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Saint Peter's Square
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I shall be making my first Apostolic Journey to Africa from Tuesday 17 to Monday 23 March. I shall go to Cameroon, to the capital, Yaoundé, to present the "Instrumentum Laboris", [working document] of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops that will be celebrated here in the Vatican in October. I shall then go on to Luanda, the capital of Angola, a country which has rediscovered peace after the long civil war and is now called to rebuild itself in justice. With this Visit I intend to embrace in spirit the entire African continent: its thousands of differences and its profoundly religious soul; its ancient cultures and its laborious process of development and reconciliation; its grave problems, its painful wounds and its enormous potential and hopes. I intend to strengthen Catholics in the faith, to encourage Christians in their ecumenical commitment and to bring to all the announcement of peace, entrusted to the Church of the Risen Lord.
As I prepare myself for this missionary Journey the words of the Apostle Paul, which today, on the Third Sunday of Lent, the liturgy proposes for our meditation, resound in my mind: "We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God", the Apostle writes to the Christians of Corinth (1 Corinthians 1: 23-24). Yes, dear brothers and sisters! I am leaving for Africa aware that I have nothing to propose or give to those whom I shall meet except Christ and the Good News of his Cross, a mystery of supreme love, of divine love that overcomes all human resistance and even makes forgiveness and love for one's enemies possible. This is the grace of the Gospel that is capable of transforming the world; this is the grace that can also renew Africa, because it generates an irresistible force of peace and a profound and radical reconciliation. The Church, therefore, does not pursue economic, social or political objectives; the Church proclaims Christ, certain that the Gospel can move the hearts of all and transform them, thereby renewing people and societies from within.
On 19 March, precisely during my Pastoral Visit to Africa, we shall celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph, Patron of the universal Church and my personal Patron too. St Joseph, warned by an angel in a dream, had to flee with Mary to Egypt in Africa, to take Jesus, whom King Herod wanted to kill, to safety. Thus the Scriptures were fulfilled; Jesus trod in the footsteps of the ancient patriarchs, and, like the People of Israel, returned to the Promised Land after having been in exile in Egypt. I entrust to the heavenly intercession of this great Saint my upcoming Pilgrimage and the populations of the whole of Africa, together with the challenges that mark them and the hopes that enliven them. I am thinking in particular of the victims of hunger, disease, injustice, fratricidal conflicts and of every form of violence which unfortunately continues to afflict adults and children, without sparing missionaries, priests, men and women religious and voluntary workers. Brothers and sisters, accompany me on this Journey with your prayers, invoking Mary, Mother and Queen of Africa.
After the Angelus:
I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today's Angelus. As we continue our Lenten journey may our resolve to follow Jesus be strengthened through prayer, forgiveness, fasting and assistance to those in need. This Tuesday I leave Rome for my visit to Cameroon and Angola. My presence on the great Continent of Africa forms part of the preparation for the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to the theme: "The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace". I ask each of you to join me in praying that my visit will be a time of spiritual renewal for all Africans and an occasion in which civic and religious leaders will strengthen their resolve to walk the path of justice, integrity and compassion. May the lives of African men, women and children be transformed in hope! Upon all of you gathered here and your loved ones, I gladly invoke the strength and peace of Christ the Lord. I wish you all a good Sunday.
Third Sunday of Lent, 8 March 2015
In the Gospel passage that we heard, there are two things that strike me: an image and a word. The image is that of Jesus, with whip in hand, driving out all those who took advantage of the Temple to do business. These profiteers who sold animals for sacrifices, changed coins.... There was the sacred — the Temple, sacred — and this filth, outside. This is the image. And Jesus takes the whip and goes forth, to somewhat cleanse the Temple.
And the phrase, the word, is there where it says that so many people believe in Him, a horrible phrase: "but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25).
We cannot deceive Jesus. He knows us from within. He did not trust them. He, Jesus did not trust them. And this can be a fine mid-Lenten question: Can Jesus trust Himself to me? Can Jesus trust me, or am I two-faced? Do I play the Catholic, one close to the Church, and then live as a pagan? "But Jesus doesn't know, no one goes and tells Him about it". He knows. "He needed no one to bear witness; indeed, He knew what was in man". Jesus knows all that there is in our heart. We cannot deceive Jesus. In front of Him, we cannot pretend to be saints, and close our eyes, act like this, and then live a life that is not what He wants. And He knows. And we all know the name He gave to those who had two faces: hypocrites.
It will do us good today, to enter our hearts and look at Jesus. To say to Him: "Lord, look, there are good things, but there are also things that aren't good. Jesus, do You trust me? I am a sinner...". This doesn't scare Jesus. If you tell Him: "I'm a sinner", it doesn't scare Him. What distances Him is one who is two-faced: showing him/herself as just in order to cover up hidden sin. "But I go to Church, every Sunday, and I...". Yes, we can say all of this. But if your heart isn't just, if you don't do justice, if you don't love those who need love, if you do not live according to the spirit of the Beatitudes, you are not Catholic. You are a hypocrite. First: can Jesus trust Himself to me? In prayer, let us ask Him: Lord, do You trust me?
Second, the gesture. When we enter our hearts, we find things that aren't okay, things that aren't good, as Jesus found that filth of profiteering, of the profiteers, in the Temple. Inside of us too, there are unclean things, there are sins of selfishness, of arrogance, pride, greed, envy, jealousy... so many sins! We can even continue the dialogue with Jesus: "Jesus, do You trust me? I want You to trust me. Thus I open the door to You, and You cleanse my soul". Ask the Lord that, as He went to cleanse the Temple, He may come to cleanse your soul. We imagine that He comes with a whip of cords.... No, He doesn't cleanse the soul with that! Do you know what kind of whip Jesus uses to cleanse our soul? Mercy. Open your heart to Jesus' mercy! Say: "Jesus, look how much filth! Come, cleanse. Cleanse with Your mercy, with Your tender words, cleanse with Your caresses". If we open our heart to Jesus' mercy, in order to cleanse our heart, our soul, Jesus will trust Himself to us.
Saint Peter's Square
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
Today's Gospel presents the episode of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple (John 2:13-25). Jesus made "a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple" (John 2:15), the money, everything. Such a gesture gave rise to strong impressions in the people and in the disciples. It clearly appeared as a prophetic gesture, so much so that some of those present asked Jesus: "What sign have you to show us for doing this?" (v. 18), who are you to do these things? Show us a sign that you have authority to do them. They were seeking a divine and prodigious sign that would confirm that Jesus was sent by God. And He responded: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (v. 19). They replied: "It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?" (v. 20). They did not understand that the Lord was referring to the living temple of his body, that would be destroyed in the death on the Cross, but would be raised on the third day. Thus, in three days. "When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that He had said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken" (v. 22).
In effect, this gesture of Jesus and His prophetic message are fully understood in the light of his Paschal Mystery. We have here, according to the evangelist John, the first proclamation of the death and resurrection of Christ: His body, destroyed on the Cross by the violence of sin, will become in the Resurrection the universal meeting place between God and mankind. And the Risen Christ is Himself the universal meeting place — for everyone! — between God and mankind. For this reason, his humanity is the true temple where God is revealed, speaks, is encountered; and the true worshippers, the true worshippers of God are not only the guardians of the material temple, the keepers of power and of religious knowledge, [but] they are those who worship God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).
In this time of Lent we are preparing for the celebration of Easter, when we will renew the promises of our Baptism. Let us walk in the world as Jesus did, and let us make our whole existence a sign of our love for our brothers, especially the weakest and poorest, let us build for God a temple of our lives. And so we make it "encounterable" for those who we find along our journey. If we are witnesses of the Living Christ, so many people will encounter Jesus in us, in our witness. But, we ask — and each one of us can ask ourselves — does the Lord feel at home in my life? Do we allow Him to "cleanse" our hearts and to drive out the idols, those attitudes of cupidity, jealousy, worldliness, envy, hatred, those habits of gossiping and tearing down others. Do I allow Him to cleanse all the behaviours that are against God, against our neighbour, and against ourselves, as we heard today in the first Reading? Each one can answer for him/herself, in the silence of his/her heart: "Do I allow Jesus to make my heart a little cleaner?" "Oh Father, I fear the rod!" But Jesus never strikes. Jesus cleanses with tenderness, mercy, love. Mercy is the His way of cleansing. Let us, each of us, let us allow the Lord to enter with His mercy — not with the whip, no, with His mercy — to cleanse our hearts. With us, Jesus' whip is His mercy. Let us open to Him the gates so that He will make us a little purer.
Every Eucharist that we celebrate with faith makes us grow as a living temple of the Lord, thanks to the communion with His crucified and risen Body. Jesus recognizes what is in each of us, and knows well our most ardent desires: that of being inhabited by Him, only by Him. Let us allow Him to enter into our lives, into our families, into our hearts. May Mary most holy, the privileged dwelling place of the Son of God, accompany us and sustain us on the Lenten journey, so that we might be able to rediscover the beauty of the encounter with Christ, the only One who frees us and saves us.
After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I address a cordial greeting to the faithful of Rome and all the pilgrims from various parts of the world.
During Lent, let us strive to stay closer to those who are experiencing difficult moments: close in affection, in prayer and in solidarity.
Today, 8 March, I greet all women! All women who seek every day to build a more human and welcoming society. And a fraternal thank-you also to those who bear witness to the Gospel in a thousand ways and work in the Church. For us, this is an occasion to underline the importance and need for their presence in our lives. A world where women are marginalized is a barren world because women not only give life but they also transmit the ability to see beyond, to see beyond themselves. They transmit the ability to see the world with different eyes, to feel things with a more creative, patient and tender heart. A prayer and special blessing for all the women present here in the Square and for all women! Greetings!
I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and Arriverderci!
Acknowledgment: We thank the Vatican Publisher for allowing us to publish the Homilies of Saint Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI & Pope Francis I, so that they could be accessed by more people all over the world; as a source of God's encouragements to all of us.
20 April 2015, 6:00am SGT
Fourth Sunday of Lent
1. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
These words, spoken by Jesus during his conversation with Nicodemus, effectively summarize the main theme of today's liturgy. Indeed, they refer to the salvation brought to the world by the only-begotten Son of God, revealing it in its profound meaning as a work of the "God who is rich in mercy": Dives in misericordia.
St Paul, writing to the Ephesians, echoes the Gospel: "God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Thus we are brought to a paschal perspective: in fact, what is salvation if it is not participation in Christ's death and resurrection?
The Apostle then presents the work of salvation, showing the fruits of good that it produces in the life of believers. He considers redemption a new creation; that creation roots man in Jesus Christ, enabling him to perform good deeds according to God's plan (cf. Ephesians 2:10).
2. Salvation and redemption, which God offers man through the death of his only-begotten Son, are described in the first reading and in the responsorial psalm as deliverance from slavery, with a reference to the slavery in Babylon experienced by the children of Israel after the collapse of the kingdom of Judah. This sad experience is poetically re-ehoed in the psalmist's lament:
"By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion" (cf. Psalm 137 [136]:1). The author of this psalm evokes with vivid imagery the suffering of exile and the nostalgia for Jerusalem felt by the deported: "Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!" (cf. Psalm 137 [136]: 5-6).
The Second Book of Chronicles reminds us that the deportation to Babylon was a punishment inflicted by Yahweh on his people for their grave sins, especially that of idolatry. Nonetheless, the period of slavery was meant for their repentance and conversion, and it ended when Cyrus, King of Persia, permitted the Israelites to return to their land and rebuild the temple that had been torn down in Jerusalem.
In a certain sense, Cyrus represents the Messiah awaited by Israel. He is an image of the promised Redeemer who was to set the People of God free from the slavery of sin and bring them into the kingdom of true freedom.
3. Dear brothers and sisters of St Gaudentius Parish in Torre Nova, I am very glad to celebrate the Eucharist today in this new parish church with your young community. I cordially greet the Cardinal Vicar and the Vicegerent, your dear parish priest, Fr Virginio Bolchini, the parochial vicar and all the priests who work with him in leading the parish. Your parish priest comes from the Diocese of Novara and this gives me the opportunity to express my warm gratitude to the Bishop and to the whole Diocese of Novara for its generosity in offering the Church in Rome several priests to carry out their ministry among us.
I also extend a special greeting to the Sisters of Mary Help of Christians and of Our Lady of Ransom, and especially to the members of the Sant'Egidio Community who have supported, enlivened and promoted pastoral care and charity in this neighbourhood since 1977.
The new church is dedicated to St Gaudentius, patron of Novara. How can we fail at this time to think of the late Cardinal Ugo Poletti, another native of that beloved Diocese, whom God has recently called to himself? Under the protection of Saint Gaudentius, this distinguished and generous co-worker began his priestly and episcopal ministry in Novara and then continued it in this Church of Rome, which was so dear to him. May the Lord reward him for his tireless service to the Gospel, given generously throughout his life!
4. Dear friends, yours is a young community. The parish is young because it was only recently founded and young indeed are the parishioners, including a substantial number of young men and women. Attention to the new generations must therefore be one of your pastoral priorities. All too frequently young people, so rich in potential and talent, find themselves without work, without adequate training, without the support of a real family. Thus they are often easy prey to loneliness, to the lack of goals, to disappointment, when they do not end up in the snare of drug addiction, crime and other forms of delinquency.
Your parish community was recently founded, but the first settlement in this area dates back to 1600, when Beatrice Cenci had a tower built in the castle and a church dedicated to St Clement. These became a natural stopping place for pilgrims wishing to visit the memorials of the Apostles, as they approached the city of Rome. In the next few years a great number of believers and tourists will be flocking to Rome for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. I hope they will find welcoming communities of living faith. May the city mission, which is also being celebrated in this parish with enthusiasm and generosity, be like a construction site of the Spirit, open and industrious, for building a diocesan community of ever greater generosity and solidarity.
5. "The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light" (John 3:19).
Today's Liturgy of the Word presents the antithesis between slavery and freedom, illustrated by the Old Testament readings, alongside the antithesis between darkness and light, developed in the Gospel. The latter contrast is proposed by Jesus in his conversation with Nicodemus, and expresses in a discursive form one of the characteristic features of John's Gospel, already present in the very first words of the Prologue: "In the beginning was the Word.... In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:1:4-5).
This same radical contradiction between light and darkness is present in the discussion with Nicodemus: "The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.... For every one who does evil hates the light.... But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God" (John 3:19-21).
How can we not emphasize the reference to divine judgement? Man is judged not only by an external judge, but by that interior light which is made known through the voice of an upright conscience. This is what the Second Vatican Council recalled in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes: "Deep within his conscience, man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey.... His conscience is man's most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths" (n. 16).
Dear brothers and sisters, in our Lenten journey to Easter, which is now close at hand, let us be guided by the voice of God who calls us through our conscience. Thus we can go out to meet him with a holy life rich in good works, always in conformity with his will and according to his heart.
26 April 2015, 5:00pm SGT
Forth Sunday of Lent, First Reading: Extracted from Second Book of Chronicles 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23:
All the heads of the priesthood, and the people too, added infidelity to infidelity, copying all the shameful practices of the nations and defiling the Temple that the Lord had consecrated for himself in Jerusalem.
The Lord, the God of their ancestors, tirelessly sent them messenger after messenger, since he wished to spare his people and his house.
But they ridiculed the messengers of God, they despised his words, they laughed at his prophets, until at last the wrath of the Lord rose so high against his people that there was no further remedy.
They burned down the Temple of God, demolished the walls of Jerusalem, set fire to all its palaces, and destroyed everything of value in it.
The survivors were deported by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon; they were to serve him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power.
This is how the word of the Lord was fulfilled that he spoke through Jeremiah, 'Until this land has enjoyed its Sabbath rest, until seventy years have gone by, it will keep Sabbath throughout the days of its desolation.'
And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: 'Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, "the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up."'
Forth Sunday of Lent, Responsorial: Psalm 137: 1-6
Response: O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!
By the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept, remembering Zion;
on the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps.
For it was there that they asked us, our captors, for songs, our oppressors, for joy.
'Sing to us,' they said, 'one of Zion's songs.'
O how could we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil?
If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!
O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not,
if I prize not Jerusalem above all my joys!
Forth Sunday of Lent, Second Reading: Extracted from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 2:4-10
God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace.
Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.
We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.
Gospel Acclamation
John 3:16
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:
everyone who believes in him has eternal life.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Forth Sunday of Lent, Gospel Reading: Extracted from the holy Gospel according to John 3:14-21
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
'The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe in the name of God's only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world
men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it,
for fear his actions should be exposed;
but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light,
so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.'
It was the 4th Sunday of Lent on 15 March 2015.
The Readings that were read in the Eucharistic Celebrations all over the world on the same day are shown above:
1st Reading: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23,
Responsorial: Psalm 137: 1-6,
2nd Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 &
Gospel Reading: John 3:14-21.
We have extracted the Homilies Blessed Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI & Pope Francis I based on the aforesaid Readings to share with you, so that you could similarly be encouraged:


