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Facebook, with over 2 billion monthly active users is a highly sought after advertising platform. 80 million businesses now own Facebook Pages, out of which nearly 6 million are active advertisers.
In fact, in 2015 Facebook netted 19% of the $70 billion global mobile advertising spend. However, some marketers still lose money running Facebook ads. Some are of the opinion that Facebook ads are ineffective and are seeking out alternative channels to advertise their products or services.
But is there something they are doing wrong? When it comes to Facebook ads, targeting can make a huge difference between success and failure. Here's where some online marketers miss it.
In this article we'll highlight Facebook ads targeting mistakes marketers make plus how to fix them for better returns on ad spend.
What is a Facebook Ad?
A Facebook ad is an advert that is created on, for and run on Facebook, the number one social network. These ads are targeted at more than 2 billion active users based on their profile information, location, and demography.
Facebook ads utilize the PPC (pay per click) model. This means that marketers only get to pay for each click on their advertisements or per thousand impressions after creating a Facebook ad and setting a budget.
It is also a highly targeted form of advertising, as you can reach your exact audience on Facebook provided you avoid certain Facebook Ads targeting mistakes.
Here are
15 Ways Facebook Ads Can Benefit Your Business
A. Awareness
i. Boost your Posts – You can use Facebook ads to boost posts on your Page. This happens when you click the "Boost Post" button on any of your posts.
ii. Promote your Page – You can also promote your Page using Facebook ads. This happens when you take advantage of the call-to-action button, which you can also customize.
iii. Reach People Near Your Business – Since Facebook ads rely heavily on demography, you can use it to reach people near your business at any time.
iv. Increase Brand Awareness – Facebook ads help in building and increasing brand awareness. It is an excellent way to make your target audience aware of what you are offering.
v. Increase your Reach – Increasing your reach is easier and highly effective with Facebook ads than most other forms of advertising. Starting from $5 per day, you can reach from 5,000 to 10,000 users daily.
B. Consideration
i. Send People to a Destination on or off Facebook – Facebook ads allow you redirect your target audience to your Facebook Page, blog or website.
ii. Get Installs of Your App – If you need lots of people to install your app for beta testing, etc. running Facebook ads is the way to go.
iii. Raise Attendance at Your Event – Facebook ads are highly efficient for marketers who want to raise awareness or increase attendance to an event. You can count on the reach and effectiveness of Facebook ads to get the word out.
iv. Get Video Views – Video is becoming an increasingly popular way to engage audiences. Facebook ads can help you get hundreds of thousands of video views at competitive prices.
v. Collect Leads for your Business – This form of advertising also drives leads. Leads are potential customers, people who have shown interest in what you have to offer.
C. Conversion
i. Increase Conversions on Your Website – Facebook ads help to boost website traffic, which increases the possibility of higher conversions.
ii. Increase Engagement in Your App – Facebook ads like carousel or collection ads can help boost in-app engagement for users of your app.
iii. Get People to Claim your Offer – Facebook ads help to get your offer in front of the right audience and boost sales, subscriptions, etc.
iv. Promote a Product Catalogue – Whether you use images from your product catalogue or link to your product page, you can promote your product catalogue with Facebook ads.
v. Get People to Visit your Shop – If you own an eCommerce store e.g. on Etsy, Facebook ads can put your shop right in front of your target audience.
But you could miss out on all these benefits of by making Facebook ads targeting mistakes. Targeting is one of the crucial aspects that you must pay a great deal of attention to when it comes to running Facebook ads.
Here are 6 Facebook Ads targeting mistakes you're probably making:
6 Facebook Ads Targeting Mistakes You're Making
a. Location – Many local businesses miss out on local patronage and foot traffic. They fail to target potential customers within their geographical location, especially businesses selling physical products: one of the major Facebook Ads targeting mistakes.
FIX: Set your ads to cover your block, street, neighborhood, city/town, state and surrounding states.
b. Gender – Among Facebook Ads targeting mistakes, targeting a different gender is a major mistake. Products or services that are gender-specific should target the right gender.
For instance, if you sell female perfumes you can target your ads at
- women
- or men in a relationship with a woman
- or to teens as a Mother's Day gift.
This can be achieved in your ad copy.
c. Languages – Facebook is visited by people from different countries with various tongues. One of the Facebook Ads targeting mistakes marketers make is producing monolingual ads and ignoring users of different tongues.
As much as your ad budget permits, create ads in different languages and target accordingly, so the same ad runs in different languages in different locations.
d. Interests – If you keep getting "not interested", it means you're running ads without considering the "interests" of your target audience, which is another example of Facebook Ads targeting mistakes.
If you sell football merchandise, focus your efforts on football lovers and fans using text, photos or videos they can relate with.
e. Behaviors – Facebook Ads targeting mistakes like poor audience knowledge will hamper the effectiveness of your ads. Most marketers don't know how their typical customer behaves online or on Facebook.
Make sure you study and understand how your customers typically behave and interact online, especially on Facebook.
f. Connections – Ignoring your connections is one of the worst Facebook Ads targeting mistakes possible. These ones already have one form of connection or another with you on the platform. This includes users who have joined your event, liked your business page or installed or used your app over 30 days, etc.
Target your connections, they are already aware of your products or services and may have shown prior interest. This shortens the sales process plus boosts conversion.
Have you made any of these Facebook Ads targeting mistakes? Going forward, learn to avoid these ads targeting mistakes when next you run FB ads.
This will increase the effectiveness of your ads, reduce spend and ultimately improve ROI or whatever goals and objectives you've set for your ads.


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12 books to get lost in if you haven't read in a while
A few years ago, my habits slowly changed from reading fiction every day to reading much more non-fiction – memoirs, biographies, and books on topics that interest me, from wild places to creativity and growing businesses.
There's nothing wrong with non-fiction… Haemin Sunim has taught me to slow down, Cheryl Strayed has honed my love for the wild, and Oliver Sacks reminds me to notice the beautiful intricacies of our inner landscapes.
But the books that really stay with me? Those I get lost in for a weekend and want to get back to as soon as possible? They're fiction.
The books in this list aren't Russian classics. Instead, they're the novels that broke my reading droughts and reminded me precisely why I love books. Some of these are binge-worthy books you can't put down, while others contain intriguing and beautiful worlds I love getting lost in.
To help you to rekindle the joyful habit of retreating into fictional worlds, here are some of the best novels to get lost in if you haven't read in a while.
12 of the best books to get lost in
1. Circe by Madeline Miller
A book that everyone seems to have talked about the last few years – and for wonderful reason.
In this stunningly-woven page-turner, Circe sets forth her tale: a vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalry, love, and loss. It's a woman's story told in a man's world, and her defiance is captivating.
"But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me."
2. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
How did it take me so long to discover Barbara Kingsolver's writing? After I finished reading Prodigal Summer, I felt like I needed a few more days to soak in its beauty. If I could have written any book, it would likely be one like this.
For one summer of new life, change, and the sensuality of nature in bloom, we're swept into three different lives close by in the Appalachian mountains.
"Thanks for this day, for all birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life."
3. Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
I read this a few weekends ago and loved it. Although I had some trouble with the writing early on, I told myself I'd read a bit longer. Before long I was nearing the halfway mark.
After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her.
She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises.
The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles.
It's one of the more easy-read picks on this list, but it's a magical and lovely book.
"Gabe started to live as Ursa did, in an infinite present disconnected from the past or future."
4. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Cutting for Stone is a big book, and one I'd been meaning to read for nearly a decade before I finally did this year. I'm so glad I picked it up at last.
From Ethiopia to New York City and back again, meet a fascinating family of doctors who weave an incredible story of heartbreak, loss, and the relationships that shape their lives.
"The key to your happiness is to own your slippers, own who you are, own how you look, own your family, own the talents you have, and own the ones you don't. If you keep saying your slippers aren't yours, then you'll die searching, you'll die bitter, always feeling you were promised more."
5. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
This is my go-to recommendation for people who don't read much but love gripping movies, especially crime, action, and detective plots. My eighteen-year-old brother couldn't stop reading it, which is high praise indeed.
"nobody's ever been arrested for a murder; they have only ever been arrested for not planning it properly."
If you loved I Am Pilgrim, try Power of the Dog by Don Winslow next. I read this on The Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing when I wanted a big book that wouldn't send me to sleep.
6. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens…
The Priory of the Orange Tree is an enthralling, epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons – and the women who must lead the fight to save it.
This is another book I read on The Trans-Siberian Railway – it's a big book with an even bigger universe inside to explore.
"We may be small, and we may be young, but we will shake the world for our beliefs."
7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See is one of those books that creates the perfect formula for a story and delivers it flawlessly. If you're yet to read it, I have a slight bit of envy about that.
New York Times bestseller and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, it's the story of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever."
8. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
I adored both of Elizabeth Gilbert's most recent novels, The Signature of All Things and City of Girls.
Told from the perspective of Vivian Morris as she looks back on her youth in 1940s New York, City of Girls shares Vivian's story of female sexuality and promiscuity, pleasure and regret, and a journey of true love and becoming.
"Never has it felt more important for me to tell stories of joy and abandon, passion and recklessness. Life is short and difficult, people. We must take our pleasures where we can find them. Let us not become so cautious that we forget to live."
9. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Head off to Honolulu in the 1890s and enter the life of young Rachel Kalama, who is growing up in big, loving Hawaiian family and dreams of seeing the far-off lands that her father, a merchant seaman, often visits.
But at the age of seven, Rachel and her dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy. Forcibly removed from her family, she is sent to Kalaupapa, the isolated leper colony on the island of Moloka'i.
Rachel's life, though shadowed by disease, isolation, and tragedy, is also one of joy, courage, and dignity. Moloka'i is a story about life, not death; hope, not despair. It is not about the failings of flesh, but the strength of the human spirit.
"Fear is good. In the right degree it prevents us from making fools of ourselves. But in the wrong measure it prevents us from fully living. Fear is our boon companion but never our master."
10. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout continues the life of her beloved Olive Kitteridge, a character who has captured the imaginations of millions.
"When you get old," Olive told Andrea after the girl had walked away, "you become invisible. It's just the truth. And yet it's freeing in a way."
11. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms
Overworked and underappreciated, single mother Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.
Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps.
"Sometimes a book about other people's problems is way better than your own."
12. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war.
"If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are."
Enjoy more from me
- Retreat into my new book, Your Life in Bloom: Finding Your Path and Your Courage, Grounded in the Wisdom of Nature.
- I'm also the author of Mountain Song: A Journey to Finding Quiet in the Swiss Alps, a book about my time living alone by the mountains.
- If you love books, are feeling a little lost right now, and would love some gentle comfort and guidance, join The Sanctuary, my seven-day course to rebalance your life.

