"Pastor is it OK to sell a Bible to a prostitute?"
Laura is a member of a small church in a small town in central Brazil. She has sold Avon products for years in the town to supplement the family income. One of her weekly routes takes here through the red light district, and with those business contacts she often shares her faith in Jesus Christ.
One day after asking her pastor if it is Ok to sell Bibles to prostitutes she took a few Bibles with her on her Avon trips to the red light district.
Several months later there were terrible rains and floods in that part of Brazil, causing several deaths. With the floods came mudslides in communities that had been inundated by the rising rivers. Two prostitutes who had attended the book demonstration earlier that year talked about the danger and decided to read the Bible they had purchased. Perhaps thinking the book to be like an Agatha Christie mystery novel, they started with Revelation in order to find the conclusion of the story. What they read terrified them.
They read with dismay Revelation 21:7, 8: "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, and the sexually immoral, the idolaters and all liars––their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
The gal who owned the Bible became alarmed and exclaimed, "We're lost! We're lost!" Her housemate replied, "No, you're lost. I'm not lost because I do penance every day." Still alarmed and concerned, they continued to read.
A few days later Laura visited her Avon customers. These two women literally pulled her off the street and shoved the Bible into her hands. "Read this part right there! Tell us what it means!" they ordered. Laura read the verses and responded, "It means that when you practice and live in one of these sins, you will not be permitted to enter heaven." Again, the owner of the Bible cried, "We're lost! We're lost! I told you we were lost!" Her friend again assured her, "No, you're lost. I'm not lost because I repent every day."
"Repentance," Laura explained, "is when you confess your wrong and completely turn around. You do not repent. Repenting is turning from your sin. You only feel guilty for your sins." Again, the prostitute shouted even louder, "We are lost! We're lost!" After sharing the plan of salvation and trying to pray with them Laura returned home planning to visit again. One week passed by and she made her way down the muddy and rutted dirt streets of that little suburb. On arriving at the home of the two prostitutes, she was handed a note by the one who had been so assured of her false repentance.
Enclosed is the money I owe. Thank you so much for help. After your visit last week, I returned to my hometown and am living with my parents. On Sunday I attended an evangelical church and gave my heart to the Lord Jesus. If ever I visit your city again, it will only be to attend your church. Jesus has made me a different person.
We can never estimate the power of God's Spirit working through His Word to convict, regenerate and transform lives in Jesus Christ.
This amazing true story of the power of God's Word was adapted from Richard Jacobsen, "A Miracle in Ipatinga," American Bible Society Record, (April 1988, Vol. 134, No. 4.), pp. 12-14.
When Jesus Christ comes into your life, He sets you free! There is no greater freedom in all the earth than having all your sins forgiven and being at peace with God. "If the Son shall make you free, you are free, indeed!"
John chapter eight opens with Jesus teaching a crowd of people who were coming and going in the Temple (8:1-2). It was early in the morning when Jesus began to teach them. Not everyone of course was ready to hear Him teach. A group of Pharisees called for His death, and was ready to trap Jesus. Some were saying, "Never did a man speak the way this man speaks" (7:46). Others were responding, "You have not been led astray, have you?" (v. 47). One of their own, Nicodemus entered into the discussion suggesting that no one should prejudge another without first hearing from him and knowing what he is doing (vv. 50-51). However, the Pharisees as a group was ready to entrap Jesus.
Jesus helps people where ever and in whatever condition He finds them. He was busy teaching when He was interrupted by a group of thugs who crash in on Him. They came dragging into the room a disheveled, hastily clothed, barefooted and humiliated woman.
The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman whom they testified was caught in "the very act" of adultery (v. 4). There is no question about her guilt. John repeats the statement twice in two verses, a woman "caught in adultery." She was "taken with shame upon her." She has lived in continuous adulterous relationships so long that she is now characterized as an adulteress.
Where is the man? If I remember correctly, it takes two! Verse four says she was "caught in adultery, the very act." Should there not have been have been two sinners? Is this a lynching party? Where is the man? Who is trying to get even with the woman? Who set the deliberate trap for her? Her husband, or a former lover? Perhaps the husband set her up to divorce her or have her stoned.
"Alas, how easily things go wrong!
She was guilty. There is no question about that. But it is also a candid reminder that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). No one rises up to meet the divine expectation for mankind. This woman was not the only one who had a problem; we all have a spiritual problem. We have all failed in the sight of God. We all got an "F" on our spiritual report card.
What will you do with this sinner (vv. 5– 6)?
This is a well-rehearsed plot to "test" Jesus with the idea of proving Him false. They were skillfully laying a trap. It was a setup.
The Pharisees demanded, "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" (v. 5). I am sure they were ready to misquote Deuteronomy 22:22ff. They stressed stoning the woman in the recorded quotes of their conversation with Jesus, but the Law demanded that both parties be stoned. It was only under the condition of persistence after previous warning and after the actual witness of the act of adultery by two competent witnesses that a couple was to be stoned.
The Pharisees and scribes continued to press their point. They were not after the poor woman as much as they were after Jesus. They were saying this "testing" Jesus (v. 6). They wanted grounds for "accusing" Jesus. He is the one they are really after.
This self-righteous, self-appointed judge and jury were out to hang Jesus. We are determined we are going to get rid of you, one way or the other, no matter what it takes. They were filled with self–righteous hatred toward Jesus.
They kept stressing their point. "They persisted in asking Him" (v. 7a). They kept the pressure on Jesus. Come on, tell us teacher, what do You say?
As the Pharisees kept pushing their question, with the intent of trapping Him, "Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground" (v. 6b). I don't know what He wrote. No one does. I have heard many wild ideas in my life, but none are of any value. We simply don't know what He wrote in the sand. It is really not important to us. What is crucial is what follows.
Jesus, will you kill the woman or kill the Law of Moses? Will you compromise your religious principles or kill the person?
My wife and I with some friends watched the summer performance of the epic tale of King Author and Queen Guenevere. You will recall in the play that King Author's most trusted and renowned knight Lancelot gingerly slipped his toe across the marital boundary. It started with an innocent look. Just a look, without premeditation or an evil intent. However, it was a short, slippery step from a look to lust, from infatuation to the bed of infidelity. The look led to a touch. The touch sometime later led to a kiss. The kiss led to adultery. And the adultery led to tragedy.
Mordred, who caught Guenevere and Lancelot in their unfaithfulness taunted the King. Of course, Lancelot escaped, but Guenevere was captured and sentenced to death by the court. In the climatic scene where Arthur is called upon to give the signal to commence the execution, Mordred taunts him with wicked joy.
"Arthur! What a magnificent dilemma! Let her die, your life is over; let her live, your life's a fraud. Which will it be, Arthur? Do you kill the Queen or kill the law?"
Ok Jesus, what will You do? You are the teacher of the Law. You teach with authority. Let us hear Your answer. Kill the Law or kill this sinner?
Jesus stooped wrote in the sand (vv. 6b-8).
As these religious leaders persisted in questioning him, Jesus stood up and invited any one among them who was sinless, not guilty of general sinfulness, to throw the first stone. By this statement they could not possibly say Jesus rejected the law. Jesus specifically enjoined them to throw the first stone. Go ahead, you are right, the Law says stone her. She is guilty. Now, you, which one of you, is sinless? Moreover, if they threw the stone they would have been guilty of breaking the Roman Law against capital punishment! Only the Roman government in Jesus' day could execute a criminal. That is why the Jewish religious leaders manipulated Pilate to execute Jesus! They didn't have the authority to execute Him.
Jesus straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (v. 7). Then Jesus again "stooped down, and wrote on the ground" (v. 8).
I think a deathly silence fell over that crowd. The audience who had been listening to Jesus, the Master Teacher, anxiously listened for His answer. They had been in rapt attention waiting.
Then the Pharisees and scribes who hauled the woman in suddenly abandoned her, one by one. "They began to go out and continued one by one." They were preoccupied with their own sin! "And when they heard it, they began to go out [and continued] one buy one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she had been, in the midst" (v. 9).
What would you say to this poor humiliated sinner? What word of hope would you offer her? Would they be biting words of indignation and scorn? Would you take the opportunity to really scold her and set her straight? How do you deal with sinners, caught in the very act?
"And straightening up, Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?'" (v. 10). "No one, Lord" (v. 11a).
I can hear the legalists now screaming, "You liberals preach grace!" Jesus preached grace! Paul preached grace! A world of lost sinners needs grace! We need God's free gift of eternal life. We need salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
The woman did not make any excuses (v. 11). She was guilty. She knew it. She stood condemned. She didn't have to be convinced of that fact. She needed grace. She did not deserve it. "The wages of sin is death." "The soul that sins will surely die." She couldn't earn it. She was a spiritual pauper in the need of the riches of God's marvelous grace.
Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more" (v. 11). Let those words soak in. "Neither do I . . . " "Neither do I condemn you."
How could Jesus offer such a sinner no condemnation? He did it the same way He does to us. He knew that He was going to the cross to die for her sins. "For while we were still helpless" sinners. That is the way all sinners are. Helpless. A helpless sinner doesn't merit forgiveness. A helpless sinner doesn't earn forgiveness. "For while we were still helpless [sinners], at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).
Moreover, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (v. 8).
To every guilt-ridden sinner who puts their trust in Jesus Christ as their savior the LORD God comes today and whispers in your ear "neither do I condemn you." "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
Do you have that sense of peace and forgiveness? "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). You can have that peace right now by acknowledging your need of God's forgiveness and putting your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9). Ask Him to save you right now believing that He died for you on the cross and rose from the dead.
Now that you are saved what is your responsibility as a saved sinner? It is the same as the woman in our story. Jesus told her literally, "Stop your sinful habit." Make a clean break with sin. A. T. Robertson observes it is imperative of prohibition, "No longer go on sinning."
Jesus did not tell the woman to clean up her act and then He would forgive her. He said, "Neither do I condemn you; go your way; sin no more." He said, now that you are saved, don't continue with your sinful lifestyle. He didn't say be obedient and then I will save you. He forgave her. He saved her by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
When you are saved by grace you want to live Christ now that you have been saved!
Even a wicked sinner can be saved today. There is salvation for all who will put their faith in Christ.
I don't care what happened last night, last month, last year, or whenever in your life. What I do care is that you will come to Jesus and receive the free gift of eternal life right now. Acknowledge to Him that you need His saving grace and forgiveness. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall saved." "Whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him" (John 3:17). "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).
Resolve in your own heart that from this day on to live a life consecrated to Jesus Christ. "Go . . . sin no more." You live the Christian life the same way you began, by grace through faith alone in Christ alone. You have the Holy Spirit within you to strengthen you and deliver you from temptation.
Correcting wrong starts with forgiveness, not rebuke. There is a keen reminder here that whenever we confront wrong we must be truly humble, not proud. We must take a long hard critical look at our own lives. Galatians 6:1 reminds us, "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourselves, lest you too be tempted." Never were those words truer than in our day. Don't let the temptation of religious pride ensnare you. If you are in a position where you deal with those who are trapped in sin ask God for wisdom, and do not try to bring healing by yourself. Have an accountability group. The privilege of condemning wrong is based on righteousness, not knowledge. Are you without sin? Any sin? Are you spiritual enough to restore the one caught in a trespass? If you're not, then don't. Let a more mature believer be the caregiver (Matthew 7:1-2).
Take a few moments right now and celebrate your freedom in Christ. "It is for freedom that Christ set you free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).


