Today, allow me to take you on an inspiring journey as I share my traveling experience with the one and only Griffith Observatory.
The first time I visited LA, I totally missed out on the opportunity to go to Griffith Observatory. To be completely honest I didn't think it would be much fun and exciting. What's so special about a boring observatory, anyway? Little did I know I couldn't be more wrong. Now my second chance has arrived and I can tell you that Griffith Observatory is one of my best experiences in the city of angels. You can spend your entire day inside the observatory and see all their current exhibition, get a good look at the Hollywood sign and the Los Angeles city view outside, or like many others, wait and watch the breath-taking and ever-so-famous California sunset outside.
Now how exactly to get to Griffith Observatory? If you are driving, you can easily just type in the address and let GPS do its magic. But if you're like me who doesn't have a driver license, no worries! I am here to show you what public transport I took to get to the Observatory and you can use this time to get familiar with the city!
I lived in Hollywood/Highland area. So easy enough, you can simply take the Metro Red Line to Vermont / Sunset Station. When you are there you should be able to catch the DASH Observatory Shuttle all the way to Griffith Observatory. Now do keep in mind that the DASH Observatory shuttle is only in service during the weekend. If you plan on visiting the Observatory during weekdays this info might not be as helpful but I thought I would let you guys know since it is a super convenient way to get around using the DASH bus service.
DASH offers many different shuttles that can pretty much take you to anywhere you wish to go in LA such as Hollywood, DTLA and Studio City. It's really quite convenient, you just gotta check out when the shuttles are in service. I will link the DASH shuttle bus info right here: DASH shuttle service website.
Use the Griffith Observatory map on the right to help you with directions.
See the Griffith Observatory website for more detailed information on directions, opening hours and more!
Griffith Observatory, we are here!
I arrived at Griffith Observatory at around 4pm in the afternoon, just in time to witness the sunset, look around, explore, take pictures and stuff. Everything surrounding the observatory takes my breath away. Whether it's the clear view of Mount Hollywood, the LA city view or the wide-opened lawn in front of the Observatory. All of it is so picturesque. And not to mention the observatory architect itself. On the visitor's guide, it describes the style of the architect is under the architectural influence of Art Deco, Moderne, Greek Revival and Beaux Arts.
The only downside of my visit was that there wasn't enough time for me to actually see their current exhibitions. The observatory is so big and I had to catch the sunset before it disappeared. If there's a next time, I would definitely advise everyone to save the entire day just to spend it at Griffith Observatory. In my case, it was due to the fact that I actually went to the Warner Bros Studio on the same day before going to the observatory.
Watching the sunset upon Griffith Observatory is an experience beyond special. To the local residents of California, it might not seem to be that big of a deal. Sunrise, sunset. It's just another daily routine. But for the travelers, it's beyond any words could describe. It's just like the northern lights, you don't get to see such magnificent work of art created by Mother Nature in some other countries or continent. There's just something so beautiful and memorable about a bunch of people from all over the world gathered here, at Griffith Observatory, watching the sunset altogether. Everyone was speaking in different languages, either taking pictures, recording or simply just trying to enjoy this moment. And when the night finally set in, all of the problems and whatever negative emotions we had seemed to just disappear. and what was left was just pure silence, tranquility, and happiness.
When the sky became pitch-black, the city of Los Angeles seems to come alive. The blinding lights and neon shop signs took over this town. When looking down from Griffith Observatory, it was as if the streets of LA is built by a billion stars. Each one shining so bright, much like the residents of this city - vibrant, vigorous and determined. It is truly one of those things that you have to see it to believe it. In that very moment, it sort of put me into the perspective of how big this world is and how little we all are. The things that usually bother us seem so trivial and insignificant.
.....And yeah! That pretty much concluded my entire experience to Griffith Observatory. I strongly recommend you pay a visit there once in your lifetime. I hope this helped those who are planning a trip to LA. If you currently don't have a travel plan, I hope this blog post and the aesthetically pleasing photos that came with it have entertained or inspired you in some ways. Please look forward to my next LA travel journal! Until then, stay beautiful!


text:
Life Through the Perspective Prism That is Seth Adam
Sophia Varoumas
Dustin Sclafani, Seth Adam, Seth Adam Music
Written by Dustin Sclafani Since the dawn of singing the troubadour has been the source of news and information, whether the soul cry of Marvin Gaye just struggling with "What's Going On" or the timeline set in G MAjor that is "We Didn't Start the Fire" music
The Early November Celebrates 20 Years at Brooklyn Bowl
ThatMag
Ace Ender, I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business, Killian O'Neil, The Early November, Vinnie Caruana
Written and Photographed by Killian O'Neil The crisp fall air whipped my face as I opened the door to the Brooklyn Bowl this past Friday. It was Halloween weekend, the Phillies are in the World Series, and I was about to see The Early November. Life was good, to say the
claybaby, Euphoria, Gigi Rowe, Jay Z, Just Dance, LA Reid, Posy Flynn Sings!, sexy beautiful, Sophia Varoumas, the cleaning lady, wishes
Written by Sophia Varoumas When Gigi Rowe's debut album created some buzz around That Mag's virtual offices last week, senior writer Sophia Varoumas went on assignment to follow the artist to her NYC show, finding out exactly what was said when Jay Z complimented her
XPoNential Music Festival Celebrates 25+ Years Of Live Music Excellence
Angel Park, catbite, felice brothers, XPoNential Music Festival
Written and Photographed by Angel Park This past weekend saw the return of WXPN's highly anticipated XPoNential Music Festival at Camden Waterfront's Wiggins Park and Freedom Mortgage Pavillion. With over 25 years of experience curating this two-day live music
Alicia Keys; The Queen, The Myth, The Legend Live @The Met
alicia keys, Killian O'Neil, Pink Sweat$, Pink Sweats, Theo Wargo
Written by Killian O'Neil Photographs by Theo Wargo Seeing someone doing exactly what they're put on this earth to do is a rare and beautiful thing. Alicia Keys is no exception to that statement; she has become an icon and inspiration to many worldwide. It's one
Circle Jerks turned The TLA into a Rock House with 7Seconds and a Negative Approach
7Seconds, Angel Park, black flag, Circle Jerks, Keith Morrison, Kevin Seconds, Negative Approach, Steve Youth, the Circle Jerks, Tory Mowat
Written and Photographed by Angel Park The Circle Jerks are an American punk band formed in 1979 in Hermosa Beach, California. They are arguably one of the pioneer bands of hardcore punk, and this past weekend, t hey played to a sold-out crowd at Philly's TLA along with

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Highlight all the worlds in Android Google Maps I'm developing an app in which the user can select points on a Google Maps and create areas based on point-radius and display them on the map with a semi-transparent circle of a specific color. The user is also able to insert "all world" areas. I need to display this "all-world" area on the map, is it possible to add a semi-transparent polygon that cover all the map? Or, is there a better solution to highlight all the map?