subset: commoncrawl


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New monthly grief support group offered in Merrill
MERRILL - Ministry Home Care will provide a new monthly grief support gathering for adults who have experienced the death of a loved one the second Tuesday of each month. The program features an informational presentation, with opportunity for questions and sharing.
The next meeting will be offered from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center, 601 S. Center Ave., Merrill. Everyone is invited to attend.
Ministry Home Care-Hospice Services provides grief support to everyone in the community, regardless of their involvement with hospice prior to the death of their loved one. There is no fee to attend, and no advance registration is required.
For more information on this and other grief support opportunities, please contact Connie DeBels, Ministry Home Care, at 1-800-643-4663.


text: SK Rifle Match 22 LR Ammo (50 Rounds) Economically priced match grade 22 ammunition delivers premium accuracy, consistency, and reliability for marksmanship training or international class competition. Muzzle velocity is 1073 fps with a 40 grain bullet. (Insider's rumor: SK Rifle Match is apparently the same product as Wolf Match Extra... Both are made in Germany by Lapua Gmbh.) Manuafactured by Lapua: SK Brand Match Grade 22 Ammunition was born out of the new Lapua X-ACT manufacturing process and is produced in the same factory as the Lapua ammunition line. In short, the manufacturing of Lapua (and SK) 22 ammunition is so consistent and precise, it results in the same original accuracy levels that made Lapua famous. Yes, some of it is very expensive... But Lapua manufactures these rimfire cartridges with utmost care and precision. Premium cartridges are checked individually and all lots are thoroughly tested on ballistic values, gas pressure and test fire grouping. These products are released for distribution only if all test results are within strict tolerance levels.


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The dependability and prevalence of video surveillance systems and cameras has elevated dramatically prior to now decade. 1986: The camera business becomes much more consumer targeted and faucets the enjoyable and journey connotations behind camera utilization, with the launch of the idea of the disposable single use cameras. The innovation that sparked many an invention in the camera business discovered its means into the digital world as nicely and continued among digital camera producers.
Regardless of the improvements launched by digital recording devices, the fundamental limitation of normal, low resolution, video image high quality went unchanged, at the same time as low price, excessive decision, digital video cameras grew to become available. As an illustration, the Kodak Easyshare LS753 zoom digital camera has around nineteen automatic scene modes.
The development of digital camera technology is considered to be linked to the event of TV and Video expertise. As an alternative of movie the canon g9 camera captures the sunshine with the help of a system which data the sunshine rays digitally. Both laptop primarily based and standalone, these gadgets enabled video alerts from multiple cameras to be digitized and recorded to laptop hard drives.
With the advance within the technology of digital photography in the last 10 – 15 years that 'need' has grow to be a reality with the arrival of deer hunting path cameras or path cams for brief. 5. Digital cameras are evolving at a rapid pace of their capabilities.
All current Olympus and Fuji shopper level digital cameras use the xD card to retailer pictures on. There are three sorts of xD card. The higher the number of megapixels that a digital camera provides, the greater the readability and high quality of the ensuing image.


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LIVE: The Gary Smulyan-Ralph Lalama Quartet @ Professor Java's Coffee Sanctuary, 1/7/11
Both the audience and the bandmembers braved a raging winter snowstorm on Friday night, but they were rewarded with a red-hot, jam-packed performance featuring a pair of Grammy Award-winning saxophonists – baritone saxman Gary Smulyan and tenor titan Ralph Lalama. Local jazz fan extraordinare Paul Villani introduced the band at the start of the evening, and from that point forward, Professor Java's in Colonie was transformed into a roaring fireplace.
In the first evening of their two-night stand, these two sax legends heated up Professor Java's with some extraordinary playing, trading solos and playing in unison as they tackled a well-chosen combination of originals and standards – with an occasional ballad just to slow things down a bit. Smulyan and Lalama have been bandmates in the award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra since the early '80s, and it was clear on Friday night that these two saxmen supreme share not only uncommon skills and imagination, but also respect for each other's talents.
With their own fiery playing, the homegrown rhythm section of bassist Lou Smaldone and drummer Joe Barna more than kept pace with the featured frontmen.
What a wonderful way to spend a cold, snowy, winter night.
Review and photographs by Rudy Lu
See more of Rudy Lu's photographs of the concert at AlbanyJazz.com
J Hunter's review at AlbanyJazz.com


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Little Valley Fire fuels debate about local government liability in Reno, damage caps
The legal battle between Little Valley Fire victims and the State of Nevada is raising concerns with the city of Reno about its potential impact on local government liability.
The Reno City Council voted 5 to 1 on Wednesday to sign on to a legal briefing supporting efforts by the state to seek clarification from the Nevada Supreme Court about how much compensation victims are entitled to under the law. The council signed what's called an "amicus curiae" or "friend of the court" brief, which is filed by parties who are not involved in a case but have a strong interest in its outcome.
The state has been seeking to dismiss claims from fire victims who believe that monetary damages arising from the fire should not be subject to a cap set under Nevada law. Not capping liability, however, could set a precedent not just for the state but also local governments and make them susceptible to larger damages during accidents and disasters, said Jonathan Shipman, assistant city attorney for the city of Reno. Such a precedent could curtail delivery of basic and essential services to Reno residents due to skyrocketing costs, he said.
"(By removing the cap) you take money away from things like emergency services, police and fire," Shipman said. "As a local government, that potentially gives us concern."
At the center of the case is whether the state of Nevada should be liable to pay for damages beyond the $100,000 cap under tort law. Victims of the Little Valley Fire are holding the state, specifically the Nevada Division of Forestry, responsible for damages from the fire, which was started by a prescribed burn that went out of control. A District Court judge denied a motion by the state in September to dismiss the case.
A Reno Gazette-Journal investigation found that poor monitoring and a delayed response were key factors in the Little Valley Fire that flared up on October 2016. An independent federal investigation also concluded that burn crews left the site amid strong winds while fire was still smoldering in some of the burn areas.
By removing the cap on damages, the city of Reno is concerned that the line between tort law and takings law — which is not subject to similar limits — gets blurred. The takings law, for example, is what gets used for eminent domain, which requires just compensation when taking somebody's property for a public purpose, Shipman said. The amicus brief seeks clarification from the Nevada Supreme Court on whether the takings law or tort law applies to the Little Valley Fire case.
Expand the takings jurisprudence could mean that a police officer who gets in an accident while responding to a call could make the city liable for paying damages beyond the $100,000 cap, according to Shipman.
"Anytime any act, negligent or otherwise, causes damage to somebody's property, we have to pay the full amount above and beyond what the tort cap requires us to pay," Shipman said. "I mean, how do we get insurance?"
Dave Houston, a lawyer who represents victims of the Little Valley Fire, says he understands the city's concerns. The Little Valley Fire incident, however, is a unique case that requires an exception, he said.
"Basically, they're trying to say that governmental immunity and statutory caps should be supported," Houston said. "Alright, that's fine — when applicable."
"In this case, they're not (applicable) and I hope the city recognizes the exception to those rules and certainly would not oppose legitimate plaintiffs who have been grotesquely harmed from being able to recover appropriately," Houston said.
Shipman says he understands that the issue surrounding the Little Valley Fire is a sensitive one. The city certainly does not want to downplay or minimize the damage suffered by its victims, Shipman said. Its decision to sign on with the brief, however, is strictly based on legal reasons due to the potential impact such a decision could have on a wide range of services that the city provides.
Councilman David Bobzien echoed a similar point.
"It seems like we are weighing on the Little Valley Fire (but) we are not," Bobzien said. "This is really an important issue for us and could have a pretty significant impact on us down the road if it is not clarified."
Councilwoman Jenny Brekhus, who called the brief complicated and expressed concerns "on procedural grounds," was the lone "no" vote. Brekhus also said she was concerned that joining it would make it look like the city was taking sides in the case. Councilwoman Naomi Duerr, who took part in the meeting via teleconference and had trouble hearing the discussion, initially asked if she could abstain. Duerr ended up going on break during the vote and was not present.


