which is fuller, but very badly organised, we hit upon The Kills, a band we have enjoyed from time to time, including at Southpaw.
We played pool to the sounds of The All Night Push, who had a very polite keyboardist who wore a suit and looked like a slightly better-fed Johnny Depp. We liked them alot - the singer is one of nature's crooners, and they probably like the Kinks. Blanche, which followed, seemed like a Detroit in-joke. Charismatic lead singer plays enthusiastic but not very compelling rockabillly/bluegrass. But they did bring out the scenesters, for who should materialise in the crowd at the Magic Stick, a bowling alley/pizza joint/pool hall/rock toilet, than Jack N' Meg themselves. Jack was less pale and better fed than normal, looking more like a young Ozzy Osbourne than he has any right to. But he didn't beat anyone down, even the fuzzy-haired kid in the lacrosse T-Shirt, who most probably whispered something very non-scene in his ear. No sign of Renee, though, who was probably elsewhere pimping that rancid corpse of a Briget Jones movie.
We also think we saw three members of the Dirtbombs playing pool in the corner, but we're fairly positive that you have less than any interest in that little factoid.


Piaget Exceptional Limelight (G0A36166) quartz watch, features a 17.1mm x 26.5mm 18k white gold case set with 10 emeralds and 35 diamonds surrounding a diamond dial set with 76 diamonds on a black satin strap with folding buckle set with 44 diamonds. Features include hours and minutes. This watch is water resistant to 30m.


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Scary CCTV footage shows man threatening shop assistants in Swords with knife before leaving with almost €2,000
A frightening incident
Darragh Berry
A Dublin shop owner has described the horrific moment that his establishment was held up at knifepoint.
The incident took place on Thursday May 9 and shows a man wearing a balaclava entering the shop in Swords and threatening the two staff members behind the counter.
The thief entered the door of Netto Shop in Applewood Village just shortly after 3pm.
Man, 20s, armed with knife arrested following shop robbery in Balbriggan
The man points to the till with the knife and begins to bang the end of the weapon off the counter.
One of the shop assistants, who is seen trying to calm down the robber, opens up the till and hands over the cash.
Shop owner Piotr told Dublin Live that the man left the shop with almost €2,000.
Pals pay tribute to popular teen who was stabbed to death in south Dublin park
He said: "The man took €1,800 in €50 and €20 notes. I am almost 99% sure that he was a local too because he knew where the till was straight away."
It was Piotr's fiancé, Celina who can be seen dealing with the attack but thankfully her and the second shop assistant are "100% okay".
Piotr continued: "He just kept telling Celina, 'give me the money and I won't hurt you'".
Footage shows how shocking parking effort obstructs multiple vehicles on busy Dublin street
In a statement to Dublin Live, a garda spokesman said they "are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at a retail premises in the Applewood Court area of Swords on 9 May at approximately 3:10pm".
"A lone male entered the premises armed with a knife and demanded money from staff.
"The man left scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. No injuries were sustained and investigations are ongoing."


WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleManiaPPV. It was presented by Snickers and took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The main match on the Raw brand was Triple H versus Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. The predominant match on the SmackDown brand was John "Bradshaw" Layfield versus John Cena for the WWE Championship. Another primary match was an interpromotional match between The Undertaker versus Randy Orton. The featured matches on the undercard were Kurt Angle versus Shawn Michaels and a Money in the Bank ladder match. The event also featured the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin who started his part-time appearances with WWE at this event. The event drew a Staples Center record attendance of 20,193 people and grossed more than $2.1 million in ticket sales.


Croatia is one of the most charming and most frequently visited countries in the world. It is made up by more than 1.200 islands where you will find wonderful cliffs, spectacular reefs and numerous coves and anchorages that will ensure you enjoy the fantastic coast and it's surroundings. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, its cristal and warm waters will enable you to sail freely and explore all of the countries charm. The key marinas are Dubrovnik, Split, Istria, Kornati, Zadar and Sibenik.