A: Check the documentation of Polygons under the Shapes in Google Maps Android API to cover the map.
Polygon objects are similar to Polyline objects in that they consist of a series of coordinates in an ordered sequence. However, instead of being open-ended, polygons are designed to define regions within a closed loop with the interior filled in.
To create Polygon, first create a PolygonOptions object and add some points to it. These points will form the outline of the polygon. You then add the polygon to the map by calling GoogleMap.addPolygon(PolygonOptions) which will return a Polygon object.
To alter the shape of this polygon, just call the Polygon.setPoints() and provide a new list of points for the outline of the polygon.
Now, for customizing the appearance of the polygon, just check this link. And for the semi-transparent polygon that you want, you can check these tutorial and SO question on how to achieve that.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Yes. There is some confusion about this as there have been both federal and state government incentives which have changed regularly. Currently there still is a generous federal government incentive which allows you to create Small Scale Technology Certificates (STCs) when you install a solar power system. These STCs are sold in a market type environment, meaning that the price goes up and down depending on demand. Please note that the amount of STCs created for a solar system will gradually reduce each year on January 1 till 2030 - when it will be zero.
You can hold on to and arrange to trade the STCs yourself or you can hand them over to us on installation of your system. If you decide to hand over your STCs then we will give a point of sale discount based on the amount of STCs you will create (which depends on the size of your system and the price of STCs at the time). Most people choose to do this as its easier. However, if the STC price is low, and you are willing to wait to sell your STCs, you may get a considerably higher price. If you choose to sell them yourself we can assist you with the paperwork.
In addtion to STCs electricity companies will generally pay you for any electricity you don't use but feed back into the grid (commonly referred to as the feed-in-tariff) They usually give this as a credit to you thus further reducing your electricity bill. The amount they will vary with different companies as well as within thier different plans - so it can pay to shop around and see who will give you the best deal.
To find out how much you can save book an onsite assessment today! See - Book an assessment.
There are still generous government incentives available. To find out how much you can save, book an assessment today.
The STC rebate will gradually reduce each January till 2030 when it will be zero.


text:
La Semaine du Sphinx () est un film italien réalisé par Daniele Luchetti, sorti en 1990, avec Paolo Hendel, Margherita Buy, Silvio Orlando et Delia Boccardo dans les rôles principaux.

Synopsis

Dans la région de l'Émilie-Romagne, Gloria (Margherita Buy), serveuse dans un restaurant routier, rencontre Eolo (Paolo Hendel), un installateur d'antennes qui est aussi un prolifique séducteur qui accumule les histoires courtes et refuse de se marier. Après une aventure d'un soir, Eolo part, et Gloria se lance à sa poursuite.

Fiche technique
 Titre : La Semaine du Sphinx
 Titre original :
 Réalisation : Daniele Luchetti
 Scénario : Daniele Luchetti, Franco Bernini et Angelo Pasquini
 Photographie : Antonio Nardi
 Montage : Angelo Nicolini
 Musique : Dario Lucantoni
 Scénographie :  et Leonardo Scarpa
 Costumes : Paola Bonucci
 Producteur : Matt Robinson et
 Société de production : Erre Produzioni et Reteitalia
 Pays d'origine :
 Langue : Italien
 Format : Couleur
 Genre : Comédie
 Durée :
 Dates de sortie :
  :
  :

Distribution

Margherita Buy: Gloria
Paolo Hendel: Eolo
Silvio Orlando: le Ministre
Delia Boccardo: Sara
: Ferruccio
Roberto Nobile

Autour du film
 Le film est tourné dans la région de l'Émilie-Romagne et notamment dans les villes de Bologne, Rimini, Fiorenzuola d'Arda, Cesenatico et Cento et sur le territoire de l'État de Saint-Marin.

Distinctions

Prix
 Coquille d'argent de la meilleure actrice en 1990 pour Margherita Buy.

Nominations
 Coquille d'argent du meilleur réalisateur en 1990 pour Daniele Luchetti.
 David di Donatello de la meilleure actrice principale en 1991 pour Margherita Buy.

Notes et références

Liens externes

  Cinéma Les amants paraboliques La Semaine du Sphinx de Daniele Luchetti

Film italien sorti en 1990
Comédie italienne
Film réalisé par Daniele Luchetti
Film tourné en Émilie-Romagne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin) is a water soluble vitamin necessary for the maintenance of a healthy nervous system and for the production of energy from fats and proteins. Vitamin B-12 is also essential for the synthesis of DNA during cell division and therefore is especially important for rapidly multiplying cells, such as blood cells. In addition, adequate intake of Vitamin B-12, along with Folic Acid and Vitamin B-6, is critical for the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, thereby supporting a healthy cardiovascular system. While B-12 is stored in the liver, dietary sources are of animal origin only (meat and dairy). Therefore, supplementation with B-12 may be especially important for strict vegetarians.
Fructose, cellulose, sorbitol, natural flavors, stearic acid (vegetable source), magnesium stearate (vegetable source) and silica.


text:
Q: string length failing in Azure using LINQ I having issues with SQL Azure, the following LINQ with EF code works fine if the database is SQL Server 2012
var userLength = users.Select(n => new { n.FirstName.Length });

But, if I point it to an Azure database and I get

"base = {"The cast to value type 'Int32' failed because the materialized value is null. Either the result type's generic parameter or the query must use a nullable type."}"

Any ideas?

A: Do the databases contain same data?
Maybe one of users has no FirstName set in Azure database?
I guess it's when you iterate over usersLength that you receive this Exception? Is it thrown on first iteration or maybe later?
Here's what I think is happenning (I'm using LINQ to Objects here)

You can edit it like this to make it return 0 for null elements (FirstNames):

You can download those two code snippets if you have LinqPad here (they will be automatically opened in LinqPad):
http://share.linqpad.net/2pfjqf.linq
http://share.linqpad.net/vp96kf.linq


Although this is the first time I'm hearing about Fallout Miami, it's apparently been in development for years – and the work that's been put in by the F:M team really shows.
Fallout Miami, when it inevitably launches, looks to be comparable to official Bethesda DLC, complete with a main story, side quests galore, and tons of new weapons and items to use on the beautiful (yet morbidly irradiated) Miami sands.
The Nuclear Patriots: A fearless post-apocalyptic group that abhors the local slave trade and sees themselves as an extremely righteous group of protectors. They're like half-biker gang, half-medieval crusader, all self-righteous zealot. They seem like a faction whose "good side" you want to stay on.
The Dreamers: A faction that seems more like a loose gang of addicts who can't seem to face the nuclear reality all around them – a group of near-brain dead druggies who abuse the Miami wasteland's most psychoactive chem "Luna" to keep themselves sedated and "dreaming" of their prior lives. I will be steering clear of The Dreamers.
The Cubanos: Descendants of wealthy elites who fled Cuba and established themselves as operators and owners of Miami's luxury lifestyle before the bombs fell. Their hotels, golf courses and casinos quickly transformed into fronts for a criminal organization that dealt in prostitution, racketeering, and drug trafficking. The apocalypse doesn't seem to have stopped the group's illicit operations, and I for one can't wait to join them.
When I first saw Fallout: Miami, my mind immediately went to a Godfather-esque storyline, where you work for a Hyman Roth-type character and run the post-apocalyptic mob. Regardless of what we'll be up to in F:M, it seems like it'll be a blast (pun intended). As of right now, Fallout: Miami is slated to be PC-only, but make sure you check out the official website of the mod right here to keep up on the project.


Since contract negotiations are coming up for United's flight attendants, the AFA has released a video about their "demands." I was shocked when I saw that a flight attendant I had an "issue" with was in the video, so imagine my surprise today when I flew with one of the flight attendants in this video without realizing it at first.
I was on the afternoon flight from JFK to LAX and talked with the crew for a while (what can I say, they loved my shirt). I kept telling this one flight attendant that she looked familiar, but I couldn't pin down when I flew with her. Eventually we were talking about the contract negotiations coming up, and I mentioned the AFA video (yeah, I know, I'm obsessed). At that point one flight attendant said "hey, I'm in that video!" As it turns out it's the lady 0:26 into the video, which is how I recognized her. She was extremely nice, so I really don't think she belongs in that video, but oh well. That's two of the video flight attendants I've flown with now, and counting.
The guy before your girl kinda looks like Richard Branson!


YouGames.cz - online hra: Princess Winter Skiing, hraj zdarma!
Prepare our princess for her winter ski adventures! Pick the best ski outfit and decide if she will try to sky or snowboard.Have fun picking from various outfits designs and choose the one you like best.Have fun playing PrincessWinter Skiing!


