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When You're Running Contrary to the Church Culture
Filed under: Christianity — Tags: church culture, church life, local church, pastors, short stories, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 10:02 am
Although Pastor Ted Reynolds had been six weeks at this new church, this was his first time teaching the adult Sunday School elective which met in a classroom setting.
After reading a chapter in Philippians, he said, "I think there are four things we can learn from this reading;" and as he said it he wrote "4 things" as a header on the whiteboard and underlined it.
As soon as he did he noticed a bit of a murmur and some shuffling. He turned around to face the group and there were a few people quietly coughing. Finally, there was a raised hand.
"Pastor," he said, "Just so you know, in this church we write the number four with the top part closed."
Reynolds, whose brain was focused on the doctrinal points he wanted to make, didn't get it at first. "I'm sorry;" he said, "Can you repeat that?"
This time a woman spoke up, "You need to write the number so the upper part forms a triangle;" then after a one second pause, "That's how we do it here." She walked to another part of the whiteboard and illustrated the contrasting styles.
He looked at his header on the board and he had written it the way he had always written it, with the stems of the numeral either parallel or perpendicular. "That's how I write it;" he replied, and he could feel himself digging in his heels on this bizarre issue.
Then Stan, an older member of the congregation who had served on the search committee which had interviewed him firmly said, "I guess you better get accustomed to how we do things here."
Pastor Reynolds couldn't believe this, but it wasn't a hill worth dying on, and he resolved to conform. Problem was, habits die hard, especially when you're looking at penmanship habits which had been formed long before Kindergarten.
So he simply, at every juncture where he could remember, wrote "four" instead of the number. In his mind, four was quickly becoming a four-letter word.
"It's funny;" he said to his wife one night; "When I candidated here we talked about eschatology, women in ministry, Bible translations, worship styles; I tried to cover every topic which could possibly be controversial, but we never talked about calligraphy."
It was then, and only then, that Bethany, his wife of 17 years turned to him and said, "Actually, I've always hated it when you write it open like that; I much prefer the way they way they do things here."
Ted Reynolds was shattered. It was the controversy that wouldn't go away. Ted did the only thing he could do. Fifteen months in, he resigned from the church, divorced Bethany, and now serves in a much more progressive church two states over, where they don't judge you on how you write the number four.
What Normal People Do
Filed under: Christianity, Church, ministry — Tags: church life, counselors, ministry life, normal life, pastors, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 9:45 am
On Thursday last week I replaced the slats in this rocking deck chair as the ones facing skyward had weathered to the point of disintegrating.
This probably seems unremarkable until you consider it's the first time in a long time that I've come close to doing anything that resembles what normal people do. I also did the caulking around the bathtub the same day. Look at me! The home improvement guy!
The reason this behavior is uncharacteristic is because 24 years ago this September, I walked away from a work-from-home situation and started being the face behind a Christian bookstore, that later grew to a chain of three stores. It was all-consuming
Over 12 years ago, I began the blogging activity — starting with a short-lived faith-focused blog at USAToday — that would also consume much of my time. Later, that morphed into five blogs, eventually settling down at three, two of which had daily (as in 365) content until recently. (I'm still committed to doing C201 daily.)
So I'm not a fix-the-deck-chair type of guy. I had to ask my wife where some of the tools were located and needed some up extra help when it came to changing the drill bit in the cordless drill. Sandpaper? I get the principle, but I'm not certified, so to speak, on that piece of equipment. Plus, I get flustered. I can take something like applying wood stain and make it complicated.
I suspect it's the same for many people in ministry. The weirdness of the schedule and perhaps a sense of having to prioritize spiritual things can easily result in not doing what normal people do. Around the house. With the car. Involving the kids. Especially with the kids.
It actually felt strange having done something like this. I keep looking at the chair and thinking I want to finish the other half now. Those slats aren't weathered and don't need to be replaced just yet, but it was just the pride in having done something like this.
Can anyone identify with this?
The Sermon He Did Not Want to Preach
Filed under: Christianity — Tags: Church family, church life, judgmental attitudes, judgmentalism, pastors, preaching, sin, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 7:43 am
The hints to Pastor Mitchell Norris started out subtly enough.
"Why don't we do a series on "The Seven Deadly Sins," pastor?"
He looked at the list: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. After the last almost-complete shutout of volunteers for the last church work day, he felt that starting at the end of the list with sloth would be a good series opener.
But then, the requests got more specific.
"We should have a sermon on gluttony."
Maybe they weren't quite that bold. They'd begin with a reference to the latest health reports on how we're not eating as healthy as we could; or how American life expectancy is dropping for the first time; or how we have so much food compared to the rest of the world and we could solve world hunger by sharing it. Some offered more detailed statistics.
But then they'd pitch the sermon on gluttony.
Pastor Mitchell especially liked this pitch: "Nowhere in the Bible does it say we're supposed to close our eyes to pray, but there are over one hundred references to gluttony."
He decided to spare himself the bother of fact-checking that stat.
Why would the church be so concerned about this particular topic?
It was all about Renn.
Renn Taylor had been involved in the church for several decades. When Mitchell Norris arrived, Renn weighed 165 pounds soaking wet. He was 3rd base on the church softball team, and on his turn at bat his home runs came from his speed running the bases, not the depth of the hit.
And now, many trips to Cracker Barrel and Chick-fil-A later, he was clocking in around 285 pounds. Word was it wasn't genetic. Renn loved a good meal. If there was an underlying psychological reason for the gorging, Renn would have to want to talk to the pastor — or someone — about it. He wasn't going say a word, nor did he feel he needed to. Renn was a smart man who knew that his former set of clothing was no longer fitting.
People joked about it with Renn, they invited him and his wife over for some 'health food,' they anonymously sent him diet books in the mail, they even offered to make him a doctor's appointment.
They were obsessed.
They were obsessed with Renn's weight gain.
And as for Pastor Mitchell Norris, he felt there were more important things in congregational life to deal with than a topic which might only apply directly to about a half dozen people, but would be perceived as applying to one individual in particular.
As long as Renn would be in the audience — and he rarely missed a Sunday — Pastor Norris was not about to give that sermon, or do the series on "The Seven Deadly Sins" for that matter. "I cannot;" he told his wife, "do a sermon on overeating, binge eating, weight problems, or anything else on that subject as long as Renn is sitting in the audience. He'll see right through it."
The more he refused to address the issue, the more people in the church dug in their heels.
"Gluttony is a sin;" they reminded the pastor.
"So is materialism;" he would reply.
Or on another day, "There's sin in the camp;" they would affirm. "We can't simply tolerate sin within the walls of our church family."
To which Pastor Norris would reply, "And what exactly is sin?"
To that question, responses varied. Some attempted a sound theological answer, and a few got it right, but for most, sin was Renn Taylor, spotted last Friday having a cheeseburger at the Waffle House next to the freeway.
So Pastor Mitchell Norris preached a series, but not the one they were expecting. He pulled a sermon out of the files about worrying about the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye when all along you've got a plank in your own.
Then he spoke about the type of people who Jesus befriended, and how none of us really deserve to be part of his inner circle, but when he lets us in, it's an act of grace.
The week after that one, he spoke about Peter's preoccupation over what might happen to the Apostle John and how Jesus tells him it's really 'none of your business.'
When it was over, they told him it was some of his best preaching. That he seemed to have a fresh passion and urgency about his preaching.
He thanked them.
And then, in the week that followed, at different times and places, they asked him if he would consider doing a sermon on gluttony.
People in Your Church — Not Just the Staff — Have Gifts
Filed under: Christianity, Church, music, worship — Tags: apostles, Christianity, Church, church leadership, church life, evangelical, evangelists, giftedness, ministry, pastors, prophets, Spirit led, spiritual gifts, teachers, worship leader, worship music — paulthinkingoutloud @ 11:19 am
This concerns a topic that is recurring around our supper table. It was many years in the making, and something that both of us had been thinking and talking about for a long, long time before she wrote it all out. Not the first time presenting it here, but I believe it's still relevant, if not more so than when all this happened.
• • • by Ruth Wilkinson
A number of years ago, a terrible thing happened.
Our local Christian school had just celebrated their Grade 8 graduation. Excited 14-year-olds, proud parents and grandparents, a ceremony, a party.
That was Friday evening.
One of the students, a girl, went home that evening, full of life and fun and hope, said good night to her parents, went to sleep, fell into a diabetic coma and died in the night.
The next day, phone lines burned up as the word spread and the Christian community prayed together for this family and for the girl's friends.
Sunday morning during the service, the then pastor of #thechurchiusedtogoto mentioned the terrible thing in his 'pastoral prayer' before the sermon and the congregation prayed together for the comfort and healing of us all.
Over the next week, it started to sink in as these things will do, and a lot of people, solid believers who love Jesus, began asking hard questions. People deeply wounded by the fact that God could allow this to happen.
We own the local Christian bookstore, and some of these folks came in looking for answers. The best we could do was share their questions and their pain. Because there are no answers, besides the trite ones that don't work.
The next Sunday, I was scheduled to lead worship. I chose songs that were familiar and simple, songs that spoke only of who God is and always had been and avoided "I will worship you" and "Thank you" types of lyrics.
On the platform, in my allotted one minute of speech, I said that a terrible thing had happened last week. That a lot of us were still hurting and questioning and angry. That it can be difficult to sing praises at a time like this, out of our woundedness. But that God was still God and though we don't understand, we can trust him.
And we sang.
The next day, I got an email. From the (P)astor. Telling me off.
Apparently I had crossed a line. I'd been "too pastoral". He said that I had no right to address the need in the congregation that week because he had "mentioned it" in his prayer the week before. And that was his job, not mine.
This was in the days before I was liberated enough to allow myself to ask, "What the hell?" so I went with the sanctified version of same, "What on earth?". How could I possibly have been wrong to acknowledge what we were all thinking, and to act accordingly?
But, knowing from long experience that there was no point in arguing, I acquiesced and he was mollified.
That episode stuck with me. Like a piece of shrapnel the surgeons couldn't quite get.
"Too pastoral".
Ephesians 4:11 speaks about gifts given to "each one of us". The writer lists 5. Widely accepted interpretation of this verse sees each of the 5 as a broad category of Spirit-borne inclination and ability, with every one of us falling into one or another.
Apostles – those whose role it is to be sent. To go beyond the comfort zone and get things started that others would find too intimidating or difficult. Trailblazers.
Prophets – those whose role it is to speak God's heart. To remind us all why we do what we do, and, whether it's comfortable or not, to set apart truth from expediency. Truth-speakers.
Evangelists – those whose role it is to tell others about Jesus. To naturally find the paths of conversation that lead non-believers to consider who Christ is. Challengers.
Pastors – those whose role it is to come alongside people, to meet them where they are and to guide them in a good direction. To protect, to direct, to listen and love. Shepherds.
Teachers – those whose role it is to study and understand the written word of God, and to unfold it to the rest of us so we can put it into practice. Instructors.
I'll be the first to point out that "worship leader" isn't included in the list. Which means that those of us who take that place in ecclesial gatherings must fall into the "each one of us" who have been given these gifts.
Every time a worship leader (or song leader or whatever) stands on the platform of your church and picks up the mic, you are looking at a person to whom has been given one of the 5-fold gifts.
But can you tell?
Don't know about you, sunshine, but I want to.
I think that, after a week or two, you should be able to tell. From their song choices, from the short spoken word they're given 60 seconds for on the spreadsheet, from what makes them cry, smile, jump up and down – you should be able to tell that:
This woman has the gift of an evangelist. She challenges us to speak about Jesus to the world because he died for us.
That guy has the gift of a teacher. He chooses songs with substance and depth of lyric. He doesn't just read 6 verses from the Psalms, he explains things.
That kid is totally a prophet. He reminds us of what's important and what's not.
This dude is an apostle. He comes back to us from where he's been all week and tells us what's going on out there.
This woman is a pastor. Her heart bleeds when yours does. She comes alongside and walks with you through the good and the bad and encourages you to keep going.
A worship leader who is free to express their giftedness in the congregation is, himself, a gift to the congregation.
A worship leader who is bound by rules and by "what we do" is a time filler.
Church "leadership" who restrict the use of Christ-given gifts are, in my humble opinion, sinning against the Spirit and the congregation.
Those gifts are there for a reason.
Let us use them.
Preachers and Evangelists: Then and Now
Filed under: Christianity, Church, leadership, ministry — Tags: Apostle Paul, apostles, church leadership, church life, church planting, early church, humility, pastors, preaching, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 9:09 am
Increasingly, Twitter is becoming a long-form medium. It's not just the 140 vs. 280 character thing, but with the use of threads, writers can present rather extensive essays.
Every once in awhile I find threads which I think are worthy of being preserved somewhere more permanent. The writer may have envisioned something temporary — a kind of Snapchat prose — but the words deserve greater attention. So as we've done before — Skye Jethani, Mark Clark, Sheila Wray Gregoire, etc. — we want to introduce you to a voice which is new here.
Dr. Steve Bezner has been the Senior Pastor of Houston Northwest Church (Houston NW) since January 2013. Steve is married to Joy, and they have two teenage sons—Ben and Andrew. This originally appeared on his Twitter account on January 24th.
by Steve Bezner
Here's a surprising tidbit: Paul apparently was not very impressive in person. His speaking ability was just so-so. His physical appearance was nothing special. And he had some sort of physical ailment. (I'm guessing weak eyes based on context clues.) But it gets worse.
There were other, more dynamic leaders in the ancient church who would speak at the churches Paul started after Paul left town. And the people would be amazed at their abilities–their charisma, smooth words, and physical appearance.
And those churches would abandon Paul.
