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Today’s gospel ends with this incredible promise from Jesus, “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” These words in themselves naturally convey a most consoling message but to many Protestants, it proves to be even more profitable – in the material and financial sense of the word. The verse found in John 10:10 has given rise to a particular theological movement among some Protestants called the ‘Abundant Life’ movement or more popularly known as the prosperity gospel. In other words, the promise of Jesus to give his believers the fullness of life, or the abundance of life, is seen as involving not only spiritual blessings but also physical and economical goods. Thrown into the cocktail of salvation are the two fold blessings of wealth and health.
Although it is obvious that the message of the prosperity gospel is opposed to our Catholic teachings and values, many individual Catholics, however, continue to find the message appealing, for obvious reasons. Who doesn’t want to be healthy or rich? Of course, the promise of wealth, health and well-being, according to this doctrine, is conditional. For those who subscribe or promote it, God gives only good and perfect gifts to the deserving. This interpretation raises serious issues and presents a condemning and discriminating view of the marginalised. How do we possibly explain the predicament of the poor or misfortune in general? The easiest thing to do would be to attribute misfortune to a person’s culpability in having earned God’s displeasure or wrath, until troubles come home to roost even when you’ve been good, and this is when you begin to question its veracity. Shouldn’t God always reward those who are good and punish the wicked?
Such a narrow interpretation of the meaning of a ‘full’ or ‘abundant life’ does not take into account a holistic reading of scriptures. As in all cases, selective reading often leads to confusion and a total subversion of the biblical message. A focus on the physical merely trivialises the profound depth of the fullness that comes with Christian living. In fact, the New Testament often emphasises a radically different result of following Christ. We are told that those who faithfully follow Christ will be persecuted, that Christ's message is divisive, that we will need to take up our cross and follow him, and that the normative expectation for Christian is suffering. Job promotions, lottery windfalls, new cars, and throwing away crutches are not among the fringe benefits offered by Jesus Christ. In fact, the cross, suffering, and persecution would be the lot of the faithful ones.
Therefore, in order to understand what John 10:10 means, we need to look at its context. Chapter 10 of John's Gospel develops the biblical theme of sheep and the shepherd. The shepherd has the well-being of the sheep at heart, rather than his own. This shepherd is neither thief nor bandit who would steal sheep. Strangers do not have a personal relationship with the flock, but the good shepherd does. In addition to the metaphor of the shepherd, Jesus speaks of himself as the gate. This passage, however, does not offer us a problem about how Jesus can be both shepherd and gate. Instead, Jesus speaks of the gate to help clarify the image of shepherd. In both cases it is about the trustworthy one who brings his followers into ample pasture. Jesus' main purpose was the salvation of the sheep. Under his protection and by his gift they can experience the fullness life can offer. In the context of John's emphasis on eternal life, this statement takes on new significance.
This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” To limit the meaning of this word to economic, material and physical wellbeing would be mischievous and self-serving. In fact, in terms of economic, academic, and social status, most of the early Christians did not come from the privileged classes. Clearly then, abundant life does not consist of an abundance of material things. If that were the case, Jesus or his disciples would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true, though a Christian finds his priceless treasure in something beyond the material.
We must never confuse familiarity with understanding. Yes, Jesus, the Good Shepherd knows the name of the sheep. But there is nothing childishly fuzzy about this. It turns out that the Good Shepherd is not an image intended to comfort children. It is an image intended to inspire the faith of adults to greater heights especially during difficult times. And where does Jesus, our good shepherd, lead us? To green pastures and still water. The green pastures are the food that God provides us; the Word, the Sacraments and life in the Spirit. But there is more to these. The last place, which we would least expect from the Good Shepherd, is that He leads us to the cross. It is here on the Cross, that the Shepherd becomes the sheep; the Lamb of God is led to the slaughter and immolated on our behalf and it is his blood that cleanses us from all sin.
A truly authentic abundant life flows from relationship with Jesus and through him with God. Contrary to what the prosperity gospel teaches, such a life demands that we become His sheep and be more vulnerable than we're most often prepared to be. So much of our life is about giving the impression that we really do have it all together and in this way guarding ourselves against vulnerability. So much of our life is about self-mastery and control, as we are caught in this double-bind of wanting greater intimacy with God and yet simultaneously holding back, not risking exposing ourselves fully to Him.
It is this very real human condition and dilemma that the Son of God, the Shepherd chooses to become the sheep - God embraces humanity in the incarnation, taking on our lot and our life in the flesh and blood of Jesus. He divested himself of the invincible security of his Divinity and took on the vulnerability of the human flesh, and in doing so provided us with the supreme example of the abundant life – a life that exists in total trust of God’s caring providence and not founded on one’s own strength, wealth, health and devices. And so during this season of Easter, let us learn once again to be vulnerable, to learn how to listen to the voice of the Shepherd. We recognise that when we try to live our own lives, removed from the sheepfold, independent of the Shepherd, life becomes a dull, dispirited thing. But, when we walk with Jesus, there comes a new vitality, a superabundance of life. It is only when we live with Christ that life becomes really worth living and we begin to live in the real sense of the word – not just have life but have it to the full.


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Many believe it, in a near future (within twenty years) in which renewable energy can produce half of our electricity needs.
Wind, photovoltaic, hydroelectric and natural gas are some of the most used sources and with better yields today.
And so, while the Trump administration speaks of a massive use of fossil fuels, in a totally anachronistic way, large companies disinvest important assets related to the oil industry to invest in renewable energy.
Unfortunately Italy is not proving to be in step with other European and non-European countries. In particular, the absence of a policy common to all the regions regarding the authorization process complicates the creation of new wind farms in favor of faster and more prepared countries.
Wind power, compared to solar, is precisely the one that has taken the longest step in terms of technological evolution and in particular of plant efficiency. Today we are able to achieve a high ratio between energy produced and the area used, with a net reduction of costs and improvement of efficiency.
The challenge of innovation is the most important. Innovation in plants, in technologies for maintenance, in production costs.
A good news? A Greek islet - Tilos, located between Kos and Rhodes - will be the first self-sufficient and totally green island. During the year it will detach from the network and will live exclusively on energy produced from renewable sources.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


text: 16-Watt, T4 Fluorescent replacement warm white light bulb. A replacement for FA201, 20" ultra series lights. Warm white light creates a more relaxing atmosphere. Fits Westek FA201-series fixtures.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text: If you prefer to process global politics visually or if you just have a map fetish, Worldmapper is worth checking out. The site hosts several “density-equalizing” maps that depict the world according to demographic statistics ranging from total population, to the slightly more unique and topically relevant carbon emissions increases, greenhouse gasses, and nuclear waste. While other maps typically portray these statistics using icons and color-coding, these density equalizing maps resize landmass to account for the statistics in question. The maps depicting nuclear waste and wealth both show a hugely ballooned Northern Hemisphere and an atrophied Southern Hemisphere.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


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Shanghai named its one-stop government affair service app as Suishenban Citizen Cloud (eshimin.com) yesterday, with the number of registered users of the portal reaching 10 million.
Last year, Shanghai launched a comprehensive government affairs service platform for individuals and enterprises that provides a one-stop service portal which merges public services of all departments.
At present, altogether 1,274 government service items can be applied for and handled on the one-stop service portal which can handle an average of 75,000 affairs every day.
Altogether 167 individual affairs can be applied for and handled at 220 community affair service centers across the city and 130 kinds of services can be handled on the portal. The portal is also able to deal with more than 50 kinds of enterprise affairs.
It is also reported that 1.5 million payments have been completed on the unified payment platform of the portal.
Besides, domestic company establishment, health insurance and other services can be handled in some cities across the Yangtze River Delta region.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


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Queen's University Belfast are taking part in a global trial to test whether exercise should be prescribed to treat patients with advanced prostate cancer.
A pilot study carried out by the Edith Cowan University in Western Australia in 2016 demonstrated that high intensity training could be a powerful tool to prolong the lives of prostate cancer patients. Dr Nicolas Hart, who led the research commented: "The study was able to show that a high intensity exercise program was safe, feasible, and enjoyed by advanced prostate cancer patients, including those with bone metastases, while preserving their physical function and improving their quality of life. We are delighted that these observational findings will allow us to rigorously test whether exercise can extend patient survival using a high intensity exercise program in a worldwide study thanks to an investment of £8.84m Australian dollars (over £5.1m) from the Movember Foundation."
The global clinical trial aims to recruit 866 patients across three continents in a collaborative effort to share data and biological samples by leading scientists and clinicians to accelerate health outcomes for men with prostate cancer. Men with advanced prostate cancer will be placed on a high intensity exercise regime, tailored to their level of fitness. Researchers will work together to determine if high intensity aerobic and resistance training alongside the 'standard' psycho-social support offered to prostate cancer patients will lead to increased overall survival.
Dr Gillian Prue, who is leading the study at Queen's University Belfast, said: "We know already that physical activity plays a significant factor in maintaining our health and fitness. Exercise can help alleviate the common symptoms associated with having cancer treatment such as pain and fatigue, but we are now delighted to be working with experts around the world to not only to help men with prostate cancer feel better, but to try and actually boost survival rates. The overall aim is that exercise will be prescribed alongside traditional treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy at a global level."
Dr Suneil Jain from Queen's University added: "This is very exciting research. Many standard treatments cause side-effects including weight gain and loss of muscle bulk. High intensity interval training may make men fitter, improve their quality of life and even prolong their survival. This study is the largest of its kind ever to be performed in prostate cancer."
Queen's University have been awarded additional funding from the Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (HSC R&D) of the Public Health Agency (PHA) to target patients with advanced prostate cancer who would otherwise be excluded from the research. Dr Prue said: "High intensity training may not be suitable for all men with advanced prostate cancer, particularly among those with additional health conditions. Alongside the global intervention, in collaboration with Professor Marie Murphy an exercise scientist from Ulster University, we will develop a low intensity walking programme for men who cannot participate in the Movember trial to assess the feasibility of low intensity exercise as a way to improve the quality of life and reduce symptom burden for these men." Dr Janice Bailie, Assistant Director of the HSC R&D Division of the Public Health Agency added: "This initiative represents an excellent co-funding opportunity to support the availability of the global GAP4 study to patients in Northern Ireland. It also enables those patients not suitable for participation in the main study to become involved in a programme with similar potential benefits."

