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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to publish its final Guidance 209 and a draft proposal rule on veterinary feed directives. And livestock groups are reacting.
The National Pork Producers Council observes the loss of and restricted access to products expected with implementation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guidance on the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry production likely will disproportionately affect small producers, have a negative effect on animal health and increase the cost of producing food while not improving public health.
Meanwhile, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association responded with comments from Tom Talbot, a California beef producer, large animal veterinarian and current Chairman of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Cattle Health and Well-Being Committee. He comments: "Raising healthy cattle is the top priority for cattle farmers and ranchers. They work with veterinarians and animal health experts to implement comprehensive herd-health plans, which include the judicious use of antibiotics to prevent, control and treat any cattle health issues," he says. "
NCBA is pleased that FDA has resisted what it terms unscientific calls to completely ban the use of antibiotics and antimicrobials in cattle and other livestock species. However, the group remains concerned with regulatory actions that are not based on peer-reviewed science or that set the precedent to take animal care and health decisions out of the hands of veterinarians.
First proposed in June 2010, the FDA guidance issued Wednesday calls for antibiotics that are "medically important" to humans to be used in animals only when necessary to assure their health. FDA will work with animal health companies to help them voluntarily discontinue the sale to livestock and poultry producers of antibiotics that are labeled only for nutritional efficiency. Additionally, all antibiotics that are in classes used in human medicine will need to be used under a veterinary feed directive.
R.C. Hunt, a Wilson, N.C. pork producer and this year's NPPC president says the guidance could eliminate antibiotics uses that are extremely important to livestock producers and the health of their animals. "And the requirement for VFDs could be problematic, particularly for smaller producers or producers in remote areas who may not have regular access to veterinary services," Hunt observes.
"FDA did not provide compelling evidence nor did it state that antibiotics use in livestock production is unsafe," said Hunt, who pointed out that the agency already has authority to withdraw unsafe products. "Pork producers work with veterinarians to carefully consider if antibiotics are necessary and which ones to use, and we use them to keep animals healthy and to produce safe food."
NCBA's Talbot adds: "NCBA raised concern with FDA's Guidance 209 in 2010 because the agency lacked the necessary science in its recommendations. Antimicrobial resistance is multifaceted, extremely complex issue that cannot be adequately addressed solely by focusing on the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. Prudent and responsible evaluation of this issue must consider animal, human and industrial use of antibiotics. While we appreciate the agency working with industry on the implementation of Guidance 209, we remain committed that a strong science foundation is critical before moving forward with this guidance."


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Accent colors
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Washi Quilt top reveal
Accent colors
31 comments:
What a fabulous quilt! For the binding, I would pick one of the solids, like the blue, orange or red, and use that.ReplyDelete
Your work is wonderful Terri! Perfect. Perfect. Love your calendar! So clever. Keep up the good work - you inspire me.ReplyDelete
I'm with Mary. I think a solid would be perfect, even a dark charcoal.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous Terri!! I love those solids you've added - it really makes those prints pop! My vote is for the azalea for the binding! :)ReplyDelete
Wow, it's great. Those fabrics really are striking. For the binding, I'd try a solid but maybe throw in a few inches here and there of the prints, just for fun!ReplyDelete
Very cool! I like the idea of gray binding with maybe some bits of color as you suggest. And please enlighten me....I've heard 'washi tape' lately but have no idea what it is or what it's used for...congrats on the 365 - that's really cool!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousTuesday, January 31, 2012
Love! I say the orange or teal!ReplyDelete
This looks wonderful! I love this collection too and really love what you did with it! Maybe use one of the star flower prints from the same collection (I like the aqua one) to use as binding?ReplyDelete
It's gorgeous! I would use the orange as a binding but the grey is good if you want to keep the quilt subtle.ReplyDelete
Lovely. I would use a grey for the binding with one random piece of the aqua included in the binding.ReplyDelete
Oh wow, what an amazingly crafty month! Love the washi quilt, and I think the grey with the odd splash of colour sounds fab :o)ReplyDelete
Love the design and the colors!!! I also like your calendar month of stuff!!!ReplyDelete
Fantastic! It turned out great~ReplyDelete
Love it! I'd probably go for a Kei dot binding--but I also have a dot addiction so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask! :)ReplyDelete
Ooh! I love it, I pinned it! I'd use the solid orange if it was me for the binding! Great job! (Is that a crazy amount of exclamation points in one comment or what?! Ha!)ReplyDelete
This is so pretty!!ReplyDelete
I have a question...dumb one actually. What program do you use to get all your pics for the month on the calendar?? That is so cute
I adore this!ReplyDelete
Woohoo, congrats on a super month! I would totally bind in the azalea! I'm all for exciting binding.ReplyDelete
This quilt is so beautiful Terri! I love the way your eye kind of bounces around between the different colors. Washi is such a fun collection! This might sound crazy but I would bind it in the dark gray washi tape print... it's dark so it frames the light gray blocks and still gives you a little pop of color and pattern, almost like a stripe would do, if that makes sense? Anyway I'm sure whatever you choose will look great! :)ReplyDelete
Two adjacent sides in turquoise, other 2 in red.ReplyDelete
That's a beautiful quilt, I love the boldness of the pattern. Personally I think a beautiful binding in the Azalea would work wonderfully. I am really looking forward to this collection and am wondering if it will make it to us in the UK, or whether we'll have to risk customs charges.. Fingers crossed!ReplyDelete
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Answering Your Questions On The Fiscal Cliff
We asked listeners what they wanted to know about efforts to head off the package of tax hikes and spending cuts set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2012. Today, we get answers from Scott Horsley, Tamara Keith and John Ydstie.
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.
And I'm Melissa Block. Twenty-four days left and there's no clear sign of a compromise.
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: Well, this isn't a progress report because there is no progress to report.
BLOCK: That's House Speaker John Boehner talking today about the effort to avoid steep spending cuts and tax hikes set to take effect January 1st. At least in public, Republicans and the White House seem worlds apart, confounded by a range of issues.
CORNISH: It turns out many of you are confounded as well by a debate that has quickly devolved into a jumble of numbers and half truths. Last week, we asked for your questions about the looming crisis - yes, the dreaded fiscal cliff - and today, we're going to put some of them to our reporters.
BLOCK: We're going to start with NPR's economics correspondent John Ydstie and, John, you get the first question. This one's from John Vogel(ph) of West Chester, Ohio, who writes this: Why are Social Security and Medicare included in the cuts to balance the budget since, as far I know, these programs are funded by their own tax and don't take from or contribute to the general fund where the deficit is?
JOHN YDSTIE, BYLINE: Well, let's take the case of Medicare first because it's clearest. Both its outpatient coverage and its drug benefit are paid out of the government's general fund, which is running a deficit, so I think we can say Medicare contributes to the deficit. Social Security is more complicated. Right now, the payroll taxes coming into the program aren't enough to fully cover all benefits, so Social Security is tapping its trust fund of special government bonds.
The trust fund was built up over the past three decades when workers paid more into the program than was needed to pay the benefits. Social Security is not yet cashing in the bonds, but it's using the interest being paid on them to help pay current benefits. Now, the interest payments are made from the government's general fund, which, as we said, is running a deficit, so I think you can say the program is contributing to the deficit.
But, you know, this is the way the program was designed, to build up a trust fund that would pay out when the baby boom retired. The problem is that instead of using the excess Social Security revenue to pay down government debt in preparation for the baby boom's retirement, our politicians spent the money on other things.
CORNISH: Now, we're going to turn to the White House and NPR's Scott Horsley. And, Scott, Jimmy Gertzog(ph) of Arlington, Virginia, wants to know which would create more jobs, not raising taxes on the top 2 percent, many of whom run their own businesses, or raising them?
JIMMY GERTZOG: The government presumably isn't going to flush those additional tax dollars down the toilet. Those dollars would give the federal government more buying power to do the things it needs to do. I'm thinking of things like investing in infrastructure improvements, increasing the capability of our armed forces, expanding programs for hiring teachers and opening opportunities in higher education.
CORNISH: Scott, what do you think?
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Well, it's certainly a reasonable question that Mr. Gertzog has, but there's no real link between the tax hikes and the level of government spending. It's certainly true, some kinds of government spending can be job generators, infrastructure is a good example, but the government's not going to build any more roads or fix anymore bridges if those taxes go up.
There's just a disconnect in the way the government functions between spending and revenue. That's part of our problem. What we can say is that raising those taxes on only the top 2 percent would not be a major disincentive for job growth. When the Congressional Budget Office looked at this, they said the difference between having those tax rates go up and not having them go up is only about 200,000 jobs.