Paul refers to these individuals sarcastically as "super-apostles" in 2 Corinthians. They apparently also went to Galatia, as they were working to preach a different gospel from the one Paul had brought. Some even tried to follow Peter or Apollos (friends of Paul's) over Paul.
Paul didn't have the best appearance. Or speech. Or personality. He was quiet and meek. And the people in the early churches preferred the loud apostle. The strong apostle. The one that could "hold a room." The one that was impressive.
Paul did, however, have principle. He refused to take money when he did not need it. He pushed into new territory to take the gospel, while others simply rode his coattails. He faithfully raised up new leaders like Timothy, Titus and Silvanus. He painstakingly worked on theology.
Many pastors I know are like Paul rather than the (appropriately) unnamed "super-apostles." They have been called. They grind away in obscurity. They take less money than they could make in the private sector…or work another job. They faithfully disciple. They study Scripture. They do all of this knowing full well that there are other pastors out there who will always gain more notoriety.
Others who are louder.
Others who are more opinionated.
Others who always speak while they are processing.
Others who seem to somehow end up in the spotlight.
These pastors may not be the greatest preachers in the world. They may not know the best leadership practices. They may not have the most clever responses to the latest issues on social media. And, if they are honest, they tire of being overlooked for the "super-pastors."
But Paul's letters are encouraging. The man who was not the greatest preacher or leader is read 2000 years later. We do not even know the name of Paul's "super-apostle" competitors. Faithfulness and skillfulness, over time, bears fruit that some never experience.
So to those "normal" pastors: Take heart. Stay true to the Scripture. Hold fast to your convictions. Teach, love, preach, pastor, and do so knowing that you will reap a harvest of faithfulness that is often unseen. Your ministry is worthwhile, even when it feels pointless.
To sum up pastoral ministry:
Loudest is not best.
Opinionated is not best.
Impressive is not best.
What is best?
Faithfulness to Jesus.
Skillfulness in the field where you are planted.
Raising up followers of Jesus.
Teaching Scripture and theology.
Playing the long game.
Do not strive for the blessing of the "super-apostle."
Strive instead for the acclaim of Jesus:
"Well done, my good and faithful servant."
Missing Church
Filed under: Christianity, Church — Tags: church attendance, church life, local church, local ministry, pastors, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 7:19 am
There have not been a lot of weekends in my life where I've missed church, in one form or another, altogether. It's even more weird to think that yesterday this was also true for most of the people I know.
Unlike our friends in nearby Buffalo, we don't get hit with a lot of church closings. We get Sundays when the weather seems to definitely impact attendance. It will have been a great week and then a weather system rolls in on Saturday night. Is God just testing the resolve of our pastors and church leaders?
Attendance sags on those occasions, volunteers don't show up, and you can bet your bottom dollar (pun intended) that offerings are down. But we're hearty and our cities, towns and villages all have snowploughs (the preferred spelling here) because, after all, this is Canada.
But consistently on Saturday night, church after church looked at the satellite imagery, looked at the forecast, and looked out the window and announced closings. Well all except for The Salvation Army. They're an army after all, and it takes more than a few inches of freezing rain to shut down an army.
But some were reluctant. Like these guys, who I won't name:
Apparently, not "forsaking the assembly" is sacrosanct; an eleventh commandment so to speak. So it was going to take an act of God for this church not to meet.
But in the end, they caved to the planetary conditions in their region and shut down like the rest of us.
Well, not all of us.
You see to this point, I've not told you the full story. To the best of our knowledge, based on websites and church Facebook pages, it was the Evangelical churches which cancelled services. In the Mainline churches, it was business as usual.
My son, who is currently helping out a Roman Catholic Church choir director in another city, weighed in with the news that his church, "only cancels if it's snowing in the Vatican." (For the record, Sunday in Rome was, as today will also be, 21°C or 70°F and partly cloudy.)
Now it's true that many Anglican (Episcopal), Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, etc. churches operate on something closer to a parish system — meaning if you live in that parish you go to that local church — rather than having regional churches as do Evangelicals. It is also true that Evangelicals will drive greater distances because of the charisma of a particular speaker or the doctrinal distinctives of a particular tribe. (I have one contact in this area who drives, in good weather, about 90 minutes deep into Toronto for that particular reason.)
It's also a fact of life in most of the Mainline churches that the pastor/rector/priest has a manse located next door to the church. Commute Time = 0.00 Minutes. So there's no reason for him/her not to be there on time to open the building.
Despite all this, I still find it surprising that without exception all the Evangelical churches in my little corner of the world opted to shut down.
…The saving grace this morning was churches streaming live, or delayed sermon podcasts. I can't emphasize enough how blessed we are to live in this age of technology where so many resources are available to us.
Television, the resource of an earlier generation, is less of a factor as local stations claim more time to sell advertising for programs highlighting the weekend in sports, or Sunday morning political round-tables. You might catch some programs, but without access to a dedicated Christian cable or satellite channel, you won't see much.
Nonetheless, I still missed the interactions, the corporate worship, the corporate prayer and sitting in person under live teaching taking place in the same room.
The forecast for next Sunday promises weather that is much more balmy.
Introverts and Extroverts
Filed under: Christianity — Tags: interpersonal relationships, pastors, personality types, psychology, public speakers, sensitivities — paulthinkingoutloud @ 8:59 am
A few weeks ago one of my sons had an opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with the pastor of a megachurch. He's seen this person pour himself into an energetic sermon each week, but found that, off the platform, he was very quiet and unassuming. This pastor has admitted to his introvert character many times, but it still came as a surprise to my son.
Perhaps you know what it's like to, without hesitation, get up in front of large group of people and perform, but then turn around and be extremely intimidated in a group of three or four. I've been in a room where about 2,000 people listened to my piano playing, but invite me into your living room, point to the piano and say, "Play something;" and I will totally freeze.
I don't remember us hearing as much about the introvert/extrovert distinction as we have in the last decade. Does it define more people, or are we just more sensitive to it? Additionally, it's easy to forget the situation even exists when the person has a pubic role that overshadows the underlying core personality trait.
In his earthly body, Jesus would have had some identifiable personality characteristics. It sounds a little strange to think of him as introverted, but consider these scriptures:
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.
(Mark 1:35)
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
(Luke 5:16
Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.
When Jesus heard about [the death of] John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out and followed Him on foot from the towns.
(Matthew 14:13)
These verses are often discussed in terms of the spiritual discipline of prayer which Jesus demonstrated, but we also see the example of someone trying to de-stress away from the crowds.
So I found this chart at Psychological Facts rather interesting. I also learned on the introverted side of things, that I haven't been sensitive to people around me in terms of items #4, 5 and 6. We tend to read these things and immediately start thinking of ourselves instead of — as in the case with the book The Five Love Langauges — remember that our goal should be to see how this information helps us connect with others.
How conscious are you of the introvert/extrovert dichotomy in your family, church, or workplace?
Sermons that Communicate
Filed under: Christianity, Church, ministry — Tags: hermeneutics, homilies, oratory, pastors, preachers, rhetoric, sermons, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 8:13 am
I had the privilege of working as a Worship Director under four different pastors, but only one of these let me in on his sermon crafting process. It began with a mostly blank form with a line for the date and space in the top 1/6th of the page to answer the question, "Where do you want to take them today?"
It thereby highly focused his attention on what it was that would fill the rest of the page. More detailed notes followed later on other pieces of paper.
Much of public speaking is modeled for us. The job of preacher is similar to the job of school teacher. These occupations are self-perpetuating. That's why it's easy for kids to "play school" in the summertime, and Christian kids can equally "play church." We've seen the job played out for us on a regular basis and can emulate the key moves.
The problem is that just because you are a good speaker, doesn't mean you are a good communicator. Furthermore, I would argue that being highly skilled or highly polished at the former can actually work against the latter; it can stand in the way of being an effective communicator.
Another of the pastors I worked with and still get to hear on a regular basis is a very gifted in the art of sermon crafting. But at several junctures in the sermon, he will allow himself to deviate from his notes, or what I call going "off road." Whether or not you call it Holy Spirit inspired — and I would contend that most definitely is the case — he either thinks of something that could still be added to the notes, or you could phrase it that he is still crafting the sermon to perfection even as he stands in the pulpit. There are no PowerPoint graphics that align with what he's saying, but these are often the sermon highlights.
I also am a fan of conversational delivery; where the pastor is working from very rough, point-form outlines and then delivers the message in a style that suggests he's talking to me, not simply reading his notes.
Don't get me wrong. I want there to be sermon preparation. I want to know context; I want to hear related texts mentioned; I want to know he or she did the necessary word study.
But what do I do with it all? How does it impact the week I'm facing? How do leave the building changed and inspired?
To repeat, so much of what we call good preaching is too smooth; it's too slick; it's too polished. It's so rhetorical minded that it's no relational good. It's possible to be a great speaker but actually be a terrible communicator.
If you didn't catch it last week, be sure to read Thursday's article on the related art of concision, the gift of being able to keep things short.
Skye Jethani's State of the Modern Church Address
Filed under: Christianity, ministry, reviews — Tags: Church board, church deacons, church elders, church government, church leadership, eccesiology, future of the Church, modern church, organized church, pastors, Religion, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 7:11 am
Those of have heard Skye Jethani speak, be it a sermon, conference message, or podcast conversation, know him to both extremely forthright and wonderfully articulate on matters related to church and culture. He brings this gift to a new book, Immeasurable: Reflections on the Soul of Ministry in the Age of Church, Inc. released last week by Moody Press.
The book is a series of 24 short essays on various aspects of church and ministry leadership; interconnected, but presented such they can be studied in any order. While I have heard him touch on many of these before, as assembled here, much of this material was new to me.
Skye Jethani's forté is analysis, and a major part of his analytical toolkit is a knowledge of the broader sweep of modern church history, some of this no doubt afforded by his years serving in various departments of Christianity Today, Inc. and as a local church pastor. While much ink has been spilled over the last 20 years lamenting the state of the modern church in North America, Australia/New Zealand and Western Europe, the words here are more prescriptive; a look at where the church may have lost its way presented alongside healthy doses of routes we might take to get back on track. Each essay ends with two or three "next step" questions or applications.
Some standout chapters for me — many of which were brought to life through some clever analogies — included:
1. Ambition (and motivation; always a good place to start)
3. Wastefulness (versus efficiency which can enslave us)
6. Dramas (there are three playing out in church leadership)
8. Simplicity (versus the complexity we see everywhere else, discussed in chapter 9)
9. Complexity (the longest chapter in the book; Jethani at his best)
10. Redundancy (an interesting approach to the matter of pastoral succession)
12. Illumination (another longer chapter; on sermon expectation and who might preach)
15. Platform (this chapter is gold; a look at how we confer authority in the local church)
16. Celebrity (analysis of the rise of the "Evangelical Industrial Complex")
18. Consumers (again, I preferred the longer chapters; this one is about church choices; some of the other chapters not listed I would like to have seen fleshed out in greater detail.)
And then there was chapter 24, an even more autobiographical essay which strikes at the heart of ministry from the author's early experiences as a hospital chaplain. A fitting ending in so many respects.
On a personal level, if I've learned nothing else in the last 20 years, I've learned that while ecclesiology is by definition the domain of pastors, books about ecclesiology are widely read by a variety of lay-people who who feel a sense of ownership in the local churches in their community. With so much reconstruction taking place in the look, feel and purpose of weekend gatherings; many want to champion these changes while others are fearful of going too far and thereby losing the plot. So while the book is being marketed more as an academic title for Bible college or classroom discussion, I think the finished product is something I would encourage many of my friends to read.
Read a short sample from Immeasurable at this link.
Related: Skye Jethani on news and media.
Related: A review of the 2012 title, With.
Photo: Skye Jethani on the weekly Phil Vischer podcast.
Thanks to Martin Smith at Parasource Distribution & Marketing for a review copy of Immeasurable.
Pastoral Communications – Part Three
Filed under: Christianity, Church — Tags: church life, ministry life, pastors, preachers, priests, vocational ministry — paulthinkingoutloud @ 7:36 am
Well, I thought it was good idea. Two ideas really.
The first was something that's commonplace in Mainline Protestant churches in the summer but not so big among Evangelicals. I thought it would be a good fit.
The second was something that actually happened in the church parking lot rather serendipitously which I thought should be a permanent feature.
I sent it to two people on church staff. There's a problem right there. Each probably assumed the other would reply to it. (Okay, I'm being charitable with that.)
Just suggestions. No personal agenda. No history of making this type of suggestion in any recent memory.
No reply.
We've written about this before here, so I don't want to belabor the point, but shouldn't churches be pleased when someone cares enough about the church's programming, image, environment, etc. to write a short note? They could even send me a form letter for the wrong response as in, "Thank you for your suggestion, we'll consider adding both books to the church library;" or "We apologize for the shortage of diapers in the nursery you experienced."
Rather, I got silence.
Working in Christian camping, I learned that first impressions count and the camps have increased their attention to making each week's Opening Day a big welcome both for the kids who are staying and the parents and guardians who are dropping them off. It's not just a matter of saying 'We're glad you're here;' but actually putting some energy into it.
I thought I was on to something. I'll share the details with you in the Spring so churches that want to have time to ramp up, though I suspect many are doing similar things already.
When a parishioner cares enough to make a suggestion, even if the idea has flaws, they should at least get an acknowledgement of their contribution.