This details the basics for now, but can be detailed in the future.
@@ -1082,6 +1082,101 @@ You should now be able to access the qemu-system-x86_64 Spice binary.
+should work with any application using spice-gtk (virt-manager, gnome-boxes, ...).
+It's also possible to get some host-side debugging logs from the guest QXL driver.
+qxl-vga.guestdebug=3`, or `-global qxl.guestdebug=3` for secondary devices.
+ * 11 - will show caching of images (this is a driver cache, not to be confused with the server<->client shared cache).
+`-global qxl-vga.cmdlog=1`, or `-global qxl.cmdlog=1` for secondary devices.
+See the section above for the libvirt XML to use.
+On Linux, `journalctl -t spice-vdagentd -t spice-vdagent` will display the agent log messages.
+spice-vdagent can also be restarted by hand with the `-d` argument in order to display more logs.


Picture taken by Taylor Daly at Tamarack Beach in Carlsbad, Ca.
This quote has always stuck out at me in regards to service. Many people believe that their service goes unnoticed. They believe that they really can't make a difference. It is true: somebody can't do everything, but everybody can do something. With the combined efforts of all volunteers, change begins to emerge. Volunteering is never a wasted effort. If more people were to volunteer, the impact on our city, nation, and world would increase. Teamwork is what leads us to greater change and a better community. By working together, change can happen, and quickly! Get involved in your community and see the impact that it has. Encourage friends and family to participate with you!


Naree-club is the shop which can feel good in a visitor.
Oasis in Okubo station on foot 30 seconds! Thailand traditional massage shop. Woman of our shop with the Thailand massage license treat you to high technology with a smile.
Please print a service ticket page in the case of coming to our shop, and show it! we will carry out service of discount or time extension.
At our shop, no additional charge is obtained except extension at a visitor's hope. Please feel easy and receive a massage calmly.
A credit card cannot be used at our shop.
NALI COURSE(oil・lymph massage & shower)Recommendation!
The reservation is received. Please feel free to call.
(C) Copyright thai massage, okubo station「Nali Club」 All Rights Reserved.


text:
Do you really value your liberty enough?
The President started something when he gave a speech in Poland about "defending the West". I don't take issue with the idea of defending Western values -- but I also think it's a mistake to misunderstand what those values really are. At the top of the show, I argued that those values in many ways come back to a sense of openness -- being open to new ideas, new competition, and yes, new immigrants as well. This caller disagrees:
And while I respect everyone's right to hold their own opinion, we aren't entitled to our own facts. The caller erroneously claimed that the United States went to a policy of zero immigration for a large part of the 20th Century. That claim is entirely wrong: The Census Bureau has carefully documented immigration to the United States, and in no decade during the 20th Century did migration into our country fall to zero.
If you say you're for "Western" values, but don't value liberty enough to defend the rights of others to enjoy liberty as well, then I would submit that you're confusing values with something else.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Introduces Legislation to Protect Public Health and Coral Reef
Washington, DC—Today, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) introduced the Oxybenzone and Octinoxate Impact Study Act of 2019 as well as the Reef Safe Act of 2019. The first of these bills would require an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study on the impacts of these chemicals on public health and the environment while the second would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop standards for a ''Reef Safe'' designation for nonprescription sunscreens.
"The ingredients in many common sunscreens are chemicals that have been proven to kill coral reef, harm marine life, and raise serious concerns about the impact they may have on people who use them. While proper skin protection is extremely important, we must make sure the ingredients used are safe for people and not jeopardizing the coral reef vital to local marine habitats and that help reduce coastal flood risk," said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been a leader fighting to protect coral reefs supporting funding and greater awareness of their importance and the protection of our oceans. She has also addressed public health concerns related to chemical safety issues, water safety, and protecting people from toxic chemicals.
About 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter the world's reefs every year, according to a 2015 paper published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Oxybenzone and octinoxate cause mortality in developing corals, increasing coral bleaching and inducing genetic damage to coral and other marine organisms.
Last year, Hawai'i became the first state to enact legislation designed to protect coral reefs and marine ecosystems by banning sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate.
An FDA study released on May 6, 2019 found that it takes just one day of sunscreen use for oxybenzone to enter a person's bloodstream.
A U.S. Geological Survey issued a report last month which studied the impact that coral reefs have on local communities. The study found that the annual value of flood risk reduction provided by U.S. coral reefs is more than 18,000 lives and over $1.8 billion, Hawai'i being one of the greatest beneficiaries of this protection.
About Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawaii's Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for 16 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard...
Hawai'i Island Updates, Kaua'i Updates, Lanaʻi Updates, Maui Updates, Molokaʻi Updates, O'ahu Updates, Working For Sustainable Energy Policies & A Cleaner Environment


Carmarthen Leisure Centre - NEXT WEEK!
Round-Up from the Welsh Indoor Junior Championships (15-16 Jan) & Welsh Senior Championships (31 Jan), both held at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff in January.
Carmarthen Town Awards 2016 - Harriers Athletes rewarded!
Busy Weekend of Action across Cardiff & Swansea.
Round Up from the Cardiff Cross Challenge, plus results from the West Wales Indoor Championships & Cardiff Met Grand Prix.
On behalf of the Officers and Committee members of the Carmarthen and District Harriers Athletics Club we would like to extend to all our members a Happy Christmas and a successful New Year. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.
Thank you all once again for your support in 2015 and we look forward to another good year in 2016.
Healthy Life Activities Opener: Amman Valley Sprint Triathlon 2019 attracts record numbers!
Track & Field League Campaigns to start with a bang on first weekend of May!


The Sicilian Project is the undercover plan of the decade. It is undoubtedly the best-kept secret since the atomic bomb. And it's the President's baby. If successful, it will create a defense network that will insure America's security from foreign attack for the foreseeable future. The sole hitch is that the project requires a quantity of Byzantium, an extremely rare element. In fact, it looks as though the only Byzantium in the world lies in the hold of R.M.S. Titanic, sunk in 1912 and still resting more than twelve thousand feet deep in the North Atlantic. The task is simple enough: Raise the Titanic! The man in charge of the mission is Dirk Pitt, jack-of-all-trades and master of-most. Using highly sophisticated submersible equipment, Pitt sets to work at his Herculean job. The presence of two Russian spies doesn't help, nor does the intervention of one very nasty lady, Hurricane Amanda. For balance, however, there is one very sweet lady who doesn't in the least resemble your average marine archaeologist. Clive Cussler has accomplished a remarkable feat in blending high melodrama with exhaustively sound scientific research; the Titanic could be raised today.
"Intriguing...ingeniously crafted...exciting...The details of the ship's raising, worked out lovingly by Mr. Cussler, are fascinating...A ripping good story."


text:
Barima-Waini
Mabaruma
Mabaruma Climate Weather Averages
Barima-Waini, GY
Time in Mabaruma is Fri 21st Jan 5:22 pm
Mabaruma, Guyana Weather Averages
Weather in Mabaruma in January
Temperature hovers around 29°c and at night it feels like 22°c. In January, Mabaruma gets 211.39mm of rain and approximately 28 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 82%.
Weather in Mabaruma in February
Temperature hovers around 29°c and at night it feels like 22°c. In February, Mabaruma gets 169.21mm of rain and approximately 26 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 81%.
Weather in Mabaruma in March
Temperature hovers around 29°c and at night it feels like 23°c. In March, Mabaruma gets 149.27mm of rain and approximately 26 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 79%.
Weather in Mabaruma in April
Temperature hovers around 30°c and at night it feels like 23°c. In April, Mabaruma gets 147.33mm of rain and approximately 26 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 78%.
Weather in Mabaruma in May
Temperature hovers around 30°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In May, Mabaruma gets 268.30mm of rain and approximately 30 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 81%.
Weather in Mabaruma in June
Temperature hovers around 29°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In June, Mabaruma gets 358.36mm of rain and approximately 30 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 83%.
Weather in Mabaruma in July
Temperature hovers around 30°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In July, Mabaruma gets 400.03mm of rain and approximately 30 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 84%.
Weather in Mabaruma in August
Temperature hovers around 31°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In August, Mabaruma gets 338.51mm of rain and approximately 30 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 82%.
Weather in Mabaruma in September
Temperature hovers around 31°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In September, Mabaruma gets 196.22mm of rain and approximately 27 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 80%.
Weather in Mabaruma in October
Temperature hovers around 31°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In October, Mabaruma gets 246.24mm of rain and approximately 27 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 81%.
Weather in Mabaruma in November
Temperature hovers around 30°c and at night it feels like 24°c. In November, Mabaruma gets 334.19mm of rain and approximately 29 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 83%.
Weather in Mabaruma in December
Temperature hovers around 29°c and at night it feels like 23°c. In December, Mabaruma gets 286.96mm of rain and approximately 29 rainy days in the month. Humidity is close to 84%.
Following fields are displayed for Mabaruma climate averages:
Best travel deals for Mabaruma in association with
Travel deals for Mabaruma
Barabina Hill
Hossororo
Mabaruma Airport
Port Kaituma Airport


text:
Bandar Bukit Tinggi is an integrated and modern township in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. The RM5 billion (over US$1.6 billion) self-sufficient mature township has a wide range of facilities and amenities.