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Happy Mouth Roller Centre Hanging Cheek availabe in 5.5 and 5.75 sizes
E.Jeffries holds the world patent for these, apple scented, rough, non-toxic bits which are designed to maximise acceptance by the horse. The Happy Mouth bit range is made from super polished high quality stainless steel. The mouth of these bits is flexible but reinforced with stainless steel twist wire
The Hanging Cheek is also known as the Filet Baucher, it uses pressure on the poll as the cheek piece has an extra ring above the snaffle ring where the bridle cheek pieces are attached to, this poll pressure encourages the horse to lower the head and come on to the bit especially useful for horses that have a high head carriage. This cheek has proven one of the most popular cheeks with various mouthpieces. It is a fixed cheek bit, which may be useful for horses that are unsure of the bit, as it doesn't move around too much in the mouth. It may prove a suitable alternative to a snaffle, for children riding ponies that need an extra bit of help to stop, or horses that are slightly too strong in a snaffle.
Select Products:

subset: commoncrawl


text: Lukeyboy67 154 Posted October 9, 2019 When I'm editing images I find it a pain having to search in the region folders that are auto created by LB. I'd like all images displayed at once in the folder, Is there any way of disabling this feature? when I delete em they just reappear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Part IV Adding Words, 8 Principle 8: Implied Terms
From: Principles of Contractual Interpretation (2nd Edition)
Richard Calnan
- Subject(s):
- Construction of contract — Interpretation of contract
This chapter considers the circumstances in which the courts will imply terms into contracts. Words are implied into a contract if the parties must objectively have intended them. This will be the case either if they are so obvious that there was no need to express them, or if they are necessary to make the contract work in a business context. The chapter discusses the controversies which have arisen in recent years concerning the scope of a court's ability to imply terms into a contract. It discusses the tests for the implication of terms and gives practical examples of when they have been applied.