BLOCK: Another question headed your way, Scott, and also a question about top earners. Let's take a listen.
SETH LEVY: Hi, I'm Seth Levy(ph), and I'm from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia, and what I wanted to know was for a couple that would be considered in the top 2 percent of earners, would it be a better situation tax-wise for the country to hit the fiscal cliff or for the tax increases to go through with the deals that are currently being discussed?
BLOCK: Scott, a lot's still unknown about what those deals might be, but what would you tell Seth Levy?
HORSLEY: Well, let's just look at the president's proposal, for example, and this is a good illustration of why the president's bargaining position is pretty strong. If the president's offer is accepted, the rates for those top earners would go up to as much as 39.6 percent. If, on the other hand, we hit the cliff, the rates on those top earners would go up to as much as 39.6 percent. So the president gets what he wants whether House Republicans bargain or don't bargain.
Now, a top earning household would actually be better off under the president's proposal than if we actually hit the cliff because at least under the president's proposal, they'd still get the advantage of the lower tax rates on the first quarter million dollars worth of income. That works out to be about $6,000. And the wrinkle here is that the president has also proposed separately limiting the value of tax deductions.
And if you had, say, more than $51,000, give or take, of tax deductions, that would sort of offset the savings from the lower rate, so it kind of depends on what your individual situation is there.
BLOCK: OK. Scott, thanks.
CORNISH: Finally, we turn to our congressional reporter Tamara Keith on Capitol Hill. And, Tamara, Richard Terangello(ph) called from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to ask why the incentives for job creation can't be more targeted.
RICHARD TERANGELLO: If new taxes on job creators hurt small businesses, why can't a way be found to allow deductions or tax credits when job creators create new jobs and then raise taxes on the rest of the wealthy? My second question is if one problem with the mortgage tax deduction is the wealthy milk the system by using it for multiple homes that they own, why not just limit it to one primary residence?
CORNISH: All right, Tamara, let's take those one at a time. First, is it possible to allow deductions and tax credits to continue for job creators in the top 2 percent?
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: And first, I think we have to say that the assumption that small business owners would be hurt by higher tax rates and thus be less likely to hire is a matter of much dispute. Many economists and even small business owners I've spoken with say that this argument that is largely coming from Republicans in these negotiations is overblown. In terms of sort of targeting incentives to hire through the tax code, the president has actually proposed doing that in the past.
And those proposals have gone virtually nowhere in Congress. Economists that you talk to will say that those types of ideas are flawed, that it could be that you end up just incentivizing businesses that would've hired anyway and giving them government money to do something they would've already done.
CORNISH: And then the second part of that question, why not simply scale back the mortgage interest deduction for folks who own multiple homes, limit it to one residence?
KEITH: Currently, it is two residences up to a million dollars. Some ideas that have been out there would be to limit it to $500,000 and only one residence. And I called the Tax Policy Center to find out what that would save. They say it would be $80 billion over the next decade to limit it to that $500,000 limit, and then if you only allowed first homes to get the mortgage interest deduction, that would save about another $100 billion.
So that works out to about 15 to 20 percent of the overall cost of the mortgage interest deduction over the next decade. But whenever anyone starts talking about the mortgage interest deduction, the real estate industry gets very loud and very animated, and they are incredibly influential, both in Washington and back home in lawmakers' districts. So whenever this comes up, it gets shot down pretty quickly.
BLOCK: And, Tam, the last question goes to you. It's from Maggie Fortner(ph) of Kimberly, Idaho, and she wrote to ask this: How many members of Congress are part of the 2 percent? Tam, you will remember that President Obama has talked quite often about the fact that he is in the top 2 percent of wage earners.
KEITH: So I have to tell you the answer is going to be really unsatisfying.
BLOCK: Ah, OK.
KEITH: We don't know because members of Congress are not required to report their income. They are required to report their assets. So we know that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, about 250 members of Congress are millionaires. They have an average net worth of more than a million dollars.
And we also know that just from their congressional salaries, members of Congress make $174,000 a year. That puts them in the top 5 percent of taxpayers without any extra income from their spouses, for instance.
BLOCK: OK. NPR's Tamara Keith, also Scott Horsley and John Ydstie. Thanks so much to all of you.
KEITH: You're welcome.
YDSTIE: You're welcome.
HORSLEY: My pleasure.
Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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The Riding Farm4
Riding Lane, Beamish, Gateshead, NE11 0JA
Price FromView Rooms
- Excellent
- 124 guest reviews
"Friendly hosts. Cottage fully equipped. Beautiful place. Good place to relax and enjoy the quietness...."
"Farmhouse b&b. Very comfortable. Food was fine...."
"Our room was just perfect for a couple with great views across the valley from the windows. Comfortable room and bed. Very accommodating hos..."
"Ridng Farm accommodation was better than I had expected. We stayed in a self-catering apartment, even though we were B & B clients. Excellen..."
"Lovely Victoria sponge left for us on our arrival, as well as biscuits, tea, coffee and milk in the fridge. The breakfast was plentiful and..."
About the hotel
Riding Farm provides 4 Gold Award Bed & Breakfast and Self Catering Cottages in a fantastic location where a warm welcome awaits to all our guests.
Our accommodation has a relaxed spacious country style, combined with modern luxuries. Fully equipped with high quality furnishings and ensuite bedrooms to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
WiFi is available in all our accommodation
The farm house sleeps upto 6 persons with all ensuite rooms which can be arranged as either a king or twin beds to suit our guests needs. All our rooms are ensuite and have mini fridges stocked with fresh milk chocolates and water to help our guests relax after a busy day. Our award winning breakfast will set you up for your day ahead whether on business or pleasure we try and cater for all needs. The Self Catering Cottages can sleep between 2 & 9 persons and all bedrooms are ensuite with open plan living.
Delightfully situated on a working family farm surrounded by quiet and peaceful countryside Riding Farm is ideal for family holidays short breaks or for the business traveller.
Located just 3 miles from the A1M perfect for the North Easts cities of Newcastle/Gateshead known for great shopping and culture with the Baltic Millenium Bridge and The Sage. Durham a world heritage site for the beautiful Catherdral and Castle. Sunderland,home to National Glass Centre and Washington Old Hall, all within an easy 20 minutes drive away. On the door step we Beamish Open Air Musuem, Tanfield Railway, Durham Cricket Ground at Chester le Street, Metro Shopping Centre and The Angel of the North. Further afield explore Hadrians Wall, Raby Castle, wallington Hall, Bowes Museum, Alnwick Gardens and the spectacular Northumberland coastline .
The farm also has its own network of footpaths cycleways and bridleways all bursting with wildlife for you to enjoy and explore. Red Kites where flying over Riding Farm last year
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Facilities Show/hide
- Main
- Hotel Non-Smoking Throughout, Childrens Facilities - Outdoor
- Parking
- Car parking available onsite
- Business
- Wi-Fi Available In Public Areas
- Leisure
- Tennis Courts, Video/DVD Library
Useful Info Show/hide
- From 14:00 hours
- By 10:00 hours
- Up to 17 years old
- The price shown is based on the occupancy and dates you have searched for. Prices and availability are subject to change based on the arrival date, number of nights and occupancy searched for. All prices are inclusive of all local taxes.
- Pets are not allowed
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
100% would recommend it to a friend
Customer service
Food quality
Room quality
Wonderful stay
Friendly hosts.
Cottage fully equipped. Beautiful place. Good place to relax and enjoy the quietness....
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Riding Farm
Farmhouse b&b.
Very comfortable. Food was fine....
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That's right, your favorite flamingo-themed, interdisciplinary, departmental newsletter is back. This month, updates from the student orgs, great student news, career/grad school tips and tricks, and some "interesting" facts about your faculty.
Psychology and Human Development Club: A Message From the President, Taylor Saari
Psi Chi: A Message From the President, Becky Senn
Connect with the Psychology Department on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Student News: Posters in the Rotunda and Psi Chi
Career & Graduate School Tips of the Month: Take 3 Concrete Steps for your Future Today
Did You Know…You should do research for your job/grad school applications and interviews?
Career Profile of the Month: February 2014 Edition
Getting to Know Your Faculty: Their Favorite Movies are….
Summer and Fall Registration
New Want Ads Postings
KaNisha Flemming – Memorial Events


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As the sun abandoned the world of the living, the line that separated the dead became unseen and the darkness interwove two worlds. The unnerved, masked in disguise, displayed carved gourds to deter the haunts; while others lit candles and placed treats near the road to assist loved ones back to the spirit world. It was a night that predictions about the future were clear, summer was laid to rest and the cruel winter began; October 31st marked the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.