Here's the thing: I love social media.
And when I say that I love social media, I don't mean that I love that I have a way to mindlessly entertain myself whenever I please. (Not that I don't, in fact, mindlessly scroll through it sometimes.) When I say that I love it, I mean that I love what I've made it. I think that social media, like most tools, can be whatever you want it to be. I choose for this tool to be used for good.
For me, social media has primarily become a place to learn, be inspired, and be informed.
Not too long ago, though, it was a place where I often passed judgement and compared my life to others'. I became really concerned with what my Instagram looked like, what my everyday life looked like, and how my life came off to other people. I found myself people based on what they post, falling into the lie that what we post online is a true reflection of who we are. I would get annoyed with people for no reason, and I would spend forever trying to figure out the perfect caption for one of my posts. Frankly, I just cared way too much. So, I decided to change that.
If I found myself judging someone, I unfollowed them. Not because I didn't like them (whether I knew them or not), but because I didn't want what they post on line to cause a fault in our relationship. And honestly, I didn't want to sin just because of my reaction to their posts. If I found myself caring too much about what I posted, I didn't allow myself to post anything at all. The result of that was a low number of Instagrams, and somehow a lot more Tweets (I think I'm funny). I learned to check myself before I did anything online, because I have no place allowing myself to believe that my identity can be affected by my social media presence.
Now, the way I handle social media is really different. I love who I follow, and I seldom catch myself comparing my life to their's. And if I do, I close the app and move on, not allowing any room for me to feel less-than. I am still quick to unfollow people, but I find that happening less and less than it used to. I hardly get on Facebook, because it's a weird world and it doesn't make me feel good. I have chosen to make social media a good thing, rather than it being a big deal. From my best friends, to my family, and random strangers, I make sure that the people I follow on social media do one thing: inspire me.
Rather than mucking up some words about my friends and family, I'm going to focus on the group of people I keep up with that I have no ties to at all. You see, I follow a lot of people on social media that I've never met before, and they've become some of my biggest inspirations. From non-profit founders, pastors, activists, other writers, and more I have learned so much from so many of these people that, in reality, don't know that I exist. It sounds funny to say (write?) out loud, but nonetheless, it's true.
My favorite thing is that, because of the decisions I've made about social media, I no longer find myself wanting their lives, or seeing mine as less-than, because they do and say and experience cool things. I choose to learn from their way they live and choose to shape the world around them. I've come to look forward to their perspectives, their stories, their knowledge, or even their art, when I open Instagram or Twitter, which has helped social media to become more of a tool to be inspired than anything else.
All this being said, I'm thankful for the role that I've given social media in my life. I'm thankful for the people that I've chosen to follow, and the ways that they inspire me in the midst of my everyday life. Choosing to make social more than just a thing to scroll through when I'm bored has been a game changer for me. Choosing to let the people I follow be inspiring rather than annoying has been wonderful.
There may be a lot of negative effects of social media, but I'm not experiencing them. Social media is a place for me to get inspired, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way.


It's a great week for productivity. First, Slack announced that it'll let you view documents without leaving the app, and then Dropbox enabled editing Google Docs within its own cloud storage app. Now, Google has announced that you can edit Microsoft Office files directly in Google's suite of apps, without converting them or messing up your formatting.
Earlier, you either had to convert Office files to formats supported by Google Docs, or use Office Compatibility Mode (OCM) with limited functionality. Now, you don't need to worry about that. You can simply open a Microsoft Office file in Google Docs and start editing. This is a great update for people who want to collaborate on documents and don't all have a copy of Microsoft Office.
Google says that the feature will start rolling out to a limited number of users from next week, and it'll begin extended rollout for this functionality early next month.


It goes on to give tips on what to do when if you spot a Sasquatch.
SPOKANE, Wash. – There is a flyer going around Facebook claiming there have been sightings of the Sasquatch in the Kootenai National Forest.
The flyer also has a U.S. Forest Service symbol on it. On Facebook, U.S. Forest Service – Kootenai National Forest made a post saying that the poster is fake and did not come from them.
That shouldn't stop Sasquatch believers from continuing their search!


Damn. This makes me sad. Click the version for '10.7'.
I don't see the problem. It takes you right to it.
I wonder how their adoption rate for this version is compared to previous versions. I do not see how it is worth 1.99. Is there something it does that I am missing?
I am happy to give this guy $2 for something I use every single day.


text:
Q: Renderizado del lado del servidor para el router de react con react-rails Estoy tratando de configurar una aplicación de react-rails con renderizado del lado del servidor, el problema surge cuando trato de refactorizar el código para el router de react para que funcione con la opción de renderizado del lado del servidor activada.
<%= react_component("Main", {csrf_token: form_authenticity_token, post_cookie: @post_cookie, {prerender: true}) %>

Las rutas que supuestamente conducen a los componentes 'Comment' y 'Post' no son funcionales, ¿cómo podría hacer que funcionen?
import { StaticRouter } from "react-router";
import { Route, Switch } from "react-router-dom";

function Main(props, railsContext) {

  const { location } = railsContext;
  const context = {};

  return (
    <React.Fragment>
      <StaticRouter location={location} context={context}>
        <Switch>
        {console.log("Context static router", context, context.url)}