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Last weekend my wife Cheryl and I ventured to In Step Running and Waking Center in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward, a shop local mecca of restaurants and shops. Cheryl had come in search of new running shoes. Our salesperson Amy did such a great job properly analyzing our running shoe needs and providing multiple shoe options that we each left with a pair.
These are the best fitting most comfortable shoes I have ever run in. While I am no marathon running I have run on and off my entire life including a stint running Cross Country in High School. Due to a minor injury I had not run in almost a month and logged two pain free effortless miles on my first run in the new running shoes.
Supporting local merchants and local jobs even if it costs a few bucks more when you get results like this – well, it's just the real, authentic and sustainable thing to do!


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Free Easter SVG file Cricut Cutting Machine and Other Die Cutters
This weeks Freebie Friday file is a cute Easter Egg cutting file. The file is zipped and contains jpg image, KNK file. GSD file and SVG file.
Use GSD file with your QuicKutz SILHOUETTE cutter, KNK with KNK software or Klic n Kut cutting machines ; SVG files is used with Cricut machines . Many Cricut users don't know they can cut their own files or free flies found on the Internet with there Cricut machine. To learn how to cut your own files with Cricut machine and Sure Cuts A lot software read my post Cut SVG Files on Cricut- Cut Without Cartridges on Cricut Machine .
Download free Easter Egg Cutting Files here includes free KNK Easter egg file, free GSD Easter egg file and free SVG Easter Egg file.


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Publications and Research
Document Type
Publication Date
Spring 6-19-2014
Presentation at HETS (Hispanic Educational Technology Services) Special Event: Best Practices in Teaching with Technology, June 19, 2014 at Lehman College. http://www.hets.us/technology-showcase/
Recommended Citation
Cohen, Madeline; Poggiali, Jennifer; and Sanders, Deborah, "Flipping the Lehman College Classroom A Library – Business Department Collaboration" (2014). CUNY Academic Works.
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Information Literacy Commons


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Sports News of Friday, 9 March 2018
Source: Ghana Soccernet
West Ham manager David Moyes has questioned Andre Ayew's commitment claiming he opted to re-join Swansea City despite several attempts to stick with him.
Ayew, 28, rejoined the Welsh side in January after spending just a year and a half with the Hammers.
West Ham fans have questioned the decision to sell the Ghana international after he inspired the Swans to a 4-1 win over his former club.
But manager David Moyes has revealed the former Marseille man simply lost interest in the east Londoners.
"Andre Ayew did well enough for Swansea but don't forget that he didn't want to stay," he told fans in the London Evening Standard Column.
"At the time we weren't that keen to lose anyone to our competitors but he made it 100 percent clear he did not want to be at West Ham any longer."
The African scored 12 goals in 50 appearances after making his record-breaking £20million move to the club.
Send your news stories to and features to . Chat with us via WhatsApp on +233 55 2699 625.


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Proclaiming the Real Jesus (11:3-15)
The false apostles proclaimed Jesus. But they didn't want to talk about the cross. Paul preached Christ crucified – and so must we.
Download: 14.8MB (Length: 43mins)
1 Comment
Mike Kelly
I just listened to your wonderful sermon on our crucified saviour. God bless and keep you for proclaiming the truth so clearly. It was like a spiritual shower just to hear it. Our Lord Christ keep you and your church.


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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Defensive tackle Henry Melton and wide receiver Earl Bennett remained sidelined on Tuesday due to concussions, but both players watched practice from the sidelines for the first time since the Chicago Bears concluded the Bourbonnais portion of their training camp on Aug. 13.
However, Melton and Bennett have still not passed the NFL concussion protocol to return to action, and therefore both continue to be off-limits to the media, per league rules.
While veteran Nate Collins has elevated his game filling in for Melton at defensive tackle, the picture at the No. 3 wide receiver spot is cloudier with Bennett out. Wideouts Joe Anderson, Marquess Wilson, Eric Weems, Terrence Toliver and Devin Aromashodu have all been given an opportunity to run with the first and second teams in recent weeks, but quarterback Jay Cutler said on Tuesday that he has no input on which specific player would fill the void left by Bennett if his absence continues to drag on.
"They don't give me an opinion so we'll see who they throw in there," Cutler said. "We'll see who Marc (Trestman), Phil (Emery) and those guys like. Whoever is out there I trust that they can get the job done."
In other injury news, quarterback Matt Blanchard (hand), fullback Harvey Unga (rib), defensive end Cheta Ozougwu (hamstring), linebacker D.J. Williams (calf), long snapper Patrick Mannelly (rib), offensive tackle Jonathan Scott (knee) and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin (ankle) were all held out of Tuesday's practice.
The news on Blanchard is encouraging. The second-year quarterback is expected to miss about a month, but could still have a role on the team in 2013 in some capacity. Blanchard also remains eligible for the practice squad.


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BMW Malaysia has unveiled three latest Motorcycles, the New HP4 Race, G 310 GS and BMW S 1000 XR at the scene of the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix in Sepang.
As the name suggests, the BMW HP4 Race is Individually crafted with innovation for top performance on the track. This bike is only available in a quantity of units globally.
The BMW HP4 Race offers a purebred racing engine similar to specifications 6.2 and 7.2 as in the Endurance and Superbike championships. The peak output is 215 hp at 13900 rpm. The maximum torque of 120 Nm is reached at 10000 rpm. The maximum engine speed has been increased as compared to the engine of the BMW S 1000 RR from 14200 rpm to 14500 rpm. With the aim of achieving the best possible performance, a 6-speed close-ratio racing gearbox is used with optimised transmission ratios and various secondary ratios.
In terms of engine and electronics, the HP4 Race is in the same category as current superbike factory racing machines, however surpassing in the area of suspension with its carbon fiber frame. Weighing 171 kilograms when fully fuelled and track ready, the new bike is even lighter than the factory racing bikes currently used in the Superbike championship.
In terms of suspensions, the HP4 is fitted with the FGR 300 upside-down fork and TTX 36 GP spring strut, both by Ohlins. The light alloy underslung swingarm made of milled and sheet metal parts are also part of the package. For brakes, the racer got two Brembo GP4 PR monoblock brake calipers, as well as 6.75 mm thick 320 mm T-type racing steel brakes.
The new BMW HP4 Race comes with an extensive package of electronic control and assistance systems as well as a weight-optimized on-board electrical system which has been optimized to meet racing needs. A wealth of information is available on the 2D dashboard (data-logger) with transferable data memory.
Aside from the HP4 Race, the BMW G 310 GS and BMW S 1000 XR share the stage at the premier two-wheel racing event. The F 310 GS is an everyday bike, below 500cc capacity. Meantime, the S 1000 XR is interpreted as a sports or touring bike. A new color has been added to this year's update, the Ocean Blue metallic matt.
Retail prices for the BMW HP4 Race is RM 520,900, while the G 310 GS runs at RM 29,900 and the S 1000 XR at RM 105,900.