The two-thousand year old tradition was initiated by the Celts that inhabited areas known today as, Ireland, United Kingdom and Northern France. Samhain was observed the night before the Celtic New Year – November 1st represented the end of the harvest and the commencement of winter, which was associated with death and struggle. This correlation is the assumed reason behind the belief of the blurred boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered most of the Celtic territory but adopted some of the customs of Samhain and fused them with their own celebration, Feralia, for the passing of the dead. The mingled holiday continued until once again altered by the spreading of Christianity. Wanting to replace Samhain with a church-sanctioned holiday, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st, All Saints Day – also called All Hallows or Hallowmas; a day to honor Saints and martyrs that had passed through to the heavens. As centuries past, the customs of the three holidays blended to form our American tradition of Halloween.
Imagination, folklore and historical tragedies have all been influences on Halloween superstition. Salem brought us witches, carrion eating crows brought the omen of death and Irving Washington brought the Headless Horseman. In his short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, Washington tells the fable of a Hessian missionary hired to suppress the American Revolutionary War. In Sleepy Hallow, New York, the Hessians head was severed by a stray cannonball; with his head in his hands he haunts the small town on horseback. A main character, Ichabod Crane, fell victim to the headless haunt when trying to pass through the woods one October night. The Headless Horseman makes his ghostly appearance in many forms of literature which makes visiting Sleepy Hallow a legendary Halloween tradition.
It's debatable whether a headless horseman haunts the woods of Sleepy Hallow or folklore captured imagination but there are stories in history that are based on bone chilling truth. Severe mistreatment, experiments gone wrong and questionable procedures make for an inevitable haunting. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky was erected in 1926 and dedicated to the treatment of those affected by the tuberculosis epidemic of the 20th century. It is estimated that hundreds died behind the doors of the sanatorium at the height of the epidemic. The bodies were thrown down a shoot into a waiting train and hauled away so patients wouldn't see how many were dying. The sufferers were left outside until they were snow covered and experiments such as exposing the diseased lungs to ultraviolet rays then inserting inflated balloons in them resulted in death. Tales of nurses being pushed out of the fourth-story window where the mentally insane dwelled coupled with the agony of the patients and the constant noise from the abandoned building makes Waverly Hills one of the most haunted places in the nation.
Folklore and true haunting tales make the meaning of Halloween and the traditions of the holiday as we know them today. Still, after thousands of years when the sun abandons the world of the living, the unnerved mask in disguise and display their carvings to deter haunts while others try to connect with deceased loved ones. It is a night for storytelling and the settling of the winter chill; October 31st commemorates Americans ability to embrace all culture and continue traditions like Halloween.


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This special golf club has the unique ability to teach you the simple swing fundamentals for the new player and also help the strong player recapture their slumping swing.
Since the sand wedge is a shorter club, use it to establish rhythm. The head is heavier than the other irons and this alone makes it difficult to swing hard and jerky.
In my teaching I like the student to understand the leading edge of the wedge stays connected to the body's movement throughout the swing from address through impact. As you turn, the arms, hands, body and leading edge all travel in unison. With this understanding, your only job then becomes proper movement of your body.
Assume a balanced address position and cross your arms, shoulder to shoulder. Make simulated swings into the right side, back to impact, then through to the finish position. With this movement, start making 1/2 and 3/4 wedge shots. Learn to feel the club moving in exact coordination with your body.
After hitting several small wedge shots, move into a few 8-iron shots. Resist the desire to snap at the ball, but focus on the connection movement with perfect timing as with the wedge.


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Searching for a new job often takes a lot of work and dedication, and with so many online resources, it can be difficult to keep up. Mobile apps have opened a wide range of opportunities and provided a whole new level of connectivity that can help in your job search. We've pulled together 10 highly rated apps available for both Android and iOS that can keep you connected to your job search even while you are on the go.
Related Topics : In Their Own Words: The Four Dark Horses for the Third Major Mobile OS Speak, HTC, Mobile Search, 3G, Location-Based Services
Wearables are revolutionizing the workplace, with innovations that create a safer work environment or enhance the way professionals are able to go about their job. ... More >>
Here are the top 10 strategic technology trends that will impact most organizations in 2017. Strategic technology trends are defined as those with substantial disruptive potential or those reaching the tipping point over the next five years. ... More >>
Digital innovation is by far the biggest influencer, changing the way we do just about everything, from shopping to communication to running a business. ... More >>


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Transamerica Variable Annuity Series L-Share
|Variable Annuities
|Fixed Index Annuities
|Learning Center
The Transamerica Variable Annuity Series L-Share offers a 4-year surrender charge schedule and gives you the ability to customize your annuity with optional living and death benefits. These give you additional opportunities to grow and protect retirement income and transfer your assets to loved ones.
Key Features
Investment options
A comprehensive lineup of investment options from some of the most recognized money managers in the industry.
Automatic asset rebalancing
Maintains the asset allocation balance selected by automatically transferring money between investment options on a regular basis without generating a taxable event, so the original allocation objectives are maintained. Restrictions apply. Please see prospectus for details.
Dollar cost averaging
Allows for gradual investment over time, systematically buying more units when prices are low and fewer units when prices are high. This can potentially lower the average cost of variable units.
Dollar cost averaging requires regular investing regardless of fluctuating prices and does not guarantee profits or prevent losses in a declining market. Individuals should consider their financial ability to continue transfers through periods of both high and low price levels. Amounts allocated to the subaccounts of the separate account are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal. Restrictions apply. Please see prospectus for details.
During the accumulation phase, 12 free transfers between subaccounts are allowed each year without a fee. Restrictions apply. Please see prospectus for details. ($10 fee per transfer, thereafter.)
The opportunity to receive guaranteed lifetime payments through a variety of payment schedules and options, should the policy be annuitized. Annuitization is permitted after the 3rd policy anniversary. 1st policy anniversary in New York and Florida.
All guarantees, including optional benefits, are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
1 M&E&A is an annual fee assessed daily and is a percentage of the subaccount policy value.
2 Up to $35 waived with net premiums paid or policy value of $50,000 or more; up to $50 waived with net premiums paid or policy value of $250,000 or more.
3 10% of premium payments, less any prior withdrawals in the same policy year. ($500 minimum)
Variable annuities are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal. Due to fluctuating market conditions, at the time of distribution, your annuity value may be more or less than the total of all premium payments.
Not all features are available in all states and may vary by state.
All policies, living benefits, and forms may vary by state, and may not be available in all states.
ICC12 VA0513, NIC12 VA0513(FL), NIC12 VA0513(NY), ICC12 RGMD80513, NIC12 RGMD80513, NIC12 RGMD80513(NY), ICC12 RGMD50513, NIC12 RGMD50513, NIC12 RGMD50513(NY), ICC12 RTP170513, RTP 17 0103, ICC12 RTP180513, RTP 18 0103, RGMB 37 0809, RGMB 38 0809, RGMB 37 0809 (IS)(FL), RGMB 38 0809 (IS) (FL), other versions also available, RGMB 37 0514R (IS)(NY), RGMB 37 0514R (AS)(NY), RGMB 37 0514R (IJ)(NY), RGMB 37 0514R (AJ)(NY), RGMB 37 1215 (AJ)(OR), RGMB 37 1215 (AS)(OR), RGMB 37 1215 (IJ)(OR), RGMB 37 1215 (IS)(OR), RGMB 38 1215 (AJ)(OR), RGMB 38 1215 (AS)(OR), RGMB 38 1215 (IJ)(OR), RGMB 38 1215 (IS)(OR), ICC12 RGMB410513(IS), ICC12 RGMB410513(IJ) RGMB 41 0111 (IS) (FL), RGMB 41 0111 (IJ) (FL) RGMB 41 0514R (IS)(NY), RGMB 41 0514R (IJ)(NY), RGMB 4 0504, RGMB 4 0504 (FL), RGMB 8 0405, RGMB 4 1013R (OR) ,ICC16 RGMB510616(IS), ICC16 RGMB510616(IJ), NIC16 RGMB510616(IS)(FL), NIC16 RGMB510616(IJ)(FL), NIC16 RGMB510616(IS)(NY), NIC16 RGMB510616(IJ)(NY)
Investment options may vary by states.
These investment options are intended to be sold to certain asset allocation portfolios and to separate accounts of Transamerica Life Insurance Company or Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company to fund the benefits under certain individual flexible premium variable insurance policies.
Investment option names may vary from their corresponding underlying portfolio names. Please see the contract prospectus for underlying portfolio names.
TA investment options invest in Transamerica Series Trust Service Class shares (Investment Adviser Transamerica Asset Management, Inc.) The prospectus describes the portfolios that are available in the policy or annuity contract that you have chosen.