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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We were hungry that night. We walked the 3 kilometers from our campsite to the village to buy some food. It had rained, heavily. The little road was more or less damaged. It started to get dark.
We passed a restaurant in the village, where we spot a table filled with vegetarian dishes. Innumerable mezes, stews, salads and fresh bread, enough for at least 20 or 30 people. It was obvious that there was a private party about to begin.
But, we couldn’t stop ourselves from asking if it was possible to buy a plate.
That’s how we got invited to join a Turkish birthday party in Ayvalik. People came from everywhere. Some spoke English, some didn’t. We communicated in every way we could. We sang “Happy Birthday” in Swedish, we laughed, we ate, we drank.
In the end of the night, somebody offered us a drive home (luckily, since we could barely walk after the most amazing meal we’ve had for months), provided us with a few kilos of fresh mandarins and bread, and in our pocket we had a note with an invitation for brunch the day after.
The world is a friendly place!
This entry was posted in Adventure Excerpts on November 1, 2010 by mangomanjaro.
Bara bra. That’s amazing! If you want to pick a single word to describe you trip, it could be TRUST. You trust people would take you from city to city when hitchhiking. You trust people would offer their home to stay. You trust people would share food when hungry. You trust nothing will miss for you two when you give up everything in Sverige. You trust people, so people trust back. What a great experience!
We trust you to pimp your life even harder than you already did, looking forward to here more about it.
I spend a lot of time giving talks about my travels round the world (eg – http://www.dolectures.com/speakers/speakers-2009/alastair-humphreys) and one thing I always talk about is that The World is a Good Place. So I REALLY enjoyed your post!
Such a good reminder that there are good people in this world. This is my first time visiting your blog and I’m looking forward to reading more of your posts!
Thank you very much Joya, we are happy to hear you like it!

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


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The signature awards dinner and reception, which will be co-hosted by award-winning Canadian entertainer Jessica Holmes from Royal Canadian Air Farce, takes place on the Thursday evening. This first-class event includes a series of entertaining video tributes, including the Service to Industry award winner – someone who by their commitment, vision, leadership and dedicated service, has made an outstanding contribution to the development and success of the truck transportation industry. That presentation is followed by tributes for the OTA Truck Driver of the Year award, the Truck Hero award. Space is limited to 380 people so book early. A full table of 10 can be reserved by Team OTA members.
Conrad Black is a Canadian-born British peer, and former publisher of The London Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Jerusalem Post, and founder of Canada’s National Post. He is a columnist and regular contributor to several publications, including the National Review Online, The New Criterion, The National Interest, The New York Sun, and the National Post. Lord Black is an experienced financier, was the head of the Argus and Hollinger corporate groups for many years and remains active in this field in a number of private companies. As an acclaimed author and biographer, Lord Black has published comprehensive histories of both Canada and the United States, as well as authoritative biographies of Maurice Duplessis, and presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon. Lord Black is also a television and radio commentator and a regular participant in the current affairs programming of CNN, Fox News, CTV, CBC, BBC, and Radio Canada.
Stroud is a Canadian Screen Award winning producer, creator and star of the hit TV series Survivorman (OLN Canada, The Science Channel US, Discovery Channel International, City TV (Rogers) Canada. Survivorman is one of the highest rated shows in the history of OLN Canada, the Science Channel US and Discovery Channel US and remains the highest rated repeat show on the Discovery Channel. Stroud has made numerous talk show appearances including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson, Larry King Live, and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos (CBC). A proud member of the prestigious Explorers Club, Les received Fellow (highest rank) of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Les has received both the Distinguished Alumni award and was nominated for the Premieres award for excellence for work in his field. He contributes to dozens of charities and benefits, is an ambassador for Shelterbox, and is an advanced survival trainer for the Canadian Military Armed Forces.
Attendees can expect to be engaged from Les about his tales on his life experiences from the Arctic Circle to the jungles of the Amazon. Les pulls from these experiences lessons of building a career and striving towards success while overcoming obstacles. Les’ main message to his audiences is about passion — passion for life, success and adventure. When Les is not travelling the world and trying to survive an attack from a wild animal or extreme weather conditions he is on stage playing his harmonica with musicians like Slash, Journey, Steven Stills, Randy Bachman and the list goes on.
If you’re looking for unparalleled insight into the Canadian economy and its future prospects, look no further than Don Drummond, the retired senior vice president and chief economist of TD Financial Group, and current Stauffer-Dunning Fellow and Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the School of Policy Studies at Queens University. At TD, Don led the company in analyzing and forecasting economic performance in Canada and abroad. During the course of his career, Drummond acted at Finance Canada as Assistant Deputy Minister, Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis; Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy and Legislation; and, most recently, Associate Deputy Minister, where he handled economic analysis, fiscal policy, tax policy, social policy and federal-provincial relations, as well as coordinated the planning of the annual federal budgets. He was also the Chair of the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services in 2012.
Stacey helps individuals eliminate the static that plagues communicative delivery – to persuade, sell, influence and communicate face-to-face with a clear message. She has trained over 15,000 people to rid themselves of bad body language habits and choose words wisely. She has delivered over 500 presentations for business leaders, from the financial industry to the healthcare industry to government and everyone in between. Her client list is vast from Coca-Cola, Kohl’s, the United States Army, Navy and Air Force, Leo Burnett, AT&T and the FDA.

industry_corpus2: Transportation


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The level of support for the two parties is also stable since the previous poll before parliamentâs summer recess, according to the survey, which was conducted by Voxmeter.
That is arguably surprising, given a pronounced change in political direction by the Social Democrats, who have taken a stricter line on immigration and announced a preference to administer the country in a minority government, rather than in coalition with longstanding allies the Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) party, should they emerge victorious from next yearâs general election.
Prior to the summer break, the Social Democrats also announced a new climate policy which MP Nicolai Wammen said would make the country a leader in sustainability.
But the green energy play also appears not to have affected poll numbers.
According to the poll, 26 percent of Danes would vote for the So cial Democrats (S) should an election be held tomorrow.
The party received 26.3 percent of the vote in 2015.
Wammen rejected suggestions the party was standing still, noting it had fared better in other polls.
âI am happy to see that S is the largest party and that we are also seeing strong support for Mette Frederiksen as a prime ministerial candidate,â he said.
Frederiksen has fared better than incumbent PM Lars LÃ¸kke Rasmussen in polls asking about the trustworthiness of the two main contenders for the position at the head of Denmarkâs government, though that does not necessarily reflect a potential increased share of the vote, Ritzau writes.
âFor many voters, this is perhaps not the most important thing. The policies that are likely to be implemented play an important role, and, for many voters, a bigger role than specific individuals [in deciding how to cast votes],â Aarhus University professor in political scie nce Rune Stubager told the news agency.
According to political commentator Hans Engell, the latest poll is more encouraging for conservatives.
âThe blue [conservative, ed.] side is beginning to catch up a bit. The significant red lead is no longer there. So LÃ¸kke can hope he has not already lost the vote,â Engell said.