text:
U.S. Brigadier General David E. Twiggs wakes up to the screams of slaves who are coming home from market. "We're all going to be killed!", they scream. It is 4am in San Antonio, Texas. Texas Rangers appear, two by two, on muleback and horseback, mounted and on foot, carrying the Lone Star flag. By daylight, more than a 1,000 Rangers move into San Antonio. There is much enthusiasm from fellow Texans; even two women dressed in male attire, with pistols in their belts, mount their horses to meet up with their friends.
Twiggs eventually rides down to the main plaza, where he is instantly surrounded by secessionists demanding U.S. government property. He refuses their requests.
While many in the town are surprised by this development, Twiggs is not. While Twiggs wears a U.S. military uniform, his loyalties are not with the Union. As he wrote U.S. General Winfield Scott in December of last year, his home is Georgia. If Georgia seceded, he would follow her. Georgia had seceded on January 19. He had met with the Confederate commissioners on February 7, and had told them he would surrender. But first, there was a "show" to put on for the U.S. federal troops.
Twiggs pretends he is surprised. He meets with the leader of the Rangers, Ben McCulloch, and is given six hours to "reconsider" his public declaration that he would not hand over U.S. government property. By noon, Twiggs surrenders all of the U.S. posts and stores in Texas to the Confederacy. This includes 20 military installations, 44 cannons, 400 pistols, 1,900 muskets, 500 wagons, and 950 horses, valued at a total of $1.6 million. He insists that all U.S. troops retain personal arms and sidearms, along with all artillery, flags, etc.
Orders are sent to all of the Texas outposts to turn over the military property to the State. The officers and men are widely scattered, and many of them are taken completely by surprise. The Federal troops in town give their parole "not to take up arms" against the Confederacy, and are ordered to leave the post in the afternoon. Twiggs will leave for New Orleans, where he will be received with Confederate public honors. The Federal troops are filled with indignation.
Around 2pm, U.S. Colonel Robert E. Lee arrived from Fort Mason, Texas, on his way to Washington City. He approaches a woman, Caroline Baldwin Darrow, who is the wife of a clerk with the U.S. forces. Lee looks at the Rangers and asks "Who are those men?" Caroline answers that "They are McCulloch's. General Twiggs surrendered everything to the State this morning, and we are all prisoners of war."
Caroline would write in her diary about Lee's response:
I shall never forget his look of astonishment, as with his lips trembling and his eyes full of tears, he exclaimed, "Has it come so soon as this?" In a short time I saw him crossing the plaza on his way to headquarters, and noticed particularly that he was in citizen's dress. He returned at night and shut himself in his room, which was over mine, and I heard his footsteps through the night, and sometimes the murmur of his voice, as if he were praying.
In Ohio, U.S. President-elect Abraham Lincoln makes his way by train from Cleveland, Ohio to Buffalo, New York. He is still hoarse and fatigued, and keeps his remarks to the crowds very brief. In Ashtabula, Ohio, the crowd calls for Mrs. Lincoln. Her husband remarks that "I should hardly hope to induce her to appear, as I had always found it very difficult to make her do what she did not want to." In the village of Conneaut, someone shouts to Lincoln "Don't give up the ship!". Lincoln replies "With your aid I never will as long as life lasts."
In Westfield, New York, Lincoln asks the crowd if Grace Bedell might be present. The 12-year old girl had written him a letter in October 1860, suggesting that he grow a beard because his face was so thin. Also, because "All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's to vote for you and then you would be President." Lincoln had written her back at the time, stating:
I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters. I have three sons — one seventeen, one nine, and one seven, years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole family.
As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affection if I were to begin it now? Your very sincere well-wisher, A. Lincoln
Now with a full beard, Lincoln leaves the train car and makes his way through the crowd, who is pointing out a young girl with black hair and black eyes. When he reaches her, he gives her several kisses on her cheek. The young girl blushes.
Upon his arrival in Buffalo, Lincoln is heartily greeted by former (13th) President Millard Fillmore. The crowds are once again very large, but they are more forceful than the previous stops. At one point the crowd makes a rush, overpowering Lincoln's guard. There is wild confusion and cries of distress from all sides of the crowd. Lincoln, due to the desperate efforts of those immediately around him, gets out of the chaos, while his family & the rest of their party fights to get to the awaiting carriages to take them to the hotel.
The scene at The American Hotel is no better. The party of men accompanying Lincoln insist that he decline all further public receptions, as they can't guarantee his protection. He does eventually make a few remarks outside of his hotel once the crowds calm down, once again giving similar remarks to those given in previous cities. In the crowd is a 23-year old lawyer, Stephen Grover Cleveland. This young man will eventually become the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.
Today on Twitter, the hashtag #50factsaboutme is a popular one. One of my newer projects still in development, which I call "Sherman Kitty," will be geared towards children yet also will be entertaining for adults. I thought that it would be fun to list 50 facts about Sherman through the @GenShermanKitty Twitter account. And, since it's relevant to the Civil War, I thought I would post them here as well.
William Tecumseh Sherman is a very unique individual with a lot of different complexities. He has been simplified in history books; he helped General Ulysses S. Grant win victory in the North, and is a villain in the South. Some of the things said about him include: He burned Atlanta to the ground; he raided homes & stole everything from the Southerners they came across; he was crazy. He is also called "The Father of Total War."
As it turns out, it's not that simple. And while you may disagree with some of his tactics & beliefs, I have personally found him to be so wonderfully complex & intelligent that he has become one of my favorite people in history to talk – and learn more – about. So here are 50 facts about Sherman:
1. He was born in Lancaster, Ohio, the 6th of 11 children.
2. His father, Charles, served on the Ohio Supreme Court until his unexpected death in 1829; Sherman was just 9 years old.
3. Original birth name was Tecumseh Sherman. His father had a great respect for the Shawnee Chief, who actually fought against the Americans with the British in the War of 1812, and died in battle in 1813. But he had earned a great reputation from both sides, for his "courage, fortitude, ambition, generosity, humanity, eloquence, military skill, leadership…above all, patriotism and a love of liberty." As for Sherman, his nickname throughout his life was "Cump."
4. His mom, Mary Hoyt Sherman, couldn't support the 11 children. A close family friend, Thomas Ewing, took Cump into his home just a few doors over from Cump's family home. Ewing, at the time, was a leading member of the Ohio Bar Association.
5. The reason Cump was chosen was because Ewing wanted the "smartest boy." After some discussion between Mary & her oldest female child, Mary Elizabeth, it was decided that "Cump" was the best choice. At the time the decision was made, Cump was playing in a nearby sandbox.
6. W.T. Sherman was baptized & given the Christian name "William" by Ewing's very religious wife Maria. She was shocked that the boy had not been baptized and remedied it immediately after he became a part of their family. She also felt "Tecumseh" was not an appropriate name, hence how he earned "William" as his new first name. Those that were close to him, however, would forever call him "Cump."
7. He was appointed to West Point at age 16 by his unofficial adopted father, Ewing, who at this point is a U.S. Senator for the state of Ohio.
8. At West Point, William excelled academically, but could have cared less about their demerit system. He would write in his memoirs that "At the Academy I was not considered a good soldier, for at no time was I selected for any office, but remained a private throughout the whole four years. Then, as now, neatness in dress and form, with a strict conformity to the rules, were the qualifications required for office, and I suppose I was found not to excel in any of these. In studies I always held a respectable reputation with the professors, and generally ranked among the best, especially in drawing, chemistry, mathematics, and natural philosophy. My average demerits, per annum, were about one hundred and fifty." Fellow cadet, Ohioan (& later fellow Civil War General) William Rosecrans would say that Sherman was "one of the brightest and most popular fellows" and "a bright-eyed, red-headed fellow, who was always prepared for a lark of any kind."
9. He spent 4 years at West Point & graduated in 1840, 6th out of a class of 40. Sherman also would state in his memoirs that his demerits cost him his ranking; without them, he would have placed 4th.
10. After West Point, he was assigned to the 3rd U.S. Artillery & stationed in Florida. There, he fought in the 2nd Seminole War, which was against the Seminole Tribe. He served well but nothing happened that propelled him to a larger role or fame.
11. While many of Sherman's fellow military generals during the Civil War received great experience while fighting in the Mexican-American War, Sherman was instead stationed in California at the time. He greatly disliked being stationed so far away from the action, but performed his duties well.
12. Sherman fell in love with one of the Ewing daughters, Ellen. He was 23, and she was 19, when he took a four month leave of absence so he could spend time with her & officially propose. They became engaged Fall 1843.
13. William & Ellen had to wait years before they could marry. Sherman's unofficial foster father, Thomas Ewing, had gotten him in at West Point. However, he had hoped Sherman could join the Corp of Engineers. Since Sherman was not able to do so, Thomas opposed his daughter becoming a "soldier's wife." He was very close to Ellen, and Ellen was very attached to her parents. She did not want to travel with Sherman around the country, going wherever he was stationed, though she did love him. But given that he was sent to California, it further delayed a marriage. Ellen would live in Washington City (DC) at the time, where her father continued to have roles in politics.
14. It wasn't until May 1, 1850 that William & Ellen married. Sherman had just received a promotion to Captain, and that seemed to satisfy Thomas enough to allow the marriage.
15. They married in Washington at the Ewing's home – the Blair House – which was across the street from the White House. It was a highly social affair. At the time, Thomas was serving President Zachary Taylor as Secretary of the Interior. Not only did the President attend the wedding & reception, but it also included Senators Daniel Webster & Henry Clay.
16. After the wedding, Sherman served as Captain of the Subsistence Departments in St. Louis, Missouri & New Orleans, Louisiana. He resigned in 1853. During that time they had their first of eight children, Maria & Mary.
17. He had spent 13 years in the military, serving with honor but no real distinction. He had seen very little combat, unlike many of his former West Point classmates. Having a family to support, he turned to business.
18. A friend, Major Henry Turner, offers Sherman a job in San Francisco, California, where he would be responsible for opening a branch bank of Lucas & Symonds. He accepts the position.
19. While Sherman does a good job of running the bank in San Francisco & earns a reputation of being very honest, a severe economic downturn will force the bank to close in 1857.
20. Sherman heads to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he joins with brother-in-laws Thomas & Hugh Ewing. He attempts to become a lawyer.
21. Sherman spends less than two years trying to make a go of law, but is no good at it. He is offered a Superintendent position at the Louisiana Military Academy in 1859, which he accepts.
22. Sherman is not anti-slavery & sympathizes with the South. However, he is very against the idea of secession. He explains to a friend of his, a professor in Virginia, what he predicts would become of the South if they are to secede:
"You people of the South don't know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood, and God only knows how it will end. It is all folly, madness, a crime against civilization! You people speak so lightly of war; you don't know what you're talking about. War is a terrible thing! You mistake, too, the people of the North. They are a peaceable people but an earnest people, and they will fight, too. They are not going to let this country be destroyed without a mighty effort to save it… Besides, where are your men and appliances of war to contend against them? The North can make a steam engine, locomotive, or railway car; hardly a yard of cloth or pair of shoes can you make. You are rushing into war with one of the most powerful, ingeniously mechanical, and determined people on Earth—right at your doors. You are bound to fail. Only in your spirit and determination are you prepared for war. In all else you are totally unprepared, with a bad cause to start with. At first you will make headway, but as your limited resources begin to fail, shut out from the markets of Europe as you will be, your cause will begin to wane. If your people will but stop and think, they must see in the end that you will surely fail."
23. Sherman is in Louisiana when it secedes from the Union in January 1861. He can see that the Southern people are very serious & willing to go to war. It's a perspective many in the North will not fully understand for months to come.
24. William resigns his post in Louisiana, much to his displeasure. He enjoyed the people & the students there, but could not support an institution that would supply troops against the United States government. He would head to Washington City at the request of his brother John, now a U.S. Senator from Ohio.
25. John arranges a time for his brother to meet with newly elected President Lincoln. At this time John is hoping his brother will make a push to become a high ranking officer in the military effort that is likely to come together to bring the Southern rebellion to an end.
26. William meets with President Lincoln at the White House shortly after he has been sworn into office in March 1861. At first, the President wraps up a meeting with a few of his department heads. William's brother John introduces him, saying "Mr. President, this is my brother, Colonel Sherman, who is just up from Louisiana, he may give you some information you want." "Ah!" said the President, "How are they getting along down there?"
William is shocked, and abruptly answers "They think they are getting along swimmingly. They are preparing for war."
"Oh well, I guess we'll manage to keep house" responds the President.
William found himself with nothing to say. His brother & the President exchanged a few quick words, and then the two Sherman brothers leave. Sherman would write in his memoirs that he was sadly disappointed, and that he broke out in anger to John, "damning the politicians generally, saying 'You have got things in a hell of a fix, and you may get them out as best you can.'"
27. William feels there is no use for him in Washington after his brief discussion with President Lincoln. He heads to St. Louis to take a position as President of a streetcar company. He signs a contract stating it is a position he will hold for one year.
28. On April 6, 1861, Sherman was offered the Chief clerkship of the War Department with a promise to be made Assistant Secretary of War when Congress came back into session. Sherman declined, wishing the "Administration all success in its almost impossible task of governing this distracted and anarchical people."
29. Cump witnesses the St. Louis riot on May 10, 1861, along with his son William (Willy), between the U.S. militia and Confederate supporters backed by the Missouri governor Claiborne Jackson. He will write an account to his brother John.
30. Sherman will correspond with his now father-in-law, Thomas Ewing, who is still in Washington. Ewing asks what Sherman wants; Sherman says he will come back if made Colonel in the U.S. Regular Army (not the volunteer army that President Lincoln had formed to combat the Southern rebellion).
31. Thomas Ewing will meet with U.S. General Winfield Scott & other political allies to get Sherman what he has requested. Eventually Ewing has a one-on-one meeting with President Lincoln. It results in William being made Colonel in the U.S. Army. He resigns his President position in St. Louis with the streetcar company. He hates backing out of obligations, but at this point Missouri is still up for grabs as to whether it will be kept under U.S. control or if it will officially become a part of the Confederate States of America.
32. Sherman writes to his brother John on June 3, 1861: "I still think it is to be a long war – very long – much longer than any Politician thinks." This is important & unique, as most people – on both sides – were saying it was going to be a "90 day war."
33. Colonel William T. Sherman led his men at the Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861. It was considered the first major battle of what would be called the Civil War. The Union originally had the advantage, but the Confederates rallied and were claimed the victors. It was a startling realization to both sides; the North realized that the South had the energy & enthusiasm needed to make this beyond just a "one battle & done" scenario. At the same time, the South realized that even though many of the Union men were from a more "industrialized" part of the country, they still put up enough of a fight where a total victory of independence wasn't going to be easy. This would be no 90-day war.
34. William was promoted to Brigadier General, back dated to May 17, 1861, after his actions at Manassas were thought to be impressive. Sherman was much harder on himself & didn't think he had been any good. He was sent to Kentucky to serve under General Robert Anderson, who was there overseeing the Department of the Cumberland.
35. U.S. General Robert Anderson had been the hero of Fort Sumter. However, he was older in years, and the organization of troops & defenses within the Department of the Cumberland territory was too much for him. Shortly after Sherman arrives, Anderson steps down & Sherman is put in command. Sherman is upset. He had asked several months before to never be the one in charge; he always wanted someone over him. This move, he felt, went against that promise made to him by President Lincoln.
36. Sherman begins to request hundreds of thousands of troops to defend the region, which the U.S. cannot supply. Though the Confederate threat is strong, he makes it out to be much worse than it really is. Newspapers begin to report that Sherman is crazy. There is a history of insanity on his mom's side, which further propels gossip. A local Cincinnati newspaper called the Cincinnati Commercial calls him "insane."
37. Secretary of War Simon Cameron visits Sherman in October 1861. At that time he does not believe Sherman is fit to oversee that command. Instead of being completely relieved of duty, General Henry Halleck who is stationed in St. Louis has Sherman transferred under him. However, by December 1861 Halleck puts Sherman on leave, feeling he is unfit for duty at that time.
38. Sherman returns to his boyhood home of Lancaster, Ohio. His wife & children are there with him. He is severely depressed & without a command. He feels like a failure & contemplates suicide.
39. William's wife Ellen writes his brother John & also President Lincoln in an effort to help her husband. She asks for their help in restoring him to command. She also asks John to reach out to William & help him through what was likely a nervous breakdown, though it was never officially classified as such.
40. William is restored to duty by mid-December under Halleck in St. Louis. The army is restructured & he now falls under the Department of the Missouri. He starts with receiving admin duties, as well as "rear-duties" that keep him & any men he commands at the back instead of the front of the lines.
41. In February 1862, while U.S. Grant makes a push to take Fort Henry & Fort Donelson in Tennessee, it's Sherman who is back helping him with troops, supplies, etc. Every time troops arrive, they come to Grant with a message of support from Sherman. Even though Sherman is higher in rank (and older), he tells Grant he will help in any way he can, and if needed he can help out on the field & will gladly follow his orders & surrender his authority. Sherman technically didn't have the right to make such an offer, but Grant was still very impressed by it. Grant, up until this point, had dealt with so many people fighting for the command spotlight that he thought it was very noble. He had never met Sherman, but he liked the man. One of Sherman's messages: "Command me in any way." The interaction was a start of a friendship & bond that would last throughout the Civil War & beyond (though not without a few misunderstandings along the way).
42. Sherman joins Grant in the field & once again is put in command of men, though it's under Grant's leadership. Sherman's first major assignment is at Shiloh, Tennessee. While waiting for reinforcements & Grant to arrive – where the plan is to then head to Corinth, Mississippi, a key railroad depot for the South – Sherman & his men are taken by surprise by Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, who attacks them at camp while many men are asleep or just making breakfast. Sherman had been receiving reports of Confederates in the area for days, but he dismissed them as he thought they were just patrols or scouts. The incident in Kentucky a few months prior where he thought the threat was worse than it was likely made him more cautious. Unfortunately it left the Union army completely unprepared.
43. Though Sherman is caught of guard, his men put up a fight. Though the Confederates almost entirely take their camps on the first day of battle, that night Grant arrives. Sherman, who has been shot in the hand & had three horses shot from under him that day, goes to find Grant to tell him they need to retreat. He finds Grant under a tree by the river. It's pouring rain, cold, but there sits Grant against the tree, with his army brimmed hat pulled down slightly to shield his face, smoking a cigar. Instead of giving him the recommendation he had prepared in his mind, Sherman instead says "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant takes a puff of his cigar and responds "Yup. Lick 'em tomorrow though." Sherman decides against saying anything about a retreat. The next day U.S. troop reinforcements that arrive in the night help push the Confederates back to where they started, and by the end of the day the victory is the Union's. One thing that also helped the Union was that the key Confederate commander who had planned the attack, C.S.A. General Albert Sidney Johnston, was shot in the leg the first afternoon of battle. He had an injury from the Mexican-American War that left him with no feeling in that leg, so he didn't realize he was shot until blood was later pouring out of his boot & his officers found him reeling on his horse. He died, leaving C.S.A. General P.G.T. Beauregard in charge. Beauregard had won the Battle of Fort Sumter the previous year, but he did not win on that day as he had not been involved in Johnston's plans. The end of the second day, the Confederates retreated from the field.
43. Shiloh was a bloodbath. Up until that point, casualties had not been as horrific as what they were these two days of battle. While the Union celebrated victory, they were shocked when the numbers came in to see what the price of that victory had cost them: 13,000 Union & 10,600 Confederate casualties (dead, wounded, missing). It was called "Bloody Shiloh." But much of the criticism fell on Grant, not Sherman. Sherman was promoted to Major General of Volunteers as of May 1, 1862.
44. Questions arose as to why Grant was not on the field that first day at Shiloh, and accusations started that Grant was a drunk & that is why he was unprepared. General Halleck started to take over Grant's men, essentially leaving him without a command. One day in May 1862, Sherman came across Grant at his tent & noticed his stuff packed. Grant said he was going home on leave, but Sherman could tell that Grant wasn't planning on coming back. Sherman begged him to stay, telling him to at least not make a decision until saying goodbye to him. Sherman told Grant that "Before the battle of Shiloh, I was cast down by a mere newspaper assertion of 'crazy', but that single battle gave me new life, and I'm now in high feather." He told Grant that, if he remained in the army, "some happy accident might restore you to favor and your true place." Sherman's words worked: Grant stayed in the Army. His words were also correct, as Halleck was sent to Washington in July 1862 & Grant was given his old command back.
45. In mid-1862, Sherman was made military governor of the now-Union occupied Memphis, Tennessee.