Transamerica Aegon Money Market VP changed its name to Transamerica Aegon Government Money Market VP, and the fund now operates as a "government" money market fund under new federal regulations, which became effective on October 14, 2016. A "government" money market fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in U.S. government securities, cash, and/or repurchase agreements that are fully collateralized by U.S. government securities or cash.
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. The Fund may impose a fee upon sale of your shares or may temporarily suspend your ability to sell shares if the Fund's liquidity falls below required minimums because of market conditions or other factors. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The Fund's sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the Fund at any time.
The underlying funds of the investment options have different strategies and risks; please see the underlying funds' prospectuses for a complete description of these strategies and risks for the available investment options.


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I am so incredibly lucky to have a healthy and thriving child, but she wasn't always that way. I've shared with you before the story of my struggle with infertility and my difficult pregnancy. What I didn't share was the fact that my daughter spent her first two weeks of life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at our local hospital. Less than 24 hours after she was born, she developed a beta strep infection which developed into pneumonia. At almost eight and a half pounds, she looked like a giant among all of the preemies, but that didn't diminish the heartache we felt at seeing her hooked up to ventilators, IVs and a host of other scary things.
During the time that Mini-SGCC was in the NICU, we got to know the families of some of the other babies there, mostly preemies. My heart bled for them. Here I was, with a full term, hefty baby, albeit a sick one, and they were dealing with babies that were four, three and even two pounds! After the first few days, I could hold my baby in my arms. Most of them could not. The courage and determination of those parents was an inspiration! The March of Dimes was and is an invaluable resource for them.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a cake plaque or mini muffin pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Equally divide the batter into 2 bowls. Mix the ginger bits into one, and the blueberries into the other. Pour the batters into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cakelets are done, allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cakelets are still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over them and allow it to soak in. Cool.


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Combined with a collar and current name tag, a microchip increases the likelihood of a lost pet being safely reunited with its owner. However, even with a microchip scanner, identifying the correct pet recovery registry to contact can be challenging because microchip manufacturers and pet recovery services use different microchip technology and databases.
To alleviate the guesswork for veterinary hospitals, animal control facilities, and shelter staff members, AAHA created the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool.
The AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool checks the databases of participating pet recovery services to determine which has registration information available for a microchip. Once a microchip identification number is entered into the tool, within seconds a list of all the registries with microchip registration information available, along with the registries' contact information, will appear in chronological order; the registry with the most recent update appears first. If the microchip has not been registered with any participating pet recovery service, the result returned will default to the microchip's manufacturer or distributor. While the tool will not return the pet owner information contained in the registries' databases, it will identify which registries should be contacted when a lost pet is scanned and a microchip is found.
Check out AAHA's microchip lookup tool.
A microchip is your pet's ticket home! Find out how microchipping can reunite you with your pet if he gets lost.
More hospital search options


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The "loveliest variety theatre in Europe", a "variety gem", "probably the most beautiful auditorium in Berlin" – just some of the rave reviews given to the Wintergarten in Berlin. This charming music, variety and show theatre, which reopened in 2009 under the same name as its internationally acclaimed forebear, is continuing a tradition of great entertainment with a wonderful, diverse programme. This is where locals and visitors pass beneath the legendary star-studded canopy and enter into an atmospheric world of mirrors, wood and dark red velvet.
At the Wintergarten, the stage is set for the best that variety has to offer – from Meret Becker to the Tiger Lillies, from Max Raabe to Eckart von Hirschhausen, from new talents to international stars. It's all part of a great tradition dating back to 1887, when the original Wintergarten variety theatre wowed audiences on Friedrichstrasse, in the Berlin-Mitte quarter, until its demise in 1944.The theatre was relaunched on Potsdamer Strasse in 1992, but the curtain went up for the final time in January 2009, despite the venue's great popularity. By February 2010, however, this wonderful institution's name was once more up in lights, and the new Wintergarten opened its doors with a glittering premiere of the 'Great Variety Show', a homage to the genre's illustrious past. Since then, three lavish, inhouse variety shows have been playing to audiences all year round and the theatre has re-booted the classic dining theatre concept with its own contemporary take: Show and Dine. Whether you feel like a light bite or a three-course meal, a bottle of wine, glass of champagne or a cocktail, the Wintergarten will have just the thing to add some sparkle to your evening.
Ближайшие события:
06.03.2019 - 30.06.2019
Место проведения мероприятия
Potsdamer Straße 96
10785 Berlin
В указанной информации о ценах, сроках и времени проведения мероприятий возможны изменения.


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So I have 3 brand new boxes figures (sadnes, minnie and mickey) and loose anakin, Luke and kylo.
I'm looking to trade and am looking for light fx versions of - Luke and obi wan. Also looking 3.0 power discs. Any takers?
Return to Disney Infinity buy, sell and swap
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Cold-activated skis and snowboards from Coors Light
For years, Coors Light has been telling us when our beer is cold enough to drink with their cold-activated bottles and cans. Now, they've taken the concept to the slopes with cold-activated skis and snowboards, in partnership with ski and snowboard manufacturer K2. World class K2 athletes Andy Mahre, Zach Crist, Shaun McKay, Ryan Schmies, Dan Ray and Tim Eddy — AKA, the Coors Light Six Pack — embark on a four-part documentary to see what it's really like to live for the cold. Check out the trailer above to get a look at these awesome skis and snowboards!
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Tags: Andy Mahre, Andy Mahre Coors Light, cold activated skis, Coors Light, Coors Light cold activated skis, Coors Light cold activated snowboards, Coors Light Six Pack, Coors Light skiers and snowboarders, Dan Ray, Dan Ray Coors Light, Ryan Schmies, Ryan Schmies Coors Light, Shaun McKay, Shaun McKay Coors Light, Tim Eddy, Tim Eddy Coors Light, Zach Crist, Zach Crist Coors Light


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Natural Way To Lose More Weight Than With Diet & Exercise Alone
(PRWEB) December 18, 2012
Weight loss is a #1 New Year's resolution for many people but most of them fail. Consumer Reporter shares new ways for losing extra pounds quickly and naturally even before 2012 ends. In this brand new weight loss report, Consumer Reporter investigated all the latest fat loss methods and created an insightful video report out of this.
The reason why most diets and supplements don't work right away is because people don't become overweight in a matter of weeks or months. Most likely it has been consistent weight gain for years before realizing what has been occurring inside ones body.
Excessive fat build up will start causing major health implications if not dealt with properly. The liver can become enlarged, causing gallstones.
Fatty deposits can block the arteries and cause stroke. Increased fat around the neck can cause sleep apnea. Lungs will have less room to move, causing breathing problems and testosterone levels can also decline.
Consumer Reporter put together a new video series report for those interested in new, natural ways to lose weight while boosting energy and burning fat.
The report is titled "How To Regain Control Of Ones Weight, Quickly And Naturally Without Harsh Drugs Or Surgery And Improve Health", covering topics as:
Lowering high blood pressure
Regulating blood sugar levels
Preventing type 2 diabetes
Lowering the risk for heart related problems
Helping minimize the risk of other serious health problems
The 1 new critical ingredient to weight loss
Improving energy levels and fat metabolism
Effective ways to discipline yourself when following a weight loss program
The full video report can be watched at http://ConsumerReporter.org/NaturalWeightLoss


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Ambiauto needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 100 designs submitted by 38 freelance designers.
Ambient Automation
We are a Portland, Oregon based A/V systems integration company that designs and installs technology based solutions for a wide range of clients. We provide these solutions by closely communicating with architects,designers, builders, as well as the owners of the property. We constantly evaluate technology to make sure it is the best fit for our clients and their needs. We specialize in: Home Theater, Lighting control, Whole house audio, Networking, Specialty lighting, and Home automation.
Our Target audience will be mainly professional referral contacts that we deal with such as: Architects, designers, builders, project managers, real estate agents and of course property owners.
Since our target audience is mainly architects and designers, we would like to appeal to that audience. We are looking for a very simple elegant design without any cartoon images. We wouldn't want anything trying to be clever utilizing a TV or a remote/speaker scenario. We would possibly like to see something utilizing the two A's in Ambient Automation but would love to see all of your ideas.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Maier Front Fender Extender Triumph Tiger 800 XC / XCX / XR / XRX
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Not sure where to post this so I'll leave it here.
How can I watch WC3 replays from another game version? I have some from .22 that I want to watch, can anyone help me?