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My name is Jo, originally from Helensburgh, grew up in Manchester, crossed paths with an Ipswich born Glaswegian, had his baby, married him and moved from Manchester to the wee rural village of Alyth in Perthshire, Scotland.
We are activily and consciously trying to reduce, reuse, recycle and generally lead a more eco friendly lifestyle. We've embraced the small village life and have well and truly settled into our lovely "forever" home.
I am a happy housewife or a stay-at-home-Mum. Moving away from all our family and friends meant we didn't have the luxury of free/easy childcare and thankfully we're fortunate enough that we can manage on one income. Just!
I have a penchant for crafts, particularly yarn based, an unhealthy Pinterest addiction and often stay up to 2am crocheting! I sell "things" as The Crafty Wombat via my FB and IG. This keeps me entertained most evenings and brings in a few extra pennies for the boys.
My husband Mark is a Medical Physicist, an all round clever boy with a flair for astronomy and super scary maths. Currently working his way through a part time PhD and spends a few evenings a week hiding in his office listening to heavy metal whilst "working" on his thesis!
Our eldest son is Edward, aged 7, glasses, curls, tallest in his class, prolific reader and avid Mario Kart racer. Fancies himself a Master Builder too.
Our middlest son is Oren, aged 5, dimples, sensitive soul, pet whisperer, dancer and avid Rugby player. Got married last week to a girl in his class, I wasn't invited to the ceremony.
Our youngest son is Lochryn, almost 2, our rainbow baby. I had to miscarry twice to get his messy curls and dimples in my life. He is a mash-up of his older brothers, a climber, escape artist, food demolisher and lives up to his namesake of Loki; the God of Mischief. Lochryn completed our family. 💙💙🌈
On the furry side we've got Skye; the English Springer Spaniel or simply, the "Bog Dog" She was a welcome addition to the household 3 years ago. We also have a gorgeously soft and affectionate ginger rescue cat called Bubbles!
Living rural I have often found solace in the people in my phone and I love the sense of community there is from likeminded folk in there. I've been using Instagram for a little over a year now and I really enjoy seeing each random moment captured within the four corners of all the accounts I scroll through. I thought I'd start a blog to go alongside my ramblings, kid spam and all the colourful loveliness in my life.
If you fancy a nosey my Instagram account is Team Worrall!
Until the next time…


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For Ohio residents who suffer a work-related injury or have a condition that prevents them from being able to work, there are certain requirements they must meet when they seek Social Security disability benefits. For people who have a physical problem that hinders their ability to walk, that is a crucial factor that the Social Security Administration and its Disability Determination Services will consider. One factor that is key is the ability to walk – or ambulate – effectively.
A person who cannot ambulate effectively means they have a limitation in their ability to walk. This refers to an inability to start, continue or finish various activities. Insufficient lower extremity functioning means the problem prevents the person from ambulating without a cane, a walker or some other device that will limit the upper extremities' functionality. For effective ambulation, the person must be able to sustain a reasonable pace when walking over a certain distance to do various activities for daily living. They must also be able to travel without a companion when going to work or school.
People who cannot effectively ambulate will not be able to walk without a device, cannot walk a block at a reasonable pace if it is on an uneven or rough surface, cannot use public transportation, and cannot do reasonably common activities like shopping, banking or other necessary aspects of daily life. Walking independently at home does not mean that the person is able to ambulate effectively enough to work.
For most jobs, the ability to ambulate effectively is a key component of performing it. When applying for Social Security disability benefits for injury and the injury hinders a person's ability to walk, it will generally prevent them from working most jobs. When the disabling condition keeps a person from walking enough to work, that is vital to a case. A legal professional can help with seeking SSD benefits for a person who is injured and suffers from an inability to ambulate.
Source: ssa.gov, "Disability Evaluation Under Social Security," accessed on Jan. 22, 2018


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For a choice marijuana edibles experience, know your dose… and yourself
We all know cannabis is hot, but one of the most exciting elements of the booming industry is the growing market for edibles. In 2018, candies, cookies, and other pot-infused treats made represented a $2.3-billion market. That number is predicted to more than double in the next 5 years to more than $5.3-billion, as smokers add munching to their favorite ways to consume and newbies choose edibles over other methods.
But eating cannabis can be tricky. The effects take longer to kick in than with smoking (30 minutes to 2 hours), and once they do, they often hit harder and last longer, making it hard to know how much to use. Whether you're new to cannabis or a seasoned consumer trying edibles for the first time, here are 6 tips for getting the dose right.
Read before you eat
Edible cannabis products are labeled like packaged foods, but instead of listing calories, labels for weed-infused food and drink list the respective milligrams of THC and CBD. And take note, that number is per serving, and usually a serving is not the whole package, or even a substantial portion of it.
Usually, you'll find that the standard recreational dose of 10 mg of THC is contained in a single serving of an edible.
Know yourself
Regardless of how often you use cannabis, it's important to know your tolerance so you have a good time and avoid getting too high. Most edible companies recommend trying a half-dose — so, 5 mg — or less for the first time. That will let you comfortably get a sense for how edibles affect you.
Be patient
Unlike smoking, eating cannabis will not get you immediately high. So, start slowly. Wait at least 30 minutes to 2 hours for your first dose to kick in. If you still don't feel anything at that point, go ahead and try the second half. But, again, give it time to take effect. As tempting as it may be, don't start snacking on your edibles because you don't feel the effects right off the bat. That could be the start of an unwanted wild ride.
Eat first
Especially when you're new to edibles, avoid consuming them on an empty stomach. If you do, you're likely to feel the effects more than you intended. Instead, try eating a light meal first, then enjoy your edible in place of dessert.
Get comfortable
To help ensure your experience is as enjoyable as possible, spend some time setting yourself — mentally, socially, and physically. This is especially important if you're not experienced with cannabis edibles, but it's worth keeping in mind every time you use. Make sure your head is already in a good place, surround yourself with people you trust, and find a comfortable, safe location.
Used thoughtfully, edibles can be a very relaxing and fun way to get high, so get ready to kick back and enjoy the ride. If you accidentally consumed more cannabis than intended or got too high and don't like it, that can be scary. But letting your mind spiral won't help. Instead, do your best to stay calm, drink some water, and remember that the feeling will pass.


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February 13, 2018
Applications Now Open for Funding Opportunities with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Applications are now open for four of RWJF's leadership development programs. These programs are helping build the leaders of tomorrow—leaders who share a commitment to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to live the healthiest life possible.
RWJF's leadership development programs are designed to help you advance your leadership skills, and connect you with other innovators to advance big ideas and solutions.


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Inspiration is Everywhere.
December 14, 2018
"The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on." So, Julia Sweet has complied advice and inspiration from the world to create a 3 minute piece, inspiring you to look at the world with new eyes.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Frugal Fun 4 Boys has always been one of our favorite blogs. If you still aren't following Sarah, you are missing out. We have been highlighting Sarah's amazing ideas for years, and once again, we just have to share her brilliance.
STEM is such an important part of our education system now, after all, STEM activities are jobs in the future. STEM doesn't have to be difficult, frightening, or intimidating. It can be fun, exciting, and easy to do.
This fun spaghetti project helps kids to understand how engineers go about choosing material for building bridges and other structures. It shows how some material works well in one scenario, but does badly in another. Sarah says the experiment is meant for children 13+ but it works well with children younger than that as well as long as parents can read the article with their kids and make it more understandable according to the age group and level.
Make sure you check out some of Sarah'so the great ideas at Frugal Fun 4 Boys. We mean it, you do not want to miss out!
Now it is your family's turn to find out: how strong is spaghetti? And we would love to hear what your discovered, so please leave us a comment below.


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EEASC grants, up to $300, are available to EEASC members. Formal and informal educators may apply to further environmental education and environmental literacy. Applications are judged solely on the information provided on this form.
*Please note that an active EEASC membership is required to request a grant.
To be eligible for an EEASC Grant, an individual and/or organization must:
Additionally, all projects must be completed in South Carolina.
We accept one proposal per individual/group, per grant cycle. Typical Grant: up to $300
For questions, please contact Diane Curlee, EEASC Awards and Recognition Chairperson, at email@example.com.
Under this grant program, EEASC seeks grant proposals from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. This grant provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques, and will serve as models that can be replicated in a variety of settings.
We look for innovative projects that produce measurable results. Your efforts should be quantifiable, with specific goals, objectives, and action plans, and should include measures for evaluating success.
Individuals and organizations must meet the basic criteria of the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) to be eligible for an Environmental Education grant.
Workshop/Conference grants are provided to individuals seeking assistance to attend the EEASC Annual Conference or another environmental education workshop, training or conference.
Workshop/Conference Grants are awarded in amounts of up to $300 and may be used to cover registration, lodging and/or travel fees. Award will be reimbursed after travel.
Program grants will be awarded to Education Program facilitators to assist them in purchasing the supplies needed to host their first educator workshop. Facilitator will need to submit receipts for reimbursement for one-time supply purchases only (storage containers, scissors, etc.).
Education programs eligible:
This is a one-time award and will be awarded in amounts up to $300.