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Not Quite So Far From Home Sweet Home
Our season couldn't have got off to a better start, as we savoured watching another Lilywhite false dawn being flushed down the Stadium of Light plughole, in the 90th minute on Saturday. Naturally, in our house we were pleased to see Sund-Ireland bank all 3 points. But with Martin Jol's extravagant summer spending and with all the press speculation about the imminent disintegration of the Wenger dynasty, my Spurs pals had grown so incredibly cocksure of their imminent return to the big-time that the bursting of this illusory bubble, on day one, was an absolute delight.
I should know better than to have tempted fate, with a barrage of mickey taking text messages before our own turn at bat, but I couldn't resist. Time was when league tables weren't produced until at least three games in, but I wasn't complaining about it's premature appearance on MOTD later that night, as this afforded me the opportunity to remind my misguided mates that rather than the rarefied air they'd been expecting to breathe at the top, for at least a couple of hours earlier in the day, they were slumming it amongst the relegation fodder.
As a result, I was about to turn my own mobile phone off, with only a few minutes left on the clock against Fulham the following day, rather than face the imminent threat of reprisals. That was until Kolo Touré saved our bacon, by demonstrating such drive and determination, in the dying throes of a frustrating encounter, with an absolutely barnstorming run that was rewarded with a penalty.
There'd been many a raised Gooner eyebrow when it was announced that Gallas had been awarded the captain's armband. I'm no great fan of Arsène's tendency to set so much store in seniority and his efforts to use the captaincy as a carrot in recent times (eg. Vieira, Henry) certainly haven't proved particularly successful. Personally I feel it should be a position of respect that has to be earned as a reward and on Sunday, in refusing to lie down and almost single-handedly grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, it was Kolo who came to the fore, with this display of "the right stuff".
Although, in truth, perhaps the most positive aspects to Sunday's performance (as has been the case in pre-season) was the evidence from our squad as a whole of a renewed determination, in a post Henry era, to prove that the Arsenal are anything but a one-man team and the suggestion of their resolve to cast off this "soft touch" reputation that they've acquired in recent times.
Even our phlegmatic manager was a little more anxious than usual, to avoid allowing crucial points to slip through our fingers. In the past we've been able to set our clocks by Arsène's substitutions, coming as they invariably do 15, or at the most 20 minutes before the final whistle. Whereas on Sunday Wenger's patience ran out just after the hour mark, when he began to ring the changes with Theo Walcott. In fact it was Bendtner's introduction with 18 minutes to play, which ended up having the biggest impact on the eventual outcome, by adding a long-awaited different dimension to our front line.
Up until then Fulham's big centre-backs had looked far too comfortable and to be honest I was very disappointed when I first arrived at the ground to discover we were playing our first home game, against inferior opposition, with only one recognised striker on the park. Moreover I don't really think Van Persie is an out and out front man, as to my mind his talents are far more suited to Bergkamp's mantle than the Shearer type role. Hleb did his best to link the play, but all too often either Van Persie was left isolated, or they both dropped off to fetch the ball and our wide men were the most advanced players on the pitch, preventing us from pulling Fulham apart with pace, as they were forced to wait for support.
My other main concern is that Van Persie appears to be our only player capable of threatening from a set-piece. Until the introduction of the 6'3" Danish kid, the Dutchman was our tallest player on the pitch and it was a constant wind-up watching him whip, or Fabregas float the majority of our 14 corners straight down the throat of the Fulham keeper. By contrast, we appeared fragile at each of Fulham's 4 corners. Some suggest our centre-backs are too short, but I remain convinced that many of our defensive ills could be cured by a more consistent keeper, who dominates his area.
However I'm focusing on the positives. Last season we were out of the race after only three games and I doubt we'd have converted this calamitous defeat into a win. Thus Loony Lehmann probably did us a favour, as a prosaic win against Fulham certainly wouldn't have consolidated the sense of squad solidarity seen in the impromptu group hug after the final whistle. In this respect Wenger is correct in suggesting that it could be a significant result, as a winning momentum is all-important, whereas a fall at the first might have had a more significant impact on us than any other team in the Premiership.
Whether or not we can maintain it, is another question, as the genuine title contenders will need to set themselves above the mêlée, which is about to ensue below. It appears to me that a levelling out between the league's lesser lights is likely to make for one of the most interesting competitions in many a moon, as if the promoted clubs can maintain their intensity, they'll be inviting several other sides to join them in the relegation dogfight.
With a smorgasbord of largely unappetising encounters, I imagine the new boys on the pay-per-view block are banking on this being the case. I would've liked to watch Torres' debut on Saturday, to see whether he's capable of transferring his prolific La Liga goalscoring feats to the Premiership. However I haven't heard of anyone who has actually stumped up an additional ten quid a month to Setanta. It seems many might cherry pick the odd game. Yet the majority of us are already forced to make such financial sacrifices for our footballing pleasures, that hopefully we'll make a bit of a stand, before sliding down the slippery slope towards multi-subscription fees to watch every live match. Although that's easy for me to say, when I'm privileged to watch most every Arsenal game in person.
Meanwhile you give the Gunners a grand in season ticket renewals these days and you don't even get a new ticket. As we turned up for Sunday's ridiculously timed kick-off, there was a moment of panic on shoving my somewhat time worn plastic wallet into the turnstile gadget, as I wondered what the hell I would do if some incompetent bozo hadn't pushed the button to re-credit my membership card.
The return to Highbury at the start of a new season always felt like a family reunion and so I was relieved to reach my seat on Sunday to find a few familiar faces. For me and many like me, the new gaff is never going to equal our beloved Highbury high, but I'm happy to report that it's beginning to feel a lot more like home.
mail to: LondonN5@gmail.com
Posted by Bern at 4:15 pm
The Last Straw?
The Blunder Of You
Laughed? I Nearly......!!
Venga Fabregas!
Let's All Laugh At Tottenham
That's Entertainment!