If are usually students, it is really a wonderful in order to receive low-cost homework sustain. In that case, if the parent can help, that is by the child's best interest. Prior to testing, call the library at 949.936.4040.
Do you need coaching online to match your Math preparation? Well this is becoming a very common occurrence. It's a tough subject and all students need extra help. What options are you looking for in the clear way of help?
Now excuses can would be the simple, for example "the help me with my homework", through to far more elaborate tales of hardship and trouble. The ones that are really tough are the type that people believe – usually like for example "my car broke down – had been nothing I could truthfully do". Some excuses are plausible – but intensive testing . still excuses and, in case you are going to achieve everything that you might be capable of, you cannot accept excuses from yourself or from anyone other than these.
How anyone ask? Because by design, teachers and courses waste time for days, often months, and then reward you for hurrying to all of them done. They introduce us to principles like end of the term exams, 'long-term projects' and 'quarterly grades'. All dysfunctions that seem faraway and far off. Harmless even, until, that is, the deadline day arrives, sped up as if delivered via the time machine how create articles for the internet http://homeworkforschool.com/paper-corrector/ article writing – 6 techniques for article traffic, back links, and money that only devious educators hold the controls.
That first school morning of the year can be challenging. But if you don't get an efficient school morning routine in place as the kids go back to school, it may not get better later globe school year. These tips will help you streamline your school morning routine, and get everyone in order to school with less hassle.
How do parents handle these teenage boys who they feel are rebelling against folks? Scold them? Take away their iPods? Alleviate their driving privileges? It's possible. The best way to handle the teenage boy is through mutual communicating. If he won't do his homework, find out why. "I don't desire it", is not a valid reasons. Find the underlying real reason and you'll be free to the reason behind the irritation. It may be that he was absent the day they taught that lesson and now he is behind. He may be too afraid to confess that he doesn't understand how to do it and so he wouldn't turn it in. Problem then really need to be resolved so it doesn't escalate into improvement serious issue of low self-esteem. Work with him, use a tutor, get him involved in an after school homework group and so on.
5 hours or maybe more each week preparing and grading homework. Besides questioning the quantity of homework assigned – an excessive amount of or weak hands – some parents and educators are actually beginning to look at the quality of homework too. For such students this is a list of basic and beneficial tips by which they may be motivated to accomplish their homework without getting bored. Even if you aren't able to answer all questions, or in case your student does not have any questions in any respect, your presence shows your youngster respect and support. Support your children's efforts to complete their homework by providing them with all the right workspace, with ample lighting, totally free of any distractions (e.
It provides unique information for doing the homework. They are burdened with homework and the demands on their time. As you relearn these toppers you is going to be able to help your youngster with her or his homework. Furthermore, people that completed their homework independently actually showed greater overall scores than people who received varying forms of some help from their parents. You can print limited free materials or pay a nominal site fee of $20 a year and acquire unlimited free printable lesson plans, worksheets, crafts, books, mini bookets and much more.
Benötigen Sie soliden medizinische Examensarbeit Ideengeber für dem Lektorat Ihrem Referat von vornherein.
Suchen Sie glaubwurdigen Power Point Prasentation Publizist fur dem Schreiben Ihrer Arbeit von Anfang an.


3. the precision of measurement is high.
4. the operation and maintenance are convenient.
1. start mode: star delta start, soft start, autotransformer start.
NFPA20, UL, EN12845 High Quality Fire Fighting Control Equipment: 1 year full warranty,offer FREE components under EXW shipped term.


text:
Johnny Depp visits recording studio with Ed Sheeran and One Direction's Zayn Malick
Are they working on celeb-heavy collaboration?
Johnny Depp has been spotted visiting a recording studio with Ed Sheeran and One Direction member Zayn Malick.
The actor, who stars as Tonto in the recently released The Lone Ranger, has sparked speculation that he could be working with the pop singers on a musical project after he and Sheeran were spotted arriving at a recording studio in LA earlier this week (August 12).
It subsequently emerged that Malick had also been present at the studio after Alexander DeLeon, a member of US band The Cab, uploaded a picture of himself with the boyband singer and Depp. Writing on Instagram, he said: "Pirate lessons from the one and only. Thanks for having us, Mr Depp."
Ed Sheeran recently revealed that record companies he spoke to in his early days told him he was unmarketable because of his image. "Every single label I had gone to at the time had told me this song wasn't a hit this song wouldn't work and the fact that I was slightly chubby and ginger wasn't a good 'marketing tool' for them," he said.
It was recently reported, meanwhile, that One Direction's Harry Styles has been writing songs for the group's new album with Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody, while Johnny Depp recently hinted that he is not "too far away" from quitting acting.


The Mariners' Museum Park is a wonderful place to explore and a fantastic place to take pictures. Brock Switzer, the Museum's Photographer and Digital Imaging Specialist, will lead a three-part photography workshop series that will develop your photography skills as you explore the outdoors. Please join us for one of these classes or all three!
In part one, on September 10, we will explore the technical aspects of photography: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and we will learn to master our cameras' manual controls. Part two of the workshop, on September 17, will focus on composition and creativity. We will capture beautiful photographs by combining our technical and creative skills. In part three, on September 24, we will take part in a live critique of our images, with useful tips to take our photography to the next level.
Please bring your digital camera with manual controls for this workshop. We will take a lunch break; please bring your lunch or plan to eat in our café.