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Today I was late returning books to one of the multiple libraries in our area. Yes, late again and once more (this never used to happen to me pre-children, I assure you!). After apologising profusely and being excused my fine (French librarians are kind like that), I eyed the shelves greedily for my next 'fix'. Reading is a heavy addiction, and I did find something new to try out and experiment.
When I got home, though, I began to wonder why I borrow more and more books from the library, which I never have a hope in heaven, earth and hell to finish on time (especially when it's in French)… when I have a pile of books at home, on my shelves and on my Kindle, patiently waiting to be noticed.
When I started counting them, I was shocked. What have I been up to? While I've been busy receiving books for review from publishers (I'm not counting those at all for now), I've also been steadily adding to my To Be Read list. Eight paperbacks, six on my tablet, 14 on my husband's Kindle and one on my laptop. That's 29 books in all – enough to see me through till the end of the year, pretty much. And I'm not even looking at the massive tomes of Maigret and Proust, which fall officially into the 'would like to reread' bucket.
Right, that's me sorted for the next year or so. Pray excuse me, while I see a man about a new pair of glasses… and a better reading light… mutter… mutter…
And, just to be contrary, here are some inspirational libraries, both public and private, just for the joy of it. Not that I plan visiting any of them any time soon. Promise!
Not sure what is going to happen with this wonderful building, as the Business University of Vienna has just moved to a new campus over the summer.


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Things to Do While in Nebbi
We'll never leave you short of things to do while you're in Nebbi.
Alur Kingdom Palace
Just 2km from Nebbi town at Jukia Hill along Paidha road, is the Kingdom Palace of the Alur which is where King Olarker Phillip Rauni III was coronated on October 30, 2010.
The king established this Palace from the old one in Atyak Sub County, Zombo district as his main working base with a view of bringing services closer to his subjects due to its central location, favouring every member of the Kingdom in terms of distance.
Biku Prayer Mountain
Located on Nduru rock in Nebbi district, Biku is commonly referred to as the 'Smallest Church' in the World. At 8ft tall and 2.5 metres wide, the Chapel can only accommodate three people including the Preacher!
Its history dates back to 1996 when Pastor Song, a Korean, together with the retired Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi founded it.
The Centre's Ministry is focused on Spiritual Healing for individuals and Church groups. It is hoped that those, who go to the Church meet with God in a special way, receive a vision for their future and become bold soldiers of the Gospel.
It is believed that Africans like being on the move, therefore, by providing nine prayer points on the mountain would create a comfortable setting for people to pray, praise and mediate on God's word by its founders.
View the beautiful sites of Nebbi


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by James Perloff, HenryMakow.com:
The dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 was completely unnecessary; Japan had, in fact, already offered to surrender on virtually the same terms the U.S. approved at war's end.
Why did Truman's controllers order Japan's nuclear bombing? As I have grown increasingly aware of the ruthless Talmudic psychopathology of the Powers that Be, I cynically confided to friends, "I think they enjoyed it." But after discovering David Dionisi's Atomic Bomb Secrets, we can be much more specific. This well-written, 217-page gem, documented with 496 end-notes, blows the lid off the sordid episode.
After Christianity first reached Japan in the 16th century, it faced growing pains, including times of severe persecution, but gradually became established, centered in Nagasaki, which became nicknamed the "Japanese Vatican." In 1945, some 50,000 Nagasaki residents were Christians.
After the Enola Gay dropped the "Little Boy" bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, the plane named Bock's Car (also written bockscar) carried the "Fat Man" bomb to Nagasaki on August 9. Most of the 12-man crew believed their objective was Kokura, and a secondary target was only to be selected if weather interfered. Dionisi does much to debunk the "poor visibility" claim long used to justify the plane's rerouting to Nagasaki.
The "Fat Man" bomb from Bock's Car detonated directly over Urakami Cathedral, left, the largest cathedral in the entire Orient. At Nagasaki (250,000 residents), 73,844 were killed, 74,909 injured, and more than 120,000 suffered radiation effects.
Truman and other U.S. officials later claimed there was a military target: the Mitsubishi shipyard. But Bock's Car flew three miles past the shipyard before dropping its payload. The cathedral was obliterated; the shipyard left virtually unscathed. Its famous hammerhead crane, built in 1909, still stands today.
We shouldn't overlook that Nagasaki expelled the Freemasons in 1926; by the 1930s Japan banned them entirely. Did this add "payback" to the Nagasaki bomb?
Dionisi insightfully notes: when Satanists conduct a human sacrifice, they believe they draw power from the victim's death. At Nagasaki, over 70,000 lives, many of them Christians, were incinerated on a satanic altar.
(The Nagasaki bombing's ritualism cogently reminds us that events like 9/11 are not necessarily purely geopolitical false flags, but often have spiritual dimensions as well. Is Nagasaki perhaps a clue as to why geo-engineered disasters keep striking America's Bible Belt, but not the "Establishment" Northeast? Dionisi has written a book on 9/11, The Occult Religion of the 9/11 Attackers, which I haven't read but have ordered.)
When people contemplate Japan's nuclear bombing, most think: "Hiroshima." Dionisi considers this a psychological ploy by the PTB (whom he calls "the Brotherhood of Death"). The first bombing would stand out in the public's mind, while the principal target (Christian Nagasaki) would get largely overlooked.
In another macabre deception, a Catholic priest and Protestant minister were persuaded to bless Bock's Car before it departed on its mission. Later, both men greatly regretted it.
A ground-breaking detail I learned from Dionisi is the A-bomb's role in Korea's division into North and South. I've discussed the artificial justification for this division elsewhere, but Dionisi elaborates that Japanese scientists were developing their own atomic bomb. After initial research in Japan, the project was transferred to the Konan region of northern Korea (then a Japanese protectorate). This area was selected for multiple reasons: availability of uranium, the power the Chosin dams could generate, and (perhaps most importantly) keeping away from American bombers.
Giving the Soviet Union postwar control of North Korea (allegedly its reward for a mere five-days' participation in the Pacific War) now makes far more sense. Not only was the cabal handing Stalin the plans and materials for the atomic bomb (as documented in 1952 by Lend Lease expediter George Racey Jordan in his book From Major Jordan's Diaries), they were giving him Japan's installations for making one.
Another compelling fact I learned from Dionisi: the horrifically bloody battle of Okinawa (over 150,000 casualties) was completely unnecessary to win the war; it was fought to convince Americans that A-bombs were needed. Dionisi's book is packed with other information I'd never heard before about, e.g., Stalin, and Freemasonry.


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Principal Support Framework Resources and Tools
University of Washington's Center for Educational Leadership provides resources, tools and planning templates to support principals as instructional leaders.
What it Takes to Be an Instructional Leader
This article from Principal magazine suggests principals free themselves of bureaucratic tasks and focus on improving teaching and learning.
The Principal Perspective (Full Report)
Research shows principals impact student performance.


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Public Private Partnership Notice of Intent
The communities of Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN, along with Cass County, ND, Clay County, MN, the Cass County Joint Water Resource District, and the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District, have signed a joint powers agreement that forms the Flood Diversion Board of Authority (Diversion Authority). The Diversion Authority and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have completed significant work in readying the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project (the Project) for implementation.
Construction of the Project was authorized by the US Congress as part of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, Public Law 113-121. The estimated $1.8 billion Project, which is comprised of multiple project features, has been selected by USACE as a demonstration project that will be implemented using a Split Delivery model. Under the Split Delivery model, the multiple Project features will be split into those implemented by the Diversion Authority and those implemented by the USACE. The Diversion Authority has issued a Notice of Intent to deliver the majority of the Diversion Authority's features through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project.
The portions of the Project that the Diversion Authority will implement through a PPP are collectively referred to as the Diversion Channel and Associated Infrastructure Work Package (DCAI WP). The DCAI WP generally consists of 30 miles of channel, 2 aqueducts, 2 river inlets, various local drainage inlets, the channel outfall, 4 railroad bridges, 4 interstate highway bridges, and 10 county road bridges, as well as associated environmental mitigation and recreational features.
Click to view the full Notice of Intent.