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Amethyst is the Birthstone for February. It is a gorgeous stone that is available in an array of purple tones. Amethyst is one of the most common crystals but is the most highly valued in the Quartz group. Traditionally it has been worn to guard from drunkeness, but today it is believed to have many properties that are beneficial to the mind and body. Amethyst is very popular in the jewellery making world. Here we will delve into the history, uses and spiritual properties of Amethyst as well as share some jewellery making inspiration.
Colour - Amethyst comes in a variety of shades of purple from deep plum to light lilac. Canadian Amethyst appears more violet, whereas Brazilian Amethyst has more of a slight red tinge.
Appearance: Amethyst is a dichroic crystal (showing different colours when viewed from different directions, or, more generally, having different absorption coefficients for light polarised in different directions) that can show a bluish or reddish purple tinge when viewed from different angles. Usually the stone has distinctive inclusions within it.
Rarity: A common crystal that is mined in many countries.
Moh Scale Hardness - Amethyst measures 7 on the MOH's hardness scale. It often has small inclusions that can cause weak spots within the cut of the stone. These are caused by liquid getting into the canals within the stone structure.
Sourced - United Stats, Britain, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, East Africa, Siberia and India.
Amethyst is found in alluvial deposits - which is material deposited by rivers where the stream has slowed down. It is also found in geodes - which is a small cavity in a rock lined with crystal or other mineral matter. Amethyst is a transparent stone that grows in the form of pointed crystals. It's purple colour tends to darken towards the top point of each crystal. The stones colour tone is determined by the amount of iron within the rock and can be altered by heat treating, irradiation or with gamma rays. Sadly the colour can also fade in sun light.
This stone is the most highly valued of all of the quartz family and has been a popular in jewellery making since the 19th Century. Amethyst is very well known by the ancients as a sobriety stone, worn to guard against drunkeness, and to instil a sober and serious mind as well as assist in getting rid of addictions to alcohol, drugs, smoking and destructive compulsive behaviours of all kinds. The name originates from the Greek language and is thought to mean "not drunken".
Amethyst has been used throughout the ages as a calming stone, it is said to be one of the most powerful of the healing stones giving off naturally tranquillising energy. The stone is also thought to promote love and serenity as it is a natural tranquilizer that can aid in blocking geopathic stress and negative environmental energies. Amethyst is thought to be extremely beneficial to the mind - calming or stimulating as appropriate. It is said to help you feel less scattered, more focused and in control of your faculties. Many believe that Amethyst facilitates the decision making process, bringing common sense and spiritual insight.
Amethyst is said to boost hormones and tune the metabolism, cleanse the blood and relieve emotional, physical and physiological pains or stresses. The stone is thought to help with reducing bruising, swelling and even treat hearing disorders as well as lung diseases, skin conditions and insomnia.
Point towards you to draw in energy, or away to repel energy. For insomniacs, place a piece under our pillow. As jewellery Amethyst is best worn as a necklace over the throat or heart to channel the powers through your airways and blood stream.
Amethyst is such a vibrant and beautiful colour that it is an appealing stone to create jewellery with. It's commonality means that is is available in many forms to get creative with! For example, cabochons, faceted stones, briolettes, rondelle beads, chip beads, oval beads, round beads... you get this gist! To shop all of our Amethyst gemstones for jewellery making Click Here.
These cute little bracelets are really easy to create and by using our African Amethyst Faceted Rondelle Beads you can create the perfect gift for a February birthday.
This necklace is a simple design yet looks so effective thanks to the natural beauty of the gemstone briolette. Here wave hung a pretty pink Amethyst briolette on some black Silkon thread and finished it with gold filled crimps, gold plated jump ring & bolt ring.
This beautiful bracelet features one Amethyst Faceted Puffed Cube Bead in the centre of Rainbow Moonstone and Labradorite Rondelle Beads. The design itself is very easy to create and the bracelet would look great either on it's own or stacked with others.
This amethyst teardrop necklace is so pretty. A great project to practice getting your wire wrapping technique looking identical each time! The design really showcases the pretty shade of the purple amethyst briolettes and their facets which glisten in the light beautifully.