46. From Memphis, Sherman assisted Grant in taking Vickburg, Mississippi. On several occasions Sherman led his men down to Vicksburg, often having to abort plans; the city was practically a fortress with water almost completely surrounding it. However, to have Vicksburg meant that the Union would once again have full control of the Mississippi River. It also would cut the Confederacy in two. Vicksburg finally fell on July 4, 1863. Out East, the Union was celebrating at the same time their victory at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
47. When Grant is promoted to General of all Union forces & is moved East to fight C.S.A. General Robert E. Lee & his Army of Virginia, Sherman is given command of forces in the West. This was a far cry from the individual who never wanted to be in charge & always wanted a superior right above him. Though Grant was still his superior, it was still William's responsibility for troop movements, battles, etc.
48. Sherman & Grant would meet at the Burnet House in Cincinnati, Ohio, just blocks from the Ohio River. It was also within a mile of where Grant's parents lived in Covington, Kentucky, and not too far from where Sherman was stationed in 1861 when he came to Kentucky. It was there that they planned strategy for how they would win the war for the Union. Grant would take Lee; Sherman would take C.S.A. General Joseph E. Johnston.
49. Sherman would send a telegram to the White House on September 22, 1864, stating "Atlanta is ours & fairly won." He would order his men to burn factories, military & government buildings, though some homes & stores were also burned. While many say that Sherman burned Atlanta to the ground, in reality about 30% of the city was burned.
50. He had to work hard to convince President Lincoln, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton & even Grant himself that his next move should be a "March to the Sea." He told Grant he could "make Georgia howl." His plan was reluctantly approved. He would be out of communication range from November 15 through December 21, 1864. Sherman & his 62,000 troops basically made two columns/paths and lived off the land during their march. Sherman's orders were to only take what they needed to survive. While they had a few skirmishes along the way, for the most part there was no fight from the Confederacy, as most of the troops were kept with Lee in Virginia or with General John Bell Hood in Tennessee.
So those bring us to 50. Think we are through? Well, we are for today. But stay tuned for Part 2 in the near future!
If you are ever in the Lancaster, Ohio area, the Sherman House is a great place to visit to learn more!
I recently took my long-time best friend, Maurice Barnes, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the first time. While we had less than 24 hours there, we managed to hit a lot of places. He captured it with his video camera and I used my trusted camera (though I already have over 4,000 photos from previous Gettysburg visits; you can never have enough, right?).
A few weeks after we returned home Maurice surprised me with a video keepsake. It is a compilation of the video he took, along with some photos I took, and a few "fillers" from the Library of Congress. The song he used, "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, is one that I have listened to when I drive into Gettysburg, and as I drive along the battlefield roads. Words like "one step closer" and "every breath, every hour has come to this" seem fitting in their own ways.
I was so moved by this gift that I asked his permission to share it with all of you. As it turns out, we are launching our own companies today as well, so we are launching this video as our first collaborative project. The dedication he has to me is something he strongly wanted to keep, and I appreciate that. He has always been one of my biggest Civil War Project supporters, and as you will be able to tell from the video, he also has a sincere passion and respect for history. I hope you find it as moving as I do, and it will hopefully give those who have not been to Gettysburg an idea of what it is like, and for those who have been there I hope it captures a small piece of your own experiences:
(If you are on a mobile device, you can watch it here): Memories of Gettysburg
For those of you who want all the specifics on the images shown on the video, you can find them here.
In regards to our two companies: I just launched my company called Visions on Fourth St. It will not just focus on my own creations such as The Civil War Project, but will aim to help others achieve their own vision, whether it be for an event, business start-up, or marketing initiative. The other company, Firefly Productions, is owned by Maurice and his brother Michael. Firefly's mission is to capture the fire of people, events, places, companies, etc. through a wide range of videography and production services. I think this video is a beautiful representation of the work they produce, and I look forward to doing many more with them in the future.
"How does it look now?", reads U.S. Commanding General Joseph Hooker. The telegram in his hands is from President Abraham Lincoln, who, like every Spring since the war started, is highly anxious and high strung now that Winter is behind them. With the warmer weather, the Army of the Potomac should be on the move. But at the beginning of each Spring they must deal with rising rivers from the melting snow and consistent rains, which often hinder their movements. The last major move the Union army made in the Eastern theater of war was at Fredericksburg last December, under U.S. Major General Ambrose Burnside. It had resulted in a major loss that has challenged the will of the people in the North to continue the war and has diminished the power of the United States on an international level. With Hooker now in charge, Lincoln has been sending communications that he no longer wants constant maneuvering of positions. He wants a battle and he wants it won. The Union needs a major victory.
It just so happens that Hooker has just begun moving his troops today, in what he considers a major plan to surprise C.S.A. General Robert E. Lee and the majority of his troops in the Fredericksburg area. Hooker is hoping to swing around Lee and cut off their supply lines from Richmond, and to turn the Confederate left flank. Hooker isn't looking for a repeat battle at Fredericksburg; he was against the move back in December as he saw Lee's troops on the high ground behind the stone wall protecting them. He has his own plans for success.
After days of waiting for the water levels to lower, Hooker's Fifth, Eleventh and Twelfth Corps cross the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers above Fredericksburg. Union cavalry under Major General George Stoneman begins a long distance raid against Lee's supply lines that Hooker is hoping will be successful and also preoccupy some of Lee's troops.
The man who had once been a friend of U.S. Major General Ulysses S. Grant and had met with him on surrender terms back in February 1862 at Fort Donelson, Tennessee is promoted today by C.S.A. President Jefferson Davis. Major General Simon Buckner, who has spent the last six months in command of the District of the Gulf and has been in charge of the defenses in Mobile, Alabama, has been assigned command of the Department of East Tennessee. He will make arrangements to make the move to Knoxville, where he will work closely under C.S.A. General Braxton Bragg, who he has worked with before and dislikes as a General. In fact, Buckner had been one of many to publicly denounce Bragg's performance during his Fall campaign in Kentucky last year, which resulted in Bragg's army abandoning any future invasion of Kentucky even after a successful fight in Perryville in October.
Two days ago Grant had given specific orders for his men to be ready to take Grand Gulf, Mississippi fortifications in a strategic move to take the final target of Vicksburg. Yesterday Grant had arrived at U.S. Major General John McClernand's camp only to find it highly disorganized and not at all working on his orders to prepare for the move today. McClernand had steamers and transports that were still scattered freely along the river and bayous, unable to support the move as planned. The two divisions that were to board the steamers were stuck on land. Instead of following Grant's orders of preparation, McClernand staged a review of a single brigade for his visiting friend, Illinois Governor Richard Yates. McClernand's men listen to a long and splendid motivational speech from Yates, followed by one from McClernand. At the end, McClernand has his artillery fire a salute to the Governor using ammunition that was to be saved to fight the enemy per Grant's orders, as they were in very low supply. McClernand couldn't have made a more obvious statement to Grant that he did not only disagree with his plan, but disrespected him as a leader. This was not new to Grant, who has been struggling with McClernand for months, with McClernand feeling that he should be the one in charge of the Vicksburg campaign. Though Yates has strong political power, Lincoln has the final say and he believes in Grant's abilities.
Grant again sends specific, written orders to McClernand as to what he wants done today: McClernand's troops are to board and await orders to move via steamers to a point opposite Grand Gulf. The Navy will reduce whatever batteries the Confederates have in place, and then McClernand's men will be ferried to the Mississippi shore, where they are to unload from the steamers and storm up the bluffs, capturing the Confederate fortifications. Men are to take only three days supply of rations; Grant wants everyone traveling light and with only the bare necessities. He needs his men to be able to move quickly.
Instead of following Grant's orders, McClernand again has other ideas. Instead of taking the troops via water, he wants to take an open road to the same point opposite Grand Gulf, which leads to a little village called Hard Times. Grant allows a reconnaissance party to see if roads are passable, and instead they find Confederate cavalry. As McClernand still does not have enough transports to board his men, Grant seizes the opportunity and orders the last two of McClernand's divisions to drive the Confederates out and take the village of Hard Times. There will be no move today against Grand Gulf but at least the Union army can accomplish something.
Wanting to create a diversion, Grant turns his attention to his most trusted fellow officer, U.S. Major William T. Sherman, who is the furthest north and closest to Vicksburg. He sends a note to Sherman:
"If you think it advisable, you may make a reconnaissance of Haynes' Bluff, taking as much force and as many steamers as you like. The effect of a heavy demonstration in that direction would be good so far as the enemy are concerned, but I am loath to order it, because it would be so hard to make our own troops understand that only a demonstration was intended, and our people at home would characterize it as a repulse. I therefore leave it to you whether to make such a demonstration. Publish your order beforehand, stating that a reconnaissance in force is to be made for the purpose of calling off the enemy's attention from our movements south of Vicksburg, and not with any expectation of attacking."
The orders Sherman receive give him a lot of leeway and decision making power. But Grant trusts him fully. Sherman immediately swings into action. To cover the road from Milliken's Bend to New Carthage, he detaches a division under Major General Frederick Steele. Sherman reveals to Steele that "General Grant directs me to control matters at this end." Sherman knows he has Grant's trust and that fuels him; it gives him confidence in his own abilities, which is something he lacked at the beginning of the war.
The move Grant wanted to make today against Grand Gulf will have to wait until tomorrow. He only hopes that this delay has not given the Confederates time to repulse their attack. But in typical Grant fashion, he has still made moves and tried to take advantage of the delay as best he can. He understands that public and political perception is very important right now.
C.S.A. Lieutenant General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson sends another battle report to General Robert E. Lee, this time regarding the second Battle of Manassas (known as Bull Run in North) from last August. He once again praises the support of C.S.A. Major General and cavalry officer J.E.B. Stuart for his action on the field. His fondness for Stuart is very obvious; it's a huge compliment coming from someone who does not often give such high praise so freely. Jackson closes with the following:
For these great and signal victories our sincere and humble thanks are due unto Almighty God. We should in all things acknowledge the hand of Him who reigns in heaven and rules among the armies of men. In view of the arduous labors and great privations the troops were called to endure and the isolated and perilous position which the command occupied while engaged with greatly-superior numbers of the enemy we can but express the grateful conviction of our mind that God was with us and gave to us the victory, and unto His holy name be the praise.
Today U.S. General Order No. 100 is published, which provides a specific code of conduct for soldiers and officers when dealing with Confederate prisoners of war and civilians. The idea behind the Orders had come from Francis Lieber, a Prussian immigrant born in Berlin whose three sons are serving in the military, though one had died in the Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia (also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder) almost a year ago on May 5, 1862. He had advised General-in-Chief Henry Halleck on the subject, and President Abraham Lincoln worked on the Order personally along with four generals and Lieber. It consists of 157 articles and establishes policies on the treatment of prisoners, civilians when found to be engaged in guerrilla warfare, exchanges, and flags of truce.
The Orders also address a crisis that was started by Emancipation of slaves in the rebellion (Confederate) states earlier in the year on January 1, which Confederate President Jefferson Davis has insisted is in violation of the customary rules of war. More importantly, Davis has dictated that the Confederate army treat black Union soldiers as criminals, not soldiers, and they are therefore subject to execution or re-enslavement if captured. The Orders, which would also be known as "The Lieber Code" and "Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the Field", specifically defends the lawfulness of Emancipation under the laws of war and insists that those same laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of color among combatants.
The Orders are the considered to be the first of its kind. Up until today nothing like this has ever been published. It will stand the test of time, as the U.S., Europe and other nations will use it in the future as the foundation for rules of war as it is gradually applied and expanded internationally.
U.S. Major General John Reynold's men are continuing their mission to Port Conway, Virginia. Along the way his two regiments, the 24th Michigan and 84th New York, completely surprise the Confederate cavalry led by one of their most praised officers, J.E.B. Stuart. Though C.S.A. General Robert E. Lee was used to Union efforts to distract them, he is still alarmed by what occurs. He writes to Stuart that "I am afraid the cavalry was negligent. They gave no alarm; did not fire a shot; lost some public horses and two wagons. The citizens gave the alarm. I desire the matter inquired into."
In the meantime, the U.S. Army of the Potomac remains bogged down due to swollen streams from recent rains. U.S. Commanding General Joesph Hooker cannot move his men until they can cross. So for now they wait in camp, the men unaware of where Hooker will lead them next now that winter is over and they need to be back on the move. What was once thought to be nothing more than a 90 day war has now lasted more than two years, and in the Eastern Theater it seems like little progress has been made in the goals of capturing the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia or obtaining the surrender of Lee's army.
The Confederacy, like any government during war – including the U.S. government – is having difficulty raising money to keep the war in progress. Pay for the men, food, clothes, weapons, ammunition, etc.; this all costs a great deal of money. Taxes have already been put in place but collection has been difficult. Today a "tax in kind" is enacted that requires each state to collect one-tenth of their citizens agricultural product. The money will go directly to supplying the Confederate army, which has often struggled to keep its men fed, clothed and paid, especially in the western Confederate states.
In the Western Theater, U.S. Major General Ulysses S. Grant has been getting different reconnaissance information on the viability of taking Grand Gulf, Mississippi, about 30 miles from his main target of Vicksburg. Grant decides to view the situation for himself, so he and Admiral David Dixon Porter take a steamer downriver. Upon closer evaluation Grant believes he sees the key to the entire position: the northern-most bluff. Porter had earlier told Grant that he had seen fortifications on that area being constructed by slaves, but Grant notices there is no artillery yet in position that would prevent them from taking the bluff. He gives the order that he wants to make an attack in two days. Porter's gunboats will take care of any artillery at Grand Gulf (if there is any by then) and Major General John McClernand's men will be transported there by boats and are charged with taking the bluff. Grant's vision is clear and he orders his officers to leave their horses and tents behind so they can move swiftly.
Just to reduce their chance of any surprises, Grant gives additional orders to McClernand to send armed reconnaissance south past the ground opposite of Grand Gulf so he can be aware of any Confederate troops or movements there. Grant has spent months trying various ways to get to Vicksburg; he is hoping this is the opening he needs.
America continues to be the one theme that occupies the world's tongue and thought. The Rappahannock has been crossed in the face of the whole Confederate army; and by the time these pages reach the reader a battle will probably have been fought upon which great issues may hang. If the Confederates are the winners it will go far to establish, as an unquestionable fact, their military superiority, and to inspirit them, in spite of all difficulties, to new exertions and struggles. But if they are beaten their position will be a most dangerous one. General Sumner has also, and on an earlier day, crossed the river some miles further down, and from that point was almost within a day's march of Petersburg and its railway, which is connected with all the railways of North and South Carolina, and must be the chief line for bringing supplies to Lee's army. Sumner, therefore, in the event of a Federal victory at Fredericksburg, would be ready to make a flank attack on the retreating army; and that most dangerous measure under the circumstances could only be evaded by the Confederates retreating by a different and circuitous line to Richmond, so that the Federals would probably be able to reach the Confederate capital first. Much, then, depends upon the battle at Fredericksburg, which we are told by telegrams arriving at the moment we write had actually begun.
The Alabama threatens to become a source of trouble between our own and the American Governments. If the responsible advisers of the Crown say the English law of enlistment has been violated by the building and fitting out of such a vessel in our country, it will be of course our duty to offer amends. But if no law has been violated the Americans must learn to be less susceptible, to annoyance, and direct their energies rather to the capture of the offending vessel than to angry abuse of us. Meantime we cannot but own the Americans are doing a very handsome act in contributing so largely to the wants of our operatives.
– – The London Times
The final Emancipation Proclamation is to be issued in a few days and many are nervous that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln may change his mind. He spends the day meeting with various members of Congress and clergymen on the issue, one of them Dr. Bryan Sunderland, who tells the President that "We are full of faith and prayer that you will make clean sweep for the Right." Lincoln leans forward in his chair towards the clergyman and says "Doctor, it's very hard sometimes to know what is right! You pray often and honestly, but so do those across the lines. They pray and all their preachers pray honestly. You and I don't think them justified in praying for their objects, but they pray earnestly, no doubt! If you and I had our own way, Doctor, we will settle this war without bloodshed, but Providence permits blood to be shed. It's hard to tell what Providence wants of us. Sometimes, we, ourselves, are more humane that the Divine Mercy seems to us to be."
U.S. Major General William T. Sherman's troops move their way through the swamps and bayous as they make their way towards Vicksburg. They are engaged in small skirmishes against Confederate pickets as Lieutenant General John Pemberton rushes troops in from the north to defend the strategic Confederate city. Sherman is waiting to receive additional assistance from Major General John McClernand, though he lacks respect for the man and is not looking forward to working with him. McClernand has proven himself to care more about using his political connections to advance his rank than to actually earn his promotions. Very few men respect or trust him; and they probably shouldn't, as he is one of the key people responsible for spreading the word to politicians and the press that U.S. Major General Ulysses S. Grant is a drunk. Of course, if Grant is forced to step down because of this, McClernand naturally assumes he will obtain Grant's position of Commander of the Western army. He has already been working closely with Illinois Governor Richard Yates to gain control over the Vicksburg campaign and authority to execute his own plan that goes against what Grant already has in motion. He knows that capturing Vicksburg will be a huge win for the Union; if his plan is the successful one, he will gain the credit and fame. But for now, Grant's orders – backed by Washington – put him under Sherman's control.
In Tennessee, U.S. Major General William Rosecrans continues his march towards Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where C.S.A. General Braxton Bragg and his army of over 20,000 are stationed in defense of the city.
At 10 a.m. in Mankato, Minnesota, the thirty-eight condemned Dakota Indians sing and chant as they are led to the scaffolds. Three drumbeats signal the moment of execution, and hundreds of civilian men & women who have shown up to witness the execution cheer in celebration. It is the largest mass execution in U.S. history. The bodies of the dead are buried in a single mass grave at the edge of town. An additional 300 convicted Dakota Indians will remain imprisoned in Mankato.
In the House Chamber at the Capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi, Confederate President Jefferson Davis gives a long speech to the state legislators and citizens of the state he once called home at the start of the war. It is meant to rally its citizens and celebrate the successes the Confederacy has had under extreme circumstances where many felt the odds were against them. He closes with the following two paragraphs:
I can then say with confidence that our condition is in every respect greatly improved over what it was last year. Our armies have been augmented, our troops have been instructed and disciplined. The articles necessary for the support of our troops, and our people, and from which the enemy's blockade has cut us off, are being produced in the Confederacy. Our manufactories have made rapid progress, so much is this the case that I learn with equal surprise and pleasure from the general commanding this department, that Mississippi alone can supply the army which is upon her soil.
Our people have learned to economize and are satisfied to wear home spun. I never see a woman dressed in home spun that I do not feel like taking off my hat to her; and although our women never lose their good looks, I cannot help thinking that they are improved by this garb. I never meet a man dressed in home spun but I feel like saluting him. I cannot avoid remarking with how much pleasure I have noticed the superior morality of our troops, and the contrast which in this respect they present to those of the invader. I can truly say that an army more pious and more moral than that defending our liberties, I do not believe to exist. On their valor and the assistance of God I confidently rely.
Communications between U.S. Major General Ambrose Burnside and General-in-Chief Henry Halleck are fast and furious as cavalry reports possible Confederate movements near Harper's Ferry, Virginia. This small but strategic city has continuously changed hands between the United States and the Confederacy. The reports make Burnside very nervous, as he had no idea that General Robert E. Lee had moved any of his troops after Fredericksburg, especially as far north as Harpers Ferry. Burnside sends a full Corps of troops led by Major General Henry Slocum to help protect the city that is currently protected by Major General John Adams Dix.
In the meantime, Confederate cavalry perform their reconnaissance on Harpers Ferry but take no action. There are no Confederate troops waiting to storm the city; it is merely a routine Confederate tactic to observe Union positions. Little did they know it would cause such a panic that Burnside would send over 10,000 men to guard a city that was in no way under attack.