EDIT: Contacted him and got Nostalgia, have yet to use it here is link if anyone wants
http://rs139.rapidshare.com/files/21716 ... ia_2.1.jar


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Deep Sea Fishing in Ad Dakhla Morocco
Travel Exploration 4 x 4 Morocco 4 x 4 Sahara Tours 4 x 4 Sahara Tours from Agadir 4 x 4 Sahara Tours from Fes 4 x 4 Sahara Tours from Marrakech 4 x 4 Saraha Tours 4 x 4 Tours from Agadir 4 x 4 Tours from Marrakech 4 x 4 Tours from Ouarzazate 4 x 4 Tours Morocco 4 x 4 Toyota Land Cruiser 4 x 4 Travel in Morocco 4 x 4 Travel in Morocco's Sahara Ad Dakhla Morocco Ad Dakhla Morocco Adventure Travel Ad Dakhla Morocco Tours Ad Dakhla Music Festival adventure travel in Morocco Agadir Agadir Tour Americans Traveling to Morocco Authentic Moroccan Tours beach fishing in Ad Dakhla Morocco Camel Trek Camel Trek in the Sahara Camel Trekking Catholic Church in Ad Dakhla Chegaga 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour Chegaga 4 x 4 Tours Chegaga Sahara Desert Tour Chegaga Tours 4 x 4 Climbing on Sand Dunes in the Sahara Desert Dakhla Dakhla Morocco Deep Sea Fishing in Ad Dakhla Morocco Desert Dream El Aiun Fishing and Surfing Paradise Morocco Five Tips for Morocco 4 x 4 Tour flamingoes seen in Ad Dakhla Morocco Fossils Sahara Desert Geology of Morocco Geology of the Sahara Desert Goulmime Goulmine Kiteboarding in Morocco Kitesurfing in Morocco Laayoune Luxury 4 x 4 Private Tours in in Morocco Moroccan coastline Moroccan Geology Morocco Holidays Morocco Private Tours Morocco Travel Music Festivals in Morocco new mosque in Ad Dakhla Sahara Desert temperatures during summer in Morocco Sidi Ifni Souk in Ad Dakhla Morocco Tan Tan Tarfaya the Moroccan escarpment Tourist sites and activities in Ad Dakhla Morocco Tourist sites and activities in Dakhla Travel to Morocco Tropic of Cancer in Morocco Unspoiled Desert of Morocco Waterfront Promenade in Ad Dakhla Morocco
June 19, 2010
Are you wondering what there is to see and do in Dakhla, Morocco besides kitesurfing? Dakhla also referred to as Ad Dakhla is a fishing and surfing paradise which was once the capital of the Spanish province of Rio de Oro. Dakhla ...


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This is, as I said earlier, a very important week for us and I have been thinking much about how I might prepare you as a congregation and my own heart for the week ahead of us, and I wasn't sure what I would say to you this morning. In fact, it isn't the text that's printed in the Grace Today. That happens occasionally because they call me on Wednesday and say, what's the text, and if I don't know I just give them one and figure out later what I'm going to do.
But as I thought about it and meditated upon the responsibility that we have as a church, coming up in the Shepherd's Conference I was really drawn to a portion of Scripture in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. It's a simple portion of Scripture, it's uncomplicated, it's a practical portion of Scripture and I just want the Lord to use it to prepare all of our hearts for what is ahead of us.
1 Thessalonians chapter 5, just two verses, verses 12 and 13 and this certainly by way of reminder, because these are matters about which we know what God desires, but I would like to awaken you to these again. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, "But we request of you brethren that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work, live in peace with one another."
Nothing would make me more joyful, more satisfied, more glad before the Lord then that all of these who are coming to this conference would feel from this congregation appreciation, loving esteem, and high regard. Many of these, if not most who are coming, as is true in all the lives of those who are the Shepherd's God's flock are dealing with disappointment and wounds, and griefs, in some cases abuse. Rarely does a week go by in my life when I am not involved personally with some pastor who is feeling the agonies of an unappreciative, unloving, even cruel and abusive congregation; seems to go sadly with the territory.
Even Jonathan Edwards, one of the great preachers in the history of the church, maybe the greatest theologian in America's history, certainly the main instrument of God in the great awakening in America, our greatest revival historically. Jonathan Edwards pastored the same congregation for 23 years and through those 23 years while they were hearing the truth of God from the greatest theological mind in the world at that time, they were unappreciative and in the 23rdyear they ran him out of the church and did everything they could to destroy his reputation so no other church would call him as pastor and he ended up his life ministry with a little bit more then a dozen Indians, speaking to them about the very basic things of the Christian faith. After all that time, all that profound and blessed preaching they threw him out of the church.
I read that story some years ago and it was such a tragic story that it never has left my conscious mind, and I always think too of Spurgeon, the greatest Baptist preacher of his day, the greatest preacher of his day period, his sermons would be preached and than he would edit them and they would be on every ship they said that left England and they would go all around the world; there was no one even like him in the world, yet he was thrown out of the Baptist union and the vote was made to do that and it was seconded by his associate pastor who was his brother.
Talk about wounded in the house of your friends. He never really recovered physically from that, died a premature death, and I think it was contributed to in some measure by the severe disappointment. It doesn't seem to matter how gifted, doesn't seem to matter how faithful, how diligent, how hard working a pastor and a shepherd may be, it's amazing how people can treat him with cruelty.
While I certainly don't anticipate a fate like Edwards, I don't anticipate a fate like Spurgeon's, I'm not at the same time impervious to that. I do understand, have understood, continue to understand what it is to be criticized inside the church. What it is to be accused and criticized from outside the church. I understand what it is to be wounded in the house of your friends, I understand what betrayal means. Anybody in Christian ministry does; the enemy of course of the church, Satan himself does anything he can to orchestrate that kind of thing on people's own pride and self will, self love, stubbornness, rebellion contribute to it as well.
There have been moments I confess when leaving Grace Church seemed very attractive; I didn't. Maybe because no one was asking me to go anywhere else and I'm a practical man at the end of the day, but I don't think I ever seriously contemplated leaving, and it's because I love my calling from God so much and my calling is not just to the preaching of the Word of God, it is to the preaching of the Word of God to you in this place. I can't divorce what I've been called to do from where I've been called to do it, and I guess at this point I've outlived my critics. They're gone and I'm a survivor.
But all of it is, for me, a fulfillment of life the likes of which I never could have imagined. I love being a pastor. In fact, I was eating at Carl's Jr. one day having lunch, I live the high life, and I was asked a question about why I love being a pastor and so I did the napkin outline. I began to write down reasons why I love being a pastor. I came up with ten; I don't know why there probably could be more or perhaps even some combined to make less, but let me just tell you what I wrote down that day.
Why I love being a pastor, in spite of the challenges and difficulties, number one I love being a pastor because the church is the only institution Christ promised to build and bless. Christ is only doing one thing in the world; I know that might be shocking to say, maybe sounds a little oversimplified but it's actually the truth. Christ is only doing one thing in the world and that is He is building His church.
God is, through the Holy Spirit, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ calling out a people for His name. A part of history that matters is that the redemptive part, all the rest of human history is simply back dropped, it's décor, it's the staging for the real drama which is the drama of redemption, and how exhilarating is it to be in the middle of that? To be a part of the only thing that Christ is doing in the world, and that is building His church.
If I want to be at the epicenter of where God is moving then I need to be in the church. God's purpose in the world is to call to Himself a redeemed people who will live to the praise of His glory, to build His church, to build the body and there is no greater calling possible, conceivable then to be a servant of Christ, an under shepherd in the church. It is of great comfort and great encouragement, and great joy, and produces great gratitude in my heart that God has given me a small part to play in the work of Christ to build His church. I wouldn't stoop to anything else.
Sometimes people will say to me, if you weren't a preacher what would you be? There is no answer to that question. There is no other thought in my mind. I couldn't be anything else, I can't do anything else, nothing else interests me. Sometimes people say, when will you retire? That's inconceivable to me, what would I do? Not be at the heart of what God is doing in the world. Take a vacation from that? It's this overwhelming privilege of being engaged in the building of the church, being an under shepherd under Christ. It makes me love being a pastor.
Secondly, I love being a pastor because the corporate functions of the body of Christ all take place in the church. I love being a pastor because I want to be with God's people, I want to be with God's people when they come to the Lord's Table, I want to be with God's people in baptism, I want to be with God's people when they sing hymns, and I want to be there when they worship God, I want to be with God's people when they pray. I want to be a part of the growth of the church, the edification of the church. I want to be ministered to by God's people as they exercise their spiritual gifts on my behalf. I love to come together with God's people for all the means of Grace, all the disciplines of Grace, all the various opportunities that the church has to celebrate its life.
Samas said come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of His hand. I love to be a part of the flock. I love to embrace all that the life of the church involves. Why would I ever want to give myself to any other arena of activity if I had the calling to do this?