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Inner Healing 101: Healing emotional wounds
This is one of the most vital and important areas of deliverance ministry that we cannot overlook. While it is important to cast out demons, it is just as important, if not more important, to minister to the emotional wounds. Emotional wounds are one of the most common reasons that deliverances can fail or demons seem to keep coming back and regaining inhabitation within the person. I need to make it clear that if you are going to be in the deliverance ministry, it is an absolute necessity that you learn about emotional wounds and how to bring the person to the point where they can receive inner healing from the Holy Spirit.
Our goal is not to forget a hurtful event or trauma, but to receive healing for that event, where the Holy Spirit removes the stinger from it. When we look back upon a healed wound, we can see it in a different way, because it has been healed and is no longer painful to look back upon.
Identifying emotional wounds
The first thing we need to do is identify the problem, and realize the need for inner healing. Below is a common list of common symptoms to look for in somebody who has an emotional wound:
Inner rawness: there's often a sense of inner rawness and hurt that doesn't seem to go away.
Irritability: it's easy to become irritable with others, even if they aren't doing anything wrong!
Little or no tolerance: there is a low tolerance issue with others, where you expect and demand from them.
Feelings always rising up: feelings of anger, hate, resentment, etc. seem to "rise up" within you at the slightest offense from others.
Overly sensitive about an event in your past: If there are events in your past which cause you to become very sensitive or angry, or even cause you to lash out, then it is likely revealing a deep emotional wound tied in with that event or memory.
Hard to forgive: it becomes very difficult, if not impossible to love and therefore forgive others. It can also be hard to forgive and love yourself. It can even be hard to forgive and love God, even though He has done nothing wrong against you!
Hard to feel loved: it is hard to clearly see and realize the love of others and God in your life. You may be surrounded by people who love you, but it can be difficult to fully feel and receive that love. There seems to be a wall up that blocks the flow of love into your life.
Lashing out: when there's an inner wound that has festered, it becomes easy to lash out or have sudden outbursts of anger, hate, resentment, etc. You may find it easy to lash out at people who love you, and have done you no harm.
Feelings of anger towards God: when a person has been wounded, it becomes easy to blame God for their troubles and hardships. This is the last thing that you want to do when seeking to be healed, because it virtually puts a wall in your mind that can block the healing power of the Holy Spirit to operate. Although He desires to heal your wound, He will not override your freewill, and if you hold hate in your heart against Him, it can block His efforts to heal your wounds.
Self-hate: many times when a person is hurt from past abuse, they will begin to think that perhaps what happened to them, was deserved because of something they did or the way that they were. This is not true. Abuse is never acceptable, even if a child was being out of order. Parental love disciplines and corrects, but never abuses.
Easily frustrated: because an inner turmoil that an inner wound causes, it is easy to become easily frustrated with everyday chores and responsibilities.
Escapism: as a result of inner turmoil, it is easy to desire to escape or suppress reality. This can be in the form of overeating, drinking, smoking, porn, spending binges, etc. When a person indulges in escapism, addictions can form, and open the door to spirits of addiction, which makes the addictions virtually impossible to break.
Cutting: a person who is a cutter usually has an alter inside the person who is holding much pain, and needs to release the pain or it honestly feels that it deserves the pain (self-hate/religious bondage).
Retaliation urges: because of built-up hate and anger as a result of unforgiveness, somebody who has a festering inner wound will find it easy to retaliate or snap back at those who offend them or step on their toes.
Irresponsible behavior: inner pain has a way of consuming a person's mind, and eventually this can take on a careless approach to life. It is hard to feel good about yourself if you have an inner wound, and if you don't feel good about yourself, it will begin to show in your lifestyle.
Irrational expectations of others: somebody who has been wounded may set high expectations for those around them. They feel that others ought to hold up to unrealistic standards, and are very intolerable to any mistakes made. They find it hard to forbear (put up with) one another as the Bible commands of us (see Colossians 3:13).
Perfectionism: a person who has an emotional wound may also be performance driven. Perhaps they felt like no matter what they did, they could never please a parent or authority figure, and later on in life, that rejection wound causes the person to be a performer to the point where they are never satisfied and burned out by their efforts.
Feelings of hopelessness: I believe this is also a common result of unresolved inner wounds. Since the love of God is blocked in your life, it becomes hard to see why He would love or care for you, and therefore you become an easy target for feelings of hopelessness.
Drivenness: when you suffer from an emotional wound, it can create a sense of void in your life's meaning, thus driving you to find meaning and purpose and happiness. This could be in the form of college degrees, careers, financial success, etc. Instead of appreciating the person who God has made (YOU!), you find yourself chasing what you think will bring true happiness and purpose to your life.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD: it is my belief that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often involves emotional wounds that were never fully healed. This is especially true with people who have bondages to self-hate, self-resentment, self-unforgiveness, etc.
Hostility towards God, self, and others: because of bound up emotions, a person can tend to feel hostile towards God, other people in their life, or even themselves. This is usually rooted in a form of bitterness against God for not preventing something from happening to you, bitterness against somebody who has wronged or harmed you emotionally, or bitterness against yourself for failures that you've fallen into yourself.
Be honest with yourself!
If you had a headache, would you go to the doctor and tell him, "There's something wrong with me, but I don't want to think about it long enough to figure out what it is! I don't know what's wrong with me! I don't know if it's a headache, a stomachache, a runny nose, or an ingrown toenail!" You would never do that when seeking physical healing, would you? Then why do we so often do this very thing when we are seeking inner healing? We know that there's a problem, a wound, but we don't want to even peek into our pasts to figure out what is really wrong! If you're going to receive healing for an emotional wound, you need to first be honest with yourself and what has happened. Let's get started by answering some basic questions:
Who is it that you hate or blame? Be honest with yourself; there's somebody in your past that you, or an alter within you, is holding something against. Be specific, and go back as far as you can. If you can figure out when this wound began, and who is responsible, it is the first step to receiving healing for the wound.
What did they do to you? Make a list of everything that was done to you, which you still hold against them in your heart. What might be a list of things which you still hold onto in your heart? What things can't you seem to easily forget? I'm not referring to a list of people whom you haven't forgiven, but rather a list of people/events where you just cannot seem to release it from your heart.
Don't try to cover up their mistake and say that it was alright. If they did you wrong, then there's no getting around that. Being honest about what was done to you is very important.
What things have you done, that you deeply regret? Make a list of things that you still, to this day, regret doing. If you have any feelings of self-hate, self-unforgiveness, etc., then you need to be honest and figure out why you hate yourself.
Is there anything in your past that you feel excessively embarrassed or ashamed of? This is a common cause for self-hate. If there are things which you still haven't forgiven yourself of, then now is a good time to make a list of those things, so that you can effectively forgive and release the hate held secretly within your heart against yourself.
It is vital that we get right down to the roots, and lay out the specific reasons why there are wounds that have not yet healed. Spiritual infections, like natural infections, will fester and grow worse when in the dark; it is important to bring the issues to the light, so they can no longer fester, but receive the healing light of Christ into those areas of the mind and emotions. If you cannot be honest with yourself, and bring these things out into the light, then you're only hindering the healing power of the Holy Spirit from ministering to those wounds and bringing about healing in your mind and emotions.
Keys to inner healing
The first thing that you want to settle, is any feelings of guilt and shame, especially any feelings that God is somehow disappointed or angry with you. When dealing with a physical wound, what is the first thing you do? Cleanse it from germs so that it can properly heal. When dealing with spiritual or emotional wounds, carrying around baggage (guilt, shame, fear, etc.) makes the healing process much more difficult. Getting yourself to the point where you know that God loves, forgives, and accepts you, is one of the foundations to receive inner healing. Knowing that God isn't angry or disappointed in you creates an atmosphere where you can freely turn your burdens over to Jesus, and trust Him to take care of them. Carrying around a burden of shame is a sure way to hinder the inner healing process because it mentally separates us from the healing work of Jesus. If we want to freely receive healing for our damaged emotions, then we need to settle it in our minds that God is not angry with us, and stand on God's Word about our sins being forgiven and washed from us by the Blood of Christ. A couple good teachings I have on this include: Is God upset with me? and Will God forgive me?
One of the biggest keys to receive healing for damaged emotions, depends on your perception of God, and how He feels about you and your healing. You must realize that he is the source of your healing, and deliverance… and NOT your problems! Blaming God for your problems will put up an invisible wall, which will hinder His healing power from flowing into your mind and emotions. The Holy Spirit will not override our freewill, and when we blame Him, our freewill is putting our hand up in His face. It is important that our freewill allows His work and does not blame Him for the bad thing(s) that have happened to us. It is important to realize that God is for you, and not against you. He desires to see you healed and restored to wholeness even more than you do!
Open up those wounds, and give the pain to Jesus. What you want is to open up those wounds before the light (Jesus), so that they can be healed. As long as you hold them in darkness, they will never fully heal. If you had a physical wound, and it turned into an infection, and you merely put a bandaid over the wound, would that solve the problem? Of course not! You need to take that mask off, expose it to the light, and apply the healing and germ-killing light of Christ into that wound so that it can heal.
God's Word tells us to cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us (see 1 Peter 5:7). We need to realize that Christ has taken our pain on the cross, and if we will transfer it to Him, He is waiting to heal our wounds. The Holy Spirit has shown me this very important key to inner healing: Why should we carry something that Christ has carried for us on the cross?
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows [grief, pain, affliction]: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5
The word "sorrows" in this passage, actually translates to grief, pain, or affliction. When Jesus shed His blood, He carried our inner pain and wounds, so that we don't have to! God's Word tells us that He cares for us, and because of this fact, we are told to cast all – not some, but ALL – of our cares upon Him (see 1 Peter 5:7).
Being thankful for Jesus carrying our sorrows is another key to break-through. If you choose to carry your own sorrows, it is usually because (a) you don't really realize or believe that He carried your sorrows, or (b) you haven't taken the time to think about or understand what Jesus did. Anytime when we seriously look at what Christ did for us, it's impossible not to be thankful for such a gift that He's so lovingly purchased for us! Being thankful will make you eager to take advantage of what Christ has lovingly carried for you.
I want you to picture Jesus standing there beside you with tears in His eyes, feeling the hurt and suffering that you're going through. We are told to cast our cares and concerns upon Him – why? Because He CARES for us! Picturing Jesus standing there beside a situation with tears in His eyes can be very powerful. John 11:35-36 tells us that, "Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!"
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Developing a thankful attitude is another big key to receiving healing for our emotional wounds. Thankfulness leads to trust – if you are thankful for what God's given you, then you will find it easy to trust Him in those areas of your life. Thankfulness is also a big key to overcoming rejection issues – how is that? Because when you begin to look at all that Christ has done for you, it is impossible to feel rejected by your heavenly Father, which is one of the big keys to healing rejection. God's Word actually commands us to be thankful:
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:15
Not only are we commanded to be thankful, but the Bible also tells us what can happen when we are unthankful:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Romans 1:21
An unthankful heart is prone to unforgiving, unloving, resentful, and all sorts of hateful feelings against others. It is a poison to our emotional health and ability to receive the healing that God wants to bring to our wounds and hurts. Those who are unforgiving and judgmental towards others have forgotten what God has done for them. Anybody who truly thankful for how God has treated them, would go about treating others the same way and He treated them.
Begin to be thankful for the little things which God has created for you to enjoy. Little things such as the birds singing in the trees or your pet cat or dog – they were made for us to enjoy! It is hard, if not impossible to be thankful and unforgiving at the same time. When we realize what Christ has done for us, and are thankful for such an expensive gift that has been purchased with Jesus' own blood for us, then we will naturally forgive those who wrong us – that love is contagious and will flow through us. We cannot honestly look at what Christ has done for us, and not overflow with thankfulness in our heart! Becoming thankful is a huge key to breakthrough if you struggle with unforgiveness. Unforgiveness and unthankfulness are closely related. For more information on a thankful heart (which is packed with Holy Ghost revelation!), check out my teaching series on A Thankful Heart.
Fear is often a tool of Satan because when we puts our trust in God, tremendous amount of peace and healing can then take place. Fear will keep a person holding onto what must be released into Jesus' hands. This is another reason why we must come to know the true good and loving nature of God towards His children. Knowing that God is a good God and has your best interest in mind, paves the way to being able to trust Him with the concerns in your life. You need to know that you can trust God with your needs, He understands them, and desires to help you!
Another key to receive inner healing, especially from a background or root of rejection, is coming to a place where you know that God loves you dearly and has your best interest in mind. If you have a hard time believing that God is good towards you and has your best interest in mind, then I highly recommend Gloria Copeland's book entitled, "Blessed Beyond Measure." Satan and evil spirits are always eager to make a person feel as if God is angry with them. It puts the person on the edge of their seat and makes them afraid of God, which causes them to feel discouraged in their relationship with Him, and tend to give up on spending time with Him and drawing near to Him (the source of their healing!). It's no wonder Satan wants us to feel like God is somehow angry or disappointed in us! Try this: if you have struggled and felt like God is angry with you, then try to imagine that God sees you, knows where you've been, and yet still looks favorably on you? It will loosen up the tenseness on your whole system once you begin to see things as God wants you to see them. Once you can imagine it, then turn to God's Word, and learn of how He really does look upon you with favor and hope! He's always calling us back to repentance, so that He can restore our relationship with Him. I can't tell you how powerful that imaginations can be when used for God's glory instead of Satan's. This is a powerful key to freedom and healing for many!
Another key to inner healing is not to meditate or continue to think about what was done to you. Once you give that to the Lord, don't continue to think about how badly you were wronged. You will cause emotional wounds to fester when you choose to continue thinking about what was done to you.Don't get me wrong, we are to face what was done to us, head on, honestly, and don't deny what was done to us, but once we give all the pain and hurt to Jesus, then we need to leave it there. If you have two dogs, and you feed one but leave the other to starve, then which one will be around? The one that you feed of course! We need to make a solid choice not to dwell/feed upon what was done to us, as it will reenforce the reason as to why we are hurt or angry. This is a very important key to receiving healing from emotional wounds.
As absurd as this sounds, you need to revisit the pain! By going back to the place where the pain was formed, and revisiting that wound in your soul, it will allow you to truly and fully forgive, thus pulling the pain up at it's root. The job can be half-done if you simply say, "I forgive them" without thinking of what you are really forgiving them of. When you can revisit that pain, and forgive out of the love in your heart, then your healing will come naturally! It may also help to picture Jesus standing there besides you while you were being wronged, and think about how He felt about what was done to you. You shouldn't have to keep forgiving the same person for the same offense that took place 10 years ago; we need to reach the point of pain, and forgive at the scene of the accident. I'm not saying that we must revisit the same physical place, but rather the memories and place in your mind where the abuse or pain took place.
Are you problem focused? Or solution focused? The Holy Spirit also gave me a strong revelation on this. Those who keep focused on the problem rather than the solution will begin to see the problem as larger than the solution. Are we paying more attention to the problem than we are the solution? Is your problem bigger than God's solution? Jesus came to bring solution, and by us accepting the solution, it makes use of His labor and blood which brings Him much glory, but by paying more attention to the problem, we ignore the solution that Jesus provided and make a mockery of what He went through for us. Being problem focused creates an atmosphere where depression, unforgiveness, irritability, and hopelessness can breed. You cannot experience inner healing as long as you are focused on the problem. If you want to receive healing, you must stop focusing on the problem, and begin meditating on the solution. There's a couple powerful teachings that I recommend for further information on this subject: "What's on your mind?" and "The Power of Your Thoughts"
Stop listening to the devil! The devil and his evil spirits work diligently to aggravate the wound to keep it from healing. This work is done by keeping the person reminded of how badly they were wronged or what was done to them. The devil seeks to remind you about why you are angry or hateful towards that person who has wronged you. Demons will do this same thing when trying to develop bondages of fear in a person; they seek to remind the person about why they are fearful. This is why it is vital to stop listening to the voice of the devil, because his goal is to aggravate the wound and make it fester into an even deeper infection.
It can be tempting to desire hatred over healing! When a person has been wounded, they will often choose to retain the feelings of hate and resentment, than to be healed of their wound and see God make everything alright. Do you really want to be healed? Or would you rather hold on to feelings of hate and resentment inside your heart against that person(s) who has wronged you? Would you rather see them suffer and punished for their wrong, or would you rather be healed yourself and let off the hook for your mistakes that you've made in life? Remember, Jesus made it clear that if we want to be forgiven and let off to hook for our failures in life, then we need to let others off the hook and give them what we want God to give us – that is, His mercy and forgiveness!
Stop blaming the person who wronged you, because it wasn't what they did to us or what they are doing to us that is keeping us in bondage, it is our own reactions to what was done to us which holds us in spiritual prison. It is our own anger, hate, resentment, and unforgiveness which will keep us behind spiritual bars! We need to take responsibility for your own failures. One of the reasons that we have a hard time forgiving is because we would have nobody else to blame for our problems. It is important for us to take responsibility concerning our own failures, and give up those things which do not honor the Lord in our hearts. We aren't responsible for what was done to us, but we are responsible for how we chose or choose to react to what happens. Until we can realize our own failures (how we've been reacting to what was done to us) and take responsibility for what we've allowed into our minds and lives, then it can be a blockage to our emotional healing. Blaming others will hinder the healing power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, therefore it must be dealt with before healing can freely flow into our mind and emotions.
Remember, it is not what was done to us that keeps us in bondage, it is our reaction to what was done to us which causes all the spiritual bondage and torment! When a woman is raped, it isn't the rape which causes her spiritual bondage, but rather the way she reacted to it; the hate and resentment that is felt afterwards is what gives Satan a foothold. What if the person who has wronged us is still doing it today and has no repentance in their heart? What they are doing to us cannot keep us in bondage, however, how we choose to react to what they are doing can hold us in bondage and torment spiritually.
Perhaps Satan's best-kept secret to prevent a person's soul from healing, is to cause them to feel like God is somehow disappointed in them, or even angry with them. If the enemy can cause a person to feel like God is not eager to forgive or be merciful to them, this is a sure roadblock to anybody's healing process. This causes a person to distance themself from the very person (Jesus) that desires to heal them. You cannot distance yourself from God and receive healing to your emotions at the same time. Drawing neigh to Him is a huge key to receiving healing. One day the Holy Spirit spoke to me (twice actually!) and said, "A sound mind comes from knowing me." God's word tells us that He is the one who gives us a sound clear mind of love and power (see 2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus tells all those who are heavy laden (people who are carrying emotional and mental baggage) to come unto Him, and He will give them rest (see Matthew 11:28-29). One of the biggest keys to inner healing, is to come unto Jesus, but Satan's way of preventing that, is to make the person feel like God is angry with them. This has a lot to do with our perception of our relationship with God. If we don't perceive ourselves as being made right with God, it will cause all sorts of spiritual problems and seriously prevent the inner healing process. I have a powerful teaching just on this very subject which I recommend anybody seeking an inner healing to read. It's called, "Will God Forgive Me?" and it is full of revelation from the Holy Spirit on this. I am not covering this in detail here, so be sure to read this other teaching as well!
Another one of the biggest keys to inner healing is tearing down walls that prohibit the healing power and light of the Holy Spirit to reach the wound to bring healing. The Holy Spirit is very eager and ready to heal our wounded emotions, but He's also a gentleman and won't override our freewill. He honors our freewill so much, that He would even let us choose to reject Jesus and end up in hell – He won't even force us to go to heaven! Our freewill can choose to take down our emotional walls or to hold them in place. What are these walls that I am referring to? They are our own reactions to what was done to us. When we react in anger, bitterness, resentment, and choose to give place to the devil in our hearts, we are putting up walls around our wounds that will prohibit the light of Christ from healing them. That is why it is vital that we take responsibility for our reactions to what was done to us. We are not writing off or discrediting what was done to us, but simply not allowing walls to go up which will prevent the Holy Spirit from healing our wounds.
The Holy Spirit also gave me a strong word on our transparency with Him when seeking inner healing and freedom from fears. Transparency is very important when seeking healing for emotional wounds. What heals our wounds? The healing light of Christ! What does light require to pass through? Transparency! The Holy Spirit spoke to me about this, saying, "If you want my healing light to heal your damaged emotions, then you must be transparent with me… for light requires transparency to pass through." Now those weren't the exact words, but that was the message that He gave me.
It is important to make sure that you have forgiven yourself, and are loving yourself as Christ loves you. It is vital that you see yourself as God sees you, as cleansed, washed with the Blood, and your past failures actually removed from your account. If you continue to walk around beating yourself up as if you haven't been forgiven, then you are actually denying the work that Christ has done for you on the cross! Many times, those who have emotional wounds are in bondage to guilt and condemnation, and coming to the realization that their sins are forgiven, is perhaps one of the single most powerful keys to receive healing from emotional wounds.
One helpful thing is to find somebody to talk with about your problem who will love and pray for you. There is tremendous healing power in bringing something out into the open and sharing it with a fellow believer who loves you and will pray for you. The Bible tells us that we need to confess our faults (which I believe also applies to our wounds and weaknesses) to one another and pray that we are healed:
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16
If you want to receive mercy in your situation, then you need to be merciful to those who have wronged or hurt you. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Do you want to receive mercy in your situation? Have you been merciful in your hearttowards those who have wronged or wounded you? Could the very reason that you aren't receiving mercy, is because you're not being merciful? Mercy and forgiveness begin in a person's heart, as Jesus says in Matthew 18:35, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
Finger pointing or blaming others is an outward manifestation of the root of bitterness. This is called resentment, and it goes hand in hand with refusing to accept personal responsibility for something. Somebody who has been raped or abused usually finds it easy to blame the person who wronged them and perhaps even blame God for allowing it to happen, while they are overlooking the fact that the hate, resentment, and unforgiveness are built up inside themself, which is the very thing holding them back from being healed. Jesus has commanded us (a requirement, not an option) in John 15:12, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." When we allow resentment and unforgiveness reign in our hearts, we are disobeying that command which Jesus gave us, and allowing hatred to fill our hearts instead. It's no wonder that Satan and evil spirits take advantage of such negative emotions!
Another important step to the overall healing process is to seek deliverance from any spirits that have entered in through the wound. Demons will often enter in through trauma or abuse, and must be removed in order to ensure complete healing and restoration. Emotional wounds promote an atmosphere of unforgiveness which can open a person up to spirits such as anger, hate, rage, resentment, critical, judgmentalism, or even murder! It is vital that any such spirits be removed, as they can work diligently to aggravate the wound in order to prevent it from healing.
Further information on inner healing can be found in my other teaching titled, Steps to Inner Healing.
Answering some of your questions…
When you say "open up those wounds before the light (Jesus) so that they can be healed", do you mean telling Jesus what happened to you?
That is definitely a very good thing to do! What I meant though, was being open with your heart before the Lord. Oftentimes, if we sin for example, we attempt to "hide" our sin, and walk away from God even more. Being open with the Lord about the feelings in our heart (whether they be hurt feelings, etc.) is very important. One of the mistakes that I have done in my own life with inner healing, is when I wasn't "including God" in the healing process. I feared some things, and I wasn't willing to "let the light of Christ shine" on those areas of my life. I think a African proverb says, "When it's time to wash, don't hide your belly button." Being open and honest with God about the wound, and "bringing it to His table" is very important. The Bible tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord. We need to include Him in our struggles!Jesus is very much familiar with all the weaknesses that you and I face, and actually desires to be involved in our battles. The Bible tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord… why? Because He CARES for us… He wants to be a part of what we're going through. He wants to be right there by our side when we're facing weaknesses and hardships! I've actually found myself covering up a wound one time, and I might as well have said, "Lord, it's alright, I got it all under control!" Sometimes we can tend to hide our problems instead of bringing them before the Lord.
Also you speak of "transparency" but don't define it…..do you mean being 100% honest with Jesus, not hiding anything?
YES, that's exactly right! I think sometimes we can tend to be tough about things, and want to tell God that we have everything under control. We can't fool God… He knows that we're struggling inside, and He desires to be involved in what we're going through. We need to be honest with Him about what we're facing, and include Him in what we're going through.