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Interviews / Reviews
Sonik Radio
/ Interview
/ SAATSUMA: On Family, Immersion & Melbourne's Music Community
SAATSUMA: On Family, Immersion & Melbourne's Music Community
Mick Radojkovic 24 October 2017
"It's probably the proudest achievement of my life so far," declares Memphis LK when talking about the debut album, Overflow from SAATSUMA. It's a beautiful record, ebbing and flowing through ten tracks that themselves become parts of an aquatic theme.
One may assume that SAATSUMA have come out of nowhere, but it's been building up slowly in their hometown of Melbourne. Memphis and the other half of SAATSUMA, Cesar Rodrigues, collaborated with Joel Ma (Joelistics, TZU) initially, getting together for weekly writing sessions at Joel's home. "We started taking SAATSUMA seriously as a project at the start of last year and we were in a studio for last year. We moved into our own studio at the start of this year, so we've been in there heaps, just writing, and we ended up getting to a point where we had all this content and we were going to release an EP and then we were like, 'Why don't we just go straight-up with an album?' All these songs were cohesive with each other and they almost tell a story in a way, so we turned it into a body of work."
It's a family affair when it comes to the SAATSUMA story. "I'm really, really lucky to have such a supportive family," Memphis says. "Pretty much my whole immediate family are creative people; artists, musicians, so I'm very grateful for that because they've always supported my creative path. My sister [Maddy] and I are obviously very close and have always written and performed together, so when we were putting together the live band it was a no-brainer to get her on board to play synth and do backing vocals. Declan [Kelly, her brother] mixing the album was also a no-brainer. He's an amazing producer [Dream Kit] and he makes electronic music as well, sort of similar vibes to what [we're] doing, so we had a good idea what we wanted out of it, so yeah, it's really nice to keep it so close in the family and have them all on board!"
When discussing family, it's hard not to mention Memphis' Dad, the one, and only, Paul Kelly. Memphis had been blessed with a similar ocker timbre in her voice, something unique when it comes to local electronic music. So, what does Mr Kelly think of his daughter's electronic sound, quite removed from his own Australiana singer-songwriter classics? "He's good with words, but he's a man of few words. He's always been really supportive of what I do despite it being very different to what he does. One thing I've always found pretty impressive with Dad is that he doesn't just listen to one genre of music. I'm always going, 'What are you listening to?' and he's got like, Kendrick Lamar playing or something. He's got a very diverse range of things that he listens to and that he appreciates so I'm sure he can get on board the SAATSUMA train!"
Returning to the album and its textured synth and electronic sounds (headphones are a must!) I bring up the fact that the album, at times, has a cinematic feel to it. Memphis reacts positively, "Ooooh, that's awesome!" and goes on to discuss the process of creating the intricate soundscape. "The process with our production is super collaborative. One of us will have the initial idea and then we'll take it into the studio and layer it up from there. We've got a really great set-up with a lot of analogue synths and drum machines. That's cool to hear that you hear it as an immersive sonic experience because that's something we're really conscious of when producing. Trying to get not just the sounds right, but also that spatial, atmospheric textural stuff as well."
It feels like Melbourne is an integral part of Memphis, SAATSUMA and their sound. I ask who in the scene has helped the duo reach where they are today. "The main one worth noting is Ella Thompson from GL and Dorsal Fins. We actually sent Ella a couple of our earliest demos that we'd written before SAATSUMA was even a thing and she was like 'Oh, this is cool. Dorsal Fins are having a launch, do you want to support!' and so that was how our first gig came about, which is pretty amazing for her to have done that because we didn't even have a name or a band together. It was literally just demos. It was great for us to get our shit together!"
That single launch in January 2016 established the duo on their path, but she drops more people that have helped along the way. "A lot of inspiration for our writing and production on the album came from Fortunes, GL, Banofee, Harvey Sutherland, Kllo, Leisure Suite. There's just so many amazing electronic acts around Melbourne and everyone's very supportive of each other." The Melbourne scene is thriving right now and it's an exciting group to be in.
The SAATSUMA live set-up takes the sound to a new level. With a successful album launch in Melbourne recently, including dance routines – "It was my dream!", exclaims Memphis, talking of her dancing on stage with her sister, Maddy. When will they be in a town near you? "When we can afford to tour! When the bank account says, 'Yep!' We are definitely planning on doing an album tour around Australia, in Sydney and all the main cities, hopefully by the end of the year. If not this year, then it'll be in February next year!"
Overflow is available on vinyl and all digital outlets now.
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Mick Radojkovic
Mick is that guy who likes to be doing things - seeing what's hot, drinking what's cold and roaming the Sydney streets like a lost puppy. Loves music, as long as it's made by people. Robot music is just no good.
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Psychology research often yields surprising insights into how the mind works. Why is it that people do the things they do? This question has fascinated people for thousands of years. Thanks to modern psychology research, scientists have gained a great deal of insight into how people think and the way that they behave. In some cases, the things that researchers have discovered even challenge some of the basic truths that people believe about themselves.
The following are just a few things that researchers have discovered about how the mind works.
You probably like to think that you are a fairly observant person. If something happened nearby, you would surely spot it, right?
Surprisingly, researchers have found that people are actually quite poor at noticing things that happen in their immediate environment. This phenomenon, known as change blindness, is another great example of how the mind works.
In their famous 1998 experiment, psychologists Simon and Levin approached people on a college campus and struck up conversations. The researchers then created a temporary diversion – in this case, a door was carried between the experimenter and the person they were talking with.
During this brief visual gap, the researchers actually switched places with another experiment, and then continued the conversation once the door was gone just as if nothing had every happened. It may be surprising to learn, but only about half of the subjects in the study even noticed that their conversation partner had changed.
Why are we so oblivious to even fairly huge changes in the world around us? Researchers believe that a few important features of attention play a role, including focused attention and limited resources.
First, because we tend to focus our attention on a single thing in the environment, we are more likely to miss changes in things that we weren't really paying attention to.
Secondly, our ability to attend to and process information in the environment is limited. As a result, we tend to focus these limited resources on details that we think are important, thus ignoring some things in the environment around us.
Do these factors explain why people didn't notice their conversational partner changing in the Simons and Levin experiment? In that particular case, past experiences and expectations are other factors that also play a major role.
How often does your conversational partner change to a completely different person? It's not something you would expect to happen, nor is it something that has ever come up in your past experiences. As a result, people are just naturally less likely to notice this type of unusual switch.
The effects of change blindness in our everyday, real-world lives can be quite profound, however. For example, if you fail to notice that an oncoming car has drifted into your lane of traffic, a serious or even fatal car accident might result.
What does this tell us about how the mind works?
There's more happening in the world around us than we can ever know.
Because you can't pay attention to all of it, major changes can take place without you ever noticing.
First impressions are famous for forming very quickly. Whenever you first meet a new person, you probably very quickly form an impression of who they are and what you think of them.
Imagine, for example, that you have just been introduced to a new co-worker. You quickly decide that he's good looking, friendly, and even smart. So how do you arrive at this conclusion so fast?
Researchers have found that in many cases, your initial impression of a person ("He's cute and nice!") tends to bleed over into how you evaluate him on other qualities. Because he seems nice and attractive, you are also more likely to rate him as being smart, hard-working, and professional.
This tendency involves a cognitive bias known as the halo effect. How does this work? Essentially, your overall impression creates a sort of halo that colors your interpretations of the person's other characteristics as well. This is also sometimes referred as the physical attractiveness stereotype or the "what is beautiful is good" principle.
In one well-known study, students were more likely to rate an unattractive teacher as unintelligent and mean, but were also more likely to rate an attractive teacher as intelligence and kind.
As you might imagine, this effect can color our perceptions in many different contexts. In addition to affecting how students rate teachers, the halo effect also influences how teachers view their own students. For example, teachers are more likely to see polite student as hard-working and intelligent, but also view an inattentive student as lazy.
The judgments we make about other people are not always based upon logic or fact.
Our minds sometimes take shortcuts when making evaluations and decisions, and the halo effect is just one example.
One of the most surprising findings about how the mind works involves the lengths that people will go to in order to avoid holding conflicting beliefs. Have you ever experience feelings of discomfort when you do something that doesn't conform to the things you believe?
People tend to feel uncomfortable whenever they hold conflicting beliefs or when these beliefs don't line up with behavior. This phenomenon is known as cognitive dissonance, and it can have a major impact on how people think and behave.
This tendency can be seen in a classic psychology experiment in which subjects were asked to complete a tedious task. The participants were paid either $1 or $20 to lie and tell other participants that the task was actually fun and exciting.
Afterwards, the participants were asked to then rate how fun they found the experiment. People who were paid more were less likely to rate the experiment as fun, but those who were paid less were more likely to say that they actually found the boring task enjoyable.
What could explain this difference? The task was simply so dull that those who were paid $1 had to find some way to justify why they took part in the study. If it wasn't for the money, then they must have been doing it for fun, right?
But what impact does this really have on your day-to-day behavior outside of the psychology lab? Cognitive dissonance does have a powerful influence on many our daily actions and decisions.
For example, people often choose to interpret news stories in ways that support their existing beliefs. A news story about a mass shooting, for example, will result in some individuals calling for stricter gun laws while others advocate for increased visibility of guns in public places. Each side chooses to interpret the incident in a way that supports their beliefs.
Cognitive dissonance may even contribute to today's highly polarized political climate. Each side of an argument seeks out information that supports their existing beliefs while rejecting anything that challenges their ideas. Rather than experience the uncomfortable feeling of cognitive dissonance, people are simply more comfortable looking for things that confirm their currently held beliefs.
So what does this tell us about how the mind works?
Cognitive dissonance has a powerful influence on the way we think and behave.
It is a great example of how we often don't understand the subtle inner-workings of our own minds.
Simons, D.J. & Levin, D.T. (1998). Failure to detect changes to people during a real-world interaction. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 5(4), 644-649.
Kendra is always good at what she does.
For me, this masterpiece is Highly Educative.