With a total freehold land area of , Bandar Bukit Tinggi houses a mixed development of over 20,000 units of quality designed properties including various types of double-storey, terrace and semi-detached houses, bungalows and luxury and medium-cost apartments.

Bukit Tinggi consists of 3 major development areas, namely Bukit Tinggi 1 (BT1), Bukit Tinggi 2 (BT2) and Bukit Tinggi 3 (also known as Klang Parklands). Adjacent to Bukit Tinggi are some other modern townships such as Botanic Klang, Glenmarie Cove, Bandar Puteri Klang, Kota Bayuemas and Bandar Bestari (Canary Garden).

Retail and food
Bukit Tinggi in Klang has hundreds of food and dining outlets in the township such as Mamak stalls, kopi tiams, bak kut teh, steamboat, seafood, Kajang satay, Western, Asian, nasi kandar, Chinese, fast food and vegetarian restaurants.

This integrated township has 2 hypermarkets, Tesco and Giant Hypermarket and a modern business hotel with 300 rooms, the Première Hotel. There are various amenities in Bukit Tinggi that serve more than 90,000 residents, including banks, offices, petrol stations, recreational parks, health clinics, gyms and schools. This makes Bukit Tinggi the most successful and fastest growing township in the royal town of Klang.

Developed by property developer and construction player WCT Holdings Berhad since 1997, Bukit Tinggi is also the home to the AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre, the largest AEON (Jusco) store in Southeast Asia. The shopping mall has a gross lettable area of approximately one million square feet and over 5000 car park bays.

Next to the AEON Bukit Tinggi is an integrated development comprising 20-block of retail offices and 2-block of 9-storey corporate office suites named The Landmark (with a gross development value of RM180 million). Next to The Landmark is the Impiria Residences, comprising 2 high-rise blocks of service apartments and retail shops. A boutique hotel called The Canvas Hotel with 98 rooms is scheduled to open in 3Q 2018. The Landmark, Impiria Residences and The Canvas Hotel are all directly linked to the AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre via skybridges.

Manipal Hospitals Klang (MHK), a US$100 million private medical centre with 220 beds, is located in this township. Operational since 18 July 2016, Manipal Hospitals Klang provides a modern tertiary levels of healthcare service with super specialities including cardiothoracic, paediatric and neuro surgeries as well as a 24-hour trauma centre with a team of over 300 nursing staff and 60 resident and visiting specialists.

Administration
Bandar Bukit Tinggi is under the jurisdiction of the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), and is represented in the Parliament by the Member of Parliament for Kota Raja (P111 parliamentary seat), Mr. Mohamad Sabu who is also the Minister of Defence. At the Selangor state government level, the township is represented by the Sentosa state (N48 state seat) assemblyman, Mr. Gunarajah George.

The residents of the township are represented by the Residents' Association of Bukit Tinggi (PPBT). The Bukit Tinggi police station provides a good security presence in the township.

Location and connectivity
The integrated township development of Bandar Bukit Tinggi in Klang is located strategically just 50 km west of Kuala Lumpur and 30 km from Petaling Jaya. It is accessible via major highways of which the nearest is the KESAS highway. The upcoming West Coast Expressway (WCE) will also be built next to the township.

In terms of Internet connectivity, the township is fully connected to the national high-speed broadband (HSBB) grid on fibre optic lines. Bukit Tinggi is serviced by public bus service providers with direct route to the Klang town centre, Kuala Lumpur, Banting and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

By August 2020, Bukit Tinggi will also be connected to the RM 9 billion LRT 3 rail line, with 2 elevated LRT stations (Tesco Bukit Tinggi station and AEON Bukit Tinggi station) located in the mature township, serving as a major component to the Klang Valley Public Transport System.

References

External links
 Aerobus express service between Bukit Tinggi and KLIA and KLIA2
 High-end retail centre for Bukit Tinggi, The Star
 Klang-Shah Alam corridor a future hub, The Star
 Bukit Tinggi police station
 WCT Holdings Berhand, Developer of Bukit Tinggi
 Upside for Klang, The New Straits Times
 LRT3 route agreed at over 35km between PJ and Klang

Townships in Selangor
Klang (city)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Sequence of loops making indefinite program I am trying to make a program that takes all the combinations of a dice (got that part done) but now I am trying to take all the combinations and put them in an array by there total ( (1,1) = 2, (2,4) = 6 ) and I will eventually implement it into a game. But when trying to organize them I created an infinite loop that does not seem like it should be running infinitely.
    for (int dice1 = 1; dice1 < 7; dice1++)
     for (int dice2 = 1; dice2 < 7; dice2++)
         for (int j = 0; j < 6;)
         {
            msg = "";
            msg = "(" +dice1 + ", " + dice2 + ")";
            arrayDice[dice1 - 1][dice2 - 1] = msg;
            add = dice1 + dice2 - 2;
            arrayAdd[add][j] = msg;
            if (add == 10 - j)
                j = j + 1;
         }

the arrayDice is just the array of all combinations while the arrayAdd is all the added combinations. I really can't find where the problem is coming from.

A: Third for loop in your program is the one that is running infinitely. In the third loop, you are not incrementing the counter 'j' within the for statement but you increment it within the body of the loop. However, the only place in the body of the third loop where the counter 'j' is increasing is within an if statement - if (add == 10 - j). Since you start this loop with j=0, the expression 10 - 0 = 10 for the first iteration while the variable 'add' is 1 + 1 -2 = 0. So this expression if (add == 10 - j) evaluates to false. So j never gets incremented. The only other variable in this expression is 'add' which doesn't get changed until you come out of the third loop. So in short the expression if (add == 10 - j) never evaluates to true and hence j is never incremented resulting in the third loop running infinitely.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dress up your computer in preparation of the coming Miss Clue madness with your very own Miss Clue Desktop Wallpaper!
Classic and elegant; this Miss Clue Desktop Wallpaper is guaranteed to compliment your monitor!
Thank Mintie! I'm putting it on mine now! Totally love getting a Miss Clue Desktop!
i am SO READY for new miss clue!! had to pop in after i saw this update & share how excited i am!! MISS CLUE MADNESS!!!!
i want this wallpaper on a BILLBOARD!
@DuchessRaven i love your signature pic it's so beautiful!!


Our journey to Toscana inspired us to create the new SIENA lighting collection.
The new SIENA lighting products are artisanal, hand-finished brass also known as "French brass". Brass is a noble material, highly valued for recreating interiors with a Mediterranean style.
The SIENA collection allows you to combine exclusive switch plates with matching FEDE switches and electrical mechanisms. Our new concept, "Switch & Light by FEDE", dresses the walls and ceiling of your interiors with an exquisite and refined decorative style. Sublime details that make the difference.
Although inspired by classic styles, the SIENA collection uses the latest technology and is compatible with the latest generation of long-life and low power consumption LEDs.


text:
Fairport CSD names Jefferson Avenue principal
Messenger Post Media
messenger@messengerpostmedia.com
The Fairport Central School District recently appointed Ryan Charno as principal of Jefferson Avenue School. Charno currently is the assistant principal of Dudley Elementary School.
Charno came to Dudley in 2014. He has more than 15 years of experience in education and previously taught elementary students in Victor CSD.
Charno, of Fairport, received his educational leadership from the University of Rochester, along with a Master of Science in education from Nazareth College and Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Binghamton University. He holds certifications in school building leadership, school district leadership, grades 1-6 childhood education and teaching students with disabilities.
Superintendent Brett Provenzano said that Charno established himself as a visible leader, fierce advocate for children and lifelong learner during his time at Dudley.
"Mr. Charno values relationships and his collaborative mindset is a defining attribute of his leadership," Provenzano said. "He is fully invested in our district's vision and with Jefferson Avenue's student-centered approach. He is eager to develop meaningful relationships with all school members and begin making important contributions to the Jefferson Avenue School community."
Charno said he is looking forward to collaborating with staff and families to create a positive school experience that promotes the social, emotional and academic success of children that allows them to become their best selves.
"I am honored to join the exceptional team at Jefferson Avenue Elementary School," Charno said. "My goal is to continue to create a collaborative learning community that harnesses the natural curiosity of the young child, and cultivates genuine excitement amongst students, staff and families."
Charno will start his new position on July 1. He replaces Rich Greene, who will retire at the end of June after serving in the role for 16 years.
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Time to introduce a new feature on the ThinkingCat site: The Attic.
It is with chagrin that I acknowledge that I am an old enough <fill in appropriate but not-too-abusive-please ephithet> that many hot new technology standards discussions are ringing in resonance with the long, hard exercises I recall from years past. In particular, many of the discussions around "information centric networking", "named data networking", and new ways to handle intellectual property rights intended for digital media are working through similar problem spaces. When is a resource "the same" enough to be the same? Et cetera.
From my perspective, there was a vibrant community discussion of those issues in the heyday of standardization of Uniform Resource Identifiers at the IETF in the 1990's and early 2000's. There was a small core of that community that really wanted to push URIs to be more than just "web addresses", and saw an application infrastructure standards roadmap. That roadmap never got implemented — at some point we acknowledged that the implementing community was not as keen, and there's no fun in defining standards that never get used.
I would like to believe that the ICN and other groups have the implementors with them, and enough interest in the outcome to solve some of these issues that are being revisited. It would also be useful if we could somehow short-circuit the learning curve, and not tread through all the same sequences.
Perhaps that is a vain hope, but it is the spirit with which I offer "The Attic" — a place where I intend to post up various remnants of those discussions, as culled from my spotty archives (driven by my even spottier recollection).
Today's inaugural contribution is on "Contextualized (URI) Resolution — C15N" (C15N because there are 15 letters between "c" and "n" in "contextualization"… get it? Hey, I didn't say the humour aged well). That work never got beyond the BoF stage at the IETF, but the same questions arise when we look at any kind of advanced information resolution.
This is an experiment. If nothing else, I'll have a somewhat organized version of my own archive when I'm done 😉 But, if you find this useful, let me know — I'll be more motivated to add to it. If you have suggestions — of content or format, I'd also be happy to know. Feel free to leave a comment here, or email me (I'm "ldaigle" at this site's domain name).