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A friend of mine sent me this video clip today...what a great reminder of how incredible our God is, and how incredibly frail we are...I mean who am I that God would not only care about me, but know me, love me, have a plan for me and send His ONLY SON to die for me!
This video clip is a visual analogy of God's love for us and His daily relationship with us...good or bad, easy or tough, rough or choppy - He is There with us, every step of the way!
Enjoy and thank Him for His love for you, I know I am!
I’ve always believed that we receive blessings (finances, opportunities, resources, etc) in order to be in a position to bless others.
The profession of youth ministry has been blessed to be a blessing. Many of us who are in youth ministry have received numerous opportunities. Some of us have been educated in youth ministry. We have experience in ministering to young people. We have learned a lot and been offered a lot. Now it’s our turn to be a blessing to others around the world.
Global youth ministry is important for many reasons. Here are some of them.
When we talk about the need for international youth ministry, I am often reminded of the statistics that I first heard when I was a youth ministry student at Liberty University.
Ninety-seven percent of the world’s trained youth workers live and work in the United States, ministering to less than 3% of the world’s youth population.
In the United States, there is one trained youth worker for every 600 young people. In the rest of the world, there is one trained youth worker for every 400,000 young people.
While I’m not denying that the young people of America need youth pastors, the American church, who has focused on missions for quite some time now, has not yet turned its focus towards impacting the next generation with trained professionals in youth ministry.
Training in youth ministry at either a graduate or undergraduate level is available from more than 140 accredited institutions in the United States (link). There are countless conferences, training sessions, and resources for youth workers. However, there are very few organizations who are focused on training and resourcing those outside of the English speaking world.
New requests come in every day for training in other parts of the world. Youth Ministry International could use full time youth ministry trainers in all of the countries in which we are working right now, and there are other countries asking for our help.
We have invitations from at least three other countries in Latin America alone who want youth ministry training, but we are unable to respond to these requests for lack of trainers. There’s just not enough time or personnel to keep up with the invitations we are receiving.
God has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. Youth workers are doing their best to obey God and bring young people to follow Christ. If you’re a youth worker, I commend you for the work you are doing. I believe youth pastors are some of the most under-appreciated people on the planet. Thank you for doing what you do.
Now I’d like to ask you to consider what you are doing to be a blessing to others in the world who could benefit from your experience and training. We are praying that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His field. There are multitudes of young people who are in desperate need for people who have the ability to come alongside them and help them.
You have been blessed. Now be a blessing.
Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read the Lesson Learned articles to date and voice your opinion, as to which ones you think I should submit.
It's been alot of fun reading your replies! It's amazing to me how each article received some votes...that tells me that God is using each of them in His own way to encourage and challenge those who take the time to read them.
I've "closed the polls" but if you haven't voted yet I would still value your input, so go ahead and submit your thoughts.
Based on your feedback here's the top 3 that you suggested that I submit.
I'll keep you posted on what the editors decide. Thanks for your prayers, and support, it's going to be fun to see what God does with all this...it's in His hands!
I had a phone conversation today with the Product Development Director for a nationally known Youth Ministry resource company.
In short, they are interested in the Lesson Learned Series, and have asked me to submit my 3 favorite articles to them for review.
If you could take a look to jog your memory or read them for the first time and then click here to vote for your top 3 I'd appreciate it.
I need to get this info to them pretty quickly, so if you could submit your responses sometime this weekend, that would be awesome!
They were very intrigued with what we're doing with YMI, and this could really help us get the word out about the need for more trainers in Youth Ministry worldwide, encourage others with Lessons Learned, and challenge youth leaders to continue to help students navigate through the confusing messages they face every day!
Thanks everyone, you're the best!
I have this little problem that has haunted me for years. It’s a problem that has gotten me into lots of trouble. I used to think that it was just a problem of immaturity, you know when I grow up to that magical age of “whatever”, it will go away.
The older I get though, the more I realize that it’s not a matter of physical and emotional immaturity it’s more a matter of spiritual immaturity.
You see, my problem is that I often say the first thing that comes to my mind, and even though I can come off as witty and clever at times. There are other times where the statement forms right about at the top of my cranium, and like a bolt of lightning flashes down to the tip of my tongue, and if I’m not careful before I know what’s happening, boom…the statement is out there, flapping in the breeze!
Now, I’m not talking about vulgar language or curse words, no that’s never been an issue with me…I’m talking more about other kinds of statements that usually come from a situation that I’ve seen in my lifetime that seems to fit the current situation that I am experiencing and takes place in a split second flash back that seems to play in my mind like a high definition flat screen, surround sound personal movie theatre. It could be lines from movies, TV shows, songs or whatever.
The only problem is that without a spiritual check, the thing that I say next could either be hurtful or uplifting.
As a Youth Pastor it is very important that I watch what I say and how I say it, because the students I work with look up to me and respect what I say.
Well, one time when my little problem became a big problem was when I was newly into Youth Ministry. I was brand new at my church, and of course, wanted my students to actually like me, want to be around me (good goal), and plug into our ministry.
The incident in question took place at an amusement park event about 1 month into my new ministry.
The students were all riding rides, spending money and having a good time at the park. It was a beautiful day. I had just visited the Italian sausage and Funnel cake vendor and was getting ready to nestle into a comfy park bench to enjoy my delicacies, when all of a sudden I heard a screech filled yet muffled cry of “Pastor Brent, Pastor Brent” emanating off in the distance, but getting louder as it came towards me.
Now maybe it was the glare of the sun, maybe it was the way she was crying, or maybe it was the slow motion flowing of her auburn hair in the breeze, I’m not sure, but whatever it was I had a flashback in my mind to the Brady Bunch.
Remember the scene where the boys are tossing the football in the back yard? They are having a great old time playing catch and all of a sudden there is an overthrow at the exact same time that Marcia opens the sliding glass door and walks onto the porch. What happens next has been etched into my brain for decades, yet in a split second I recalled what happened like it was yesterday.
The ball hits Marcia right square in the nose, and what she says next is a classic Brady quote, that would have been fine if it stayed in the TV, and not morphed itself onto my tongue and then into my current situation.
Yep, you guessed it…here I am brand new youth Pastor, brand new group, brand new opportunities to share God’s love with my teens, and when face to face with a situation to put my Youth Pastor school skills to work, I blow it!
Come to find out she and her boyfriend were in the house of mirrors, and apparently were going to fast through it, and POW! She ran right into a mirror and broke her nose. She and her boyfriend were standing in front of me waiting for me to do my thing…you know be an encourager, call the doctor, pray for healing, share my funnel cake etc. Any and all of those responses would’ve been just great in that circumstance.
Yep, you heard me, that’s what I said, and immediately, I went from well respected new Youth Pastor to unbelievably insensitive jerk! To the girls anyway…the guys (including her boyfriend) thought that was the funniest thing they had ever heard! I went from new guy earning his spot on the respect chain to instant classic right to the top!
The next six months were very interesting in our ministry, as every girl in 3 counties hated me, and every guy in the same geographical area couldn’t get enough of what our ministry was doing…word spread like wildfire, our ministry was growing and growing (among the male population), and girls avoided us like the plague!
To quote another famous line, “Regrets, I’ve had a few” (see there I go again), I couldn’t believe it! What had I just done? I felt terrible.
I don’t know about you but regrets, dumb mistakes and poor choices have always been used by the enemy to distract me from what I know God wants me to do. You see that same quick wit that has gotten me into trouble over the years, has also been used of God to encourage and share the good news with tons of people.
I guess it comes down to a choice, a choice between using our “gifts” for God’s glory or our glory.
I’m constantly learning that I need to check my motives, thoughts, and priorities, so that my words are words of encouragement that flow from the overflow of God’s Word in my heart, and not just obscure quotes and lyrics from pop-culture.
God’s Word is true, and when I listen to His voice, and speak His words...I can never go wrong!
I've been thinking alot about what makes a good team lately. I guess after watching the Kansas vs. Memphis game the other night, where the championship could have gone either way, I began thinking about the whole idea of a successful team.
If you watched that game you know that one of the reasons that Kansas won the game was because each player knew his role, embraced his role and passionately followed through on his role.
I'm sure the coach had spent hours and hours defining the goals, roles and expectations of each of his team members throughout the season, and on the national stage, when it counted the most each team member delivered in his own unique way...the result was a National Championship.
Another reason I believe Kansas was successful was because they listened to and followed through on their coaches game plan. It was obvious that they believed they could win. I'm sure the coaches also spent hours and hours challenging the players with truth filled statements that encouraged them to leave it all on the floor. The bottom line though...the players needed to believe and apply the coaches strategy and plan to succeed. They had a choice to listen to the input of others or the input of the coach who knows what he's talking about.
One of the things that I love to do in Youth Ministry is encourage students and leaders with truth filled statements from God's Word. Statements that will help them clarify the confusing messages that pummel them every day, because if we're not careful we can begin to believe the twisted lies of the enemy, and short circuit God's plan for our lives in His big picture strategy.
This video clip is a great visual example of what it means to know your role, embrace your role and passionately follow through on your role in the body of Christ, because God has a spot for each of us on His team, and when we're all functioning on the level in which the coach has designed it...Great things happen for God's glory.
So, what's your role on the team? Are you following through or getting sidetracked by twisted input?
One of the things that I get to do a lot of in my ministry is travel. I love to travel, in fact I was curious the other day so I did some calculating, and realized that, I’ve been to 15 countries and 34 states in my lifetime.
I also realized that the majority of these trips were for the purpose of ministry. Ministries such as, building projects, evangelism, discipleship, basketball camps, speaking, training, youth programs, leadership development and encouragement, to name a few.
God has really blessed me in terms of ministry opportunities that, with His life changing power are going to make a difference in the lives of people for His Kingdom, and to me that’s what it’s all about.
I recently had a conversation with a former student of mine that reminded me again that it’s about perspective in life. You see, the world says that in order to be happy, and experience success one needs to have a lot of stuff, you know…Money, Power & Fame. The only problem with that is you can’t take any of that with you when you leave this earth.
The conversation I had was so encouraging to me as I realized that this student really understands that to experience God’s kind of blessing, we need to live counter culturally.
He told me about a recent trip that he had taken, where he had an opportunity to tour some pretty amazing places in Europe, and had a ton of pictures of things that most people would love to see in their lifetime. Places that have incredible historical value, and structures that have stood the test of time, and are simply breathtaking to behold. As I listened to him talk, I admit I was a little jealous, as the places he said he visited were places I’ve always wanted to see and experience as well.
He went on to tell me that his friend had recently returned from a missions trip to Africa, where she was used of God to meet physical, emotional and spiritual needs of children in God’s name. He said that every picture she showed him had a lengthy story attached to it. A story of what God was doing in their life. He told me that as he sat there and took it all in, He realized that all he had were stories of buildings and places that will someday pass away, and she had a treasure box of children whose lives will never be the same because of Jesus!
He gets it…It’s all about perspective!
This excerpt is about things I saw, feelings I had, and things I was processing as I began my ministry of teaching, preaching, training and Leadership Development in Nairobi, Ruiru, and Limuru, Kenya.
To help with the context…Willis was my driver, Sylvester is the Youth Pastor that I worked with in Ruiru, and the BTL was the place I stayed for about a week while in Ruiru.
1. On the way to Nairobi I saw lots of beautiful rolling fields of coffee plants, flowers and other kinds of agricultural farms that are so critical to the survival of the Kenyan people.
5. Old woman carrying huge piles of hay, wood, fruit etc. with children on their backs on the way to a market where they sit and hope that someone will stop by and buy something…with what?
6. I thought to myself, these people have nothing? I kept thinking of the words to a song called “Boulevard of broken dreams” all day I couldn’t get it out of my mind (actually the same friend who wrote me the e-mail and I used to think about that song when we walked the streets of Pittsburgh from our cushy hotel room about 6 or 7 blocks to a Youth Conference as we passed broken person after broken person on the way…interesting).
9. Tons of make shift houses fashioned with whatever people could find…Tin, scrap wood, straw, cardboard, wrapping paper etc. – I’ve been to Mexico a bunch of times and helped build houses for people who have nothing…If the people I saw today had a house like we built in Mexico (12x16 tool shed basically) it would be like a huge mansion to them.