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Tag Archives: AJ Styles
Survivor Series (2019) – NXT is the Third Brand
By Chewie November 27, 2019 November 29, 2019 PPV Recaps
Last weekend the WWE held its 33rd annual Survivor Series event at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It's been quite some time but my brother and I got together to watch the show (with my boys in tow until their bedtime). If I'm being honest I've not watched much wrestling at all lately. I never watch Smackdown and while I record Raw every week I can't tell you the last time I sat down … Continue reading
Tagged Adam Cole, AJ Styles, Asuka, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Candice LeRae, Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Damian Priest, Dana Brooke, Daniel Bryan, Drew McIntyre, Io Shirai, Kairi Sane, Keith Lee, Kevin Owens, King Corbin, Lacey Evans, Matt Riddle, Mustafa Ali, Natalya, Nikki Cross, NXT, NXT Championship, Pete Dunne, Randy Orton, RAW, Rey Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, Ricochet, Roderick Strong, Roman Reigns, Sarah Logan, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Shayna Baszler, Shinsuke Nakamura, Shorty G., SmackDown, Survivor Series, The Fiend, Tommaso Ciampa, Toni Storm, Walter, WWE Championship, WWE Universal Championship
Royal Rumble (2019) – The Road Begins
By Chewie February 1, 2019 February 1, 2019 PPV Recaps
Last Sunday night the WWE held its 32nd annual Royal Rumble event at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. For the second year in a row the event fell on the first day of my company's national sales event so I wasn't able to watch it live. I eventually ended up watching it Wednesday evening with my bro after spending a few days trying to stay away from social media and results. Overall I'd say it was a decent show but … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor, Ronda Rousey, Royal Rumble, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Shane McMahon, The Bar, The Miz, WWE Championship, WWE Raw Women's Championship, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, WWE Universal Championship
Money In The Bank (2018)
By Chewie June 20, 2018 June 20, 2018 PPV Recaps
Last Sunday night, the WWE held its annual Money In The Bank event live on the WWE Network at the Allstate Arena. It was the ninth event under the Money in the Bank chronology. I'm thrilled to say that WWE is back to monthly PPV shows rather than the oppressive twice a month schedule. That said I've cut WAY back on my wrestling viewing for a variety of reasons including being just too damn busy and quite frankly wrestling has … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Big Cass, Bobby Lashley, Bobby Roode, Braun Strowman, Carmella, Charlotte, Daniel Bryan, Elias, Ember Moon, Finn Balor, Jinder Mahal, Karl Anderson, Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, Lana, Luke Gallows, Money In The Bank, Naomi, Natalya, Nia Jax, Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Rusev, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, The Bludgeon Brothers, The Miz, WWE Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE Raw Women's Championship, WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
WrestleMania 34 (2018) – Back To The Big Easy
By Chewie April 17, 2018 April 17, 2018 PPV Recaps
This year the WWE returned to New Orleans to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the biggest night of the year for wrestling fans – WrestleMania 34. The world of professional wrestling revolves around this weekend as it includes not only the show on Sunday but a NXT show on Saturday evening as well as the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The class of 2018 inductees included Goldberg, Ivory, Jeff Jarrett, Hillbilly Jim, Mark Henry, The Dudley Boyz … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bobby Roode, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, Cedric Alexander, Charlotte, Daniel Bryan, Erick Rowan, Finn Balor, Jinder Mahal, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Kurt Angle, Luke Harper, Matt Hardy, Mustafa Ali, Naomi, New Day, Nia Jax, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Rusev, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, Shane McMahon, Shinsuke Nakamura, Stephanie McMahon, The Bar, The Bludgeon Brothers, The Miz, Triple H, Undertaker, Usos, WrestleMania, WrestleMania 34, WWE Championship, WWE Cruiserweight Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, WWE Raw Women's Championship, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, WWE United States Championship, WWE Universal Championship
Battleground (2017) – Punjabi Prison Returns
By Chewie August 11, 2017 August 11, 2017 PPV Recaps
Battleground (2017) was a SmackDown brand event that took place on July 23, 2017, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the fifth event under the Battleground chronology. I've been VERY bad at blogging in general and more specifically doing my PPV recaps. This is the first recap I've done since WrestleMania 33 back in April but honestly that's cause I really haven't been watching them. Summer has been busy as usual and with the fact that there were several PPVs … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Battleground, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Flag Match, Jinder Mahal, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Lana, Mike Kanellis, Natalya, New Day, Punjabi Prison Match, Randy Orton, Rusev, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, SmackDown, Tamina, Usos, WWE Championship, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, WWE United States Championship
WrestleMania 33 (2017) – The Undertaker's Last Ride
By Chewie April 7, 2017 April 7, 2017 PPV Recaps
Sunday evening the WWE was in Orlando, Florida at Camping World Stadium for their version of the Super Bowl – WrestleMania 33. The world of professional wrestling revolves around this weekend as it includes not only the show on Sunday but a NXT show on Saturday evening as well as the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday evening. The class of 2017 inductees included Kurt Angle, Theodore Long, Diamond Dallas Page, Beth Phoenix, "Ravishing" Rick Rude and The … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Austin Aries, Baron Corbin, Battle Royal, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Big Cass, Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Carmella, Cesaro, Charlotte, Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Enzo Amore, goldberg, Jeff Hardy, John Cena, Karl Anderson, Kevin Owens, Luke Gallows, Maryse, Matt Hardy, Mickie James, Mojo Rawley, Naomi, Natalya, Neville, Nia Jax, Nikki Bella, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Shane McMahon, Sheamus, The Hardy Boyz, The Miz, Triple H, Undertaker, WrestleMania 33, WWE Championship, WWE Cruiserweight Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, WWE Raw Women's Championship, WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, WWE United States Championship, WWE Universal Championship
Royal Rumble (2017) – Cena Ties Flair
The 2017 Royal Rumble took place on January 29, 2017, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It marked the 30th anniversary of the event. I realize I'm WAY behind on my PPV recaps but there's yet ANOTHER show this coming Sunday and I've had more than a few people ask me for this recap. NOTE: I have every intention of writing my reviews for Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series, Tables, Ladders & Chairs … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Cesaro, Charlotte, John Cena, Karl Anderson, Kevin Owens, Luke Gallows, Mickie James, Naomi, Natalya, Neville, Nia Jax, Nikki Bella, Randy Orton, Rich Swann, Roman Reigns, Royal Rumble, Sasha Banks, Sheamus, WrestleMania 33, WWE Championship, WWE Cruiserweight Championship, WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, WWE Raw Women's Championship, WWE Universal Championship
No Mercy (2016) – Misordered Main Event(s)
By Chewie October 12, 2016 October 12, 2016 PPV Recaps
No Mercy took place on October 9th, 2016 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. This was a Smackdown branded PPV taking place just two weeks after Raw's Clash of Champions. I watched this one nearly live (on a slight delay) with G. It's been quite some time since Mark and I have gotten together to watch a show. This was up against the second presidential debate which turned out to be a doozy. Based … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt, Carmella, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater, Intercontinental Championship, Jack Swagger, John Cena, Naomi, Nikki Bella, No Mercy, Randy Orton, Rhyno, SmackDown, The Miz, WWE Network, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, WWE World Championship
Backlash (2016) – New Era of SmackDown
By Chewie September 15, 2016 September 15, 2016 PPV Recaps
Sunday evening WWE was in Richmond, Virginia at the Richmond Coliseum for this year's version of Backlash. This was the first PPV since WWE once again did a brand split and was the first show that was exclusive to the SmackDown brand. As I said back in June when the idea of twice monthly shows was being floated around I just couldn't see myself watching ALL of these shows live. Sure enough at least when it came … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Apollo Crews, Backlash, Baron Corbin, Becky Lynch, Bray Wyatt, Carmella, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater, Hype Bros, Intercontinental Championship, Kane, Naomi, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rhyno, Richmond, Richmond Coliseum, SmackDown, The Miz, Usos, Virginia, WWE Network, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, WWE World Championship
SummerSlam (2016) – Sunday Bloody Sunday
Last night WWE was in Brooklyn , NY this year's version of SummerSlam. This is one of the WWE's "Big Four" PPVs and I had really high hopes for the event. I even went so far as to make some predictions which I felt really good about. I don't think I'm going to bother doing that any more cause even though I booked what I thought was a solid show I couldn't have been more … Continue reading
Tagged AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, American Alpha, Apollo Crews, Ascension, Barclays Center, Becky Lynch, Breezango, Brock Lesnar, Brooklyn, Carmella, Cesaro, Charlotte, Chris Jericho, Colin Cassidy, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Dudley Boys, Enzo Amore, Finn Balor, Hype Bros, Intercontinental Championship, Jeri-KO, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Naomi, Natalya, Neville, New York, Nikki Bella, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Rusev, Sami Zayn, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Sheamus, SummerSlam, The Club, The Miz, United States Championship, Usos, Vaudevillains, WWE Championship, WWE Universal Championship, WWE Women's Championship
Top Comic Movies
TNA Recycling Talent From The Old Days
The Best of 2017 From 406Northlane
No-Shave November – 2015 Edition
This Is Just Stupid: Fat Talk Free Week: Body-Image Campaign