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TTA is delighted to announce that final judging in the extremely popular #Transform My Truck campaign has now taken place. Two winning entries – one from the 12 and Under Age Group and the other from the 13-16 Age Group have been chosen and will be unveiled in mid-September. The lucky winners will be notified in due course.
(competition entries that didn't quite make the shortlist displayed in TTA's headquarters in Atherton)
The #Transform My Truck competition proved to be very popular indeed and was embraced by schoolchildren right across the region. Team TTA were overwhelmed by the response, and they would like to say a big thank you to every child who submitted an entry. Well done to all of you, and congratulations on your sterling efforts.
A specially convened panel met on Wednesday 8th August to choose the 2 winners from the 40 shortlisted entries. The panel was made up from a broad range of regional logistics, transport and motor-orientated companies and organisations, and comprised of:
Gary Jones: Fleet Driving Standards Officer, Wigan Council
Garry Winter: Transport Supervisor, James Hall & Son
Simon Gillibrand: Transport Supervisor, Kerry Logistics
Tony Garner: Managing Director, Viva PR
Major (Retd) Geoff Nuzum: The Reserve Forces' & Cadets' Association for the North West of England & the Isle of Man
Scott Bell: Driver Trainer Warburtons
Beverley Bell: Former Senior Traffic Commissioner, Think Logistics
The standard of all of the shortlisted entries was extremely high, and we can vouch for the fact that the judging panel really had their work cut out choosing a winner. The judges were mightily impressed by the standard of artwork and were particularly impressed by the creativity and imagination shown in each of the shortlisted entries. However, there could only be one winner in each category: so finally, after much discussion and debate, a consensus was reached, and the judges collectively chose their winning designs.
Details of the winners and their competition designs will be announced some time in the coming weeks, so keep checking our website and social media feeds to see if you are one of the lucky winners.
Well Done to Aaron Cochran for passing his CAT C with us on 21st February 2020. Congratulations from all at #TTA
Well Done to Ryan Talbot for passing his B+E with us on 21st February 2020. Congratulations from all at #TTA
Well Done to Christopher Murnaghan for passing his Transport Manager CPC with us in February 2020. Congratulations from all at #TTA
Well Done to Andrew Meanley for passing his CAT C with us on 14th February 2020. Congratulations from all at #TTA
Well Done to Paul Donoghue for passing his C+E with us on 14th February 2020. Congratulations from all at #TTA