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Maple Story 2 Closed Beta Test is in full swing this week and the kind folks over at Nexon invited us in to look. This gamer has a long standing, love-hate relationship with overly-cute and voxel games. Trove has helped soften my need for MMORPG realism preferences, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp also offered some resolve but I'm still not completely at ease and need to know: Is Maple Story 2 enjoyable for someone like me who's also never played the original? I couldn't wait to jump in and see!
Straight out the gate the options and ease of use when creating your character are phenomenal. Jumping between classes, each one has its own personal outfit so of course I had to play dress ups on all eight of them (Knight, Wizard, Archer, Thief, Berserker, Priest, heavy Gunner, Assassin.) It's not just the amount of choices you have, it's that they aren't overwhelming plus extend to being able to choose your base outfit, which you can also dye.
One glance at the UI encouraged me to wait before I traditionally navigate the entire thing as there's a lot to digest and I am glad I made that choice as so much wouldn't make sense as a new Maple Story player. The most difficult choice I had to begin with was whether to select "classic" arrow movement while I play, or "click" WASD. I chose classic originally but have found the click option is more optimal on my Wizard especially during the boss kills, zone sweeps and building. More on building in a minute.
Movement is a big thing to get use to in Maple Story 2 (MS2) as it is so very easy to forget it's a voxel until you have to up or down to reach objectives or just explore. Current official events for closed beta have us generously receiving all kinds of mounts from balloon ducks, to shopping carts and an eagle so I'm falling out of the sky on the regular to get places. I've also found it entertaining seeing if I can reach/hit places without dying, in between catching helicopter taxis and portal travel. Nexon really know how to ensure we have ample fun questing and adventuring!
Part of this fun is also when scaling the environment. You feel like Spiderman often but on the other hand the scale of buildings is quirky. Some are tiny, but you can still interact with the door to enter it while being dwarfed by skyscrapers. The world of MS2 itself is gigantic, so many zones to explore and I am so intrigued how this scaling is out there.
What is also intriguing is the story behind Maplestory 2, I am enjoying every cutscene and why I end up where I do, fighting whoever I am fighting. Fairy sisters, Nixie and Epi were my first difficult elite boss encounter. Each boss encounter so far has been enjoyable. Time wise I feel the game is doing the best it can to make the most of my time, which is always a bonus.
It took me almost dead fights to get use to destructible environments leaving debris that can get in your way or give you more to climb. I am really enjoying my mage, she kills quickly but I must move constantly as she cannot take a hit of any kind. Filling in her skill tree is straightforward, I haven't fully decided what I want my job to be. Yes, I am curious about the other classes and jobs. XP gain is super quick as well as looting gold so the appeal to roll alts is high, however I must keep reminding myself that it's closed beta. Costs of living in Maple Story 2 is very high but it's not quite clear that these prices are final.
Speaking of cost of living! Yes, I got right into building at level 10 because I love creative aspects of games as well as combat and it was there I discovered more customization as well as the rest of the UI that blew my mind!
Housing in MS2 is incredibly expensive with current prices though earning gold is also well tuned. During the CBT however it's free so I'm going all out on it knowing it won't be the same at launch. The building UI is both user-friendly and intuitive with another layer of customization from naming the building, saving up to three sets and full-blown security and ambience settings.
My first build was a cute cafe to give me an idea of how building worked. Working with the edges takes some fiddling but otherwise the inventory system for building is easy to use. Once again, we are in CBT, I look forward to seeing how all items will roll out after launch which is yet to be announced. Maple Story 2 have an inbuilt Decor Planning mode which will be incredibly helpful once everything isn't unlimited and yes you gain XP while building, as well as achievements which are plentiful throughout the whole game.
I am so incredibly impressed by MS2 building that this will be my focus along with fishing for the rest of CBT! Opening fridge doors, running taps, playing an arcade game - all that good interactive stuff is available but what blew my mind most is the Maple Workshop. This is where you can pull in your own assets and apply them to blocks and armor, as well as weapons, everything to do so is in game so! I could write an article this long just on this feature alone!
If this isn't enough customization for you there is also a beauty salon, plastic surgeon and dye workshop. My customization addiction senses are on fire, the game play though combat is repetitive in button pushing is still a challenge in movement which I cannot wait to experience in a group setting this weekend but until then.
It's back to the loft where my chef Gordon is cooking the materials I bring him, he likes kiwi and dislikes raw chicken. Life is good in MapleStory 2 and yes that's my youngest puppy I'm trying to turn into wearable art. Don't tell him, I think he would be terrified!
So, do get in here if you can! I'll be keeping my eye on this game for sure and launching with it because my first impression of this game is fantastic, and I am now completely at ease with cute overload games especially if they have as much depth and enjoyment as this one.