I make so many frozen pops around here and these Strawberry Beet Pops are a family favorite treat. (I'm calling them pops, Popsicle is trademarked term.) We start finding strawberries at the local farmer's market in the springtime and right now, in the summer, it's still strawberry season and I've been making these strawberry pops all the time. (You don't need to use fresh strawberries to make them, though, frozen berries work great too!) They are perfect to cool you down on hot summer days (though we eat them year round in our home) and with the coconut milk base they are creamy, delicious, and nourishing. The coconut milk makes for a more filling snack too.
Our family had some strawberry beet ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop, Vanilla Jill's. (For those of you who have been reading for awhile, you've certainly heard me mention Vanilla Jill's before. They have so many flavors to choose from and we adore their coconut milk ice cream.) Throughout my life I had never been a strawberry ice cream fan because I couldn't stand the fakey-strawberry-imitation flavor of the ones I had tried, but decided to give the one at Vanilla Jill's a try since it was made with actual strawberries. We all agreed that it was amazing. Bracken immediately requested that I make strawberry beet pops at home, and that's how the recipe was born.
You'll need a blender and popsicle molds to make this recipe. To make the pops simply blend up your ingredients, pour the mixture into the molds, and stick the molds in the freezer. It can take up to five hours for them to freeze. You'll want to leave about one-quarter inch of room at the top of each mold because the pops will expand a little as they freeze. To remove the pops from the stainless steel molds we have, we hold them under running water until they come out easily.
We invested in stainless steel popsicle molds years ago and we love them. They have definitely been worth the money. We recently ordered another set so that I can make more popsicles at one time (12 rather than 6), which is a better use of my efforts in the kitchen.
I should mention that when I make this recipe I always have a little extra in our blender after I've filled all the molds, but luckily there's always someone nearby who wants to drink it up like a smoothie!
It's always great to add more vegetables to your diet, so why not add a little to your pops, right? You'll notice there is not very much beet powder, despite the name of this recipe. You are welcome to add more, depending on your preference and the preference of those eating them. When I add too much beet powder my family tends to not enjoy them as much, so I just add a little to ours. We eats beets around here like crazy, so I'm not worried that we're not getting enough beets in our diet, so I just add the amount of beet powder that everyone enjoys.
I want to mention the coconut milk that I've been using to make these pops. At some point I want to try making my own coconut milk, but in the meantime we've been buying our coconut milk from Thrive Market. Their coconut milk has two ingredients: organic coconut extract and water. I like that it doesn't have all the additives, the can is BPA-free, and I also appreciate how affordable it is (only $1.99 per can) because we can go through a lot of coconut milk around here.
I've been meaning to write about Thrive Market here for some time. Jeff and I decided to join Thrive Market over a year ago and we've been so glad that we did. Their mission is to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. When you pay a yearly fee and join the Thrive community, you can purchase healthy food at wholesale prices (25 to 50% off retail.) When you join, it also sponsors a free membership for a low-income family.
It can get so expensive when you want to feed your family healthy, organic food. We find so many great deals there and save so much on our grocery bills by shopping at Thrive Market! I should also mention that there is free shipping on all orders over $49, so we simply wait to place our order until it's over $49.
If you order through my link, you can get 15% off your first order from Thrive Market. For every person who becomes a paid member through my link, our family receives $25 to spend at Thrive, which we so appreciate. I want to say that I didn't start this blog to make money, I began this space simply because it brought me joy to write and share with you here. And now, eight years later, I'm still not blogging for the money. I make a small amount of income from this blog to help support my family, and when you purchase through my link it helps support my efforts here, and I thank you for it. Please know that I only promote products and companies that I believe in and Thrive Market is a company that I love.
I know I've already gone on and on about the many reasons why I love these pops, but I also want to mention just how quick and easy they are to make. The days get full and busy and I know many of us don't get as much time in the kitchen as we would like. That's yet another thing that makes these pops so wonderful- they are something you can make in your kitchen in minutes, and after they freeze, you have a healthy and delicious treat all ready for you. Enjoy!
thanks for the link! i have not heard of thrive. one of our biggest budget busters is actually having to go into the store! ordering stuff on line could totally help! no impulse buying. i'm going to check it out! and those pops look awesome!!


The SPT light turf is our most popular turf. This 50oz turf is perfect for residential areas with light to moderate traffic and is one of the most realistic looking turfs available today. It has a polyurethane backing which means you can rely on this highly dependable product to more than live up to the eight year warranty.
This particular product is created to have a hybrid aesthetic. Two-thirds field green and the remaining one-third of lime green are blended together to create an artificial grass surface that has tonal color dimension. Much of its use is attributed to landscape. It is an 80 oz turf with brown thatching and is one of our higher end turfs.
This product is our mid-priced turf and has a tuft suitable for moderate to heavy traffic. The longer 1.75 inch blades give a much more "lush" look to the turf.
This dura-flo backed product is great for drainage and has a longer pile height, mimicking a "fescue" look. It is great for light to moderate traffic and touts one of our more "realistic" looks.
Our Pet Turf is designed for comfort and utmost durability with thatch composition. It can thus withstand moderate to heavy traffic for rough play and performance. This product's backing is coated with polyurethane for added strength. It is a 65 oz turf with a one inch high pile that is perfect for the average pet.
South Plains Turf uses many more turf products than those listed above. Please request to see our other turfs if you don't see what you like in our above selection.


Description: Moseley & Assoc LTD is a business categorized under real estate management, which is part of the larger category real estate agents & managers. Moseley & Assoc LTD is located at the address 26 Center St in North Walpole, New Hampshire 03609-1710. The Manager is Lorraine Reynolds who can be contacted at (603)445-5100.
Location & access map for "Moseley & Assoc LTD"


We will be holding two summertime family play-dates for new families joining Montroyal next year. All current families are welcome to meet and join (school lower playground) on Aug 30 from 10 - 12 .
The After School Club will return next year and again will include Kindergarten students. Thanks to those who made the pilot a success!
Registration for the fall is through North Van Rec on August 21, 2017.


text:
layout: post
comments: true
title: "Los Carbohidratos"
date: 2017-04-03 20:26:54 +0200
category: nutricion
author: Adrià Soto
tags: [nutrientes, dieta, carbohidratos, alimentos]
---
![Fuentes de carbohidratos](/img/fuentes-de-carbohidratos.jpg)

Los hidratos de carbono (HC), también denominados glúcidos, carbohidratos o, vulgarmente,
azúcares, están considerados como la fuente de energía preferida por el organismo humano,
tanto para las actividades físicas como mentales.

El concepto de energía en relación con el rendimiento, el bienestar y la salud se basa en
una dieta de hidratos de carbono junto con un control de las grasas.

<!--excerpt-->

Podemos clasificar los hidratos de carbono en dos categorías: simples y complejos.

Los carbohidratos simples o sencillos están formados por una o dos unidades de azúcar. Entre
ellos están: la glucosa (dextrosa), la fructosa (azúcar de la fruta), la sacarosa (azúcar de
caña o típico azúcar de mesa, que consta de una molécula de fructosa y glucosa) y la lactosa
(azúcar de la leche, que consta de una molécula de glucosa y galactosa).

Los carbohidratos complejos son moléculas mucho más grandes formadas, a su vez, por numerosas
moléculas de azúcar (en su mayor parte glucosa), y están representados por alimentos como la pasta,
el arroz, los cereales, las patatas, el pan, las verduras, etc., siendo éstos los que deben
prevalecer en nuestra dieta.

Si vuestra dieta es baja en carbohidratos notaréis la falta de energía. Os sentiréis débiles y
tensos. Os faltará concentración y perderéis memoria. El entrenamiento con pesos es una actividad
de gran intensidad y por ello depende de la glucosa como fuente de energía.

Los números son claros: el ejercicio con pesos usa un 90% de glucosa y el aeróbico un 80% o 90% de grasa.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Easy and enjoyable to follow, this programme enables you to get the flat stomach you've been dreaming about. These exercises, which can be done at home, will sculpt your abdominals and give you a slim and redesigned figure. No more gym or exhausting exercises!


text:
NewsAustralian National Field Days
Australian National Field Days
news, australian-national-field-days, orange, australian national field days, borenore, peter cremasco
The 2016 Australian National Field Days (ANFD) have been hailed a success, with 14,000 people attending the three-day event. ANFD manager Jayne West said Saturday's crowd figure of 7,000 – achieved despite a sluggish start to the day as the morning gloom lingered – was a fantastic way to wrap up another successful year at the Borenore site. "It's up a little on last year's Saturday," Mrs West said. "We initially thought it would be a disaster following Friday's weather." The attendance figures do not include the 500-strong contingent of exhibitors, 40 per cent of whom have already reserved their place for the 2017 edition of the field days. Mrs West nominated Mitsubishi selling 11 cars over three days and Leichts Country Industries' sale of seven cattle crushes as her personal highlights from the event, which commenced on Thursday. Manildra's MSM Milling was the feature exhibition and Mrs West said they had received plenty of feedback from farmers interested in changing their canola handler. One of the businesses which didn't have an agricultural focus was Parkes Caravans. Owner Steve McGuire said it was important to support the field days as an exhibitor. "We like to support the show and make people aware of our products," Mr McGuire said. "It's important to be part of a community-run event." People young and old were checking out the caravans. "There's also young families wanting to give their children an experience they've had themselves in the past," Mr McGuire said. Grape and prune grower Peter Cremasco traveled from Yenda in the state's south-west, his second visit to Borenore 35 years after his first. "It's been worthwhile making the trip, it's a good day out," Mr Cremasco said. "It's a beautiful day and it's very well organised." Like many at the field days, Mr Cremasco had was confident the coming harvest would be a profitable one but hoped the rain stayed away. "The season is looking good so far, we've had enough rain now," he said. "A warm, dry spell would be lovely and improve our chances for a good season." In a first for Australian field days, Telstra was showing off the latest in their home automation systems. The telco's smart home concepts included futuristic automated doors and lights and air-conditioning powered by sensors connected to a home network. Telstra's business development specialist said the system could send an image of a person knocking on the door to a homeowner's mobile or notify them when their children have arrived home.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/35WVUfxfAJ5ewz9B7wdJW9B/efabe568-eaa0-4da2-b70e-220e64f88ad5.JPG/r0_294_4256_2699_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
October 22 2016 - 7:00PM
2016 Australian National Field Days a success | Photos
Declan Rurenga
Central Western Daily photographer Jude Keogh's photos
The 2016 Australian National Field Days (ANFD) have been hailed a success, with 14,000 people attending the three-day event.
ANFD manager Jayne West said Saturday's crowd figure of 7,000 – achieved despite a sluggish start to the day as the morning gloom lingered – was a fantastic way to wrap up another successful year at the Borenore site.
"It's up a little on last year's Saturday," Mrs West said.
"We initially thought it would be a disaster following Friday's weather."
The attendance figures do not include the 500-strong contingent of exhibitors, 40 per cent of whom have already reserved their place for the 2017 edition of the field days.
Mrs West nominated Mitsubishi selling 11 cars over three days and Leichts Country Industries' sale of seven cattle crushes as her personal highlights from the event, which commenced on Thursday.
Manildra's MSM Milling was the feature exhibition and Mrs West said they had received plenty of feedback from farmers interested in changing their canola handler.
One of the businesses which didn't have an agricultural focus was Parkes Caravans.
Owner Steve McGuire said it was important to support the field days as an exhibitor.
"We like to support the show and make people aware of our products," Mr McGuire said.
"It's important to be part of a community-run event."
People young and old were checking out the caravans.
"There's also young families wanting to give their children an experience they've had themselves in the past," Mr McGuire said.
Grape and prune grower Peter Cremasco traveled from Yenda in the state's south-west, his second visit to Borenore 35 years after his first.
"It's been worthwhile making the trip, it's a good day out," Mr Cremasco said.
"It's a beautiful day and it's very well organised."
Like many at the field days, Mr Cremasco had was confident the coming harvest would be a profitable one but hoped the rain stayed away.
"The season is looking good so far, we've had enough rain now," he said.
"A warm, dry spell would be lovely and improve our chances for a good season."
In a first for Australian field days, Telstra was showing off the latest in their home automation systems.
The telco's smart home concepts included futuristic automated doors and lights and air-conditioning powered by sensors connected to a home network.
Telstra's business development specialist said the system could send an image of a person knocking on the door to a homeowner's mobile or notify them when their children have arrived home.
Discuss "2016 Australian National Field Days a success | Photos"