Thirdly, I love being a pastor because preaching is the chief human means God uses to dispense His message. Preaching is the chief human means God uses to dispense His message. Preaching has fallen on hard times in a modern media world, I understand that. It is still, however, true the Bible says, "That God has by the foolishness of preaching determined to save those who believe," and preaching does seem foolish and preachers often to the world look like fools, but it is just by that foolish preaching, foolish in the mind of a skeptical world that God has chosen to save those who believe. If the saving enterprise moves ahead on the preaching of the Gospel then what greater responsibility, what greater privilege then to be the instrument of that preaching? Every Sunday I come and I have this tremendous privilege to open the Word of God and to become the human instrument by which God has chosen to dispense His saving grace.
Number four in my little list was I love being a pastor because I can be consumed with study and communion with the Word of God and God Himself. I cannot separate God, I cannot separate Christ, I cannot separate the Holy Spirit from the Scripture. When I study the Scripture I am in communion with God for this is the living Word of God. It is alive and it is powerful.
Now there's a public side to me and that's what you see, that is the public side that the congregation sees. As I get up and as I preach, but there is a private side to me. There is a private side of me that is absolutely critical to the public side. Preaching is an immense responsibility; if it is by the foolishness of preaching that God determines to save those who believe, then it's important that if the preacher is going to preach he have something to say, would you not agree? Now that's sort of the basic law of preaching, have something to say. The corollary to that is make sure that what you have to say comes from God. We preach not ourselves but Christ.
If you're going to preach and have something to say that comes from God, you're going to have spend time in the Scripture. That's why it says you have to be diligent, study, show yourself approved under God, a workman that needs not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth. I love that private side. In all honesty I love that private side more then I love the public side. What a privilege; it's one thing to preach three hours a week, twice on Sunday morning and once on Sunday night, and other hours in other locations, but week after week to preach here for three hours is a great privilege and I thank God for that. It is a great task and responsibility but even more wonderful then the preaching for the few hours I do that is the many, many hours I spend in the study of the Word of God. For every three hours I preach here there are probably 30 hours of preparation; 30 hours of privileged communication with God; 30 hours as it were in the Holy of Holies, 30 hours in the Scripture.
I went over to the college last night to see a basketball game and I just kind of threw a little jacket on, pulled a hat down thinking nobody will recognize me, I'll sneak it and somebody said, "where have you been? We haven't heard from you for days." I said, "well I've been down, you know I've been in the book." They said, "well is this usual for you?" Well a little more then usual, because I have to not only preach Sunday but I have to preach all next week and than I have to go to the following week to Florida and preach several times more and I need to be sure I'm prepared. So I said, "but don't feel badly for me, this is what I love." This is privileged communion with God. I can't imagine spending a week doing anything else, this is my calling, this is my privilege.
Number five, I love the - being a pastor because I am directly responsible to God for the lives of the people He has given me to shepherd. You know I'm really sort of shocked by that. I think the Apostles were probably stunned when Jesus pulled them out of the rest of the Disciples and said, "I identify you 12 as the next generation of preachers, you're going to be My chosen 12 to proclaim the Gospel to the world, you're going to start the whole thing," and I imagine it was a pretty stunning thing. Certainly it was for Peter even in the end of John's Gospel when Jesus says, "Feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep," just after Peter had denied Jesus and it must have been a bit stunning for Jesus to say, "Yeah I know what you're like and I want you anyway and I choose you and I hold you responsible to Me for the lives of the people that I give into your care." We have to give an account, Hebrews 13:17, "We have to give an account to God for the flock." I like that accountability, I seek that accountability. That's a very compelling accountability, that has a powerful discipline essence on my life.
Now I'm a radio teacher, whatever that is. To a lot of people they listen to me on the radio or they listen to a tape or a CD, but I'm not personally accountable for what those people with what I say to them, I'm not accountable for them. I'm not accountable for how they follow up from the truth of the Word of God but as a pastor of this congregation I am accountable. I will give an account for the discharge of my responsibility and my accountability is directly to the Lord Himself, I am and under shepherd under Christ and my accountability is to Him. I watch over your souls as one who will give an account; accountability is very healthy spiritually, it's very strengthening spiritually. I want to stand before the Lord when the day comes that I render that account and I want to demonstrate by the faithfulness of my life that I honored the privilege of that responsibility. It is a glorious thing to be directly accountable to the Lord for the lives of His people, at the same time, it's a frightening responsibility.
Number six, I love the pastorate because I love accountability also the people in the church. One of the reasons that I have stayed here, Patricia and I have stayed in the church all these years together, and we've had such a wonderful life here, is because we don't ever want to hide anything. I say that with realizing that you all know that because I've been here so long, you know what I am, you know my life, you know my wife, you know my kids, my grandkids, you know my personality strengths and weaknesses, you know all there is to know. I cherish that accountability I really do. It's a constant encouragement to me to make sure that I reflect Christ in my life. If I was only going to be here a year, a year and a half, two years, I'm gone somewhere else there's not going to be that need to be too concerned, but when you're in the same place, now heading into year 35, there aren't too many secrets and I am greatly indebted to your faithfulness to a less then perfect shepherd, but I'm also greatly indebted to your expectations that elevate my own commitment to faithfulness. I need that, I wouldn't ever want to be a radio teacher and have no direct accountability to people. I want to be in the middle of life and I want my life to be visible to everyone, that accountability is strengthening.
I love being a pastor, number seven; because I love building a team of leaders from the people God has given me. One of the great joys of being a pastor is to build around you men, gifted men who can share the burden of ministry and multiply the Kingdom in that fashion. When somebody starts a business they can hire anybody they want, when you pastor a church you get whoever the Lord sends. We didn't recruit any of you, you just showed up and we have to work with you. I'll tell you that's the way it's pretty much been and the way we've worked with our staff. As the pastoral staff has developed through the years they came, and they came because the Lord was adding them to the church, and it was just wonderful to see how God had orchestrated who would be here and how they would rise to levels of leadership and demonstrate gifts and to watch the Lord pull together this team. We confess all of us that we are not many noble, not many wise, not many mighty, we are the common and the base and I think that makes it all the more amazing because we all know our weaknesses and when we see the Hand of God powerfully there's no question about where the power's coming from. It's just been one of the greatest joys of my life to work with a band of brothers, to work arm in arm with the wonderful elders and shepherds and pastors that God has brought into our congregation and raised up, and who have shared the load and who have ministered with power and impact because of their faithfulness to the Lord and to His Word.
Number eight in my list, I love being a pastor because the pastor embraces all of life, all of life. I've always had a lot of curiosity; Dick McHugh always says I'm the most curious person he's ever met. I don't know why he says that I've never asked him to explain it, but he just sort of shakes his head and wonders at my curiosity. I think that's probably to some degree true, I am a curious person which made me a real drain on a teacher when I was a kid in elementary school because I was so curious about so many things that I found it difficult to listen to what the teacher was saying. My mind was always chasing after all kinds of alternatives and if you were a person who has the capacity and the interest in the almost endless range of life experiences, I can't think of anything more wonderful then being a pastor, because you embrace literally every issue of life. Always from the perspective of how does the Word of God apply to this matter? I'm there with the joy of parents when they bring a new baby into the world, and I'm there also when they sit in the intensive care unit with that stillborn child still in their arms and tears running down their face. I'm there when they get married, I'm there when they bury their loved ones, I'm there in the joys of life, the celebrations of life, the events of life for which there is happiness and I'm also there in the sad times and the traumatic times. I'm on the phone praying with a lady who's just been told she has cancer. I'm on the phone praying with a gentleman that's just been told he doesn't. All the issues of life unfold, and amazingly, they unfold in an adventurous fashion without any planning on my part.
I always remember the preacher who got invited to speak somewhere a year ahead and he didn't want to go there, so he told them he wouldn't be coming to speak at that time even though it was a year away because he had a funeral that day. Think about it, there are some things you don't know you're going to have a year away, and a funeral is one of them.
They just jump into your life, those are the events that make the ministry, this incredible adventure that can begin at any moment to take a turn you never expected and you have to come into that situation and apply the Word of God and stand in the gap as it were for God in the lives of those people. Unending variety floods the ministry and particularly my life is filled with unending variety since I seem to get involved in so many different things. If ever a man wanted to have his curiosity met mine has been met. In fact, I wouldn't mind if the Lord cranked it back a few notches just for the sake of survival.