God is merciful. As David Powlison has recently written, mercy is who God is, mercy is what He does, and mercy is what we need. In His mercy, God "does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10).
God is just. "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4).
How can this be? Aren't these two qualities contradictory? How can God be both just and merciful?
which she said were her pay from her lovers"
As harsh as it sounds, God is certainly being just here by punishing Israel for her spiritual adultery, for betraying Him and turning to other gods. He is right to do this--it is what His unfaithful people deserve; it is the fair wages for her sin.
That's not the whole picture. In His mercy, God does not abandon Israel. She has been unfaithful, but He refuses to forsake her. All this harshness, all this discipline, demonstrates God's unwillingness to give up on His relationship with His people. He's committed to be active in their lives, rather than just turn His back and walk away.
As God in His justice thwarts Israel (block her path, wall her in, destroy her harvest), God in His mercy is speeding the disillusionment that is inevitable. False gods cannot save her; they cannot give her the hope and the blessings and the protection she needs. She will find this out sooner or later...God, mercifully, makes it happen sooner.
"Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all of your fortresses will be devastated" (Hosea 10:13-14).
"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely" (Hosea 14:4).
Justice and mercy, coexisting in the beautiful, matchless character of our Holy God.
One beautiful thing about staying at home even when you don't have kids is the freedom of flexibility in your schedule. Though this lack of structure and routine can often be my downfall, and though it doesn't make sense to others, I've discovered this week one more way it can be a source of blessing.
I spent a couple of hours Monday and all day yesterday babysitting for an incredibly bright and adorable toddler named Annalyn. Her family goes to our church, and her mom has been horribly sick this week. (She's not terminally ill or anything--she has an absolutely nasty case of the flu or some such thing.) Annalyn and her daddy were sick with it last week, and Mommy nursed them back to health...but when mommies get sick, who takes care of them? Even more, who takes care of their energetic and demanding children?
Perhaps just one reason God has me at home during this season is to be able to do just that. When Pamela (Annalyn's mommy) called, sounding desperate and miserable, I was in a position to help. Most other women in our church would love to help, but couldn't because they have either a) young children of their own, or b) a full-time job. Since I don't have either, I could come right over. I spent time playing with Annalyn and keeping her out of trouble while Pamela lay in bed, too weak from fighting off this bug to keep up with her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
Wish I had a picture to post--Annalyn really is a cutie. And she cracks me up. The title of this post comes from the fact that, when she's not calling me "Miss Aney" (pronounced like "Amy," but with an "n" instead of the "m"...one thing I love about the South is the way children call adults Miss or Mr. Firstname--it provides a way to be respectful without being so formal), Annalyn occasionally calls me "honey." There are not a whole lot of things funnier than being called "honey" by a tiny little blonde who's not even completely potty-trained. "Find a stick, honey," she tells me. "You do it, honey." It's hilarious.
Do not for a moment think that my last several posts have been implying that I now have everything all figured out.
I don't. (That's why the title is "toward" a cross-centered life!) I've been blogging about this because it's the heart of what's been going on in my life over the past few months, and because I want to share the powerful message God has been teaching me. Not because I have "arrived." Not even close.
I still fail much more often than I succeed. I still get discouraged. I still have a whole lot of ugly pride in my heart.
But I'm learning. I'm learning to acknowledge my dependence on Christ every moment. I'm learning that every success is by His grace alone, and that no failure changes my standing before my Father in heaven.
Slowly, I'm learning what it means to be cross-centered. I pray that God in His grace will continue to increase my understanding of the cross, my love for Him, and my awareness of my dependence on His grace. I pray He'll do the same for you.
Thanks for sticking with me. I hope someone, somewhere, has been blessed by my ramblings on cross-centered living.
"The Gospel Song," from Songs for the Cross Centered Life. Lyrics by Drew Jones, music by Bob Kauflin. Lead sheet is here.
How? What does that look like?
Mahaney's answer: "A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days."
Profound in its simplicity. How do I live a cross-centered life? One day at a time. Not looking at the formidable goal of "life," but at the immediate goal of today. Living a cross-centered life by centering myself on the cross today. Tomorrow I'll center myself on the cross again. Tomorrow can worry about itself.
Mahaney offers many practical tips for centering your life on the cross, but I've already quoted the book enough. If by now you have not considered getting The Cross Centered Life and reading it for yourself, let me urge you: Go get The Cross Centered Life and read it for yourself! Even if you don't like to read. This book is tiny--it's only 85 pages in a small hardcover format. And if you want more, buy Mahaney's new book instead: Living the Cross Centered Life is supposed to be (I haven't yet read it...but feel free to buy me a belated birthday gift ;) a combination of this book and his book Christ Our Mediator, along with new material.
I don't work for these people. I don't even know them personally. I just believe in the unparalleled importance of this message. See for yourself!
If the Gospel is the Main Thing...What is the Gospel?
I keep saying that the gospel is the MAIN THING. But what exactly do I mean? Heaven forbid anyone walk away from this series (if anyone is still reading this series) not having a clear understanding.
The apostle Paul wrote: "I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you...For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:1,3).
First importance. The Bible tells us that, while there are many different callings and many possible areas of service in the kingdom of God, one transcendent truth should define our lives. One simple truth should motivate our work and affect every part of who we are.
...He sent His Son into the world to live a perfect life and go to the cross to bear His wrath for sinners like you and me.
This is the "main thing," the very essence of the cross centered life. ...Nothing else--not even things that are biblical and honorable--are of equal or greater importance.
The cross was the centerpiece of Paul's theology. It wasn't merely one of Paul's messages; it was the message. He taught about other things as well, but whatever he taught was always derived from, and related to, the foundational reality that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciled to God and forgiven by God.
This is what I (and the vast majority of the church, I'm afraid) have been missing. The cross saved me. Check. Saved by grace. Got it. Now let's move on. What do I have to do now? How can I make myself a better Christian? What's the latest fad or brand of theology or doctrinal debate for me to jump on board with?
I'm finally learning I can never move on.
I can hear you asking, "But don't I need more than that?" ...in another sense the answer is yes, you do need more. You've been saved to grow, to serve in a local church, to do good works and to glorify God. But the "more" that you need as a follower of Christ won't be found apart from the cross. The gospel isn't one class among many that you'll attend during your life as a Christian--the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in!
I feel as though, over the past few months, the ultimate cliche-of-all-cliches light bulb has gone off on my head and heart. For all of my Christian life, I think the gospel has been "one class among many"--one thing to understand about God. Important, but merely one truth to grasp before learning other, deeper truths. How flawed and incomplete my understanding has been. The gospel IS the Christian life--the gospel IS the deepest, truest truth.
The gospel isn't just for unbelievers. It's for Christians, too. "Every day of our Christian experience," writes Jerry Bridges, "should be a day of relating to God on the basis of His grace alone. We are not only saved by grace, but we also live by grace every day."
Not just for unbelievers! Are you getting that? The gospel is not the starting blocks that launch you to run the race. It is the shoes on your feet that enable every step. It is the ground that you tread on, the very path that leads you HOME.
I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over--but I don't care! I want to be known as someone who can't get over the cross, can't get away from the gospel. Grace and the cross not as a memory of what saved me, a distant sight in the rearview mirror, but as my constant source of joy, hope, motivation and ability, standing before God and acceptance by Him.
*David Prior, quoted in C.J. Mahaney's The Cross Centered Life. All other quotes from the same book.
Of course, no Christian would dare utter such terrible words. But when we shift our concentration away from the gospel, legalism slowly and subtly twists our thinking until our lives make this awful statement on their own.
I felt like a microscope had been held up to my heart. Here was the truth about what I had been unconsciously saying and doing: I had, in my pride, spit in Jesus' face and said, "That wasn't enough. If I work hard enough, if I am good enough, I will earn God's acceptance and approval more completely than You could earn it for me."
In February, I finally began reading the book that's the heart of it all: The Cross Centered Life, which is basically (as I understand it) the life message of C.J. Mahaney, founder of Sovereign Grace Ministries. A quote on page 25 put a huge piece of the puzzle in place.
After I drew it and explained it to others, it took on more and more meanings that I hadn't even thought of at first. The colored pieces represented different areas of my life that didn't seem to go together--passions, interests, talents, ways God has created me. For example, one corner has shades of blues and greens; another has shades of oranges and yellows--but it doesn't seem like they're going to connect. The gray pieces represented the "unknowns" of my life--so much uncertainty--and the black pieces represented struggles, bad choices, hard times, etc. The black piece attached to the bottom left corner was a gift from my mentor, who reminded me that "this, too, fits"--that God was using even the black pieces to make my life picture beautiful.
Anyway, all that to say, as I read The Cross Centered Life, I felt like a section of the puzzle suddenly came into clear focus. It reminds me of working on a jigsaw puzzle, when you've assembled one area, and separately assembled another group of pieces, and then suddenly you see how they go together and snap the connecting pieces in. The picture comes into focus. Now you can actually begin to see the picture, not just random colors. You feel like you're really making progress! That's what this was like for me.
Thomas Schreiner writes that "legalism has its origin in self-worship. If people are justified through their obedience to the law, then they merit praise, honor, and glory. Legalism, in other words, means the glory goes to people rather than God."
I was stunned. It was so clear. Until that point, I'm not sure I had ever fully understood how pride and legalism were so intertwined in my heart. As I said last week, the two had seemed to me like completely separate struggles: pride, on the one hand, and grace, on the other.
It may sound obvious to you--maybe you're wondering how I could be so dense as to not see it. But I hadn't seen it. I was amazed at how God was putting pieces of the puzzle into place and bringing such clarity. My pride and my struggle to understand/accept grace were not two unrelated problems. They are two sides of the same coin.
It is pride that feeds my legalism and blinds me to grace. It is legalism that keeps the focus on me and my pride, obscuring grace. I could never understand or fully embrace grace because to do so would mean to remove all pride, all reasons for boasting, all credit and glory. To do so would mean admitting I was helpless and hopeless on my own before a holy God.
**3/23 UPDATE: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the president of Afghanistan to express the U.S.'s concern.
You may or may not be aware of the religious persecution happening in Afghanistan. A man named Abdul Rahman is currently on trial. His "crime"? Conversion to Christianity from Islam 16 years ago. The prosecutor is pursuing the death penalty. Rahman could be freed if he would deny his conversion and claim Islam once again, but he refuses to turn his back on Christ.
Did American troops give their lives removing the repressive Taliban government only for us to replace it with Taliban-lite? Will we once again remain silent as a government we helped to install executes a man for his religious beliefs? "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil," said Edmund Burke, "is that good men do nothing." We did nothing to stop the adoption of a theocratic constitution, believing at the time it was a "necessary evil." Will we continue to do nothing and allow evil to triumph?
World Net Daily reports today that the U.S. is "monitoring the situation."
In her latest commentary, Michelle Malkin quotes Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council: "How can we congratulate ourselves for liberating Afghanistan from the rule of jihadists only to be ruled by Islamists who kill Christians?"
Malkin has much more on this story, including contact information for the Afghan embassy and the U.S. State Department, at her blog.
Stop. Take less than five minutes right now to send President Bush an email. You can edit and send a pre-written email at the American Family Association's website (though doing so will put you on their email list).
And one more thing: pray for this man!
Will evil triumph because good men do nothing?
This post could well have my name printed on the top.
Do you, like me, struggle with pride? If you're a living, breathing human, C. J. Mahaney says you do--it's just a matter of how pride manifests itself in your life.
Think that's not a big deal, as I once did? "Yeah, I struggle with pride," I have admitted rather matter-of-factly (pridefully?) in the past.
Then go read an explanation of pride that doesn't sugarcoat your sin. I pray that our gracious God will show you, as He has been showing me, what it really means to struggle wtih pride. May He faithfully root it out of my heart and yours.
I've explained how I tend to "assume the gospel" through legalism. But many Christians may fall off the other side. They assume the gospel through licentiousness--another ten-dollar word that's thrown around a lot.
another type of licence...is probably more likely to afflict the church as a whole: practical licence. ...The gospel tells us that we draw near to God only by "the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body" (Hebrews 10.19-20). But we act licentiously towards a truth like that when we regard singing or "worship" as what actually draws us close to God, or anything else that we can think of: religious art, breathtaking scenery, a church building. ...This is profoundly mistaken because it is assuming that the gospel is true but we can draw near to God by other means as well. It is practical licence.
Underlying this is a tendency to assume the gospel by elevating experience. Where this is happening, the church will be marked by an increasingly personalised approach to the Christian life. Christians begin to act only on what they believe God is saying directly to them, with the end result that the biblical gospel begins to seem less immediate and relevant than the latest "word from the Lord". The subtle drift towards "personalised truth" leads to all kinds of distortions: God becomes known only in as much as we experience of him, we relate to God on the basis of what we personally find helpful, we believe the right things but become reluctant to state that the opposite of those things is wrong.
Individually, every day, we face the choice whether to sit under the Bible alone, to run to the cross alone and look to Christ alone or to begin to shift our gaze on to other things. Once we begin simply to assume these truths, then we are already beginning to stop "acting in line with the truth of the gospel" (Galatians 2.14). The potential consequences for ourselves are harmful; for the generation following us they are disastrous.
That's the bad news. But the good news is, it's not too late to come back to the gospel, in all its glory and profound simplicity.
Jesus is sufficient. He is all we need to have favor with God. Therefore to add anything to Jesus is to deny His sufficiency.
If there's a plus sign at all after Jesus in your thought process, denomination, theology, or lifestyle, you deny the gospel. I'm not saying any of these things are wrong in and of themselves. ...But the point behind all of these issues is what motivates them. If any of them are motivated by a sense of gaining God's pleasure, or some sense that we are living holy lives, or some feeling that we are being righteous, or that we are earning our place in heaven, then they are all wrong. All of them. If Jesus and our joy in Him isn't the motivation behind any of these things, there is neither any evidence of grace or mercy behind these kind of lifestyle [choices].
If there are two ways to assume the gospel, the first one has been my downfall.
One of the hallmarks of an assumed gospel in an evangelical church is that the gospel is regarded as being for the outsiders, the non-Christians who ever so rarely slip in to one of the services. When we limit the gospel in this way to unbelievers we begin to adopt extra ways of relating to God and to others, and they all fall under the label of legalism.
Assuming the gospel means that we regard it as what gets us to heaven but that other things are needed to make us good Christians - it is Jesus plus-something-else as what we really need to be right before God and others.
...the effect of truly grasping the gospel is to find ourselves amazed at the fact that what we do adds nothing and takes away nothing from what God has done for us in the Lord Jesus. When the church realises that this gospel is what we need to encounter every day as Christians then it stops assuming the gospel and begins to give it centre-stage in every aspect of the church's life.