          <Route exact path={"/"}>
            <PostsWrap post_cookie={props.post_cookie} />
          </Route>
          <Route exact path={"/:locale"}>
            <PostsWrap post_cookie={props.post_cookie} />
          </Route>

          <Route path={"/:locale/:user/posts/:post/:comment"} component={Comment} />

          <Route path={"/:locale/:user/:post"} component={Post} />
        </Switch>
      </StaticRouter>
  );
}

export default Main;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
ActionCasualCollectiblesDLCFightingKinectMovies & TVMusic & PartyPuzzle & CardsRole-PlayingShooterSimulationSportsStrategy
Batteries & ChargersCables & AdaptorsControllersGame SystemsGear & ApparelHeadsets & MicsInteractive Gaming FiguresMemoryNetworking
The Walking Dead - The Telltale Series: A New Frontier by Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Telltale's award-winning and chart-dominating The Walking Dead series returns with its third season - "A New Frontier". Continuing the emotionally powerful story-telling seen in Seasons One and Two, we return to one of gaming's most favored characters - Clementine - a young girl who has grown up amid the horrors of the zombie apocalypse. We see her story through the eyes of Javier, a young man determined to find the family taken from him, and via playable flashbacks from Clem's past telling the story of how she came to be on a quest for vengeance. In A New Frontier, players will discover what the world is like when civilization begins to rebuild, and what sacrifices it will take to make society work again.
The Walking Dead - The Telltale Series: A New Frontier comes to retail as a Season Pass Disc, which includes Episode One, and grants access to download the remaining four episodes as they become available.
The Walking Dead - The Telltale Series is based on Robert Kirkman's ground-breaking comic book series.
View all 4 screenshots