ave something to drink…man that broke my heart to hear that.
11. I Went back to the church to greet arriving campers, I spoke briefly with Pastor Christopher and asked how I could pray for him…he asked for wisdom as he deals with the amount of deaths that the church has experienced lately (he said they’ve had 5 people die in the last 2 months in his church!)…he said the people are very sad and hurting and he (like a good Pastor should)…feels their pain and is trying to help them through it.
12. I met a lot of the teens as they arrived and basically hung out and watched them play basketball and tried to get to know as many as I could.
14. I had some serious flashbacks to my “Be the Change Tree’ conversations with my Youth Pastor when I was his age...I was reminded again at how mentoring is so needed in youth ministry!
15. I was reminded of the times when I would sit and talk with skaters at our weekly outreach event called Hang Time…They would come up with all kinds of questions about God, Christians, The Church, why we built a skate park, welcomed hundreds of them each week into our church when they were kicked out of every other place they tried to skate, and give them free pizza.
16. I loved being asked why we did it for free because it gave us such an opportunity to give the priceless answer…”Because God’s love for you is free”…It was a tool in our toolbox to reach students for Christ and as I sat there by the ‘Be The Change” tree looking directly at a basketball court full of teenagers I thought to myself “there’s a tool in Sylvester’s tool box, and I’m sitting next to a guy who came to the church because they had a hoop! And look what God is doing and is going to continue to do in his life and the lives of others!” WOW, that was an incredible moment for me!
17. I could go on for hours about the things we talked about, but the bottom line is here’s a guy whose life has been changed by God and has been built into by a dedicated Youth Pastor, and who wants to impact the lives of others with God’s love…that’s what it’s all about!
18. As I sat there talking with Lincoln I began to wonder when the evening program was going to start and when I would have an opportunity to give the opening challenge and overview from God’s word…it was beginning to get dark and Sylvester came over to me and said that campers were still arriving and he didn’t want me to have to travel back to BTL at night as it can be dangerous, so I’ll just do an overview in the morning and then give both of my messages and part one of the leadership seminar tomorrow afternoon.
I came back from that trip, a totally different person. God really used the sights, sounds, smells and everything I experienced to help solidify my belief that it really is all about our perspective.
I don’t know about you, but I need to continually sharpen my focus so that my perspective is in alignment with God’s perspective. It’s not about stuff, it’s about lives, lives that have been changed by the Power of Jesus!
So, as I keep traveling, and sharing that good news from NY to Nepal and everywhere in between, my prayer is that my perspective would stay sharp as well as those with whom I come in contact with.
It really is all about Perspective…GOD'S PERSPECTIVE!
His name was Todd, and he was one of those students that I had been trying to connect with for several months in my new ministry.
I had started my ministry as Student Ministries Pastor at the church in the Fall and had begun building some good relationships with students with whom I had common interests…mostly the jocks… because, until I reached 30 and realized I wasn’t cool anymore (trading my sweet red pickup truck for a mini-van was the final straw). I used to think of myself as an avid sportsman who could talk a good game with the best of them…notice I said “talk”.
Well anyway, the relationship building was going well, the students were excited to have a Youth Pastor and I was equally as excited to minister to them, and had big plans for how we were going to change the world for Jesus through our ministry.
As I was connecting with the students and praying about how God was going to use us, for some reason I kept noticing that Todd wasn’t really joining in. He was there but he was kind of disconnected, almost like he was in his own little world. He wasn’t into the fun stuff we were doing, the dodge ball, basketball, volleyball, weight lifting etc. just wasn’t his thing. He would show up and just take a back seat and observe.
He intrigued me, as I kept thinking that even though the relationships with my fellow “wanna be” athletes was progressing, there was a dimension that we were missing by not engaging with who Todd was and where he was coming from.
I tried to strike up a conversation with him, and it went pretty much like I thought it would…no where. I did find out though that he was into video games, and punk music…hmmm, there’s a starting point I thought to myself.
Sorry about that, anyway what he said next was even better than…(just double checking to make sure I really mean what I’m going to say next…) yeah it was, even better than pizza. He said “dude, how about stopping by the house and playing some video games sometime?” Ahah, now we’re getting somewhere. I said “sure, man when would be a good time?” He said “how about now?” God was working for sure. To get an open invitation on the spot like that is almost unheard of in this day and age of planning and scheduling…it was incredible.
Anyway, it was a big deal for me to get that kind of invite. I dropped everything I was doing (proper pizza calculations for the youth event that night, taste testing soda to see if I should purchase styrofoam, paper or plastic cups…you know important Youth Pastor Stuff), to hightail it up to Todd’s house.
I got there in about 10 minutes and as I turned into his driveway, I realized that either I was at the wrong address or Todd was absolutely LOADED (with money, not anything else that connotation might also mean in some circles). The driveway seemed to go on forever, as off in the distance I saw one of the five houses that dotted the property (all 100 acres of it). The main house looked like an English Castle and blew me away. I drove carefully as I kept looking for a draw bridge and a moat.
I parked the…min-van, went up to the front door (which was this ginormous solid oak monstrosity that took 3 butlers to open…kind of). We went in and he showed me around this palatial palace he called home. He was very gracious, almost embarrassed that he lived this way. I caught a glimpse of what I would come to really appreciate about Todd, he was truly humble.
Todd and I started playing some video games, listening to music, hanging out, and for the first time actually talking about stuff. It started when I asked Todd what he was doing on Saturday. You see, we had a missions trip lined up to go feed homeless people in the inner city that day. We had gathered donations to make lunches and hand them out to homeless people that we encountered as we visited various parks and neighborhoods in our city. I will never forget the look that Todd gave me after I invited him to be a part of that trip.
I know that was a risky thing to say, but I really sensed this guy was tired of all the stuff that the world points to as success. It was just a hunch I had, so I said it.
Todd called me the next day and said he’d be coming on the trip. I was ecstatic. God was working!
The day of the trip came, and we loaded into the church vans and headed to the big city to change the world for Jesus one lunch at a time. It was an awesome day, and as it went on, I noticed that Todd was really getting into it. Then came the moment of truth. the moment that I will always remember as one of my all time favorite memories of youth ministry.
Our guide on the city mission trip was a missionary who was well acquainted with our church and leads missions trips like ours all the time. He is very well known in the city, especially by the homeless community. He is kind of viewed as a modern day Robin Hood (except he doesn’t steal from the rich, he just organizes church groups to help the poor).
Well, he was talking with a homeless guy named Frankie, who was asking him all kinds of questions about Jesus’ love for him. He was very open to everything the missionary was saying. A nice sized group of us had begun to gather around the missionary, and it was so cool to watch him engage this man who had nothing (from the world’s perspective).
I couldn’t believe my ears. I didn’t think Todd would do it. I knew he was a Christian, but this? Todd looked at me, and then at Frankie and said, “I’d love to!” He proceeded to the center of the circle and explained to Frankie what he needed to do to be saved, then he embraced him with a full hug and led him in prayer!
(Think about it, rich kid who has it all, embraces a homeless guy who has nothing, and leads him into a relationship with Jesus, who gives him what really satisfies). The rest as they say, is history. By the way, at that time, Todd was a freshman in high school. He went on to be one of the driving forces behind many of the future ministry opportunities that we undertook.
Todd answered the question “are you satisfied?” with an honest NO, and went on to be an integral part of helping other students find what really satisfies, a relationship with Jesus. Todd was used by God to lead missions trips locally, regionally, nationally and internationally with a passion that was contagious. He used his connections, resources, abilities, skills, everything he had access to, in order to help students around the world find out about Jesus.
Todd was the kid that every youth ministry has, and every youth ministry needs to connect with, because God can change the world through kids like that!
My ministry definitely changed because of Todd. I realized that even though it was easy for me to relate with certain types of students, if my ministry was going to be effective and really expand for His glory, I needed to be willing to reach out to the “unreachable” with what really matters – satisfaction through Jesus!
Last Summer, I came face to face with how God must feel when He has something cool to show us or give us but wants to "toy" with us a little bit first so we'll really appreciate it when His timing is just right, has that ever happened to you?
I wanted to take my kids out for a "special treat" (in our family a special treat can be anything from a dum dum lollipop to a full blown all expenses paid vacation to the zoo) so whenever I drop the "Hey kids you better be good or you're not going to get your special treat" card it usually gets their attention, and they stop pulling each others hair for at least a second to find out what it is.
So, I said to my kids, "hop in the van we're going for a special treat", to which they said "what is it?" and I said "it's a surprise, just get in the van, and stop picking your nose." So they got in the van and kept asking what it was and if we were there yet and all kinds of annoying questions that made me want to not follow through on the special treat because I wanted it to be a surprise.
Now mind you, I'm not God...but I wonder if that's how God feels sometimes when we don't appreciate the waiting period before the blessing.
Anyway, it got to the point where I started messing with their little minds by saying things like "hey kids see that tree over there with the bird perched on the branch? That's your special treat, take it all in, don't waste the visual beauty that is before you...enjoy" To which they would say "No it's not, what is it really?"
This went on for several minutes and included such fake special treats as orange construction cones, potholes in the road, a big rock on the side of the road, a kid walking with crutches (the crutches were the special treat) etc. etc. until finally we got to the special treat place which was the movie theater.
We went to watch the movie Ratatouille which of course is all about appreciating the great gift of food (special treat) and not settling for the garbage that everyone else settles for (great spiritual message there).
I did find it ironic though that I was watching a movie about a rat who is an amazing connoisseur of great edible delicacies and I was sitting there munching on something that takes 45 seconds to make in my microwave, and as a side dish I held 3 of the most teeth rotting, dentist loathing, diabetic monitor spiking, sugar filled items known to mankind...I almost made a suggestion to the manager that they should've offered filet mignon and seared scallops instead of my combination of skittles, juju bees and goobers...but after the last "demand" I wanted to make to him (after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 3 I didn't want my money back... I wanted my 3 hours back!) I thought I should keep my comments to myself and enjoy the special treat with my kids.
They were grateful that their special treat was actually fun and special, and it gave me a great opportunity to talk with them about how God has so many special treats prepared for us but we need to be patient and not settle for things that are less than His ideal for us...it was a pretty cool conversation, but I'm not sure if they totally got it because a few days later as we were driving down Lake avenue right by a huge building that was recently imploded, I said "hey kids look at that huge pile of rubble" to which they both groaned in Unison..."Is that our special treat?"
Just something to think about...God has only what's best for us in mind, and He wants us to be patient and trust Him that He knows what He's doing.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text:
Is there a way to find all issues that were changed in a certain period by a specific user excluding issues that had only changes in a specific field?
We have to monitor a synchronization tool that is supposed to update only a single specific field, but overwrites other fields from time to time due to a software bug. The tool operates under a specific user account.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text:
Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you are met by our guide carrying your name. Your guide will present you with a welcome packet including all necessary documentation and vouchers and all contact information of your guide and local offices. Transfer to Hotel, Check in & Realx.
Give food and offerings to the monks in the early morning.
After a tour through Taec's exhibitions about the different ethnic groups of Laos, visitors will experience a traditional baci ceremony in Taec's outdoor cafe space. Led by a talented female ritualist, the guests will be seated around a traditional Luang Prabang phakhwan with banana leaves, rice, flowers, candles, and food, and be blessed with cotton thread around their wrists. Taec's staff will give the group an introduction to the soukhwan, receive a short introduction to the traditional baci ceremony, to understand the heritage and meaning.
By vehicle from Luang Prabang to Oudomxai (Muang Xai) with sightseeing at the Tham Pak Ou caves (5 hours) From Luang Prabang, travel by road to Oudomxai, stopping en route at the steep limestone cliffs overlooking the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers, home to the Tham Pak Ou Caves by crossing Mekong River to Pak Ou Cave from Pak Ou Village. These extraordinary caves are filled with Buddha images, of every style and material imaginable.
By vehicle from Oudomxai (Muang Xai) to Luang Prabang (195 kms). Transfer to Airport for departure transfer.
Prices are current as of today but will be subject to any additional airfare, airport taxes and fuel increases that occur without our prior notice, and we reserve the right to adjust our quotes accordingly. For 1 pax travelling alone, the single supplement is already included in the tour price.
• Reduction for triple room (rate per room where extra bed is available) US$11 for Standard; US$47 for Deluxe US$82 for Premium 3rd bed in Triple rooms in general is in the form of a rollaway bed.
• Single supplement will be charged where extra bed option is not available.
• An additional surcharge may be applicable for bookings that fall within the Peak Season dates.