Though this is my struggle, other Christians are apt to fall off the other side. More on that coming up.
A few months ago I stumbled upon a clear explanation of what I had been doing for much of my Christian life. In short, I was "assuming the gospel." The article that explained the magnitude of this to me is called "Assumed Evangelicalism: Some Reflections En Route to Denying the Gospel." It offers a much more thorough explanation of what I've been talking about--so I'll excerpt heavily here. The whole thing is worth reading, but I know most of you won't click over.
The first generation believed and proclaimed the gospel and thought that there were certain social entailments. The next generation assumed the gospel and advocated the entailments. The third generation denied the gospel and all that were left were the entailments.
The lessons to be drawn are simple: The author suggests that the evangelical church (defined here as "Christianity that gets its definition from the gospel, the good news") could be headed down the same road.
Assumed evangelicalism believes and signs up to the gospel. It certainly does not deny the gospel. But in terms of priorities, focus, and direction, assumed evangelicalism begins to give gradually increasing energy to concerns other than the gospel and key evangelical distinctives, to gradually elevate secondary issues to a primary level, to be increasingly worried about how it is perceived by others and to allow itself to be increasingly influenced both in content and method by the prevailing culture of the day.
So how do you know if you're assuming the gospel?
The spiritual health-check for assumed evangelicalism is to look at these key gospel truths [Romans 1:1-6 is offered as a basic outline] and to ask: are we gradually beginning to move on from these truths to new initiatives which are effectively leaving the gospel behind ... or are we pouring our lives into reliving, retelling, re-believing this same gospel story? Are we doing so day after day, with increasing personal understanding and deepening joy and gratitude?
As this article describes it, you can assume the gospel in two opposite ways. Some people or some organizations/churches are more prone to falling off one side than the other, but we can all be susceptible to both, and they're equally dangerous. I'll outline both in my next post.
My birthday (I turned 24 on Saturday--thanks, all two of you non-family members who remembered!) started with breakfast in bed, thanks to my wonderful husband who makes mean French toast, and then turned into a wonderful weekend in St. Louis. The purpose of our trip actually wasn't to celebrate my birthday, but rather, to celebrate the ordination of Steve's cousin Josh and to spend time with extended family we hadn't seen since last March. And what a fun weekend it was!
Steve and I had a great time catching up with cousins and being entertained by their beautiful, precious children. I wish I had pictures to post! (My favorite lines of the weekend came from four-year-old Zack, who informed us that the lemonade he was drinking at Houlihans "makes my tongue dizzy" and then told everyone what we taught him to say: "I have ornery in my eyes!" He really does--there is no mistaking the mischievous twinkle in that little boy's expressions!). Though it was a short visit, it was full of games and laughter--and my in-laws even gave me a fun surprise birthday celebration! I celebrated with my family when we were home last weekend, and then this weekend, Steve's mom made a yummy white chocolate cake and his family all sang to me.
The weekend culminated with last night's ordination service. Josh, who's been in seminary for the past two and a half years, was ordained as a minister of the gospel in anticipation of his becoming a pastor this May/June. It was an emotional and God-glorifying worship service, and Steve and I were so blessed to be there. We felt richly rewarded to be a small part of God's blessing to Josh and Ali and their four little ones (including the aforementioned Zack). There is nothing like the feeling of being used by God in some small way to show His faithfulness to someone else!
Though our late-night drive home included an unplanned "scenic diversion" through the stupid Illinois towns of St. Jacob and Highland (somehow we both missed the split for I-64 and headed north on I-55 instead, then had to cut across on state roads), we made it home safely and are glad to be back in Tennessee where things should settle down a little after all our recent road trips!
It wasn't until late September, when I found myself with long, quiet hours to spend at home in prayer, study and reflection, that God started weaving the threads together.
It began, and continued to build, with several blogs that have become my favorites: GirlTalk, SoloFemininity, WorshipMatters, and GospelDrivenLife, among others. Each of these people is tied closely to Sovereign Grace Ministries, an organization I've respected and been drawn to ever since attending one of their conferences a few years ago. And it doesn't take long reading any of them before you notice a common denominator: None of them can stop talking about the gospel. They always come back to it. They apply it to every aspect of life. And it makes them stand out--not in a "trying-to-be-impressive" way, but in a solid, godly, "these people understand something and live something more deeply than most Christians" kind of way. They seem to be following Christ with deep joy, with wholehearted love for the gospel. They seem to have something that a lot of the church is missing. I was irresistibly drawn to it.
Suddenly I was longing to step back from all the debates that Christians get into, all the tangent issues that we obsess over, and all the good things that we let become the enemy of the best thing. I was drawn to what I saw in the bloggers mentioned above--the fruit of living what C.J. Mahaney calls a "cross-centered life." I thought I was really beginning to understand it then, but God had much more to show me.
In the midst of that desert, an unexpected blessing: plans came together for a trip to Denver. Since she could not come to my wedding, my mentor Diane invited me to come out for a visit, where I'd not only get to see her, but several other wonderful friends and co-workers at Kingdom Building Ministries. She also planned a spiritual retreat for the two of us up at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. I wasn't doing much praying by that time, but I prayed for a breakthrough. I prayed that God would meet me there, somehow.
I spent a good deal of the weekend in tears. I had been excited about the retreat, but hadn't stopped to realize that getting away for a whole weekend and seeking God would mean coming face to face with where I was instead of pushing down the struggles and trying to be numb. It would be painful. And it was. I didn't understand why, if I desperately wanted to "get it" and walk closely with God once again, why He wouldn't help me to understand what was going on and get through it.
The first part of the breakthrough came in remembering God's past faithfulness, which I've already blogged about extensively. It has since become a sort of life theme for me. I had to recount and acknowledge what I knew to be true of God's character--in Scripture as He kept His promises and refused to forsake the Israelites, and in my own life as I had experienced His care and guidance countless times already--in order to believe that He had not abandoned me this time.
Yet I still felt like I was dealing with two huge and almost opposite issues. One was grace. I had a constant feeling that God must be disappointed with me. I heard people say things like, "Nothing you do will make God love you any more, and nothing you do will make God love you any less," and I said, "yeah, but..." Where does it say that in Scripture? Surely He must be disgusted with me a lot of the time.
I had a hard time accepting that grace, that love. And I didn't know why, because certainly my parents had wonderfully modeled unconditional love and support my whole life. I never felt I had to earn their love. Yet the struggle was there all the same. Diane made it her mission that weekend to show me unconditional love and grace, but still I struggled with the notion that God's view of me must be tied to my performance.
The other issue I was dealing with was pride. I had always known I struggled with pride, and would have admitted it rather flippantly. But it was that weekend that God opened my eyes to the magnitude of pride as a sin, and how offensive it is to Him--far worse than external things that I would point to as "dramatic" or "horrible" sins. God broke me, and showed me how ugly the pride in my heart really was. I begged Him to teach me to walk in humility.
By the time I left Denver, I felt as though--cliched as it sounds--a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Life wasn't suddenly perfect, but I felt as though God had met me and I was on my way back.
But I still had hardly begun to grasp the idea of grace, and I was far from seeing how my "two separate struggles" were really one and the same.
The journey I'm on started about a year ago. Of course, in the heart and mind of God it started a long time before that, but a year ago is a clear place to start explaining.
Last March, I was living at home. I had graduated from college and was engaged to be married to the man of my dreams. I was reconnecting with my best friend, and I was part of a great Bible study. Though my job was challenging and often not fun, it was meaningful, and I was working with people I loved. Furthermore, I had no real bills to pay.
Sounds like I'm an ungrateful wretch. But the fact was, all the joys in my life could not compensate for the one thing I lacked: intimacy with God. I felt drier than...well, than my mouth felt when I once ate a bite of raw plantain (try one and see what I mean--it is absolutely bizarre, the way all the moisture is immediately sucked out of your mouth, even if you take a drink of water).
My devotional time with God had been reduced to "shoulds" and "have tos" rather than a desire to spend time with Him. I felt completely empty. I alternated between desperately crying out, and ignoring the emptiness, existing in numbness because it was too painful to get into. The worst part was that I had no idea what was wrong with me. I hadn't been dealt some raw deal in life; I hadn't endured a crisis or a tragedy of any kind. I had no identifiable problem that could be labeled and treated. I was just dry and empty.
The first show I saw was The Sound of Music, put on by my high school alma mater sometime in the late 1980s. I was in elementary school, and I was completely enamored with the (what I perceived as) incredible talent of the "big kids" on stage. Every year, Mom and Dad would take us to the high school musical, from The King and I to Hello, Dolly to Guys and Dolls. Then when I got older, I experienced professional Broadway, in the Big Apple, for the first time--Beauty and the Beast and Damn Yankees. I was hooked.
I don't know what it is, but when the lights are dimmed and those first schmaltzy notes swell from the orchestra pit, my insides tingle. I end up wistfully imagining myself onstage as one of the characters, and I find myself humming the songs for days (or, more often, singing them at the top of my lungs in the car, with the volume turned up loud enough that I think I sound just like the actress on the CD). Showtunes are just in my blood. What more could you ask for than a world where people randomly break into song, and everyone on the street magically knows all the words and all the same dance steps?
Steve and I headed home last weekend for (in my case) a Broadway-filled weekend. On Saturday, I went with my parents and my best friend, Julie (ironically, Broadway strikes again--we became best friends when we co-starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat together) to see Thoroughly Modern Millie. Some friends and I had tickets to see Millie on Broadway in March 2003--but the day we arrived in NYC on chorale tour, the musicians went on strike, and all theaters were dark. I was beyond disappointed, especially when I got the soundtrack and fell in love with the music (and with the incredible Sutton Foster's voice). So my parents, as a birthday present (hint, hint...it's coming), bought my ticket to go see the show when it came through Toledo on its national tour. The actress who played Millie...wasn't Sutton...but I loved seeing the show nonetheless.
And, afterwards, the wonderful bonus was some great girl time with Jules, over dinner at none other than...Subway :) We had a great time catching up at the familiar restaurant where we enjoyed dinner together every week last year while I lived at home.
On Sunday, the Broadway extravaganza continued with the main reason for coming home: the high school production of Bye, Bye Birdie! Besides the fact that Birdie has been one of my favorite shows ever since I saw the 1995 movie version with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams, there were several important reasons to come home and see the MHS version. Many of the parts were played by kids who acted with me in our high school shows when they were 4th and 5th graders. And, the musical was the directing debut of an old friend of mine, the super-talented Melissa Saneholtz, who I performed with in several shows before she was hired by our alma mater as the high school music director this year.
I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Andee, Jamie's older sister, not once but twice. She was the cutest little Munchkin in The Wiz (I was Addaperle, so the Munchkins were "my" little kids) before appearing in Annie Get Your Gun two years later. With her sparkling smile and personality, Andee instantly wins you over. Not to mention, talent--and beauty--definitely run in this family. I have loved seeing Andee in my old show choir for the last few years (she's a senior now) and she stepped skillfully into a supporting role in Birdie. I think it takes more talent than people realize to pull off a role with few lines--Andee's facial expressions, reactions to other characters and comedic timing as Mrs. MacAfee were stellar.
And then there was Wes--the fourth grader who played the mayor of Munchkinland eight years ago, and whom I wanted to take home with me when the show was over. I fell in love with this kid--and it's hard to believe he's now grown up enough to have played Albert Peterson in Birdie as a senior this year. Wow! Grown up indeed--I was blown away by his voice!
Besides giving up something unnecessary/unhelpful for Lent this year, I also wanted to add something good--specifically, something that would help me deepen my understanding and love for the cross. So I'm studying Galatians. Already it has been wonderfully fruitful and I'm beyond thankful for the way God has graciously given me a hunger for His Word.
Yesterday I read through the book of Galatians in The Message paraphrase, for a different perspective. These two verses in chapter three stopped me cold. Only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.
I can't think of a better way to describe my journey as a Christ-follower. All these years, I thought that I had to complete by my own efforts what God had begun. I knew without a doubt that I was saved by grace alone--Ephesians 2:8-10 and all that--but I thought after that, it was up to me. I had to earn God's acceptance and approval.
Over the last few months, God has been exposing that belief for the foolish and dangerous lie that it is--and replacing it with a love for and an increased understanding of the glorious grace of the gospel. Grace that doesn't stop when I am saved, but continues to make me acceptable to God at every point of my life, so that I can approach Him not because of my own successful efforts, but because of the blood of Christ.
Why did I have such a foolish, crazy understanding for so long? It's becoming clear now: It's because I no longer had the cross in clear focus in my life. It was in my rearview mirror, a nice memory of what saved me. Foolishness.
If I had kept the cross the MAIN THING in my life, I would have known what I am now finally starting to grasp: the cross symbolizes what my independent efforts amount to. I was powerless to achieve my salvation, yes. But apart from the cross, I am also powerless to achieve any sort of sanctification or growth.
Two things have kept me from blogging much lately (except for pasting other people's thoughts). One is a tight deadline for a Kingdom Building Ministries research project. I've been learning about random things from DNA to electricity to Mother Teresa to Chinese legends--I love sleuthing to verify facts for a book. I just finished a little while ago--whew!
The other is a uncertainty about how to express what's been on my mind lately. I've been wanting to blog about the way God has been putting puzzle pieces in place over the last few months in terms of who He is and what the main thing is. I am continually amazed at how the lessons He's been teaching me over the last year are suddenly coming together and making tons of sense as a whole. He has me in a great place right now and I want to share that...but am unsure where to start!
Until then, have a blessed day, everyone!
Another one of those songs I've listened to a dozen times, yet just recently heard for the first time. This could be the anthem for where God has brought me and where I hope to be headed. I was going to highlight the lyrics that have most hit me, and ended up with half the song in boldface.
I've heard it said that Jesus died on the cross because he would "rather die than live without us," and that the cross shows how much we're worth to God. While I can understand the motive behind these and similar thoughts (that the cross demonstrates God's profound love for us, which it does), they tend to obscure where our focus should be. If thinking about the cross leads me to think more about myself, I've missed the point. Jesus died to uphold His Father's justice and righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26). My sins alone required the death of the Son of God. The reason Jesus confidently endured the cross was not ultimately because of His love for US, but because of His love for His Father and His zeal to uphold His glory. The cross sets us free from constant self-love to passionately love the One Who created, sustains, and redeemed us.
May the cross of Christ amaze you, astound you, and continually awaken your soul to the infinite mercies of our great God.
Wow. What can I add to that but, WOW.
"I am at last convinced that it is better for me to do something for God, though it be imperfect, than to be guilty of perpetual delays in hopes of better pleasing myself."
I always love a feel-good sports story. Be sure to watch the video.