Number nine, my little list, another reason why I love being a pastor is I'm afraid not to be. I am afraid not to be; when I was 18 the Lord threw me out of a car going 75 miles an hour. As some of you know I skidded down the highway 110, 120 yards, I ended up saying to the Lord in effect, okay, okay whatever it is you want me to do if You're this serious about it I will do it, and by the grace of God I wasn't killed, I committed my life to serving Christ and everything really turned on that event. If it was that important to the Lord to have me in the ministry then I really wasn't in a position to argue about it. I feel like the Apostle Paul who said, "Whoa is me if I preach not the Gospel." I couldn't turn my back on it. It's not that I'm tempted to do that, it's not that I'm prone to do that, although there are moments when the weariness overwhelms me and I think a really long vacation sounds wonderful, I would be afraid not to preach. I would be afraid not to pastor, not to shepherd because it would be an expression of utter unfaithfulness to the calling of God in my life and I would really rather have God blessing me then chastening me.
When I think about it, the inherent joys and blessings, and benedictions of being engaged in this ministry are far, far greater then anything that could happen were I to step away from it. I don't want to be unfaithful, I want to be faithful and I'm afraid not to do what God's gifted me and called me to do and also since He has called me to faithfully equip the saints for the work of the ministry that's never really, ever done because they keep coming into the Kingdom and they all need to be equipped and there really is no end to this responsibility.
Then number 10, the last one in my list. I love being a pastor because the rewards are eternal. There are temporal rewards, I feel appreciated by this congregation. I feel by the expressions of your love, you write letters and notes and people are so kind to me I feel like what God has called me to do has had an impact on your life and that you've been blessed by His work and by His word. That's a wonderful thing, to be appreciated, to be a servant of the Lord that gets the feedback from folks who say that service matters in our lives, it makes a difference. That reward in itself is wonderful. I love reading cards and notes from people. I love to know that somebody has come to know Christ through a message I preached or somebody has had a turning point in their life spiritually through something that was taught out of the Word of God or someone has come to love Christ more, or know more about Him through the teaching; that's reward in itself.
When I think about the ministry as wonderful as that reward is, I think about the eternal aspect of it, that some day I will be able with greater capacity to praise and glorify my Lord forever and ever. So when I think about being a pastor, when all is said and done, the source of joy and fulfillment found in this ministry far outweighs any disappointments that might come and were I to be chased out of this church I would have to find my way into another one, because there isn't anything in this world that I want to do that carries the wonderful privilege at the same time weighted responsibility that this does.
I know the driveways out of church parking lots are blackened with skid marks from the hasty exit of abused pastors being bashed by heartless people, but for me, were that to happen to me, I'd land somewhere else doing the same thing.
It is sad that pastors are treated this way, who have this noble calling, this high calling, this grave responsibility, and we live in such a sick society don't we? So full of pride and self love and self will. Our society as a whole has no appropriate understanding of respect for people who should be respected in this bizarre, twisted, egalitarian society everybody things that his own opinion and his own little space is an important as anybody else's. It's a tough environment for the survival of those who are given divine authority.
Sometimes being a pastor is a little more then a joke to some people. Think about the guy who was preaching all the time and there was a man in his congregation that slept through every sermon. Finally, it bugged him so much he said, I'm going to go to the guy and ask him, so he did. He said why do you fall asleep when I'm preaching my sermon? It shows a lack of respect. The man said; well would I sleep if I didn't trust you? What are you going to do with a guy like that, huh?
Then there are churches who just can't wait to get rid of their pastor, they want to get rid of their pastor. You know when people want to get rid of their pastor I make a suggestion. Unite in prayer for the man, pray passionately and incessantly for that man, he will become so effective that a larger church will take him on off your hands, that's a good plan.
A survey of 3,000 churches, pastors and layman included, asked what are the main reasons people drop out of the church. The common reply was I don't like the pastor. This isn't a personality contest, this isn't a beauty contest, we're not talking about unfaithful men, we're not talking about heretics, we're not talking about wolves in sheep's clothing or wolves dressed as shepherds, we're not talking about pastors who are unfaithful, we're talking about faithful men. What is our responsibility to them? Look at the text; you knew we'd get there sooner or later.
First of all, "We request of you brethren that you appreciate those," appreciate them. That's not hard to understand is it? That's pretty straight forward and simple, just appreciate them. What does it mean? Well it's the Greek verb Oidaand it usually is translated know, but it's not some kind of second hand knowledge, some information passed down, it's to know by experience, to have learned and therefore to know, to have experienced and therefore to know.
The first responsibility that we have to these shepherds is to appreciate them because we've gotten to know them. Don't let your knowledge of them be superficial. This is calling for a deep knowledge that leads to understanding what they go through, what they do, no one understands the tyranny of having to preach every week of your life, like writing a dissertation twice a week you have to do one and preach it on Sunday morning and preach it again Sunday night, no one understands this kind of bondage. No one understands this kind of relentlessness who doesn't do it and than at the same time you're struggling not only to understand the word of God but to apply in all of the serendipitous occasions that come up in the life of the church and it's a heavy burden. Get to know in a deep way and experiential way your pastor.
Don't sit at a distance and criticize. So why are you telling us this? Don't we appreciate you? Of course you do; I'm telling you this as we begin our Shepherd's Conference because there are going to be men coming here who are really not receiving this. We're not here to dump on them information that they've never heard. We're not here to be this great treasure repository of all the truth that they need to know. We're going to share around the things of God but it is important to us that we embrace these men in a loving environment. Make a sacrifice this week; don't come for your own sake come for their sake. Come on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, just come, sit down, get to know these men and just tell them you love them and you appreciate what they do and you esteem them very highly and a love sake for their work because they may not be hearing that at all.
He's not saying know the name when He says that you should appreciate them using Oida. He's not saying you should know their names, He's not saying that you should know the names of their wives and their children, that's not it, it's a deep, intimate, personal acquaintance that leads to appreciation and a sense of the worthiness of this calling.
One of the most common statements that people make to me that don't know me when I meet people around, they listen to me on tape or radio. They'll say very often, and Patricia's heard them say this many times, I feel like I know you, I feel like I know you. I always say, "Well you do, you do." If you've listened for years you know me because that's my heart. That's the kind of knowledge we're talking about, it's easy to be unkind, it's easy to be critical, it's easy to be indifferent to those shepherds that you don't know deeply for which you don't have a respect born out of personal experience with them.
So it starts with appreciation and it says, "That we are to appreciate those, not for their personality, not for their unusual giftedness, not for their charm, appreciate those who diligently labor among you." I mean they're giving their life for you, they're your shepherds, they're making the sacrifice, they diligently labor, that's capiallo, they work to the point of exhaustion and the world is run by tired men, you know that don't you? The world is run by tired men; everybody who is in any position of importance in the world is tired. Mental weariness, physical weariness is a necessity if you're in any responsible position of leadership and that's true in the church. The church is basically shepherded by tired men who literally have given their lives away for the sheep and very often get little back in return.
So He says appreciate them because they diligently labor among you and appreciate them because they have charge over you in the Lord. They have charge over you in the Lord. They literally pro histemiis the Greek verb, it means to stand before, that simply means they are in front of you, they are your leaders, the preside, they direct. By virtue of God's calling the shepherd is the shepherd, He leads the flock, He is the leader, He is the overseer. Acts 20 says, "That the Lord has made you overseers, you are to rule and to rule well." Now what does this mean? It means to give spiritual direction.
We had this seminar in Russia this week, Rick Holland was teaching a group of about 60 or 70 young Russian pastors how to preach and we did it with our satellite interactive video system and I went in a couple of times, once at the beginning and once at the end, and Rick carried the heavy weight, five hours a night for five nights teaching them how to preach. But I came in for a question and answer and one of the questions that one of the young men asked me and we can see each other on video, it's really wonderful, was to tell him about the pastor's authority.
Well I mean I don't know what the Russian perspective is; historically they had a Czar, which would be like a king, and than after that it was series of totalitarian dictators that they had, so the model of leadership would be a bit different then Scripture. So he said, what is the pastor's authority and I said, "Well you have absolutely no authority from your office, you have absolutely no authority from your title, you have no authority from your position, the only time you have any authority is when you speak the Word of God." I don't have any authority to say buy that land, build that building, paint that room green, put money over here or over there, that's collectively what the leadership of the church determines. I exercise no authority over that. I'm not even the chairman of the elders here.
But when I say, "Thus sayeth the Lord," there comes the authority. Look, these men, these dear shepherds have given their lives sacrificially to the point of exhaustion, capiallo, to exercise spiritual leadership, to stand before you and to direct you, to give you spiritual leadership and furthermore, the end of verse 12, "They give you instruction, they teach you, they're your teachers." How valuable is that? It's the most valuable thing there is because listen folks, the most important thing in the universe is the truth of God. It's the most important thing. If a man is giving you the truth of God, you ought to be more thankful for that then everything else in your life.