text:
Love Bears, Believes, Hopes
Richard Parr
Among his varied other writing interests, Richard Parr aspires to creating interesting and inspiring stories about life.
Love Bears, Believes And Hopes
It was the fear in his eyes that aroused her greatest empathy, that and his tremulous hand; weak and sickly cool in her own. Squeezing it, she willed her strength into him, praying that this latest "episode" wouldn't leave her widowed.
God wouldn't allow it, surely...why would He?
She clung to this, the senselessness of loosing him reason enough to believe it wouldn't―couldn't―happen. A nagging voice whispered at the baselessness of such rationale; that's not faith, it chided, that's wishful thinking. Unwilling to debate the voice, she countered it with a promise; He will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can endure. Part of her suspected duplicity at engaging one 'truth' with another, but it served its purpose, allowing her to distance herself from the voice.
Twenty minutes later the episode ended, eliciting a prayer of thanks and further fortifying her fragile hope. Moments later he was asleep, succumbing to the exhausting nature of his illness.
She liked it best when he slept, for its healing benefits, of course, though more the guiltless reprieve it provided her from the worry of his needs. Caring for Robert had become her consuming obligation, motivated by a love just as voracious. Yet it tested her too, a woman given wholly to routine, to allotting time and place to life's work; schedules to children's lives; set criteria to the what and where of their recreational pastimes. Against this, Robert's malady had proven the mountain she couldn't move, an unremitting interruption to everything her life had been prior. Except for when he slept. In those painfully brief periods she caught up, or attempted to, pulling back the recoverable threads of the days responsibilities and re-weaving them into her matrix.
Letting go his hand she rose, taking his water jug to refill it, already half a dozen pressing needs filling the void of his slumber.
Robert awoke with a single sudden gasp for air, his heart simultaneously skipping its rhythmic beat. He awaited the inevitable sensation of doom that always followed, as if the very atmosphere threatened suffocation. Such always preceded his episodes –a more descriptive term he'd failed to find– followed by a sensation he'd come to fear most. 'Like a valve opening and all my energy rushing out'. That's how he'd attempted to describe it, but it didn't do the sensation justice. He imagined it akin to the very moment before death when the body has nothing remaining but a few feeble heart beats, the energy for the next inhalation already spent.
He feared it and was dismayed that he did so, testament, he thought, to the weakness of his faith. Why would a Christian fear death? His deepest doubts provided their answers: because you don't really believe; because you're not really a Christian; because God doesn't love you; because you're still lost in your sins and unforgiven...
Desperate, he called his wife. Whenever he fell to such thinking, she always managed to provide the dimension he lacked, whether faith, or reason, or comfort. When holding her hand unpleasant sensations became less consuming, as her voice dulled the clamour of his doubts. Before the episode took hold, he called her.
A heaviness came over him. Time seemed to slow. Yet his mind raced, its pessimistic tendencies already convincing him that this may be it. Here, alone, staring at this ceiling, his last moments.
As if sinking beneath his own body, the energy of life seemed to drain away. All movements ceased involuntarily, lost to a profound exhaustion as paralysing as any nerve damage. The bedroom seemed to oscillate from side to side, back and forth, pulling on him, lulling him to let go and let come what may. He feared that most, the single step that led to who knew where. Feared to take it. Resisted it.
Then Helen was by his side, holding his hand, praying, uttering words that seemed far off but comforting. The sensations began to ease, incrementally tapering away―only to be replaced by the trembling. More a vibration at first, but shaking him bodily at the end and leaving him at the mercy of a far more common exhaustion. Encompassed by it, he closed his eyes and surrendered to sleep.
Another medical bill. She stared at the invoice held in her hand, or through it, distracted less by the amount it requested –which they couldn't afford– then by the ongoing strain that Roberts illness afforded. Bills were mounting, loan repayments were frozen while interest compounded, the kids schooling was behind and the house and yard were an escalating mess. On top of this were the doctor visits, the special dietary requirements, the copious medications, supplements and tonics that hourly needed administering. There just wasn't enough time in the day to care for Robert, and do everything else.
Of course her husband came first, yet she felt stretched by the demand and sacrifices of it all. At first she'd tackled it as she did any challenge, with the confidence of her driven temperament. Now it daunted her. Not with its difficulty but its interruption to life's progress, life's plans—her plans. More than a disruption, a serious setback. A detour she suspected didn't lead back to the comfortable road they'd been travelling.
Ever the optimist, she'd managed to focus on the silver that lined their circumstances, but such an outlook was gradually eroding, giving way to naked faith, an acceptance that she didn't know what to expect, couldn't manipulate any remote future, and was left only with the souls need to trust, at last, in God alone.
In truth, faith came easier to Helen than most. As easy as her confidence in numerous things; her abilities; her knowledge; her influence over others; her effortless rapport; her health and beauty. These all contended with her faith in God, strongholds inevitably requiring defeat whenever tests of faith presented themselves. Though never faithless, it took longer sometimes for the counterfeits to fall. Which was also her greatest wonder: how quickly they rebuilt themselves in between such trials, and why she always found herself standing behind the same weak battlements. She suspected it had much to do with the fact that faith in God carried with it no promise of deliverance from difficulty other than the strength to endure it. Counterfeit faiths beguiled upon that reason, promising pleasanter paths than the dark valleys life demanded, while failing to declare that the cost of such byways was growth, character and peace.
Helen grimaced, wondering at God's patience with her, disappointed He so often found her in the wrong fortress―which He then dutifully demolished before inviting her back to His own. She imagined his fatherly admonition, in time you'll learn to trust me fully. She took comfort in that. If God could be patient with her, she could too.
Eyes refocusing on the invoice, she sighed. Like most, they hadn't planned for much beyond the few weeks annual illness at most, a plan proven sufficient through two decades of experience. Except now. Now, a month in, that buffer was a spent faded memory. At two months they were selling furniture and appliances so as to cover living expenses over the Christmas period, and still there were medical tests, treatments and prescriptions to pay for.
They prayed a lot, prayers honed by acutely felt needs into heartfelt petitions, compelling God to consider them mercifully.
God had answered. Helen believed this. From the boxes of groceries appearing on their doorstep when the fridge was empty; the funds that appeared in their bank account from anonymous carers; cardiogram fees waived without explanation; doctors offering their services free for months. These examples, and more, all had deepened the root of her confidence in the faithfulness of God.
...A faith in which Helen would have found greater respite were she currently standing upon its wall. Yet her mind had again fallen to the burden of self-reliance, and she wore it like a like a mantle deigned her by fate; the limited options of a limited being.
Private Health insurance would have been nice, she thought, momentarily regretting the absence of a second income; the one they'd sacrificed so their children could be home-schooled. Another grimace distorted her lip, her children studies now weeks behind. Robert had assured her that scaling back their schooling wouldn't be disastrous, but she felt that inner pressure of failure, of not meeting her high bar of expectations.
"Oh Lord, how am I supposed to get everything done." It was a rhetorical prayer, and laced with impatience. "One person can only be in so many places, do so many things in a day. I can't do it any more."
Only to herself and God would she make this admission of weakness, her ability to manage life a fine point of pride. It was a pride she'd nurtured and despised in equal measure throughout the years, acknowledging it's blessing on the one hand, and a cause of so much angst on the other. To be able to master ones circumstances was wonderful, until you couldn't, then the test was to gracefully accept your own―and others―limitations. This had always been her weakness, upon reaching such limits she became impatient with herself, blaming of others, and demanding with God.
Oddly, for all her self awareness, she'd become master of diminishing Gods attempts to demolish this one stronghold. Always her impatient efforts outdistancing any circumstance that might threaten to break her self-sufficiency.
"Dear Father," she whispered, "Please help me trust you more than I trust me."
She was jarred from her meditations by the chime of the front door bell. Peeking through the louvres of the study window she saw Robert's work manager, in his right hand an envelope.
I'm a forty-five year old living in an ninety year old body, Robert lamented inwardly, watching his hands tremble in his lap. No longer bed-bound, his energy now extended to short bouts of sitting and reading, yet he struggled to find any satisfaction in such 'progress', Helen's assurances notwithstanding.
"Healing takes time," she'd encourage, earning the barest nod in response. It didn't feel like healing, he wanted to say, Decrepit and useless is what it felt like.
Further deflating his mood was learning that people rarely recovered from his particular malady—only five percent. He could only assume the remaining ninety-five endured shortened lives in various states of dilapidation. That the worst symptoms could last typically five to ten years wasn't encouraging either―if you chose to live that long; many sufferers ended up taking their lives in despondency.
Sitting there, staring at his trembling hands, Robert thought he understood such a decision. Life seemed so futile when the energy to live it was absent. Such weariness was hard to explain, and he doubted he'd have comprehended it prior to the experience, knew he would have doubted it in others; it's hard to empathise with an invisible condition. Now he understood first hand, even the passive act of reading draining him to a point of dangerous exhaustion.
He sat, very still, listening to the children go about their lessons, his wife busying herself in the kitchen, the garbage truck noisily working its way through the neighbourhood. Which meant it was a Wednesday ...which meant nothing. Would have a few months ago, but days and weeks had become insignificant, though he was thankful he no longer hung on the minutes between episodes. Death didn't seem quite so close now, but wellness seemed no closer. It was instead limbo, that tormenting place where you're not dead but might as well be for all that life afforded you. Like being stuck fast in a crack, he thought. Immobile, only the flitting fractions of others lives visible as they passed by your prison.
Robert knew he was being fruitlessly pessimistic and faithless. Yet trusting God to work all things for the good seemed an unassailable podium at present, far too elevated for his current mindset. Likewise, knowing that others were starving in Somalia, dying of Ebola in Uganda or being slaughtered at the hands of some tyrannical mob in the Middle East, translated nothing of gratitude into his circumstances. In fact, others suffering seemed irrelevant. Whoop-dee-do, I can breath and eat when others can't, Yay for me. He'd always questioned the assumption that suffering found its palliative perspective when compared to those who had it worse. Those poor people are starving, I've only got a migraine, I feel so much better now ...Not!
Robert's mind took a nosedive into its cloud of cynicism, yielding to self-pity. Anger followed shortly after. He felt justified letting it, his thoughts weaving a convincing tapestry of injustice, why me? Indignation, it's not fair. And impatience, how long? Impatience inevitably led to further anger and anger to despair, adding sadness to the stillness of his day.
Sadness creates its own version of calm, and on reaching its centre Robert became aware of the inimical thought cycle he'd created. Of course, sorrows calm inevitably leads to self-condemnation. So it was with guilt and a resigned sigh that he leaned over and begrudgingly picked up his Bible.
He had a love-hate relationship with scripture. Loving the God they revealed, longing to understand him and his purposes, but hating the negative view of himself he was so often left with afterward; condemned, deflated, hopeless. Why he felt such mystified him. Others didn't find it so. His wife delighted in the Bible. Reading it was a highlight for her, refreshing, uplifting, encouraging. Over the years Robert had attributed his negativity to many things; being a worse sinner then others; being unacceptable to God; being faithless. However it was always Helen who managed to recapture his spiralling self-contempt and earth it in reason. He was about to call her, but stopped himself. She's busy enough, he thought, opening his Bible to the book of Job. Ambivalent, he started reading, managing to reach chapter five before exhaustion found him.
"I tried." he mumbled, disheartened, dropping the book in his lap with an attitude no lighter and decidedly at odds with the story of a man whose only qualification for hardship was blamelessness. How is the average Joe supposed to relate to Mr Job Perfect, he thought, feeling qualified for quite opposite reasons to the stories hero; a deservedness to his woes. Of course, Robert couldn't place his finger on what crime exactly he was being punished for; conceding that there were far too many to choose from.
I should call Helen, he thought, afraid the mounting void of gloom and doom would overwhelm him. Low self-esteem, Helen called it. She read a lot about such things and over the years had developed an emotional intelligence beyond most others.
He'd just made up his mind to call her when he heard the front door bell chime.
"I don't know what to say." Robert lay, holding the envelope Brett had just handed him.
"You don't need to say anything," Brett replied, "the boys simply thought you needed it more than they did, with Christmas so near."
The 'boys' were Robert's work colleagues, what they thought he needed more wastheir Christmas bonuses.
"And don't even think of saying no," Brett added, noting Roberts hesitancy, "it's non-negotiable."
Robert felt an uncomfortable lump form in his throat, momentarily preventing speech.
Helen had no such concerns, stepping forward she hugged Brett unreservedly and invited him to stay for coffee. He declined.
"Need to get back to work," Brett said. Though Robert guessed the truth. His boss felt as emotionally uncomfortable as himself.
They said goodbye, Helen seeing him to his car. Returning to the house, she joined her husband in staring at the envelope.
"How much do you thinks in it," she asked
"Don't know," Robert replied, still stunned. He tore open the envelope to reveal a wad of fifty dollar notes. He begun counting them, each note constricting his throat further.
"Sixteen hundred." he barely managed to say.
"God is good." Helen blubbered almost incoherently. She laughed and wept simultaneously.
Robert looked up, struck by her words. God is good. He placed the notes on the bed spread. "God is good," he whispered again as if the words were profound.
"Do you think that's one of the reasons God allows suffering?"
Helen stared at him, caught off guard by the random question and unsure of its temper. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.
"To give others a chance to shine, do you think that's a reason we suffer?"
Helen tilted her head, considering, "I've never thought of it that way before."
"It just struck me, that God takes opportunity through the hardships of our lives to present the best reflection of himself in others."
"That's a beautiful thought." Helen said.
Encouraged by her comment, Robert attempted to expand on his epiphany,
"It just occurred to me that we tend to obligate God with our well being, though it's the very thing He obligates each of us to fulfil toward one another."
"True, but God still works outside human agency." Helen added, concerned Robert was robbing God of his providence over humanity.
"Yes, yes," Robert mumbled, vexed by the spanner she'd thrown in his intended argument. He loved to think deeply, though lately had begun to feel diminished in the skill; another symptom of his illness he guessed.