text:
Schlagwort-Archive: Prüfungsvorbereitung EX0-105
EX0-105 Prüfungsfragen, EX0-105 Examensfragen
Veröffentlicht am 2. August 2018 von admin
EX0-105 Prüfungsfragen, EX0-105 Examensfragen Information Security Foundation based on ISO/IEC 27002 (ICND2 v3.0) www.it-pruefungen.ch
QUESTION NO: 1
You are the owner of the courier company SpeeDelivery. You employ a few people who, while waiting to make a delivery, can carry out other tasks. You notice, however, that they use this time to send and read their private mail and surf the Internet. In legal terms, in which way can the use of the Internet and e-mail facilities be best regulated?
A. Installing an application that makes certain websites no longer accessible and that filters attachments in e-mails
B. Drafting a code of conduct for the use of the Internet and e-mail in which the rights and
obligations of both the employer and staff are set down
C. Implementing privacy regulations
D. Installing a virus scanner
Why is air-conditioning placed in the server room?
A. In the server room the air has to be cooled and the heat produced by the equipment has to be extracted. The air in the room is also dehumidified and filtered.
B. When a company wishes to cool its offices, the server room is the best place. This way, no office space needs to be sacrificed for such a large piece of equipment.
C. It is not pleasant for the maintenance staff to have to work in a server room that is too warm.
D. Backup tapes are made from thin plastic which cannot withstand high temperatures.
Therefore, if it gets too hot in a server room, they may get damaged.
Prüfungsvorbereitung EX0-105 Studienmaterial deutsch Information Security Foundation based on ISO/IEC 27002 https://www.it-pruefungen.ch/Ex0-105.htm
Who is authorized to change the classification of a document?
A. The author of the document
B. The administrator of the document
C. The owner of the document
D. The manager of the owner of the document
The company Midwest Insurance has taken many measures to protect its information. It uses an Information Security Management System, the input and output of data in applications is validated, confidential documents are sent in encrypted form and staff use tokens to access information systems. Which of these is not a technical measure?
A. Information Security Management System
B. The use of tokens to gain access to information systems
C. Validation of input and output data in applications
D. Encryption of information
IT-Prüfungen EX0-105 Information Security Foundation based on ISO/IEC 27002 www.it-pruefungen.ch
What is an example of a physical security measure?
A. A code of conduct that requires staff to adhere to the clear desk policy, ensuring that
confidential information is not left visibly on the desk at the end of the work day
B. An access control policy with passes that have to be worn visibly
C. The encryption of confidential information
D. Special fire extinguishers with inert gas, such as Argon
Veröffentlicht unter Allgemein	| Verschlagwortet mit IT-Prüfung EX0-105, Prüfungsvorbereitung EX0-105	| Kommentar hinterlassen