As a designer, any work that you undertake for yourself is always going to be heavily scrutinised. This is an expression of what you like, not what your client is directing you towards or what you need to do to make a crust. This is truly your own style, and it had best be incredible.
I have always maintained that one of the biggest issues in small business is that you, the owner, almost shouldnt have time to work on your own business – because when you do, that means there's not as much work coming through the door. Like the mechanic who's car is always falling apart, or the hairdresser who hasn't had a colour in forever. It happens to us all. While I make a really active effort to make sure that my content is being updated, my website is fresh and my socials are looking great, there's usually something that gives in these situations. And for me, it was my branding. I had simply out grown it. But the challenge and time it was going to take to sit down and rework was daunting. Really daunting! The problem with creating your own design work is that everything you touch must be the epitome of your work. You have no client to bail up and fall back on and cry about because they chose the wrong concept or gave you too restrictive a brief. This must be the pinnacle of what you can do, the hallmark piece that represents your style, your aesthetic and your approach. I know my lovely friend Kate from Two Wild Hands struggled with the same pressure when working on her own wedding recently, although hot damn did she pull it off. The aim was to create something simple, a mark that would stand the test of time but show creativity, multiple streams of service and embody the simplicity and clean lines that I truly love in good design. There's some cute nod's to things like responsive design and feminism there, but ultimately I have aimed to create a logo that encapsulates where I want my design to be, and I am proud of this design. If you're feeling daunted by the idea of doing the hard work to get your own stuff up to scratch, here's a cheerleader in your camp saying just go and do it. You will feel 100% better than if you didn't. If you're ready to overhaul your logo, your brand, your marketing collateral, social media or your product, I want to help you. All you have to do is get in touch and I will help make you something that YOU love as much as I love my new logo.
The 80's have a lot to answer for in terms of graphic design. Random triangles on everything, squiggly backgrounds and flourescent colours abound. And while we can continue to be inspired by that look, sometimes its nice to go for clean white, natural textures and pops of colour that are inspired by the true colours of food. Not everything needs to be neon! Terrigal darling and 80's enthusiasts Rhonda's Bar has recently had a complete brand refresh as part of an overarching relaunch of the restaurant. Long gone are the psychedelic walls, strong 80's vibe and sticky floors. Instead, Rhonda's has grown up and brought together branding to match. Their previous branding was wholly and solely inspired by the 80's, and they owned it. This restaurant was known for its look, its theming, and was incredibly popular with the locals because of it. But now? It's time for something more. The mid-century inspired shapes in Rhonda's logo itself are a clean and fresh departure from their former logo, inspired by lipstick writing on the mirror and neon. The colour palette has changed, from being dominated by fluro pink, black, white and the glow of a neon sign, to be more relaxed, more mature and absolutely more coastal through the use of soft turquoise and grey, while keeping the strong signature black and white. Pattern is used sparingly but boldly – their social media and menu showcases the use of a black and white chevron that is elevated and obviously inspired by current interior design trends, while bringing in a fun repeat print through the menu and on imagery really gives you the vibe that this is a place to have a good time. Thankfully, this more mature and elevated approach extends not only from their branding but across their menu and drinks offering too. Crisp woodfired pizzas, modern tapas and sharing plates and classic spritz and cocktails mean that now Rhonda's has become a place to start the night, share a great meal and have a good drink, rather than a place to end the night. With a sleek new website and beautiful new branding, I'm excited to see what's next for Rhonda's – seasonal menu's, new drink offerings and delivery options are apparently all on the cards. Welcome to the brave new world Rhonda.
Do you have a brand or is your brand you?
I had a client come to me recently wanting to rebrand his family business. They're moving into the next phases of the business, where the son is taking over from the father and expanding the business into a range of new services, which is going to be great for the family and great for the son. However, he wants to keep the existing business name, and it got me thinking about what's in a name.
I love working on weddings. As a graphic designer, normally something I produce is the first indication of the style of the event that guests are invited to, and that's a pretty special thing. It is an incredible opportunity to be part of someone's dream day, whatever that looks like and to help alleviate some of the stress around weddings.
THE NON-REBRAND REBRAND; OR, HOW TO FRESHEN UP YOUR BRAND WITHOUT A NEW LOGO.
When I got to my third year of design school, I distinctly remember taking on my first ever freelance client. It was my roommate at the time, and she and I traded a logo design for her burgeoning fashion business for a dress she made me for my cousin's wedding. And pretty much since then, I ran a nice little side hustle as a freelance designer.
A corporate re-brand is not something that happens overnight. Generally speaking, corporate rebrands come about because either there has been a significant change in thinking about the way that the business operates, where you are positioning your brand in the market or that there has been enough time that your branding is starting to look a bit dated.
How graphic designers can work with web developers for best results.
Producing wedding invitations for any couple is going to be a challenge. You are working on the biggest and most expensive day of their life and you want to make sure that you do that honour justice. You want to do the absolute best job that you can possibly do for them. I am lucky to have been involved in a few weddings over the past couple of years, like Laura & Tim's and Jo & Martin's, and I really do relish the challenge of coming up with a distinct look and feel for wedding invitations that suits the couple to a tee. When I was approached by Susie & Jake to work on their wedding invitations, I knew I was ready for a new challenge. Susie came to me with the idea of using water colour paintings and native flowers as part of her invitations. This tied into her overall wedding theme of natives for bouquets and decorations at the receptions, and it's lovely to be able to produce invitations that speak to part of the overall look of the wedding. The clusters of native flowers seen on their Save The Dates and Wedding Invitations are hand illustrated, not purchased stock imagery. This is incredibly important I feel to ensure that for a day like your wedding, you have a beautiful and completely unique piece that represents how important and individual your day is. We decided to continue the theme throughout all the stationary, with each piece having its own flavour – the Save The Dates have less flowers, being the first piece of the puzzle, while the Invitations are more like the bridal bouquet, layered with flowers and the RSVP cards are made up entirely of foliage, giving them a distinct look and feel. I absolutely afore these invitations, I think the effect is beautiful and totally suited to the couple they were created for. More importantly, the couple and their guests have all been completely delighted by the invitations, and you cant really ask for much more than that. Thank you Susie & Jake for letting me be part of your special day!


text:
Notts County FC
Elliott Ward enjoying time at Notts County but says Magpies can still get better
Defender has played a key role in the club's recent surge back up the league table
Leigh Curtis
Notts County's Elliott Ward. (Image: Dan Westwell)
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Elliott Ward is relishing his time at Notts County and believes there is still much more to come from Harry Kewell's in-form side.
The Magpies secured their third successive win on Saturday as they overcame Macclesfield 1-0 at Moss Rose with Jon Stead scoring the winner from the penalty spot eight minutes from time.
The victory stretched Notts' unbeaten run to five games ahead of their Checkatrade Trophy Group G clash at Meadow Lane on Tuesday night with the Magpies needing a positive result if they are to have a chance of making it through to the next phase of the competition.
Macclesfield win was 'the best result' Harry Kewell has had at Notts County
Ward is likely to be rested for that clash having been ever present in the heart of the defence since his arrival as a free agent at the start of September.
He has played a key role in Notts' recent resurgence and the former Norwich and Blackburn defender says that while they have significantly improved following a dismal start, they can get even better.
"The manager is really good," he said.
"He's good on the grass and that's showing in our performances.
"We are getting stronger for longer in games and we are a bit more resilient.
"There's more to come and in the next 10 days we can work on that.
"In the last five games you've seen the potential.
Notts County show they have substance, as well as some style, under Harry Kewell
"It's about getting the right balance and we are finding that lately.
"It's really enjoyable and they are good people to work with."
MorrisonsMorrisons issues supermarket ban over safety fears with Sainsbury's and Tesco followingThree major supermarkets have taken products off their shelves
Nottinghamshire MP Lee Anderson says he is in favour of death penalty
He said: 'Nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed'