text:
A range of metals can be crafted into stunning jewellery; some are well-known and more widely used than others. These guides explore some of the fantastic properties of lesser known metals, so that you can make a more informed choice when choosing your jewellery.
Cobalt has the look and feel of white gold and is a bright, white metal that is even brighter than titanium and tungsten. It is sometimes referred to as 'cobalt chrome' and compared to platinum and palladium in colour. Its silvery radiance is completely natural and cobalt itself is often used in electroplating to give other metal based jewellery a polished surface.
Stainless Steel is widely used in fashion jewellery and watches. A bright, shiny, and versatile material, stainless steel is different from carbon steel because it contains a minimum of 10.5% chromium, preventing it from corroding easily or rusting like ordinary steel and making it resistant to tarnishing.
Tungsten is a steel coloured grey metal. Appreciated for its robustness, tungsten has a similar density to gold and is currently very popular in men’s wedding rings. Men tend to favour tungsten wedding rings because, whilst also fashionable, they offer a non-scratch, no-tarnish ring with a long-lasting shine.
Rhodium is another precious metal from the platinum family that has a silvery-white tone and a high level of reflectance.


text: Need to make a gastroenterologist appointment this week? Use Zocdoc to find gastroenterologists near you who take Advocate Health Care insurance. It’s simple, secure and free.