Warehousing company to store raw materials, spare parts and finished goods having 100+ clients.
Reason: For business expansion by acquiring a new warehouse.
- Business involved in providing warehousing facility which is of 65,000 Sq Ft.
- We have served more than 100 clients which includes Delhi Duty Free Services, Sula Vineyards, DHL Global, Kiko Milano, Casio India, Dentsply India, FCML, Guess India.
- Our warehouse has high standards of aesthetics, security maintenance and space utilization.
- We are handling around 1,00,000 M. T. of materials per annum.
- Company provides warehouses ranging from 20 Sq Ft to 65,000 Sq Ft depending on client's requirements.
- Promoter has more than 10 years of experience in this business.
Warehousing services for all type of goods.


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NutraFlo
5 Natural Alternatives to Reduce Pain Caused by Kidney Stones
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There are mixed studies on the benefits or risks associated with drinking coffee, tea, caffeinated beverages, and wine or beer. Some sources say beer should be avoided for people with uric acid stones (it is high in purines). Other sources say black tea (high in oxalates) and caffeinated beverages should be avoided.
Contradicting this advice is a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology that found every 8 oz. of coffee consumed reduced the risk of stone formation by 10%, for tea 14%, for beer 21%, and wine 39%. Excessive alcohol consumption, i.e., binge drinking is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney stones.
Dandelion Root
Dandelion root is a powerful antioxidant source, which may provide support for overall healthy gallbladder and liver function. It has also been shown to support the urinary tract and the detoxification process of the bile duct. Dandelion root may also stimulate bile production in the gallbladder.
Turmeric root extract contains curcumin, the primary dietary source of his herb. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that supports the metabolic and nutritional alterations caused by gallbladder problems. Studies have shown that turmeric (curcumin) may stimulate bile formation to relieve gallbladder emptying.
Phyllanthus niruri or chanca piedra
Phyllanthus niruri or chanca piedra is an herb that grows widely in coastal areas of India. The extract has been used for hundreds of years to support gallbladder function and other urinary disorders. Chanca piedra also provides antioxidants and muscle-relaxing agents, and immune-enhancing compounds to help overall health.
Parsley is full of nutrients like vitamins A, K, and C. It is used to support kidney function but also to enhance the gallbladder. Parsley has also been shown to help the urinary tract's role by decreasing calcium and protein excretion in the urine.
Marshmallow root extract (Althaea officinalis) has been shown in studies to support the gallbladder and liver functions, assist digestion, stimulate heart health, and keep the lungs healthy. Marshmallow root is rich in antioxidants and immune-enhancing compounds that may help soothe the pain caused by inflammation in the gallbladder. It is also a soothing and mucilaginous herbal diuretic as well.
GoNutraFlo.com © 2023. All rights reserved.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.


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Seán O'Neill (born 1938, Newry) is a former Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club John Mitchel and was a member of the Down senior inter-county team from the 1950s until the 1960s.  O'Neill is one of only four Down players to win three All-Ireland titles.

Career

O'Neill scored 85 goals and over 500 points for Down senior football team in his career, and was a key figure in the county's All-Ireland victories of 1960, 1961 and 1968. O'Neill's credits include eight Ulster senior football medals and eight Railway Cup medals in 1960, 1963 to 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1971. He won three National League medals, in 1960, 1962 and 1968, as well as six All Star awards. Other honours include a Sigerson Cup medal with the Queen's University of Belfast in 1958, whom he later coached to further wins.  He played club football with John Mitchel GFC Newry, winning the Down Senior Football Championship in 1960, 1964, 1967 and 1968. He also won the Down Minor Championship with Newry Mitchels in 1956 - the year the club was formed. His brother Kevin won an all Ireland with down in the 1960s.

Along with Joe Lennon, Dan McCartan and Paddy Doherty he was one of four Down men who won all three All-Ireland medals in the 1960s.

Later life
O'Neill was the Down minor team coach, winning the 1977 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.

Sean coached the Queen's University Belfast senior team in the early 1980s.  As coach, he won the Sigerson Cup in 1982 and the Ryan Cup in 1984 and 1985.

In 1984, the Gaelic Athletic Association centenary year, he was honoured by being named on their Football Team of the Century. In 2000 he was again honoured by the GAA by being named on their Gaelic Football Team of the Millennium.

O'Neill is a solicitor by profession.

Honours
 Railway Cup (8) 1960 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1970 1971
 Ulster Senior Football Championship (8) 1959 1960 1961 1963 1965 1966 1968 1971
 Dr Lagan Cup (5) 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
 Dr McKenna Cup (4) 1959 1961 1964 1972
 Cú Chulainn Awards (4) 1963 1964 1965 1967
 Down Senior Football Championship (4) 1960 1964 1967 1968
 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (3) 1960 1961 1968
 National Football League Division 1  (3) 1960 1962 1968
 GAA GPA All Stars Awards (2) 1971 1972
 Sigerson Cup (2) 1958 1964
 Down Division 1 Football League (2) 1965 1968
 Texaco Footballer of the Year (1) 1968

Manager
 Ulster Minor Football Championship (2) 1977 1979
 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (1) 1977

References

External links
 Down's historic All-Ireland win remembered 60 years on

1938 births
Living people
Alumni of Queen's University Belfast
Down inter-county Gaelic footballers
Newry Mitchels Gaelic footballers
People educated at Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School
Sportspeople from Newry
Ulster inter-provincial Gaelic footballers
Queen's University Belfast Gaelic footballers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Boston, MA - Pub/Tavern "An Institution"
Boston, MA – Conveniently located in one of Boston's most coveted neighborhoods this pub/tavern has been a Boston institution for over a century! The pub's nostalgic brings you back to a simpler time and this truly is the "cheers" of the neighborhood. Excellent proximity to major hospitals, Boston sports and state government, this hole in the wall pub attracts customers from all different backgrounds. The space boasts 3000 SF on two floors and seats 108. Open for lunch and dinner from 11 am – 2 am 6 days a week (Sunday 12-12). 75% of revenue is alcohol sales. Ownership will help transition. Seller financing negotiable.


Boost your immune system effectively against specific viruses, bacteria and fungal infections.
Effective i-treatments against EBV, CMV, strep, staph, Lyme, candida, and other infections.
If you have problems with infections, then you have come to the right site. The method is that if you release the negativity where the infection is hiding, and boost your immune system enough, then the infection will go. I am a quantum physicist who has been developing a system of energy physic based upon the living side of the Universe (which science denies), for the last 30 years. I have had most of the infections listed on this site, and got rid of them completely. I would like to help you do the same.
My i-remedies are 99.9% doubly distilled pure water (with traces of brandy used as a preservative). They contain the "energies" (i.e. life force or consciousness) of flowers and crystals. They are combinations of flower essences and gem elixirs, like the Bach Rescue remedy, but more specific. I have made huge breakthroughs in getting more physical results. My i-remedies are non-chemical, non-toxic, and natural, being liquid states of consciousness.
Nobody gets it. The materialists think this is nonsense. My colleagues in physics think I am nuts. Healers and spiritual people think these combination remedies just heal emotions. It's true they do. But they also collapse the wave function and so determine specific sub-atomic and atomic outcomes. In this way consciousness creates you by creating order out of chaos. My i-remedies and i-treatments help you bring order and control into your life.
I will go into the physics and philosophy of this more deeply in other parts of this website, but there is one key detail I would like to mention here. Consciousness creates existence. Physicists have found that atomic particles "exist" in multiple possible states (described by the wave function). Then when an observation is made, this suddenly "collapses" to the actual state in the real world. Einstein used to go round Princeton asking "Do you seriously think the moon is not there when you are not looking at it?" The solution is that there is a hidden side to the Universe which brings consciousness in, which collapses the wave function and makes things real. Thus all things which exist have some kind of consciousness behind them. My remedies capture this consciousness and put it in forms to boost your existence and health.
Let us move from living physics to medicine and healing - they are different. Jesus did not say "Cur* the sick" but "Heal the sick". Whilst medicine attacks the disease, healing stimulates the life principle. Doctors think that disease is the enemy and they provide treatments for the disease, to fight it with drugs, surgery and radiation. My i-remedies and i-treatments do the reverse. They do not fight the disease - water cannot. Instead they boost your life force against the disease. As you become more positive and stronger, you let go of the infection and it goes away. It is like finding bugs in the computer software and correcting them. Once they are corrected, the faults no longer occur. It is the same with life. Correct the faulty states of consciousness and the bugs (literally) will go away.
This is natural healing, but with a twist. To avoid the problems of (dead) science and medicine, people seek healing from herbs and herbal blends. This is fine so far as it goes, but there are problems. Herbs contain chemicals which have to be metabolised. Also herbs tend not to bring out the healing properties hidden in nature. Also, by focussing on herbs, one tends to ignore crystals and minerals. Crystals are alive. They are non-biological life forms. They are like plants. They are recognised by their shape and colours (as in botany); they grow; you can seed them; and they have healing properties. Crystals have very high levels of order and very high levels of the life force. They have a mathematical precision and fewer diseases than plants. My i-remedies incorporate the energies of flowers, crystals and/or minerals. And they do it in such a way that they bring out the hidden healing properties of nature, which makes it possible to reverse immune suppression.
One of the problems with herbs is that they are not much use against immune suppression. They may help boost the immune system against viruses and bacteria, but they are not much use at correcting immune suppression, and so often don't get rid of the infection completely. To overcome this you have to go behind the veil and put right what has gone wrong, and boost your life force coming into specific centres and glands (pituitary and thymus), into your brain and nervous system, into your white blood cells, and other tissues of your immune system. Herbs tend to be too broad-brush to do this effectively. My i-remedies are targeted to do this at the atomic and sub-atomic levels. So for example, I have remedies which boost the immune system in the pituitary gland, in the white blood cells, and even the DNA in the T-cells. Carefully selected groups of such remedies can completely reverse immune suppression, and overwhelm an infection. Results may vary.
There is a fundamental truth here which we don't completely understand. We think the purpose of the immune system is to protect us from infection. It is true that it does do this. However, its real purpose is to enable the digestive tract absorb nutrients and regenerate your body. The control centre for this is in the centre of your brain, in your hypothalamus (around your pituitary gland). Many infections attack this area of the brain - Lyme is the worst, which is why it overwhelms both the immune system and digestive tract. The new treatment reverses this, and thereby stabilises your existence.
My i-remedies are non-chemical, non-toxic and very gentle, so they don't force change (like a drug). Instead they act at the quantum level to put right what has gone wrong. This is true healing. However, it is unusual for an infection to make just one thing go wrong, and so one often has to put right a number of things at this level, before you start to get results on a larger scale which you can see. This is not just results for the ego, but healing for the soul.
My apologies for the lack of pictures, and gaps. If you have any questions please get in touch.


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About NREL
Environment, Safety, Health, & Quality
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Discover NREL
» About NREL » Carin Casso Reinhardt — Chief Human Resources Officer
Carin Casso Reinhardt — Chief Human Resources Officer
Carin Casso Reinhardt guides NREL's strategy for recruitment, development, and retention of the workforce needed to successfully execute our vision for the long term.
Her extensive career as a human resources (HR) leader includes nearly two decades at ASRC Federal Holding Company. ASRC Federal is a diverse contracting services firm operating in the technology, engineering, sciences, and professional services business spaces for federal government customers. ASRC Federal's key customers include DOE, NASA, the Department of Defense, and all U.S. military branches. Reinhardt began her career there as a senior HR manager and advanced to the role of HR vice president, responsible for 7,000 employees around the globe.
Most recently, she served as HR vice president at Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, a diverse holding company of 3,000 employees with businesses operating in professional sports, broadcast media, sales, retail, entertainment, hospitality, and commercial real estate.
Reinhardt holds numerous HR certifications and affiliations, including the University of Michigan's Certified Labor Relations Professional certification, executive counsel membership in ASRC's Woman in Leadership Networking Committee, and executive board membership in the American Heart Association of Colorado.
She holds bachelor's degrees in political science and history from the University of New Mexico.
Energy Execs
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Washington, D.C., Office


The company has chosen a site in Delhi ans has found an Indian retail partner.
Hamleys' management sees overseas expansion as a key growth area and is due to open its first standalone overseas store in Dubai later this year.
Further outlets are planned in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the company is also interested in China.


At Moco Moco village in Region Nine, Central Rupununi opportunities for sustainable employment are few and far between. Twenty-nine-year old Analisa Edwards, a Macushi woman and a resident of Moco Moco, holds the view that in such a situation you take the hand which the circumstances have dealt you and simply play it the best way you can. That is the course of action that she is seeking to have womenfolk in her village take by directing their energies towards the entrepreneurial opportunity afforded by the Kayaweng Women's Agro-Processors Association. The group of fifteen women have been together for just over a year and they have taken cassava and farine and used these to create an economy that sustains many more people than it actually employs. Equally significantly, the Association has expanded its production levels to a point where it has created a valuable emergency storehouse in the event of disaster in the community or in nearby communities. It is an understanding which the women take seriously.
Later this month, the Canadian government will be providing community training in the management of storage bonds and Analisa says that the group will also be engaging the Government Analyst-Food & Drug Department for further training and sensitisation to ensure that what they offer is safe for human consumption.
Elevated it seems to the rank of an Ambassador for her village, Analisa journeyed to The Bahamas last December to deliver a presentation on disaster preparedness at the 10th Caribbean Disaster Management Conference. At home, she bemoans the fact that the absence of sufficiently strong links between the coast and the hinterland regions of Guyana continues to deny the latter opportunities for growth and development which ought to be at their disposal. She believes that the country has long reached a stage of development where linkages between the coast and the hinterland can allow for the much easier movement of produce from Amerindian communities to the coast and afterwards to the Caribbean and further afield. This, she says, will spur the growth of entrepreneurial ventures in Amerindian communities, helping to kick-start really meaningful employment-generating and poverty-reducing initiatives in communities like Moco Moco – impacted by high unemployment levels.
In her own undemonstrative way, Analisa is passionate about the role of women in her community. She espouses a seemingly unshakable belief in their talent, ingenuity and industriousness and their ability to transform the gifts of their environment into an economic resource. The agro-produce turned out by the Kayaweng women is directly linked to their own farming pursuits on the six acres of land which they have under cultivation plus the cassava that they purchase from other farmers in the community.
Much of the Association's effort is focused on processing cassava into a range of products including cassava bread and cassareep. Cassava biscuits are at the experimental stage and their small factory, laden with modest but efficient equipment funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and acquired in Brazil, also 'turns out' farine, casareep and tapioca.
Seemingly bursting at the seams with potential, the group, Analisa says, is hamstrung (as many Amerindian business enterprises are) with the challenges associated with the country's failure, over the decades, to create reliable trading links between coastal communities and interior ones; so that their mainstream market is limited mostly to Lethem. For the moment at least the prospects for an expanded market can only move at a pace that is equal to that at which the creation of stronger physical links between coastal Guyana and the interior moves.
It has not, Analisa says, been for the want of trying to hasten the process. Successive sorties into the capital to attend events like last month's Farine Festival and the April UNCAPPED event at the Sophia Complex helped realise pockets of patronage without creating any meaningful breakthrough.
Long before their products had 'taken root' here, the Group had been selected to participate in the October 10th – 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture event in Barbados. We spoke to Analisa on the day before she left for Bridgetown, full of hope that at least some of the group's products, particularly cassava bread, would secure a market there.
It had never been an issue of the quality of their products. Always, however, their packaging and labeling seemed to have 'come up short.' If they are still not where they want to be in the short to medium term Analisa is hopeful that the competition afforded by the other countries from the region participating in the Barbados event will provide her products with a sort of measuring rod to determine just where they are.
One senses, however, that Analisa sees Kayaweng as a step towards a far more meaningful goal. Possessed as she is of the reality that her own community of Moco Moco and much of the rest of the hinterland still linger behind coastal Guyana, she sees real development for her people through lenses that look beyond the excursions into small businesses that have been limited both in their scope and in the level of their success. She believes that if agro-processing is the key to boosting the economic fortunes of her community and perhaps of other Amerindian communities, then the sector must grow to the best that it can and that its success must bring gifts like a significantly stepped up, long-term quality of life.
Significant economic change, particularly for the women of her community, has to be attended by a generous measure of socio-cultural change. Valuing the traditions that have long sustained the community which she still clearly holds dear, she believes that development needs to rest more firmly on a bedrock that is underpinned by a far greater recognition of the role of women. That is why her own adult life has taken her closer and closer to becoming an advocate for the right of women to influence key community decisions. That, she believes, as much as the strengthening of linkages between the coast and hinterland communities, offers the best bet for the development of communities like Moco Moco.


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The Duke of Edinburgh visits Ignite Trust Youth Centre
The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron of The Federation of London Youth Clubs, visits the Ignite Trust Youth Centre to see how they inspire young people through sports, social time and life skills discussions
Ignite Trust's approach is centred around detached work where youth workers go out into the community with the aim of drawing young people into their activities and reducing anti-social behaviour.
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)
The Duke of Edinburgh visited Expression, a youth community group that meets weekly for young people aged 13-19 in Harrow. It aims to encourage and inspire young people through sports, social time and life skills discussions.
I've been visiting the Boys & Girls Clubs, now known as London Youth clubs, for the last 69 years and I understand the value in it. We need to educate people from the very start. It's all in the process of growing up
The Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke met young people benefitting from Ignite Trust's activity and education based programmes; His Royal Highness became Patron of The Federation of London Youth Clubs (London Youth) on 1st Jan 1947– his first charity patronage. He has since undertaken 125 engagements with the charity over the course of nearly 70 years as their Patron.
The Duke also visited Cedars Youth and Community Trust, who aim to make a positive difference for all through sport and learning, delivering of a diverse range of projects across six key themes; Sports Participation, Education, Health, Social Inclusion, Environment and Community Facilities.
London Youth's network includes over 300 community Youth Clubs and its members are located in the poorest 20 per cent of areas in England. London Youth supports and challenges young people to become the best they can be through hundreds of diverse community youth organisations.
The charity works to directly develop the confidence, resilience and relationship skills of over 25,000 children and young people each year, and reach tens of thousands more through their membership network. Find out more about London Youth's work on their website http://londonyouth.org/
The Duke of Edinburgh attends Royal Marines Parade
Published 2 August 2017
An announcement regarding The Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke at 95 with The Queen
A new portrait of The Duke of Edinburgh is released
The Duke of Edinburgh's Charities & Patronages
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Hillsborough Castle to present DofE Gold Awards
The Duke of Edinburgh celebrates London Youth's 130th anniversary
The Duke of Edinburgh opens a new stand at Lord's Cricket ground
The Duke of Edinburgh presents Kylie Minogue with the Britain-Australia Society Award for 2016
The Duke of Edinburgh hosts a DofE Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace
The Duke of Edinburgh visits the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Vantage Power
The Queen, with The Duke of Edinburgh, opens the Francis Crick Institute
The Duke of Edinburgh unveils Guinea Pig Club monument
The Duke joins The Queen to mark her 90th Birthday at St Paul's Cathedral
Visiting The Highlanders 4 Scots
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit Liverpool
The Duke, aged eight #HappyBirthdayHRH
Read about the DofE Award
The Duke of Edinburgh takes the salute at Sounding Retreat
Published 2 June 2016
50th anniversary of Grafham Water
Attending the Royal Marines Beating Retreat
How The Duke of Edinburgh's Award changed my life
Jon's transformation from a young man in prison to one with a stable future...
The Duke of Edinburgh unveils an Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust memorial marker
A Celebration of Shakespeare at Southwark Cathedral
The Duke attends a #Shakespeare400 Service
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit London Zoo
The Duke of Edinburgh visits MOD Lyneham
Guest appearance in Playing Fields Association film
Great Barrier Reef documentary screening
The Duke of Edinburgh reflects on serving with the Royal Navy in Tokyo in 1945
The Queen Consort's work on Violence Against Women
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Commonwealth Games
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
The Duchess of Cambridge joined the 1851 trust and the Great Britain SailGP Team in Plymouth
The Duchess of Cambridge, Royal Patron of the 1851 Trust, visited Plymouth
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Scotland
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out engagements in Scotland
The Duchess of Cambridge joined England Rugby Session
The Duchess of Cambridge is the new Patron of the Patron of the Rugby Football Union
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Visited the Foundling Museum
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Foundling Museum on Wednesday 19th January
The inaugural Earthshot Prize Ceremony Awards London
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the first ever Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony
The Duke of Cambridge attended The Royal Foundation's Emergency Services Mental Health Symposium
The Duke of Cambridge spoke to emergency services from across all four nations.
The Earl of Wessex visits Kenya