text:
Let 'Game of Thrones' Be White
Culture Race Television Media
Instead of mainly seeking inclusion into white narratives, people of color should seek to create our own that center on ourselves.
Chris Jesu Lee
The final season of Game of Thrones is here. The show's had a remarkable run and impact on popular culture. Baldur's Gate and The Lord of the Rings proved fantasy wasn't just for weird basement dwellers, but Game of Thrones took it to another level. The whole country became like Daniel Desario at the end of Freaks and Geeks: completely and unexpectedly enthralled by dungeons and dragons.
Oberyn fights the Mountain
Just to settle any arguments, season 4 was the best. That was the season of Oberyn Martell. The triple punch of the final three episodes — Oberyn vs. The Mountain, the Battle of Castle Black, and Tyrion murdering Tywin — is incomparable. Plus, the show's never been quite the same without Tywin. Debate over.
But here's another debate: why aren't there more important non-white characters and kingdoms in Game of Thrones? It's a question that goes beyond this show or even the fantasy genre. When people say we should have a non-white James Bond or a non-white Jane Austen character, the same root issue is at hand: do traditionally white stories need to have more non-white characters?
Where Are All The Black People in Game of Thrones?
You're telling me a world with dragons, and frozen zombies can't have some lit black folk with spears and stuff?
OkayAfricaChinedu Hemingways
For actors, this may be mostly a labor issue. If shows and movies are constantly set in historical or pseudo-historical Europe, then it's difficult for non-white actors to make a living unless there's race-blind casting. The entertainment industry often purports itself to be progressive and equal opportunity. So if it's doing a ton of Shakespeare and Dickens, then some adjustments will have to be made in order to live up to those egalitarian ideals. Or stop rehashing the old and start doing something new and more inclusive. This is a point that I can support.
What I find less supportable is when people approach this from a more moral and philosophical standpoint that argues it's a matter of racial justice that non-white people be included in white narratives, regardless of the employment opportunity issue. If adherents of this view wanted POC-centered alternatives, like a Game of Thrones set in a fantastical Africa or a Pride and Prejudice set in historical Asia, then I'd be more sympathetic. But I suspect that for many, this isn't what they're looking for.
What they're seeking is not quite equality, but rather, inclusion. Specifically, inclusion among the white characters and settings they've idealized for so long. A full transposition of these white narratives into POC-dominated alternatives would ruin the chance to finally feel included. This sentiment can be seen in this article with the curious claim that To All The Boys I've Loved Before was better for representation than Crazy Rich Asians.
'Netflix's recent film featuring a non-white leading lady will do more for diversity in Hollywood than Crazy Rich Asians'
As a mixed race British girl, I grew up seeing very little representation of people who looked like me in the films I was watching, but this may be changing
The IndependentLauren Chassebi
At initial glance, the article's argument seems preposterous: how can a movie that only features one Asian character be better for representation than a movie that features an all-Asian cast? But reading between the lines, one can reasonably conclude that what the writer is really trying to say is that being accepted in a white setting is a greater accomplishment than being accepted in a non-white setting. She praises the heroine of To All The Boys I've Loved Before for being defined by more than just her race, but who said the characters of Crazy Rich Asians were only defined by their Asianness? If anything, a cast of all-Asian characters makes it impossible to lean on race as a crutch because it's no longer an otherizing marker. In this usage, "defined by more than just their race" simply means no longer having to be relegated to one's POC social ghetto.
The problem with this inclusion-obsessed mindset is how much it's giving into the idea that white settings and histories are just so overwhelmingly desirable, so much so that the highest achievement that POC can seek is to be admitted into these prestigious clubs. It's a mindset that confesses that non-white histories and settings are so unworthy, uninteresting, or simply non-existent that the best thing to do for these poor unfortunate non-white souls is to save them a seat at where the real party is. Because, after all, nothing exciting or romantic has ever happened outside of where white people lived, right?
With respect to Game of Thrones, let's stretch our imaginations to the extreme and say that its creators could create non-white characters and kingdoms without resorting to lazy stereotypes. If so, which non-white groups get included? And from those groups, which demographics (in terms of ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation)? Once you put the power to include and exclude in the hands of white people, you're playing a very dangerous game that almost always results in POC infighting with everyone striving for that precious inclusion. It's the kind of white asssimilationist liberalism that was rife in something like Master of None.