Please visit the Shuttle Service Schedule for scheduled times.
The Canadian Economic Association Conference is pleased to coordinate with WestJet to offer 10% off Econo and 15% off Plus fares* for travel between Halifax and anywhere WestJet flies in North America. To take advantage of this offer, you will need the discount codes listed below. Please use both the coupon and promo code when booking with a travel agent. For details on how to complete a booking with these discount codes, please visit westjet.com/convention-discount.
You can change or cancel reservations within 24 hours of booking at no charge. Further changes or cancellations can be made up to 2 hours prior to the flight; please note additional fees or charges may apply for each guest depending on fare class booked and differences in fare. Check out our service fees page for more information.
Code offers 5% discount on Tango fares, and 10% discount for all other fare classes.
Travel valid: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.


text:
The 1904 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1904. Republican nominee John McLane defeated Democratic nominee Henry F. Hollis with 57.83% of the vote.

General election

Candidates
Major party candidates
John McLane, Republican
Henry F. Hollis, Democratic

Other candidates
Sumner F. Claflin, Socialist
David Heald, Prohibition
George Howie, People's

Results

References

1904
New Hampshire
Gubernatorial


text:
Q: How to add the preface to Contents in ConTeXt? I am writing an aritcle on English grammar which has a preface in the front matter. Now I found that the preface wasn't added to contents. I try to redefine the combinedlist, but it still has no effect.
\definecombinedlist
  [content]
  [part,chapter,
   title,
   section,subsection,
   subsubsection,subsubsubsection]
\starttext
\setuppagenumbering
  [alternative=dobulesided]

\startfrontmatter
\completecontent
\title{Preface}
Two years ago, I met $\ldots$
\stopfrontmatter

\startbodymatter
\chapter{Phrasal verb}
The term {\bf phrasal verb} is commonly applied to two or three distinct but related constructions in English.
\stopbodymatter
\stoptext

How can I define the combinedlist so that it can contain the preface?