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The giant National Sports Stadium will this weekend host two CAF high profile Inter club matches as Zimbabwe's representatives Caps United and Ngezi Platinum plunge into second leg battles.
Ngezi Platinum will this afternoon square off against Mauritius side Pamplemousses in the 2nd leg of the CAF Confederations Cup, while ZPSL Champions Caps United will tomorrow lock horns with Lioli from Lesotho in the CAF Champions League.
Speaking to ZIFA official website, the association Spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela appealled for support urging Soccer fans to rally behind tne teams who both have a good chance of progressing to the next round.
"Gate charges for both matches are US3, 5 & 10 for the rest of the ground, Upper Grand Stand and VIP respectively.
"We appeal to all football followers to come to the stadium to support Zimbabwe's interclub representatives.
"Wishing Ngezi Platinum and Caps United all the best," he said
Both teams are still in with a chance of making it through to the next round and they can secure it by winning with any margin.


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Tony Hawk Teaching His Daughter How To Skateboard Is Just The Sweetest
Tony Hawk is the greatest skateboarder to have ever lived.
His daughter Kadence, 10, is just starting her journey into learning her father's passion, and Hawk shared an adorable video of the two from this past weekend.
Kadence is learning how to drop into a half pipe, and Hawk admitted that she was absolutely terrified to do so. With a little encouragement from her father, Kadence has performs her first successful drop in, and you can just feel the "proud Father excitement" as he runs over to celebrate with her.
My daughter overcoming her fear in real time (wait for it). I might have been more nervous than she was.— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) February 23, 2019
------⬇ pic.twitter.com/IG6awFIHA3
The greatest skater to ever live, and he's still just a normal dad celebrating this huge moment with his daughter. So sweet!
Via Mashable