Daenarys saving the miserable peoples of Essos
The fact is that Game of Thrones is weakest when it tries to be inclusive. I never liked Daenarys because there's something off about seeing a blonde monarch walking on top of the outstretched and grateful hands of her dark-skinned subjects. The same thing happened with Girls in its second season when Donald Glover played the familiar black boyfriend trope. Some shows are actually just better off being too white.
But at least Game of Thrones is fantasy and Girls is about contemporary times. Things get even worse when we go back into actual history. Take this tweet for example:
Seriously, Henry Golding should be the lead in Pride & Prejudice or some shit. https://t.co/T55dwp55EH
— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) February 25, 2019
Let's say Henry Golding gets to play Mr. Darcy. Will Lizzy Bennet still be white? If so, where would the Asian women be? Isn't this an elevation of Asian men over Asian women via white acceptance, in a world where many Asian women still feel incredibly burdened by European beauty standards? Furthermore, what the fuck is Asian Darcy doing in Regency England? What's his stance on the rampant European colonialism of his home continent? Does anyone in that phrenology-loving time not have a problem with an Asian guy owning huge tracts of land? If no, isn't that just a fantasy that English people at the height of the British Empire had the same social sensibilities as today's Vassar students?
Thus far the revolutionary potential of works of art in the age of mechanical production in which Walter Benjamin had placed so much hope had not been realised: culture had become impotent to change oppressive social reality; worse, it helped hold that oppressive order in place. Marcuse, in his 1937 essay "The Affirmative Character of Culture," had argued that culture separates itself from society or civilization and creates the space for critical thought and social change. But instead of fulfilling any emancipatory role it had become an autonomous zone, a place of retreat from social reality. In this zone, Marcuse argued, the demand for happiness in the real world is abandoned for an internal form of happiness, the happiness of the soul. Bourgeois culture creates an interior of the human being where the highest ideals of culture can be realised. This inner transformation does not demand an external transformation of the real world and to material conditions. Such is affirmative culture: the horrors of the everyday can be dissipated by attending to the beauties of Chopin.
— From Grand Hotel Abyss: The Lives of the Frankfurt School by Stuart Jeffries
What is race-bent historical movies other than the art of affirmative culture, one that soothes contemporary peoples' guilt and fear, especially those of white people, that their cherished past was actually brutal and ignominious? That under every doily-strewn Austenian tea party, there was a foundation of black slavery, brown famine, and yellow colonization? But with an Asian Mr. Darcy or Indian David Copperfield, the imagery of a racial meritocracy can now be projected way backwards: maybe if those Asiatics weren't such personality-free savages back then, they could've gotten into Oxbridge.
It devolves into a history saturated with wishful thinking. So the question is, what is the wish? For white people, it's being able to celebrate their past without the confronting difficult questions. For POC, it's finally seeing our own faces in white stories, the most exclusive and prestigious stories of all. The teenage me would've loved to see an East Asian guy play Pip in Great Expectations because the younger me thought Asians could only matter if we were included in white narratives. But there are ways—much better ways—to be diverse without making POC cosplay as white people.
Last scenes from 'Lost In Translation': Relax, this is okay
The recognition of whiteness — in particular, urban and educated whiteness — as a salient racial and ethnic identity has been a boon for racial progress. What has been more harmful is the fiction that whiteness is a raceless and universal ideal that every outsider should strive to attain. Of course, white identity to the extreme is immensely harmful, but that shouldn't mean going to the other deep end and acting as if whiteness isn't an identity at all.
So if whiteness is a real identity, then it follows that whiteness should have its own space. Not to the extent that such a space crowds out everybody else's (as it has done in the past), but it should be reasonable to let white people have their own narratives too. It would actually stand for the radical and egalitarian proposition that whiteness, just like blackness or yellowness or brownness, is a racial identity with all its peculiarities and prejudices. Whiteness would thus no longer be the imperious universal.