He questioned if anyone could claim more than a dim understanding of God, attained through bumbling grasping rather than any real clear-sightedness. It was a question designed to make his own perceived ignorance fit better, but deep down he rejected it, believing such souls existed; though it hadn't been intellect or mind-bending elucidations that had gained them such insight, rather humility. Obeisance, and the revelations God gives to such.
Robert longed for such insight. Sometimes it seemed to him that he stumbled around gigantic craters of profound truth, so large his mind couldn't see from one side of them to the other. Walking the perimeter presented other perspectives, but only at the loss of those previous, and each so vast it was impossible to fathom a single perspective let alone weave together what was remembered of all the others.
Not for the first time Robert wished he could plug into Gods eye-view of things. It was important to him, being able to make logical sense of life. And futile, he suspected, considering that God's perspective was a planet sized crater at the edge of which humans struggled to understand the merest nuggets he proffered.
After a moment he tried again, "I think God prefers it when people provide for each others needs rather than leaving it up to Him. Therefore suffering sometimes serves to remind us of this preference."
"I like that," Helen said, "But isn't it also true that there are some needs we simply can't provide for each other, therefore maybe suffering also serves to remind us that there are greater questions to answer than simply how to alleviate our own and each others suffering."
Robert nodded and then lay back, impressed by his wife's thoughts, but drained by the mental exertion of the past ten minutes.
"How come you can think up this stuff," Helen asked, "but still struggle with God loving you?" bewildered by the bi-polar nature of her husbands spiritual life.
Closing his eyes to the brightness of the ceiling light, Robert only harrumphed good naturedly, as baffled by his own self-opposing reasoning as Helen.
Respecting his fatigue, Helen picked up the money and begun recounting it; something she'd wanted to do since the envelope had first been opened.
Peeking from under an eyelid, Robert smiled, amused at the contrast between them, imagining the budgeting machinations currently churning her thoughts. Not that he hadn't also bent his mind to overcoming their cash-strapped circumstances, he just did so from a sense of duty rather than insecurity or desperateness. Helen, on the other hand, could lay awake at night thinking about money; and frequently did.
They were both good savers for the same reasons; he didn't think about spending, and Helen couldn't bring herself to. She considered it temperance on his part, but in truth it was simply indifference. Money was a tool to get what you wanted, and what he wanted rarely required much money.
For all her moolah motivated angst, Helen's gift was undoubtedly administrating it. Finding the cheapest bank fees, the most cost effective insurances, and cut-price fuel bowser; all things Robert associated with nail-pulling but was time well spent for Helen.
With an indecisive sigh, Helen palmed the cash and pushed it back into the envelope.
"If you're going to rest," she said, standing, "I have school work to do with Jason."
'Alright love," Robert replied
He was woken shortly after by fighting words from the next room.
He was a twelve year old boy in all ways good and annoying. He currently sat at his desk with one ear resting on its surface, his hand scribbling doodles in front of his face.
"Sit up properly." his mum said, walking into the room.
"I am." he knew he could get away with at least one such response.
"Have you finished your maths?" She wasn't going to play.
"Uhuh."
She rifled through the pages of his school work, "Jason, there's a whole page of work missing."
"What!" Now he was miffed, "You never told me I had to do both pages." Which technically was true, although he knew it wouldn't stand up in mum' courtroom.
"No, I said do your maths, and-"
He cut her off, "And I did. How was I supposed to know you-"
She cut him off, "Because we've been through this a hundred times before, you-"
"No we haven't."
"Jason!" Dad's nettled voice sounded from the next room.
Jason fell silent.
"Jason." Dad called again, with a further edge to his voice that said it wouldn't go well to keep him waiting.
"Coming," he answered, avoiding his mum's withering gaze; she hated it when the kids disturbed their father.
"What have I told you about arguing with your mum?" Robert asked, already regretting that he'd got involved.
"Sorry Dad."
"It's not me you have to say sorry to."
Jason half turned to his mother who'd walked up behind him, "Sorry mum," he mumbled unrepentant.
Robert rolled his eyes in exasperation, "So sincere." he said to his son, avoiding Helen's gaze, having noted her frustrated expression; he was interrupting her schedule.
"Look, let's give your mum a break, is there any school work I can help you with.
"It's alright Rob, I've got to do maths with-" Helen began.
"Dictation," Jason cut in, grasping at any opportunity to delay more multiplying of fractions.
"No, we need-," Helen began, but was cut off this time by Robert.
"Oh let me honey, it would help me feel useful, and give you a break I'm sure."
Her hands went to her hips, her typical battle stance and the equivalent to natures scarlet red in way of warnings. What would give me break is if you'd hurry up and get better, she thought, but said, "I don't need a break, I'm fine. You just focus on getting better." she regretted the last words as they left her lips; seeing Robert's gall rise at them.
"And why on earth does my focus have anything to do with my speed of recovery?" he trumpeted in escalating octaves. He felt blamed, "You make it sound as if it's my fault I've been sick so long." Which actually fit well with his own warped self-assessment theory, except to hear it suggested from his wife hurt more; the one person he relied on to disprove such.
"Look, let's not argue." Helen began, but was distracted by Jason leaving the room.
"And where are you going?" she asked, laying her hand on his shoulder.
"To get my dictation." he replied, attempting to shrug her hand off.
"No, we're doing maths."
"Daaad." Jason ducked under her arm and made his appeal to his father stretched out on the bed.
"Do what your mother says." Robert responded, eyes closed and seriously regretting he'd got involved.
"Well he wouldn't be asking if you hadn't suggested it." Helen humphed, picturing her whole day schedules falling into ruins as these wasted moments ticked by.
"And you said I could." added Jason in emphasis, hands on hips facing his father in fair replica of his mum.
Robert's temper flared. With eyes heated, he raised his voice further, "And I suggested it so as to be helpful, but if you-", he physically checked his anger by bringing his hand to his mouth and squeezing his lower jaw, frustrated that he couldn't simply storm out of the room. "Fine," he said through clenched teeth, "forget I offered." Ending with resolute tight lipped stare at the ceiling.
"Stop fighting." This from Amanda, their phlegmatic ten year old. Roberts elevated tone had activated her must restore harmony button.
Helen ignored her, "Well, run your suggestions by me before telling the kids in future."
"Aww mum." lamented Jason, seeing dad had given up the cause. "Can't I just do a bit of dictation with dad and finish maths later."
"No, your mum doesn't want my help." Robert added petulantly.
"I didn't say that."
"What, so you do want my help?" Eyes now boring into her.
"Oh, for goodness sake," Helen wanted to say more, but bit down to prevent further decline in the conversation. She had to be the mature one in this instance, her inner dialogue coaxed. Robert was understandably frustrated and feeling unneeded. After all, he'd been sick for months and become understandably impatience with it.
She took a cleansing breath. She sympathised, really, wondering how on earth he endured such lengthy convalescence, especially in light of the grump she knew she became after only a day of illness. God knows our limits, she thought, attempting to bolster tolerance for his current behaviour.
"So can I or can't I?" Jason whined.
"It's up to your mum." Robert replied, and Jason turned expectantly to her.
"Alright," she caved, earning a glowing smile from Jason. She couldn't help but smile, but tempered it with a condition, "But as soon as you've finished, we're doing maths. And no buts about it."
"Thanks mum", Jason said, throwing his Dad the work book containing the list of words he was learning to spell.
"But don't take too long with it," Helen said as she left, knowing how distracted they could both get when together.
"How many words I gotta read?" Robert asked, argument forgotten.
"All of them." Jason said
"All of them! There must be a hundred here."
"Sixty."
"Alright, well the sooner we start the sooner we finish." Robert said with a grin, "Spell Gynaecomastia."
"Gynaecomastia."
"What?" his dad's voice was all innocence.
"That's not on the list, and probably not even a word."
"Is so, and very embarrassing too, if you have it."
It was too hard to resist, "Why, what does it mean."
"It's what they call it when men grow breasts."
"Is not," Jason laughed, his dad always joked, "that can't happen."
"No seriously, look it up." Robert replied, "generally effects men who suffered concussion as boys." Knowing his son had been knocked unconscious several times.
Jason raised his eyebrow, unsure whether to believe him or not.
Helen's voice came from the next room, "I'm listening."
"Ok," Robert said with voice lowered, "how about Quadragesimal."
"Dad." Jason whispered back
"Ok, Ok. Spell Magma."
For the next few minutes Robert dictated his sons grade-seven spelling words, Jason scribbling furiously in a contest to keep up with his fathers pace.
Twenty-seven words in, Robert got that fearful feeling. The sensation had changed over the past months, no longer as frequent or severe, but nonetheless robbing him of all vitality. He slumped against his pillow with a grunt.
Jason knew what was happening, had seen it often in the past months. As with every other time, the same sense of dread took hold.
"Mum," he called out tremulously, "Dad's having an episode."
Helen hurried in, kneeling by the bed to hold Robert's hand, a deep frown creasing her forehead.
Jason knew she was praying, though her eyes were open and plainly focused on his father. She always prayed, about everything, and reminded everyone else of their need to pray too. But Jason couldn't pray. Not while he watched his dad's breathing become short and fast, limbs limp, lips blue in a face pale, sunken and still.
Jason stoically stood as if rooted to the carpet, suppressing a strong wish to be elsewhere. He was scared, even angry at this illness robbing him of a father he used to do everything with. Now I can only listen to him read words from my spelling book, he thought, and hardly even that.
Jason missed his father, missed their wrestling on the lounge floor, missed the surprise outings when dad got home from work, missed helping set up camp on weekend trips, working on projects together in the garage. However, a deeper emotion held him―Fear.
He was scared, scared that he might get sick too. They were alike, him and his dad, prone to migraines, allergic to the same foods, even sharing a genetic disorder. Like his dad in so many ways, who was to say he wouldn't get seriously sick too. Scaring him most was how he'd handle it if he did. He doubted he'd handle it as patiently as his father. Couldn't imagine how he'd cope not being able to do those things that made life worth living; his BMX racing, remote control cars, long bike rides and trips to the beach.
He stood there in anguish until his father at last fell asleep.
Standing to leave, Helen turned and almost walked into him. She hadn't known he was still there, absorbed as she was in prayer for Robert, but his expression spoke all the words a mother needed to understand. Guiding him from the bedroom she closed the door and placed her arms around him.
The growing pressure within Jason had mounted to an overwhelming need. In his mothers embrace it translated to a sob. As the first of these broke loose, Helen picked him up and carried him to the family sofa, their place of hugging and sharing, the place where the burdens of childhood were lifted, where parental wisdom was shared and the bandaging of cuts and scraps endured. Feeling his growing weight, Helen wondered if this would be the last time she could do such.
Six months later
God is more interested in growing your faith than relieving your fear, read the small post-it-note on the back of the toilet door. It was hidden among other pearls of wisdom, the door having become the evangelical hub within their home. Any literate user of their lavatory faced it as soon as they sat; bible verses, moral stories, spiritual maxims and godly quotes. It was a holy barrage, so familiar Robert hardly noticed it any more. Except today. For some reason this one note stood out, though smallest, pinned sideways, and written in scribbled script. Robert read it aloud to himself again, "God is more interested in growing your faith than relieving your fear."
The words plucked a chord, so close to the surface of his needs that he felt a deep seated comfort in their implication—God sought His children's best in spite of their worst. Robert knew fear was part of his worst.
Fear had always been the great nemesis to his faith; fear of failure that fed a fear of trying; fear of others anger that fed a fear of candour, fear of rejection that kept him fearfully isolated. There wasn't a corner of his life that fear had not affected, and the courage to face it drained him daily. Which was the problem, his source of courage—himself. Not an ego boasting I'm bigger than anything the world can throw at me type problem, but a soul emptying one, hollowed out by the whittling hopelessness of his own efforts. Spurred by duty rather than promise, resigned to fate rather than providence, resting in how one lives rather than the One lived for. Such demands of self can only ever deflate the soul.
Robert reflected on all this as he read the anonymous toilet message, and the burden of his fear felt lighter in the knowledge that God didn't despise him for it. To the contrary, He even recruited it. To teach Robert faith.
Reminded of a Sunday school song, Robert began to hum. Before long he was singing,
He's still working on me
To make me what I ought to be
It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
The sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars
how loving and patient he must be
'Cause he's still working on me
He was disturbed from praising the lofty throne of God from his lowly porcelain one by a knock at the door.
"Dad, could you hurry, I need to go."
Thirty seconds later he was washing his hands at the basin when the front door bell rang, and Robert made his way slowly to answer it. It was their friends from up the road, Martin and Debbie Pennington...
[to be continued. Please leave your honest comments below]
© 2017 Richard Parr
Richard Parr (author) from Australia on February 27, 2018:
Thanks Emily for such a wonderful comment. You are very astute in your observations and intuitive in your ability to read between the lines. I have faced severe illness in my own life, which helped in the writing as only experience can. thank you so much for reading and giving such great feedback!
Emily Cranston on February 27, 2018:
I thought it was a great read! You really showed the realities of life living with an illness of sorts and the amount of effort the people around him went to in order to look after him. Very good, although sometimes a little - almost sad, it was truth that resignated through this reading experience. I honestly was impressed by the empathic way you wrote about illness and made me wonder if you've encountered any illnesses you have personally overcome or watched in your lifetime. I believe you accomplished your goals in creating a story based on a Christian perspective and definitely incorporated hope, belief and love bearing all things. It was a very educational piece of literature and has taught me a lot about points of views in dealing with illness. Thank-you for a wonderful reading experience.
Richard Parr (author) from Australia on December 04, 2017:
@Nikki Khan ~ Thanks. Yes it is a bit sad, which serves its purpose. The story is not finished yet, maybe, like the sad story of biblical Job, it can end joyfully. Thanks for commenting Nikki!
Nikki Khan from London on December 04, 2017:
Amazing story,,bit sad though,,really enjoyed reading it.Blessings.
Richard Parr (author) from Australia on November 21, 2017:
Thanks Anna M!
Anna M on November 20, 2017:
Brilliant. thank you so much for sharing. can't wait for the next segment!
The Story Of Samson
By Richard Parr
The Story Of Esther
The Temptation Of Christ
Big Questions of Life: Is There a God?
The Story Of David & Goliath
Big Questions of Life: Relating with God
The Story Of Daniel
A Junkyard Dog General: The Bear and the Puppies
By Michael Collins aka Lakemoron
Mustard Seeds & Mulberry Trees
Seventy Times Seven
Newly Weds Step-by-Step guide to Honeymooning failure (A funny story)
Valentine Chocolate Teddy Bear, Chapter 5
By KathyWheelerJouini
Gift of the Gruldak, Chapter 19: Seeing Is Believing
By Kylyssa Shay