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Important Information
Billing and Insurance
Paying your bills just got easier
Bill payments don't always need to feel like a chore. We've made paying your Redbud bills easier and faster through our online bill payment system.
Have a look through to see how just a few sessions of physical therapy can truly change your life, and leave you feeling ecstatic about the results.
Billing and Insurance from A-Z
We know billing can be stressful—we're here to make it as easy as possible. Promise.
Here's how it works:
- If you have insurance, the first thing we'll do is double-check your benefits so that we know how much your copay for therapy will cost you.
- We collect this copay at your visit and apply it to your account.
- We also submit a claim to your insurance company so they know you came to see us. It typically takes your insurance company about 45 days to process this claim.
- Our billing concierges then review the processed claim and let you know if you have a refund coming your way or if there is a remaining balance.
Here at Redbud Physical Therapy, we are in-network with the majority of insurance carriers, including:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- United
- Humana
- Healthchoice
- Workers' Compensation
- Medicare & Medicaid
- Tricare
- ...and more
If you have questions at any time about the billing process (including whether we can accept your insurance), we're happy to help. Send us an email at [email protected].
If you think you need physical therapy but aren't sure, did you know you can come straight to us for a free 15-minute consultation? Just click the link below to get started.
Is the cost of physical therapy really worth it?
Decide for yourself—we're talking through it a bit below, and we've got it broken it down even further for you in this blog post.
What if you have a High Deductible Health Plan?
New Year, new resolutions, and, unfortunately, a new (likely higher) deductible.
If you're wanting to seek care but you're worried about the cost and not sure how your health plan works, you're not alone. Navigating the healthcare system can be stressful – financially, emotionally, and physically. But as we know, putting off care now leads to needing more care later… and spending more later, as well. This is especially true of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. It's a fact that getting the right PT early results in less imaging, medication, and surgery.
This year – let us help you get the care you need without breaking the bank. We're well versed in High Deductible Health Plans and have a variety of options at our disposal to ensure that you're not putting off feeling better due to cost concerns.
Here's what you need to know:
A High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) is an insurance plan that requires patients to pay a large amount of their healthcare costs out of pocket before their insurance kicks in to help lighten the load. According to the IRS, in 2019, a health plan is considered an HDHP if….
- The deductible is $1350 or more, for individuals
- The deductible is $2700 or more, for families
Additionally, more than 90% of persons enrolled in an Exchange Plan are in High Deductible Health Plans, in which the average deductibles are even higher: $3572 for an individual and $7474 for a family.
At Redbud Physical Therapy, we're committed to providing our patients with the highest quality care, and that doesn't just mean on the treatment table. We're always searching for options to make physical therapy a reality for each and every one of our patients, regardless of their financial situation. Thus, we offer a variety of affordable payment and financing options, including:
This year, Redbud PT has partnered with CareCredit to offer flexible payment plans for our patients. CareCredit provides convenient payment options so that you can get the treatment you want and need while paying for it over a period of time, often without incurring interest charges. It's ideal for co-payments, deductibles, and treatments not covered by insurance. Search for your local clinic here and complete the CareCredit Application to find out what monthly payment options are available for you.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are a great option for those looking to use pre-tax dollars to pay for physical therapy.
Flexible Spending Accounts are set up through your employer and must be used by the end of each enrollment year. Health Savings Accounts allow you to spend money on qualified health expenses or medical costs not covered by your insurance. There is no deadline for withdrawing funds from an HSA, and unlike FSAs, anyone can set one up. All plans are different – it's best to contact your insurance provider for details on eligibility and benefits.
We accept a variety of health insurance plans for patients needing musculoskeletal care. We'll work with you and your health plan to make the payment process as easy and hassle-free as possible. For more information or questions on coverage, please contact your insurance agent or give your local clinic a call.
Redbud Physical Therapy's therapists are specialists, not generalists, which means you get results in fewer visits, saving you time and money. In fact, care at Redbud PT costs 32% less than the national average.
Don't delay or avoid physical therapy due to your high deductible plan. We can work with you no matter your financial situation and someone's always available to talk. If you want to consider private pay, or other options, let's discuss it! Our friendly, knowledgeable billing concierge can help. Send us an email at [email protected].