As for people of color, the radical and egalitarian proposition for us would be to seek more than just inclusion, but rather true equality. Instead of wanting access into a thinly veiled Europe or actual historical Europe, we should be creating worlds drawn from our own overlooked histories and backgrounds. Instead of begging to be included at the (predominantly white) cool kids' table, we should make our own tables that can seat more than just a few of us. And if those cool kids eventually want to leave their table to sit with us, then that's great. Because in the end, sharing and inclusion should be the goal. But that has to come from a position of equality, not weakness. We're not in that position of equality right now, so it's up to us to create it.
Like this article by Chris Jesu Lee?
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text:
Because she was walking within the Garrison walls, Wanda eventually came around again to her starting point. She met the Fellows standing guard by the staircase. No hopeful Haffaton men remained.
Stacking with her uncroaked, she considered ascending the staircase to another floor to continue her methodical assault on enemy property. But it had begun to feel like a chore, as hollow and pointless an act as she knew it was. Her arm was tired. Her rapidly sobering head throbbed. It was time to find a bed.
Sighing, Wanda set off in the direction of her original foray. She was fairly certain she'd passed a master suite of some kind that way. The boots of her fighters clumped along behind her own, and she felt a bit less alone for it. Debris from things she had broken earlier crunched to smaller shards beneath their feet.
The stack rounded a corner and abruptly halted, as Wanda's heart looked frantically for a way out of her ribcage.
Olive stood in the center of the corridor, holding a plant in her hands.
She looked up from it sadly. "That was the mellowest rampage I've ever seen," she said in a soft, distant voice. "It was wonderful. But Wanda...you might've spared the living."
Mouth still agape, Wanda looked down at the plant and saw that it was unpotted. Olive was cradling it by the bare roots. Much of its upper portion was bashed in. From the way that the enemy Florist held it, it was clear she saw it as something precious, though the reason was not immediately apparent. Wanda wondered if it had some special function or was rare in some way.
"I'm sorry," she said, out of reflexive politeness. Then she added, "I don't understand."
Olive wore a sheer black nightgown with a pink shawl, a pair of soft gray moccasins, and nothing else. Her body was beautiful. Wanda wanted to touch her. Tommy had touched her... Her hair was badly mussed, but still seemed like sunshine in the dim light of the hallway.
She twitched her lips into a sad smile, and glanced behind Wanda at the Fellows. "No. You wouldn't, would you?"
Wanda could think of nothing to say that wouldn't sound foolish. Her heart was still pounding against the walls of its cage.
"Do you think," asked Olive, almost shyly, "that in the interests of peace, you might return to me the helm of one of our fallen?"
Wanda blinked. It was an odd, but ultimately reasonable request, and she couldn't see a reason not to honor it. She motioned with her hand, and one of her lower units stepped forward, removed his helmet, dropped to one knee and presented it to Olive.
It was a gesture Wanda intended to be charming, a way to break the ice a bit. Having the Fellows act with formal courtly manners never failed to get grin or a laugh among Goodminton's men. But Olive took the offered equipment with a grimace of dread, as if she couldn't stand to be so near to the uncroaked soldier.
With a perfunctory "Thanks," she upended the helmet and placed the plant's roots inside. She stepped a few feet away from the uncroaked and turned around to do something to the plant. Wanda could tell she was casting, but not what. Anyway, her eyes were more occupied admiring the ghostly shadows that defined Olive's backside... Stop it.
When Olive turned around, she held a perfectly healthy green plant in a steel planter. She was smiling proudly. "There," she said, holding it up for Wanda to admire. The hem of her nightgown rose a couple of inches as she lifted her arms.
Wanda nodded. "I see. Nicely done."
"I saved it, Wanda," she insisted. "You understand?" She walked past the uncroaked soldier to show her the plant more closely. "I think you don't," she pouted. "I think you don't, and you know why?"
Wanda shook her head. Olive's perfume encircled her as she got closer, meeting her eyes with an earnestness that made her want to understand.
"Because it's alive," Olive almost whispered, "and that doesn't mean anything to you." Her eyes searched Wanda's for any sign that she was going to deny the accusation, but Wanda could only stare at her. The experience of being this close to Olive's delicate face was almost too much. "Life magic, Wanda. Croakamancers don't use it."
"Oh."
"You think this is just an object, don't you?" She touched the plant's leaves to Wanda's chest. "It's not. It's a living thing. Like you and me. But you think we're all objects, too. Right?" Olive stepped back and made a disapproving face at the uncroaked stabber, who stood there impassively. Her cute nose wrinkled in revulsion. "Look what you do with a person, when the Life is gone. That is an object, Wanda. Not this," she said, indicating the plant.