A: To add the unnumbered elements to the table of contents, you need to set
incrementnumber to list:
\setuphead
  [title]
  [incrementnumber=list]

This, however, lists the table of contents in the table of contents,
which is usually not desired. One solution is to use \placecontent
instead of \completecontent to prevent automatic placement of the
head, then create a manual head with \starttitle and disable
saving it into the table of content using saveinlist=no. Here's a full
example:
\definecombinedlist
  [content]
  [title, chapter]

\setuphead
  [title]
  [incrementnumber=list]

\starttext
  \starttitle [title=Contents, saveinlist=no]
    \placecontent
  \stoptitle
  \starttitle [title=Preface]
  \stoptitle
  \startchapter [title=Phrasal verb]
  \stopchapter
\stoptext


text:
Cross-cultural studies
Group identity
Brytewave (CafeScribe-Follett Higher Ed)
Chegg Inc
EBSCO eBooks (formerly NetLibrary)
The Stone Soup Experiment: Why Cultural Boundaries Persist
by Deborah Downing Wilson
University of Chicago Press, 2015
Cloth: 978-0-226-28977-9 | eISBN: 978-0-226-28994-6 | Paper: 978-0-226-28980-9
Library of Congress Classification HM623.W55 2015
Dewey Decimal Classification 303.482
The Stone Soup Experiment is a remarkable story of cultural difference, of in-groups, out-groups, and how quickly and strongly the lines between them are drawn. It is also a story about simulation and reality, and how quickly the lines between them can be dismantled. In a compulsively readable account, Deborah Downing Wilson details a ten-week project in which forty university students were split into two different simulated cultures: the carefree Stoners, and the market-driven Traders. Through their eyes we are granted intimate access to the very foundations of human society: how group identities are formed and what happens when opposing ones come into contact.
The experience of the Stoners and Traders is a profound testament to human sociality. Even in the form of simulation, even as a game, the participants found themselves quickly—and with real conviction—bound to the ideologies and practices of their in-group. The Stoners enjoyed their days lounging, chatting, and making crafts, while the Traders—through a complex market of playing cards—competed for the highest bankrolls. When they came into contact, misunderstanding, competition, and even manipulation prevailed, to the point that each group became so convinced of its own superiority that even after the simulation's end the students could not reconcile.
Throughout her riveting narrative, Downing Wilson interweaves fascinating discussions on the importance of play, emotions, and intergroup interaction in the formation and maintenance of group identities, as well as on the dynamic social processes at work when different cultural groups interact. A fascinating account of social experimentation, the book paints a vivid portrait of our deepest social tendencies and the powers they have over how we make friends and enemies alike.
Deborah Downing Wilson is an instructor in the department of communication at the University of Nevada, Reno.
"Alas, we cannot re-create the original state of nature as envisioned by Rousseau or Hobbes. But in this fascinating and surprising book, Downing Wilson provides vital clues about the evolution of different human cultures."
— Howard Gardner, author of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed
"The Stone Soup Experiment is a highly engaging, theoretically sound, and original book that reads as swiftly and seamlessly as a novel. This narrative quality does not subtract from its scholarly merit, however. It weaves cultural theory and scholarly literature to offer new insights about cultural formation in small groups and, importantly, new insights about teaching about culture, which opens its audience up to anyone who teaches about cultural diversity, multiculturalism, cultural communication, or any related subjects."
— Kysa Nygreen, author of These Kids
"This is the most important controlled study of how groups construct themselves through confrontation since Sherif and Sherif wrote about the Robbers Cave experiment a half century ago. It is beautifully documented and written, a fast-paced ethnographic account with lessons for everyone from cognitive scientists to international relations scholars."
— James Wertsch, author of Voices of Collective Remembering
"The Stone Soup Experiment is the story of an ambitious classroom simulation. In her course on cross-cultural communication, Wilson began by randomly assigning each of her students to one of two cultures: Traders or Stoners. In the ten weeks that followed, she and the students became participant-observers. They reported on allegiances and prejudices, commitment and conflicts, as the Trader and Stoner cultures were shaped by their members, and vice versa. Heavily seasoned with excerpts from student ethnographies, the book reads like a novel. There are plenty of plot twists (theft, betrayal, refusal to reconcile) as the students, and at times their instructor, experience a full range of preconceptions and partialities, including ethnocentrism, hindsight bias, and confirmation bias. Through it all, Wilson's voice is deeply reflective and honest. Integrating perspectives on groups, culture, and communication from a broad swath of the social sciences (e.g., psychology, communication studies, sociology, anthropology), the book's theoretical perspective is fresh. Warning: faculty readers may be inspired to new levels of daring in the classroom. . . . Highly recommended."
— Choice
Introduction: The Romantic Classroom
1. The Inception
2. First Encounters, First Crimes
3. The Justification
4. The Unreconciliation
See other books on: Cross-cultural studies | Educational Psychology | Group identity | Social interaction | Social psychology
See other titles from University of Chicago Press
Nearby on shelf for Sociology / Culture:


Luckily the recipes have been translated to allow us to use all-human ingredients...but not-so-luckily it's all in American.
Over this side of the pond, we weigh our dry ingredients. Over there - you use cups.
Wet ingredients are OK though (or so I thought) because we both use pints and fluid ounces. But wait - they're not the same!!!
My new best friend explained that a US cup is 8 fluid ounces...whereas a UK cup is 10 fluid ounces. Looks like I'd better buy an American measuring cup.
Back to the dry stuff. Can't be too hard to scoop out a cup of flour, can it?
But apparently it can. My new best friend says :" It's also important to realise that when an American recipe calls for "1 cup of flour", there is an assumption in how this is measured. Scooping out of a bag will compress the flour, and a cup can easily end up containing an extra quarter or even half an ounce, and this could make a big difference to the results. Instead, the "official" measuring technique is to stir the flour with a spoon to "aerate" it, then pour it into the measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Don't pat it down, or tap the cup on the workbench to level it off.
However, this only applies to very powdery dry ingredients, like flour. Other ingredients, like rice, brown sugar or fats, should be packed firmly in the measuring cup to avoid air gaps."
Even now I'm not ready to cook. Many recipes call for a "stick" of butter (although it seems even in America some of you prefer to buy your butter in "cubes", like the lower of these two!
In the UK we don't buy butter in sticks. We buy butter in 250gm packs.
My new best friend says "You normally buy butter in packs of a pound, consisting of four sticks, and they're usually marked in quarters (sometimes in eighths), making it easy to measure off, say, 2oz of butter, or "half a stick"."
Yet sometimes the recipe asks for "half a cup" of butter. What on earth do you do? Squash the butter in?
I know what I did...made an English recipe chocolate cake, cut in half horizontally and sandwiched with raspberry jam!
The new part to me was the icing (USA = frosting?) I melted some chocolate (actually I burnt some chocolate to the bottom of the pan, went out and bought some more, then melted some chocolate) mixed in some raspberry jam (USA = jelly?) and some icing sugar (USA don't know what this is, the very fine powdery type) and a little water. Absolutely yummy!
In the US jelly is clear and jam has the fruit in it. The sugar you mention is what I know as confectioner's sugar. As for measuring the butter you will find the amounts on the label the stick is wrapped with.
Your cake sounds heavenly by the way!
the cake was (still is!) nice!
I didn't realize baking was so different in other countries. Seems perfectly normal to me but I can see how it would be confusing for you! My mom recently got a recipe from her Australian cousin and couldn't figure out the measurements and certain ingredients to save her life!
This post was so entertaining! I'm glad you mucked through it to be rewarded with a lovely cake at the end. Neelix would be proud!
How funny, good luck figuring it all out!
Oh....lol.... the same...yet so different.
Confectioner's sugar is also called powdered sugar here. And, regarding flour, rather then stirring, you should generally shift it. At least when something requires eggs....we are all on the same page!
LOL. I have a book that measures in cups and teaspoons but at least it's an old british book so I can still use it quite easily.
At any rate: 1 stick=.25 lb=.5 cup.
still seems puzzling to me ...but guess what I just found in the back of my cupboard? A jug I bought in Ikea, ages ago, and chucked in the back because it's got cup measures on it, and not UK pints! Problem solved, hopefully!
Eh, it is puzzling. No two ways about it. Even beyond the whole conversion issue, the volume/mass thing is bizarre.