text: One week after becoming playoff eligible, the Olney Tigers punched their ticket to the postseason and winning season with a road trip in the final regular season game of the year. The Olney Tigers (6-3) would make the trip to Robinson (2-7) to face off with the Maroons in the final game of the year for the host squad. Olney would pick up the 35-13 win over Robinson to clinch the playoff birth, winnig season, and third place in the Little Illini Conference. Olney head coach Matt Music, 41-36 in his eighth season at the helm of the Tigers, now stands alone with the most playoff appearances as Tiger head coach. The fifth appearance in week ten moves Music ahead of coach Mike Wilson for the top spot. “Week 10, that is what it is all about. Get to week 10, figure out a way to get to week 10,” Olney’s Matt Music said. “To me you have two expectations every year. Win the conference title and get to week ten and see where it all goes.” Robinson was entering their final game of the 2018 season under first year head coach Casey Pinnell. “They are very similar to where we were in 2011,” Music said. The Maroons have played well against several teams, but could not put a full game together. “They got good numbers coming in, they are going to be a force to recon with in our conference next year and the years to come.” Fortunately for the Tigers, this year the Maroons have not been able to put together a full game. Robinson would start the week nine game off very well, taking the first drive 10-lays down the field for a score. “We were not ready,” Music said. “They were saying they were ready, but in their eyes you could tell.” Tyler Beard, a five-foot-ten 160 pound junior, would tote the rock eight of the nine plays as the Maroons marched towards the end zone. The Tigers aided Robinson with what was a sign of things to come with penalties. Olney committed four penalties on the drive to help the Maroons get towards the goal line. Beard would break off a couple of double digit runs and put the finishing touches on the drive with his eighth carry. Beard rumbled off the right side of the line, found the corner and sliced his way into the end zone from two-yards out for the opening score of the game with 5:53 to play in the first quarter. Olney was looking to respond from Robinson putting up a 7-0 score early. The Tigers would complete a pass from Dakotah Brown to Sutton Dunn over the middle and started to flip the field. Dunn was collapsed on by a trio of defenders and had the ball punched out. The Maroons would force the rare fumble from Dunn and pounce on the ball to get the ball back and looking to extend their lead. The Tigers defense would have other plans. Olney collapsed on Beard’s three running attempts forcing the Maroons into a punting scenario. The Maroons tried a fake and a run was stuffed by Olney, giving the Tigers defense more motivation. Unfortunately for Olney, in the misting rain, the offense could not get going early. Robinson forced Olney into a three-and-out and was looking to get the ball back. The Maroons dropped the punt, and Blain Fryman raced down the field and dove on the ball to give Olney a little more energy. Following the turnover, Olney would hand the ball to senior running back Peyton Blanton who bounced off the right side of the line for a 23-yard touchdown run with 1:15 left in the first. “We get hyped when we do that,” Olney junior lineman Skyler Sutton said of the line getting excited about big offensive plays. “The running backs, the quarterback, and the wide receivers know it is the o-line that has to block for them. They reward us for that. It makes us feel better.” Yuri Carnazza booted through the point after to tie the game at 7-7. Sutton Dunn would help make up for his earlier fumble on the next defensive drive. Freshman quarterback Caleb Trimble would get his first start of the year, and on his third pass of the game through a pass down the right sideline. Dunn stepped in front and took the ball away, intercepting the Trimble throw. With under a minute left in the first quarter, Olney turned to their sophomore tail back to find the end zone. Gavin Dorn took a pair of sweeps, one right for 12-yards and then one to the left for 14-yards and score. The 14-yard scamper ended the first quarter as the horn sounded on the handoff. Dorn’s scoring run with no time on the clock gave Olney a 14-7 lead heading into the second. The second quarter was a stalemate with neither team able to find the end zone. Olney forced a second interception, a punt, and turnover on downs during the second frame. Robinson held Olney to a missed field goal, and interception of their own, and a three-and-out. The Maroons would run out the clock and take the seven point deficit into the half. “I was proud of them,” said Tiger head coach Matt Music. “I told them at halftime I am going to bring up the beginning, but that is the past. Now lets keep playing.” Olney would begin to establish their will up front in the third quarter behind a shuffled offensive line. Skyler Sutton moved from right guard to right tackle due to an injury. “It is hard going from playing a guard, which is more likely a big person like me, to a tackle, which is speedy and going against ends that are fast,” Sutton said. “It is hard, but you just have to get the job done.” The line would do their job and the Tigers offense would slice down field, on the ground and in the air. Dakotah Brown would cap the drive off finding Kaleb Foster in the flats on the left side of the field for a 14-yard pass and a catch. Following a three-and-out by the Maroons, the Tigers went back to work. Dakotah Brown would show off the many different weapons he has to throw to on a five-play scoring drive with passes to five different players. Reid Doll, Kaleb Foster, Quinn Miller, and Sutton Dunn made catches of five, seven, one, and four yards to help the Tigers get close to the red zone. Brown would then take a snap and be forced to scramble as the line gave him time to move around and find an open Gavin Dorn for a 26-yard strike to the end zone. With the touchdown grab by Dorn, Olney would hold a 28-7 lead with 3:44 left in the third. Olney’s defense would force a three-and-out again and return the ball to the hands of the Tiger offense. A 14-play drive would drag the game into the fourth quarter as Olney was chipping their way down the field. Only two plays went for more than eight yards. Quinn Miller had a 32-yard catch and run and a 15-yard catch over the middle for a pair of first down grabs on the drive. Olney would get near the goal line, on the Robinson four-yard line and look to air one more time. Brown would roll to his right and find Reid Doll in the right corner of the end zone for a scoring grab, the first touchdown catch of the season for first year football player, and senior, Reid Doll. “It feels great,” Reid Doll said of hauling in his first touchdown catch. “Wished it could have happened a little sooner, could have had it earlier in the game, but a touchdown is a touchdown.” Doll, has become a viable target for the Tigers in the passing game. “I’m proud of him,” Music said of Doll. “I’m proud of him,” “This is what I have been told a lot. Why do you go recruit these guys, one year players? Number one they are mature, physically mature. Then I look at the athletes. They understand what competition is. Reid is six-foot-four, great hands. He just had to figure out the speed of the game and getting hit is alright. I’m excited for him to carry this on to his other sports, his mentality.” Doll’s score was the final one of the day for the Tigers with 8:48 left in the game. “Wish I would have played the other three years,” Doll said about wrapping up the regular season and being a member of the Tigers, the senior’s first year playing football. “It feels good.” Robinson would connect on a big 52-yard pass play the very next drive with Caleb Trimble throwing a dart to Riley Simpson against the Tiger reserves. Olney and Robinson would trade punts as the game ended. “The rivalry is back,” Olney’s Matt Music said. Each side showed some fight, and a little emotional bouts from two teams laying it all on the field. Both teams handled themselves well. “It got a little heated there. I was proud of our guys on handling our composure.” The Tigers picked up the win 35-13 to earn their sixth win of the year, punching a ticket to the postseason. Robinson fell to 2-7 in the first year of head coach Casey Pinnell. DEFENSIVE UPGRADES The Olney Tigers defense has been a bright spot all year long. The Tigers have allowed just 20.1 points per game, and only twice has a team scored more than 21 points. Through the year, three teams have scored more than one touchdown against the Tiger defense. “I am proud of our defense,” Olney’s Matt Music said. “I have been reenergized. You get to see it on the sideline, it is just a renewed energy. I think the guys feed off it.” PLAYOFF BOUND Olney is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Tigers, the #14 seed in the Class 4A South Bracket, will head north to Kankakee to face off with Bishop McNamara. The Fightin’ Irish (8-1) are the #3 seed in the Class 4A South Bracket. “Every play is even more amped up,” Olney’s Matt Music said of the playoffs. “We will see where we go. Ready to get there.” Junior lineman Skyler Sutton, who saw snaps as a freshman in the last Tiger playoff game, knows what Olney needs to do to be ready for the second season. “We have to have the mindset next week to go in be physical, be mean, be nasty,” Sutton said. The lineman has been a key component on the Tigers offensive line this season. “We have to have a good week of practice.” The Tigers and Fightin’ Irish are tentatively scheduled for a Saturday game day.

industry_corpus2: Sports


text:
Labour received a battering at Ratana township yesterday as National and the Maori Party continue to bask in popularity after more than a year in office together.
Labour was challenged to reciprocate the loyalty shown to it from Ratana for decades by accepting four Ratana candidates for winnable positions in Parliament - on the list.
To rub his nose in it, Labour leader Phil Goff had to endure a speech praising Prime Minister John Key for being "a brilliant speaker" and "a person who should be admired".
And Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples was welcomed in the morning, with him telling Ratana that the Maori Party was their party - it holds five of the seven Maori electorate seats.
Mr Goff rejected the suggestion of greater Ratana representation in the Labour caucus, other than on merit.
"A seat in Parliament on the list is something that comes from merit and working and gaining the respect of your peers. It is not appointed by the leader or the president and that's the way it should be."
He said the relationship with the Ratana movement, which was founded in 1936, was no "fad" and had stood the test of time.
The head of the church, or Tumuaki, Haare Meihana, supports Labour. He does not advise followers to vote for Labour. Despite his support it is clear the relationship is in trouble.
Ratana spokesman and a son of Mr Meihana, Andre Meihana, said after Labour's powhiri there would be a meeting shortly to decide whether to continue with the alliance.
Ratana minister Kereama Pene, who delivered the critical speech, was told by Labour MP Shane Jones he should stick to ministering.
Mr Pene told the Herald that Labour had missed the message. "This is quite serious," he said.
Mr Pene said "a real relationship is born out of truth, a real relationship is born out of respect for each other".
He spoke about the "pain and frustration" of the Tumuaki.
Mr Goff led a contingent of about 40 on to the marae, including 20 MPs, for the annual birthday celebrations of the church's founder, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana.
Labour tried to downplay the criticism. Mr Jones suggested it was part of the banter that goes on at powhiri and MP Parekura Horomia hit out at what he called the "vampires of the press".
But privately they know there is a much bigger job to do to maintain the relationship.
While the caucus received a frosty reception from some speakers, Mr Goff received a warm personal welcome from some of the Ratana followers.
Dr Sharples said he had told Ratana followers: "We have a proverb in Maori that the kumara should not speak of its own sweetness. But it is very hard for me not to do that because I am your party, we are your party, the Maori Party is your party."
He reminded them the Maori Party had an agreement with National to set up a review of the constitution and the place of the Treaty of Waitangi in it.
"It told them that that group will run the show but you have got to do the talking.
Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta arrived with her baby son and went on with the Maori King, Tuheitia, and the Waikato-Tainui group.
She is having her son, Waiwaia Nukutawhiti Mahuta, baptised today at the Ratana temple. Her great grandmother was a Ratana.


text:
GHTC 2017 is the IEEE’s flagship annual international conference for scientists, engineers, technology professionals, practitioners, academics, foundations, government and non-government organizations, and individuals engaged in humanitarian work. This conference reaches hundreds of participants who are passionate about using technology for the benefit of humanity. The intellectual capital and momentum produced at GHTC lead the way in promoting innovation and education in best practices in humanitarian technology, broadening impacts from local to global. Participants from around the world to form a program of invited talks, technical sessions, tutorials, exhibits, networking, and social activities, to discuss and develop solutions for present and future humanitarian needs.
Involvement in the conference can provide for education in humanitarian technology and demonstrates support for the development of new and innovative technologies related to this vital mission. Speakers influence humanitarian work globally. Authors of the (IEEE Xplore) conference proceeding papers present not only to participants but add to the body of technical literature supporting the development of humanitarian technology efforts. Exhibitors reach decision makers and technology developers from many sectors in the premiere conference setting to display such capabilities.
Support for education, research, and other humanitarian activities that focus on technology for the benefit of humanity.
Access to conference speakers and participants, including field practitioners, to learn about burning humanitarian issues, and how they are being addressed.
There are a limited number of patronages offered at each level. A contract and payment in full is required to secure a patronage package; advance payment is required for to be included in conference promotion efforts.