On May 22 over 80 women at the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft, OK celebrated their recovery by graduating from their 12 Step Study groups held each Sunday at the facility. Volunteers from several churches around Eastern Oklahoma spent each Sunday afternoon from September, 2015 through May, 2016 traveling to the facility to take Celebrate Recovery Inside to the ladies, and providing them the tools to overcome their hurts, habits, and hang-ups through the 8 Principles and 12 Steps of Celebrate Recovery.
The worship band Blue Chip Friday from Celerate Recovery at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK traveled to the facility on Sunday afternoon to lead the women graduating, volunteers, and guests in a time of woship to help them celebrate their accomplishment. During the graduation ceremony, a video from Christian recording artist Josh Wilson was played (click here to watch) to allow him to personally congratulate all of the ladies on their graduation, and then several members of the graduating class performed for those in attendance by signing to the Josh Wilson song 'No More' which was a huge hit and very special memory for everyone attending.
After the time of praise and worship, each participant graduating was presented with a certificate to mark their accomplishment, as well as a Celebrate Recovery Bible to help them continue in their quest for knowledge of God and His will for their lives. God was definitely smiling down on everyone in attendance and all who were there were blessed to be a part of such a memorable moment in these ladies lives!
The program at E.W.C.C. has been in existence for several years, with many volunteers sacrificing themselves each Sunday afternoon from early fall through late spring each year to bring the message of hope and healing of Celebrate Recovery to the Inside to help these ladies find a new life and freedom from their past. Many thanks go out to the volunteers who give of themselves selflessly each week year after year to provide this program at E.W.C.C. and to all of the volunteers at all of the facilities across the United States and around the world who give of themselves for our incarcerated brothers and sisters in Christ.
For those of you who have never heard of FCI Waseca – we are a Federal Correctional Institution for female offenders located in rural Minnesota.
Our Celebrate Recovery has been active "inside" Waseca since 2010. It all started with one of us seeing a book with the word "Celebrate" on it and asking "what is that all about?" From that moment on, the seed was planted and 3 years later we are strong and getting stronger.
On July 23rd, 2013 we had another graduation ceremony and our second so far this year. For this ceremony we witnessed 60 women completing the step groups. This has been amazing journey for us all! Being a part of the transformation as we work the steps and begin to face the hurts, habits, and hang-ups we've been ignoring for so many years is true freedom. To open the celebration we were blessed to have the warden as the main speaker! She encouraged the women "to always remember this day and how far you have come!" Also in attendance we were fortunate to have some of our outside Celebrate Recovery TEAM. Jackie prepared our hearts by leading us in worship with Dale and Craig praying over us all. We then heard from four inmates who shared their story and how a Christ centered recovery is helping lead them from drug addiction, anger, self doubt, lack of forgiveness, broken families, and prior suicide attempts. This was amazing for everyone to experience.
Our Waseca Praise and Dance team took another step out of their comfort zone and sang an a cappella solo with dance. Together they modeled what a transformed life looks like and they received a standing ovation. We closed our ceremony with a presentation of certificates. For many women in the beginning the goal may have been to get the certificate. Now after completing the steps we know that the real celebration is a transformed life. As we received our certificate each one of us was able to stand tall and proud, knowing that our heavenly father loves them and is well pleased. The ceremony closed with more worship songs, fellowship, and cupcakes!
On October 22 2013 Westville Correctional Facility in Northwest Indiana had their first graduation class of CR Inside. The class started with 34 inmates and six leaders and finished with 25 graduates. We had 5 live testimonies from our leaders and several video testimonies from other Celebrate Recoveries. Getting more live testimonies into the prison will be one of my biggest concerns for our next class. We covered the course in a 26 week period as the prison allowed.
Our leadership team lost 3 people by the end of the class due to school or other ministry requirements but 6 of the inmates have stated they would like to be on the leadership team for the next 26 week class. We had one inmate that asked to be baptized while being in the course.
The students were asked what their spiritual state was before the course, what is it now, and what they planned to do with there learning. Most said they believed in God before, and many said they had renewed faith or hope after taking the course. Most said they will use what they learned to improve themselves and their relations with Jesus, and others said they will use it to help others.
God is doing awesome work at John Lilly Correctional Center! Last Saturday (11-17-12) due to our leaders teaching of the gospel of Christ, we had three men baptized into Christ. This CRI group is growing through the power of Jesus Christ. There are three step studies on every Saturday except for the third Saturday of every month where they have started a praise, worship and a testimony that is open to the yard. Praise God for all He is doing with these men. In two months we will be graduating men from one of the groups and then they will go through Leadership training where THEY will start another step study. We have three step studies going at a time, each on a different lesson. Of course we will have a couple of seasoned leaders in the new group as well. We would have more Step study groups, but there isn't enough room for any more. In this way we can allow inmates to join every two to three months. At this time we have fourteen qualified leaders in this CR group. Due to their guidance, recruiting and leadership Christ through this CR is spreading through the yard at JHLCC. What a mighty and powerful God we serve!


Many civil cases are resolved through negotiation and settlement, rather than trial. Mediation is usually quicker, less expensive and gives the parties a higher degree of satisfaction with the outcome of the conflict than litigation.
Mediation is a process in which parties to a dispute meet with a neutral person called a mediator, to openly and candidly discuss settlement options and negotiate with the goal of resolving the dispute.
The mediator is not a judge, or a decision maker, but an impartial person selected by the parties to facilitate a discussion of the issues with a view to find areas of agreement. He or she is usually an attorney who is agreed to by both sides. A settlement or resolution of the dispute can happen only if all parties to the dispute agree to the settlement.
Jim Haszard is trained, certified and experienced as a mediator. Jim works with personal injury and other civil cases. He has mediated dozens of cases and also represented parties in cases mediated by others. Jim is able to create "win-win" solutions.