Here are these shepherds laboring to the point of exhaustion with all of the issues of ministry that flood them that they can't plan for and they can plan for, and in the middle of it all they also are exercising spiritual leadership and directing a congregation both collectively and individually into the things of God and they do it by faithfully giving instruction. In fact a man can't even be a shepherd in the church unless he's a skilled teacher, that's why Hebrews 13:7 says, "Follow their faith, they've given you instruction follow their faith. They taught you, follow the teaching. Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you and consider the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. They were your teachers." God has given these men to the church and they're very diverse but they are God's shepherds, Christ's under shepherds to serve the church, to take authority over the church by virtue of the Word and to teach the church, and for that they should be given, says verse 12, "appreciation." Does that should like a lot? Get to know them and show them appropriate respect and it goes even beyond that.
In 1 Timothy chapter 5 Paul says, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." What is double honor? Well first of all it's honor, it's respect, it's high regard; if they work hard at it but it's more then that because the next verse says, "You shouldn't muzzle the ox while he threshes and the laborer is worthy of his wages," and what double honor means is not only double respect but doubly pay. Figure out what they're worth and give them twice that.
I'm not asking for a raise, you already do that and more. In the early part of that 1 Timothy 5 chapter He dealt with the support of widows, here He deals with the support of pastors. 1Corinthians 9 deals with that same thing, "Those who preach the Gospel have the right to live of the Gospel." That is to be supported by the people of God through their preaching. Timeameans not just respect, it means money, respect and remuneration as needed to expedite the service, they're working hard at it.
So we are told to appreciate them, to appreciate them with respect because we've gotten to know them, to appreciate them with remuneration because we know how valuable they are, but not only appreciate them, there's a second thing here and it comes in verse 13, "And that you esteem them very highly in love." That's a pretty comprehensive statement, it would be enough to say that you esteem them, ___________ the Greek, it means to consider them, but it has the overtones of to consider someone in a very special way, give them consideration we would say in our language, but not just to consider them but to consider them highly, but not just highly, very highly.
Well how is this different then appreciating them? Well to appreciate them means to respect them for the work they do and to remunerate them for the work they do, but to esteem them goes beyond that because it says, "Esteem them very highly in what?" In love, now we're talking about not something that's in the mind but something that's in the heart, now we're talking about the affections.
So many pastors are just shattered by the lack of love, devastated by the animosity and the bitterness and hostility and even hatred that they suffer. Just in the last couple of weeks I can think of three pastors in my own life who have gone through devastating hostility from the churches they were lovingly and faithfully shepherding. So when these men come this week I just want you to be ready, I want you to be here this week and I want you to embrace them, love them, and I want you to respect and appreciate them. They may not be getting much of that at all in their own environment.
Galatians 4 is a good illustration of this, 4:14 - actually in verse 13 Paul talked about a bodily illness. He had some kind of ugly, physical infirmity and he says in verse 14, "That which was a trial to you in my bodily condition." There was something about his bodily condition that was repulsive enough that it was a trial just to be around the guy. It may have been infectious but it was certainly something I guess we would say today gross, something ugly, but he says and of course to start with he wasn't particularly handsome, his presence was unimpressive, his speech was contemptible and now he's got some ugly disease, some ugly ailment and he says, "There I was in my bodily condition and you didn't despise or loathe me but you received me as an Angel of God."
Now there is a pastor's dream come true. Nothing about him physically attractive and from the world's standpoint his speech is unimpressive, his presence is equally unimpressive, and to add insult to injury, there's something about the guy that's sickening. He's got this malady that's just repulsive and he says, "You treated me like an Angel of God, more as Christ Jesus Himself," and in verse 15 he says in the middle of the verse, "I bear you witness that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me," and that makes many Bible commentators think that whatever this malady was it was some eye problem, perhaps some infection, some ugly oozing malady, and if the people could have they would have given them - they would have given their own eyes to him.
Well this is the kind of love we're talking about. Why did they have such love for Paul when he came? Because he preached the Gospel to them. It is really unconscionable for churches to treat faithful men the way they treat them, so I hope this week that we can maybe give these men a week when they feel like an Angel of God or like Christ Himself.
There's another element here and we'll close with this one. Three responsibilities that the sheep have toward the shepherd, the first one is to appreciate them, get to know them so that there is respect and proper care of them for the work that they do, and than there is that affection aspect, the heart, esteemed them very highly in love, that is to hold them in high regard with love, and one more, verse 13 closes, "Live in peace with one another."
Submit to them, submit to them; familiar exhortation by the way, all through the New Testament there rare these commands to believers to pursue peace. Romans 14:19 is one, "Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." The end of 2 Corinthians also verse 11 of chapter 13, "Finally brethren rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like minded, live in peace, live in peace."
There are all kinds of injunctions in the New Testament to that. I will tell you it's hard not to be appreciated, it's hard for a pastor not to be appreciated, not to be respected, not to be remunerated generously, it's heartbreaking, it's hard for a pastor not to be loved, not to have the affectionate care of his people directed to him, but I'll tell you what's perhaps even harder. That's to have a church full of conflict, to have a church full of fights and squabbles and bitterness and pride.
Paul wrote one of the really most wrenching statements of all his letters in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 20 he said, "I'm afraid that when I come to you," to the Corinthians, "I'm afraid when I come back I'm going to find this, this is why I don't want to come back, this is what holds me away. I am afraid that I am going to find strife and jealousy, and angry tempers, and disputes, and slanders, and gossip, and arrogance, and disturbances, and so when I come God's going to humiliate me and I'm going to mourn." This just breaks the heart of a pastor, what is it? Discord, disunity, fighting, turf battles, ego fights, we just encourage the sheep to just be peace makers. If you appreciate your shepherd for the labor, for the work he does, for the Kingdom work that he does, the highest calling, if you love him from the heart and hold him in high regard in that love so that he knows you have a heart of affection toward him, then you will do everything possible to make sure that he ministers in an environment of peace.
Turn to Hebrews 13:17 if you will and we'll close with this, Hebrews 13:17 says this, "Obey your leaders and submit, obey your leaders and submit, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account." This is such a serious thing; we have to give an account to God. We're trying to watch over your souls so obey, submit, let them do this, this watching over your souls, so as to give an account. "Let them do this with joy and not with grief. You don't want a grieving pastor, for this would be unprofitable for you." An unhappy pastor makes a very unhappy congregation. If people only knew the joy of their pastor becomes their joy. You do everything you can to love your shepherd and the return will be he ministers with joy and that is profitable for you, that's profitable.
This is a message that congregations all over this country need to hear, not from me, but from the Word of God. Its truth they need to deal with. It's very hard for preachers to preach it because it sounds self serving and that's one of the reasons I preached it today. One, I want to prepare you to show this kind of love to these men and two I wanted to provide a tape that maybe they could take back and ask some of the folks in their church would listen to it. These faithful men suffer undue indignities when they should be loved and appreciated and respected in the way that the Scripture calls us to do that.
So pray with me will you this week that we as a church congregation can put our arms around these who come and for this week treat them as an Angel of God or even Jesus Christ Himself for the great work they do, for the faithfulness they exhibit, for the teaching that they give, and I just pray that you will be the instrument of the Lord for their encouragement this week.
Father, we thank You for the simple instruction you give us in Your Word, unmistakable. We know exactly what it is Your asking of us and we pray that we might be faithful to fulfill that. I thank You personally for the congregation that you have given to me to shepherd and to other shepherd's here along side me. Thank you for the fact that we do this ministry with joy and not with grief and that this then becomes profitable for them and that this joy comes from their love, respect and care, and I would pray that that which they so freely give to us they might give to others that they meet this week, that we might be in its source of encouragement to all who come and who faithfully serve you. We want not just to pass information along to them this week but we want to pass along our love and our encouragement as a real gift that we give them. May they be encouraged in their faithfulness, even in hard places by our affection toward them and may You accomplish a great work in all our lives as we go through this wonderful week together, we pray in Christ's name Amen.
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text:
Green Circle Marks Pulsar Orbited by Oldest Known Planet
B1620-26, M4, Messier 4, NGC 6121
M4 is roughly 5,600 light-years (1,720 parsecs) from the Earth.
Data for this release was taken from HST proposals 5461 and 8679 together with archived observations from HST proposal 8153. The full team involved in this discovery is composed of Brad Hansen (UCLA), Harvey Richer (UBC), Steinn Sigurdsson (Penn State), Ingrid Stairs (UBC) and Stephen Thorsett (UCSC).
F336W (B), F555W (V), and F814W (I)
NASA and H. Richer (University of British Columbia)