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Indiana trooper accused of preaching on the job
Ellen Bogan expects police to protect and serve — not proselytize.
But she says Indiana State Police Trooper Brian Hamilton pitched Christianity to her when he pulled her over for an alleged traffic violation in August on U.S. 27 in Union County.
With the lights on his marked police car still flashing, the trooper handed Bogan a warning ticket. Then, Bogan said, Hamilton posed some personal questions.
Did she have a home church?
Did she accept Jesus Christ as her savior?
"It's completely out of line and it just — it took me back," Bogan, 60, told The Indianapolis Star.
Bogan and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a lawsuit in federal court against Hamilton. The lawsuit alleges he violated Bogan's First and Fourth Amendment rights when he probed into her religious background and handed her a church pamphlet that asks the reader "to acknowledge that she is a sinner."
State Police spokesman David Bursten confirmed that State Police received notice about the lawsuit in late September but said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
Calls to a home number listed for Hamilton were not returned.
The lawsuit raises questions about when it's appropriate for a police officer to speak about his faith. If the allegations in this case are true, legal experts said, a violation of the First Amendment's establishment clause appears to be clear.
"The most important thing for people to understand is that the First Amendment specifies that the government shall not prefer one religion over another religion, or religious adherence over anything else," said Jennifer Drobac, a professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis who has studied religion and government.
"The police officer is representing the government ... so that means, as a representative, this person, while on duty, while engaged in official action, is basically overstepping and is trying to establish religion."
Bogan, who lives in Huntington, said Hamilton asked her about her faith multiple times during the traffic stop. Because he was a trooper and his police car was still parked behind hers, she said she felt she could not leave or refuse questioning.
"The whole time, his lights were on," Bogan said. "I had no reason to believe I could just pull away at that point, even though I had my warning."
Bogan's complaint also claims that Hamilton asked if he could give her something and that he went to his car to retrieve a pamphlet from First Baptist Church in Cambridge City.
The pamphlet, which was included in the lawsuit, advertises a radio broadcast from "Trooper Dan Jones" called "Policing for Jesus Ministries." It also outlines "God's plan for salvation," a four-point list that advises the reader to "realize you're a sinner" and "realize the Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins."
"I'm not affiliated with any church. I don't go to church," Bogan said. "I felt compelled to say I did, just because I had a state trooper standing at the passenger-side window. It was just weird."
Bogan said she contacted the Indiana State Police afterward and requested a formal investigation, and was told later that the agency was "taking supervisory action." She said she was not told what that action was, however.
Bursten said there is no specific policy in State Police code that addresses officers who distribute religious materials.
Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana, said that although the traffic stop might not have been the best time to quiz someone about faith, he questioned whether a police officer should lose his right to free speech because he is wearing a badge.
"I have people pass out religious material all the time. Mormons come to my door all the time, and it doesn't offend me," Clark said. "(This case) might not be the most persuasive time to talk to someone about their faith, but I don't think that a police officer is prohibited from doing something like that."
Drobac said that although the officer has his own First Amendment rights, constitutional requirements that church and state be kept separate prevent him from sharing those beliefs on the job.