"Not true," said Wanda, who was finally realizing the point of what Olive had to say and not liking it. "That plant is scenery, inventory, provisions."
"It's not--"
"...Or...a piece of terrain. But this unit can move, fight, follow orders. This unit has Motion, and that is something a Hippiemancer would know nothing of," finished Wanda.
"No, you don't know what you're talking about. Yes sure, there is Motion. But it's less important than Life. That ought to be perfectly obvious to any living being," said Olive, but she looked uncertain.
"Says the Florist. The three Elements were created equal. Are you a Titan, to say otherwise?"
"I'm alive, to say otherwise," said Olive. "Life is the most important thing in the world. Would you want to lose your Life?"
Wanda was beginning to regain her composure with this argument. Olive was not some beautiful, unapproachable star in the sky, but a fellow caster, a fellow Chief Caster, that she could spar with over the differences between their disciplines. It felt good. "No, but I wouldn't want to lose my Motion, either. I wouldn't want to be that plant. I'm no tree," she said. "Speaking of which, where is my brother?"
Olive shook her head at the apparent non sequitur. "Upstairs, in my suite."
"Did you two...?"
"Ohhhh, yes." Olive's smile was telling, and deeply satisfied. Wanda felt her stomach tighten. "Afterwards, he asked me to turn. Isn't that sweet? I said I'd think about it."
Wanda's regained composure was relost. She stood mute. Olive looked at her for a moment, then bent down at set the plant on the tile floor.
"He and I talked a lot, actually. About you, and Delphie," she said quietly, brushing her hair from her eyes. "He told me more about Delphie's Prediction than Delphie did."
That didn't sound good. Wanda cleared her throat. "What did Delphie tell you?"
Olive laughed. "Oh, just that you are very, very special. That you're worth what we offered. You should really get your brother to accept the treaty; it'd be better for everybody."
"I see."
"You look tired," said Olive, with sudden sympathy in her eyes. "You want to find a bed?"
Wanda was instantly entangled in the vagueness of the question. Or was it an offer? She was not even sure of herself enough to nod.
Olive watched her struggle and raised an eyebrow. "Mmm, or you want my bed? We could kick Tommy out." Her mischievous grin was more dizzying than anything she had served tonight. "Or not. You know."
There are moments of decision in each person's life when there is so much at stake that the mind stands paralyzed at the thought of the consequences, and some part of Wanda understood this to be happening to her now.
There was something terribly upsetting about the offer, something about Olive's sensibilities as a Hippiemancer that struck her as weird. Really? After she'd just been with Tommy, she...
Not spending the rest of the night in Olive's bed certainly seemed very much like something she would live to regret. (And she would have no trouble kicking Tommy out into the cold at this point.) But going through with it now also seemed like something she would regret. Perhaps she was facing two regrettable choices.
Ideas and possibilities swam in her head, concepts and fragments of words. Delphie's Predictions, Clay's 4-sided soldiers, Tommy the Tree Man... Was Fate suggesting this night was for her and Olive? It didn't feel right.
No, it did not feel right at all.
"I think...just a room with a bed," she said, trying to disguise the disappointment she already felt with herself. "For me alone, please."
"Aww," said Olive, with a little pout. But she perked up promptly. "Okay, follow me then. Bye little guy." She patted the plant's uppermost leaves, and headed down the hall in the direction of Wanda's Trail of Destruction.
Wanda followed behind her, regretting her decision, and piling on a little more regret with each sway of Olive's hypnotic hips.


text:
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Normal human skin has two layers, the epidermis, which is the outer part, and the dermis, or the inner part. Normally, there are protein anchors between the layers, made of collagen, and they prevent the two layers from shearing, or moving independently from one another.
People with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) do not have these protein anchors, so when there is any friction on the skin, the two layers rub against each other and separate, resulting in painful sores and blisters. The blistering can also occur in the inner mucous membranes, such as the mouth and esophagus. This makes it almost impossible to eat solids.
Epidermolysis Bullosa can result from a genetic mutation in one of 18 genes. These mutations, or errors in the genetic code, do not allow the body to either produce an essential protein or produce a working form of the protein thus resulting in extremely fragile skin. – EB has three major forms and at least 16 subtypes. Each type has different genetic and symptomatic variations, but all forms share the common symptom of fragile skin that blisters and tars from even the slightest friction or trauma.