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A long time to produce, but worth it: version 0.3.0!
* And much work by Marten Richter to keep the windows code up to date alongside the linux stuff, Thanks Marten!
Many things have been forgotten off this list I am sure. Many thanks to all who contributed.
The next few versions hopefully won't take so long as they won't get bogged down in such major protocol rewrites.
Apologies for those wanting particular features in this version that aren't there, we both know who you are.
I forgot to mention (and strangely had no complaints about )... The l10n directory distributed in vdr-vompserver-0.3.0.tar.gz needs to be copied to [vdr-config]/plugins/vompserver. (Copy the l10n directory, not just the contents). Then the languages will show up again in the client.


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Former Coopersville - Polkton Fire Department Deputy Chief Mark Mol.
The Coopersville-Polkton deputy fire chief has resigned from the department effective Nov. 14.
Deputy Chief Mark Mol has been on unpaid administrative leave since he was arrested on March 17 in Polkton Township for driving under the influence.
Courts records show Mol, 60, pleaded guilty on March 23 to a single charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence and was sentenced on July 13 on the charge in 58th District Court in Hudsonville. Judge Judy Mulder sentenced Mol to $1,080 in fines and court costs. His license was restricted at the time as well for six months.
Coopersville-Polkton Fire Chief Scott Schoolcraft said Mol was placed on unpaid administrative leave from his part-time job with the Fire Department on March 17. "Under the Department's SOG (Standard Operating Guidelines), a firefighter has to have an unrestricted driver's license to be on the force," Schoolcraft said.
"Mark was an excellent employee for us. When this incident happened, he was not on call and not doing department business and this had nothing to do with the department."
As Mol's license was restricted while he was dealing with the legal issues of the arrest, Schoolcraft said Mol did not participate in any meetings, training, emergency calls or other Fire Department activities while he was on unpaid leave.
Schoolcraft said he and Mol discussed Mol's future with the department this fall and Mol decided to resign. "I needed to make a decision on this by the end of the year and he decided to resign," Schoolcraft said.
Mol had been with the department for 12 years and the deputy chief since 2016.
Schoolcraft said he will name a new deputy chief later this month.

industry_corpus2: Safety Management


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SKU: 24064 Categories: Australiana, Maritime, Military History, New Guinea & the Pacific Islands Tags: Coastwatcheres, Japanese .Pacific war, oceana, The Solomons, WWII .
LONELY VIGIL . Coastwatchers of The Solomons .
The Viking Press, New York, 1977. 8VO.pp.xiii + 322, illustrated.index.Very Good hardcover inslightly chipped dust wrapper.
The coastwatchers of the Solomons were a remarkable band of individuals who operated deep behind Japanese lines in the dark days of 1942-43.

industry_corpus2: Others


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So I’ve been haunting dealers, checking the papers and trading posts for the last three or four months now since I got my big bike licence but on most occasions conditions have conspired against me whether it be rain, timing, cost or just not finding a nice enough example of a bike to really take my fancy. Yesterday though, after days of crappy on-and-off rain and gales, the sun decided to make an appearance so I went out and ran a couple of errands before I headed over to a dealer where I’d seen a couple of bikes that took my interest.
I was on the way to the dealer from work, but decided I may as well stop in and see if anything new had popped in at a couple of other dealers that were on the way. Mostly the same stock as last week, but there was a nice silver and black CBR F4i with an Ohlins on the back, looked very tidy, but I made my way to where I’d been heading to ride another F4i and a 2001 ZX-6R.
I took the CBR out for a ride first, which was a nice snug fit, I had trouble finding the gearshift at first, but after that I really began to take a shine to it. It was comfy, had plenty of go and stop and seemed to suit me really well. There was no problem getting nice feel from the suspension and the gearbox, motor and clutch were all nice and slick. The tilt of the clutch lever started to bug me after a while, but I could always adjust that. I accidentally performed my first stoppie when testing the brakes while coming onto an empty freeway offramp, which was enough to convince me they worked well enough.
So when I get back I start to take another look over the Honda. Yellow’s nice and bright, that’d go down well with Mother dearest, only 5,000 k’s, mmm… yep, like this one a lot… wait a second, what’s that? Upon closer inspection there seemed to be some scratching out of the frame hiding under the right fairing. Hmm. Taking a more suspicious look I started to notice a couple of other things, including a scallop out of the swingarm behind the ankleguards where it looked like the footpegs had been pounded back and taken a lump out. So I decide to ask the sales guy what the score is with this bike, so he tells me that when it came in, it had a shattered display so they replaced that (the odo was reading 900km) but otherwise it is as it was. I point out the other little things I’ve noticed at which point he tells me that “Almost every bike’s been crashed”. I don’t like the way this is going. They did have a brand new 02/03 model F4i for 12k plus on roads, but I felt like backing off for a bit. So after leaving then coming back 20 minutes later after I realised I left my licence behind… I went for another stroll back to the other dealers I’d stopped by earlier.
I pulled up and started to take another squiz at this F4i that was sitting there when a friendly fella appeared from somewhere and asked if I wanted to take it for a spin. Couldn’t hurt to ride another F4i I figured, might be able to see if there were any differences between this one and the suspect one elsewhere. This one ran a little quieter from around the engine which I appreciated, I didn’t have the same trouble with the gearshift and clutch positions as I had before, maybe they’d been banged out of shape on the other one as well. I started to give the bike a bit of a workout and then I really started to take a shine to it. So when I got back again (reserve lights going beserk) I started to go over it with the proverbial toothcomb. Aside from one corner of the chain mud guard being gnawed by a dog, I couldn’t fault the thing. Everthing lined up and was original, no marks, no paint scuffs, no stone chips, nothing. It looked good, almost perfect. So good in fact that I decided to buy it.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


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As far as season-defining victories go, Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 win at RB Leipzig will take some beating. The league’s top scorers travelled to the Bundesliga’s tightest defense, with Leipzig going into the game unbeaten at home in the league this season. Something had to give.
Dortmund were without the injured Marco Reus, their captain, talisman, and so often their inspiration this season. Coach Lucien Favre was also forced to deploy midfielder Julian Weigl in defence once again as Dortmund’s defensive issues persist, but any concerns Favre may have had will be allayed after Weigl produced an impeccable display in an unfamiliar role.
This was a night when Dortmund needed to be streetwise and mentally tough, they needed to show that despite their individual youth they had collective wisdom and play the game with their heads – all the qualities that Reus offers. But Dortmund’s ace up its sleeve was Axel Witsel. The Belgian was the matchwinner with a 19th minute rasping drive that Reus himself would have been proud of.
Witsel offers so much more than the tackles, headers, crucial interceptions and, in this case, match-winning goals. The 30-year-old’s calmness in and out of possession was an example to his teammates and game management absolutely vital for Dortmund to see out this game. His shrewd acquisition from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian for €20 million already looked like good value, and this display underlined his importance.
Dortmund’s youthful exuberance is one of the reasons they are so likeable and it’s their sense of fearlessness that has got them results this season and won them so many new fans. But Leipzig are a quality side who have developed a solidity to their game under Ralf Rangnick, and Dortmund’s task was to show their maturity and get through it. And if they win the title in April or May, this will be a game they look back on as crucial to that success.
A little under 24 hours earlier, Bayern had kept up the pressure on Dortmund with a 3-1 win at Hoffenheim. Leon Goretzka scored two first half goals as he continues to shine under Niko Kovac, and Robert Lewandowski added the gloss with a late third.
That win briefly closed the gap on Dortmund to three points and, although Dortmund’s result in Leipzig returns the lead to six points, Bayern look a more confident and organised outfit since their nightmare start to the season. Kovac’s side now look capable of least keeping Dortmund on their toes.
Kovac introduced James Rodriguez from the bench and the Colombian’s delightful pass led to the third goal, and Kingsley Coman returned to the side with a fine performance, playing against Niko Schulz, whose tackle on Coman back in August caused the Frenchman’s long lay-off. Schulz scored a fine goal but it proved little more than a consolation for a Hoffenheim side who battled well, but couldn’t convert their chances.
Peter Bosz’s first game as Bayer Leverkusen coach ended in defeat as Borussia Mönchengladbach kept leaders Dortmund in their sights.
Gladbach’s impressive Frenchman Alassane Plea settled it to leave Gladbach three points behind Bayern and nine behind Dortmund.
Bosz succeeded Heiko Herrlich in December, despite Herrlich having won four of his last five games. But sporting director Rudi Völler had always had his eye on Bosz and made his move for the Dutchman, despite his doomed tenure at Dortmund still fresh in the mind.
Bosz had vowed to “learn from mistakes” and “win every single game” when he was unveiled earlier this month. He will have to press the restart button on that pledge this weekend, when the Werkself travel to high-flying Wolfsburg.


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BRuCo is THE BitRate Calculator for the great DivX5 codec. I wrote it at the release of the newest version, when I was tired of finding bitrate calculators for DivX 3.11-alpha only. After several compressions I gathered enough data to write it by myself, givin' it my language (italian) and the best UI: flexible and simple. BRuCo is light-years away from perfection and it can get better with users contribution. Email me, any suggestion will be welcome!
Now BRuCo is in compliance with DivX 5.0.3 profile management (reminded by minor version number) and contains a new "perfectionist mode" and some other new features.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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Croonenburg American Holly is an evergreen tree that averages 30 to 50 feet in height with a spread of 20 to 40 feet. It has an upright, pyramidal growth habit. When young, it is dense all the way to the ground, becoming more open as it ages. It has a slow growth rate.
Leaves are evergreen, elliptic to lanceolate in shape with spined margins, alternate in arrangement, simple, glossy, an average of 2 to 3 inches long, and dark green in color.
Fruit are red berries that are ½ inch or less in diameter.
Little pruning is required due to its natural pyramidal form.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


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PROPONENTS of the Mount Roland cable car development say they are still optimistic about the project’s future. The project is a joint venture between tourism operators in the region, and will be based on land owned by the Silver Ridge Retreat, should it go ahead. Sheffield-Mount Roland Cableway company director and project lead Justin Carman said they are waiting on approval from landowners, the State Government, to approve usage of the Mount Roland regional reserve. Mr Carman said although the project had been in development for years, and they had been waiting a long time for land usage approval, he was not overly concerned. “We want the process to be thorough and fair, and we also want certainty,” he said. “We’re just waiting on land owner consent, and that’s for the project in its entirety to keep moving. We can’t even put our final plans through to local council until we get that consent.” Mr Carman said the project was still designed primarily as an adventure tourism venture. “The two key elements of the project are the cable car to the top and the mountain bike trails back to the bottom. They’re the two key inseparable elements of the project.” He said that as a mountain biking project, the development set itself apart from other cable car proposals at Cradle Mountain and Mount Wellington. “We don’t want to be perceived as being another viewing experience, it will be that for some people, but it’s adventure themed.” Mr Carman said that once approvals are finalised, the project proponents expect Austrian company Doppelmayr will build the cable car for around $19 million. Tourism operator and cable car proponent Brian Inder said the region needed to begin attracting more tourists to the region to ensure the project’s success. “You’re working a willing horse but you’re not feeding him properly. All small business is in that position,” Mr Inder said. “There is very much a movement to see that it doesn’t happen. But we’re fully engaged to see that it does happen.” He would not elaborate on opponents to the project. Kentish Mayor Tim Wilson said he had wondered why it was taking so long for the State Government to voice its interest or otherwise in the project, but that the council would remain impartial. “Council has no position for or against the cable car because we will be a planning authority and our personal opinions will be irrelevant,” Cr Wilson said. Montgomery Liberal MLC Leonie Hiscutt said the State Government is supportive of the tourism possibilities the project presents. “I look forward to meeting with the proponents in the near future to help advance the project, subject to all planning and legal requirements,” Ms Hiscutt said.
ADVENTURE: The Mount Roland cable car project plans to turn the iconic mountain in to an outdoor adventure precinct, with opportunities for tourism entrepreneurs and hospitality business. However, progress has slowed in recent years.
PROPONENTS of the Mount Roland cable car development say they are still optimistic about the project’s future.
The project is a joint venture between tourism operators in the region, and will be based on land owned by the Silver Ridge Retreat, should it go ahead.
Sheffield-Mount Roland Cableway company director and project lead Justin Carman said they are waiting on approval from landowners, the State Government, to approve usage of the Mount Roland regional reserve.
Mr Carman said although the project had been in development for years, and they had been waiting a long time for land usage approval, he was not overly concerned.
“We want the process to be thorough and fair, and we also want certainty,” he said.
Mr Carman said the project was still designed primarily as an adventure tourism venture.
He said that as a mountain biking project, the development set itself apart from other cable car proposals at Cradle Mountain and Mount Wellington.
Mr Carman said that once approvals are finalised, the project proponents expect Austrian company Doppelmayr will build the cable car for around $19 million.
Tourism operator and cable car proponent Brian Inder said the region needed to begin attracting more tourists to the region to ensure the project’s success.
“You’re working a willing horse but you’re not feeding him properly. All small business is in that position,” Mr Inder said.
He would not elaborate on opponents to the project.
Kentish Mayor Tim Wilson said he had wondered why it was taking so long for the State Government to voice its interest or otherwise in the project, but that the council would remain impartial.
“Council has no position for or against the cable car because we will be a planning authority and our personal opinions will be irrelevant,” Cr Wilson said.
Montgomery Liberal MLC Leonie Hiscutt said the State Government is supportive of the tourism possibilities the project presents.
“I look forward to meeting with the proponents in the near future to help advance the project, subject to all planning and legal requirements,” Ms Hiscutt said.


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industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


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Due to most students visiting MCTI on Wednesday and not having school yesterday, we will not be sending home progress reports today. They will resume next Friday.
On Monday, students will be visiting KVCC. Parents are welcome to attend. The bus leaves at 9:30 and will return to Gateway at 1:30. Lunch is provided at no cost.
Remember that graduation is June 1st, 7pm, at the GLMS. Fees ($55) are due by May 1st and cover cap purchase, gown rental, and reception after the ceremony. Rehearsal is May 31 at the GLMS at 2:30. Students will receive their caps and gowns at that time.
This is from transportation: Mr. Rundle has authorized a $500.00 signing bonus for any licensed school bus driver with all driving credentials current. If you know of any retired school bus drivers, or drivers who could use extra hours working at GL, please send them our way. Starting wage is $15.43. The wage increases to $16.43 after 60-completed work days. The $500.00 will be paid after the driver completes 30-days of driving.
Please note my new phone number below. You can now dial direct and not have to hold!


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From Kim Roach of The Optimized Life.
What many people don’t realize is that the mind becomes bored when it’s not constantly stimulated. When you are reading at your normal rates, the mind will become bored and begin to lose interest in what you are trying to learn.
At this average speed, most of us are actually reading the words to ourselves in our head, which is known as subvocalizing. This is where you are ‘hearing’ the words in your head, or even saying them to yourself as you read. A behavior like this slows down your reading significantly, so it’s the first thing to go when you’re learning to speed read.
To eliminate subvocalizing, you must practice reading faster than you can actually read. You can practice this skill with an online tool known as Spreeder.
1. Realize that reading is not from beginning to end, but rather point to point. When you are reading, you need to pick up the important points of the book, but that doesn’t mean that you need to read them in a particular order.In fact, I would suggest skipping parts of a book that you don’t need. Almost every book has a good point or two, but it is highly unlikely that you need to read every page of the entire book.
2. Try using a pacing tool. Whether it’s your finger or a pencil, try moving this tool along the lines of the book you are reading to keep you moving forward as quickly as possible.
Reading is a series of jumping snapshots called saccades. Using a visual guide prevents regression.
By moving your pacing tool faster than your normal reading rate, your eyes get used to viewing text faster than your brain can process the actual words on the page. This will enable you to break the habit of subvocalization.
3. Get rid of all distractions and possible interruptions. When you are trying to focus on what you are reading, you need to be in a comfortable seat in a quiet room. Distractions can severely interrupt your reading patters and decrease your comprehension of the text.
4. Try to read more than one word at a time. This is a speed reading technique known as chunking. By looking at ‘blocks’ of words as you read, you will allow your mind to process ideas and visual images instead of individual words.
5. Never move backwards. When you are speed reading, the main point is to keep moving forward and not stop to reread something. This is the most inefficient use of your reading time. Keep yourself moving forward at all times.
6. Think visually. One of the most effective speed reading techniques is to visualize the ideas on the page as pictures in your head. Huge portions of the human brain are dedicated to processing information visually, making them the fastest circuits in the brain for processing information.
Diablo Valley College & Suzanne Miller have made Catherine Jester’s Learning Style Survey available online. Jester identifies 4 learning types and offers descriptions and strategies for each.