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The excellent news is that The Silent Morning, the essay collection about the aftermath of the Armistice, edited by Trudi Tate and Kate Kennedy, is now in a paperback edition at a much less scary price.
I've mentioned this before (click here for a blog post including a full list of the book's contents) and have in particular drawn readers' attention to the essay by Trudi Tate on Truby King, the new Zealander who campaigned during the War years for better (and more rigorous child care). The book is very varied, though.
There are also essays on postwar publishing, and on Ford Madox Ford, C.E. Montague and Helen Zenna Smith, as well as chapters on how music and art reflected the war (I was very interested in the essay on the German composer Ernst Krenek, by Peter Tregear). In addition (he mumbles modestly) there is my own essay on how middlebrow novelists, (Philip Gibbs, Warwick Deeping and 'Sapper') responded to the post-war world.
There is one essay, though, that I'd been thinking about just before I heard the news of the paperback edition. It is 'Indecisive Victory? German and British soldiers at the Armistice' by Alexander Watson.
A couple of weeks ago I heard a talk in which the speaker breezily claimed that, of course, the First World War ended because both sides were utterly exhausted.
Did it? Were they?
Alexander Watson has studied British and German soldiers' letters, as well as other sources, to understand the state of mind and morale of the armies in November 1918. The Germans were indeed 'demoralised and and exhausted by the failure of their […] offensive in the first half of the year and the subsequent retreat under intense Allied pressure,' The British, on the other hand, though indeed war-weary and claiming to be 'ready to drop', had their morale boosted by the experience of liberating French towns long under German occupation, and receiving rapturous welcomes, with 'flags everywhere'.
The speed with which the Armistice came seems to have taken both sides by surprise; some British soldiers were 'flummoxed' by the sudden order to cease fire. Really, though, the Germans had no choice but to cave in, with the crumbling of their Bulgarian ally, the collapse of the food supply in Austria-Hungary and the retreat of the Turks. Other fronts were heading for disaster, and on the Western Front the Germans were facing not only the advancing British and the determined French, but also the still fresh armies of America.
German soldiers seem to have welcomed the ceasefire, but many found it hard to believe in the defeat. So grew the myth of the 'stab in the back', the idea that Germany's soldiers had been betrayed by civilian politicians. The Nazis, of course, made much of this myth. (Though it has always struck me that if one accepts that the German war effort was indeed scuppered because of food shortages at home, then this surely meant that it was the British Navy that won the war, because of their blockade. Hitler seems not to have emphasised this aspect of the matter.)
Communists, on the other hand, keen to present the First World War as a futile imperialist conflict, have underplayed the fact that it was a victory for the Allies, emphasising the futility and meaninglessness of the conflict. This interpretation has been taken up by pacifists (I think the speaker I heard the other day was a pacifist of a sort). It will be interesting in 1918, when the centenary programme rolls to its conclusion, to see how the events of the Armistice are interpreted in popular debate. Meanwhile, Dr Watson's is the best short account that I have read of the end of the war.


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Snow totals may reach several feet along Front
A prolonged snowfall forecast over the weekend could dump several feet of snow along the Rocky Mountain Front including a foot on Browning, according to the National Weather Service in Great Falls.
As of Friday afternoon, snow already was falling over Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness, said Paul Nutter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls.
A persistent plume of Pacific moisture is expected to set the stage for a prolonged snowfall along the Front that will continue through at least Monday, the Weather Service said.
"Marias Pass could potentially be dealing with a foot-and-a-half to 2 feet of snow," Nutter said. "It's going to be some pretty sketchy driving conditions up in that area."
Those with plans to travel on U.S. Highway 2 along Marias Pass may want to consider using Highway 200 Rogers Pass, where 4 to 6 inches of snow is expected in the Lincoln area, Nutter said.
Snowfall in Great Falls: How this year stacks up
Browning could see a foot of snow, and 2 to 4 inches is expected in Cut Bank.
The strongest impacts along the Rocky Mountain Front will begin Saturday afternoon and continue Sunday and Monday. Heaviest accumulations are expected in Glacier County, but communities and Pondera and Teton counties also will be affected.
"Our snow-related impacts pretty much will be confined to the Rocky Mountain Front and the communities along the Rocky Mountain Front," Nutter said.
The snow will reduce visibility to less than a mile at times, and roads will be slick, the Weather Service said.
Farther east of the mountains, several inches of snow is possible on the northcentral Montana plains including Great Falls.
Follow Karl Puckett on Twitter @GFTrib_KPuckett


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The Filipino-Canadian Community of New Brunswick (FCNB) INC. has been actively participated in ethno cultural activities over the last eight years. We believe that performing these activities helps in promoting cultural understanding and enhance the diversity of Canada, our beloved adopted country. For more information on our past performances, please visit us at filipinocommunity.ca
One of our objectives is preserve and promotes the Filipino culture and ethnicity among its members as well as promotes awareness of this heritage in the Canadian community. Furthermore, we encourage participation of our members in multicultural activities within New Brunswick and in other communities.
Below is the list of our CommUNITY public cultural performances:


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A press release from Mammoth Mountain confirmed today that the company, Mammoth Resorts LLC, has entered into an agreement to acquire Big Bear Mountain Resorts which includes both Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. According to the Los Angeles Times, this is a $38 million deal. The release says Mammoth Resorts, LLC, is "affiliated with Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain resorts."
Mammoth Mountain officials say that the two popular southern California ski and snowboard resorts host nearly 800,000 winter visits annually. This acquisition puts Mammoth Mountain in control of more than 4,000 acres of skiable land in California, according to the Times, which are visited by about 2 million skiers and snow boarders a year.
The Mountain's press release quotes CEO Rusty Gregory as saying, "This acquisition represents the beginning of a renaissance for both Mammoth and Big Bear and is the first step in the next era of skiing and riding in California." Gregory said in coming months the Mountain will announce "exciting new development and expansion plans for each of our four resorts designed to attract visitors from down the street, across the country and around the world." This acquisition focuses on both winter and summer activities at all four mountains.
The LA Times quotes Gregory as saying, "My father used to say in business you want to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. This does look like a questionable time to buy a ski resort operation," he said.
In addition to the recreation opportunities, the new purchase means the potential for real estate development which is of interest to Starwood Capital Group, which has a controlling interest in Mammoth Mountain.
The Times wrote that this purchase by Mammoth Mountain "follows a consolidation trend in the ski industry that has put some of the nation's most popular mountains in the control of a handful of large resort developers. The Times also quotes Bob Roberts, executive director of the California Ski Industry Association, as saying that the consolidation trend "reflects the industry's efforts to make profits at a time of unreliable snowfall." Roberts also referred to a "climate-change market."
Mammoth has also announced a new season pass that includes unrestricted access to all four mountains at the discounted rate of $689 for adults. Rusty Gregory also said that skiers and snowboarders who have already bought the Mammoth Mountain pass for this coming season will be allowed to use the pass at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit.
Mammoth's press release says that closing of this deal is subject to certain conditions, "including Big Bear Mountain Resort shareholder approval and transfer of the U.S. Forest Service Permit that permits operations on early 1,500 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest."