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I will be the first one to admit — I go through phases with food. I will be mega-obsessed with a certain food, eat it more or less nonstop for months, and then get really tired of it and stop completely. (I actually do this with a lot of things — TV shows, music, etc.) Anyone else?
I went through a phase when all I did was eat oats…every. single. day. From my go-to three-minute breakfast oatmeal (<– early Levels post alert!) to zucchini bread oatmeal to baked banana walnut oats, I definitely had a love affair with oats.
Then, I entered my pancake phase. Two-ingredient banana pancakes, banana cottage cheese pancakes, apple cinnamon pancakes, honey almond flax pancakes…the list goes on and on.
Then, it was the it's-too-hot-to-eat-so-I'll-stick-to-cold-foods-for-breakfast-please phase. It was pretty much defined by my PB & (Strawberry) J bowl, which happens to be delicious any time of day.
Maybe I'm going full circle because I've been all about oats again lately. Especially when they look like this…
Although it's a "hot" breakfast, the fresh blueberries and blueberry jam make it just summery enough to work. If you love the taste of sweet blueberry pie, you'll love this blueberry pie oatmeal!
Blueberry pie oatmeal
Serves 1
- 1/2 c. oats
- 1 egg white
- 2/3 c. liquid (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk + water)
- 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
- 1 tsp. blueberry jam
- In a small pan, add oats and liquid. Turn up heat and allow oats to absorb water.
- Once most of the water is absorbed, stir in your egg white and continue stirring until cooked.
- Remove from heat, place in bowl, top with fresh blueberries, and blueberry jam.
- If desired, top with additional toppings! I used a scoop of peanut butter and sprinkle of hemp seeds.
How to level up this recipe:
- For added protein, add 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder.
How to level down this recipe:
- For added sweetness, use 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (or agave).
Do you ever go in phases with foods? What's your latest phase?


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We reached a vast field just beyond Casablanca's limit. Dusty trails wandered toward the center, where they crisscrossed then extended further outward toward mosques, half made tenement blocks and shanty towns. The sun felt metallic hot. Opaque echos of a single prayer call grazed us with the coming breeze. More began to rise, until the many voices braided the air around us. I watched and froze the sprawling urban panorama that vibrated behind heat waves, until the voices faded away.
This past June I spent five weeks in North Africa participating in an art-research project called Beyond Digital: Morocco. As a collaborative, experimental project, each of the seven multi-disciplined participants interpreted a core research theme centered around contemporary Moroccan music and the culture it emerges from. I used this evocative aspect of the culture as a guide to explore the country's current landscape, both environmental and social.
Morocco is a landscape at the precipice. At the far western edge of the Muslim world, it is both a world unto itself and a historic doorway between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. These varied influences have woven themselves into a unique cultural fabric, marked with sharp contrasts. Today, Western cultural trends, international investment projects and sprawling urban development jostle together with the country's Muslim and ancient Berber cultures. To this is added the pressing undertone of Morocco's ambivalent position within the developing Arab Spring.
My goal was to make a series of images which would capture the concurrent dynamics of this contemporary Moroccan landscape. As a foreign artist, I wanted to seek the edges of the landscape that fell away from the ways Morocco is generally represented, allowing the landscape to recount its story through the image-making process. This photographic contribution was one of several media involved in the larger project, from documentary video shorts to software design, each offering its own artistic interpretation, thus creating a multi-faceted experiment in how art and cultural research can work in tandem.
John Francis Peters is a New York based photographer and photo editor.

subset: commoncrawl


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A JavaFX 2.0 Custom Control
In previous blogs over the past few months, I've loosely described JavaFX 2.0 and its big changes, soon to be available to the general public in beta form. Given I'm involved in the early access program, I've had a chance to work extensively with the new release and its all-new pure Java API, and I have to say I truly love it. It's not that JavaFX Script wasn't good to me, but working with Java is much more familiar and comfortable, especially for large JavaFX projects.
So far, I've built a few simple "crash and burn" experiment applications, as I like to call them. You know, the types of projects that you start to gain an understanding of something new, but quickly abandon because you've hacked the heck out of it. But I became proficient enough to port an existing custom JavaFX 1.3.1 control to JavaFX 2.0, with the help of the FXTranslator tool Oracle is working on to help translate existing JavaFX Script code to pure Java code that uses the new JavaFX 2.0 API. The results can seen in the comparison screen shot from my previous blog here.
However, to best illustrate the new JavaFX 2.0 API, I decided to build a simple custom JavaFX control. I've chosen to build a type of button that I've seen used on the iPhone and iPad; one that I call an "arrow button." This type of control works like a button, which contains text and is clickable, but indicates that you'll be moved to the next screen or step, or back to the previous screen, because the button is in the shape of an arrow. To illustrate, the screen shot below shows a mock bank account application, where the button labeled "Accounts" is an arrow button. Intuitively, the arrow indicates that you'll move to a new screen view when clicked.
Now, let's get to the code!
The JavaFX 2.0 Application
To begin, let's start with a simple JavaFX 2.0 application that will contain the components for the application shown in the picture above. In NetBeans, I've created a new project with a reference to the JavaFX 2.0 runtime JAR file. Next, I've create a Java class called Main, which has the usual public static void main() method to make it a Java application, as you would expect. To turn down the road to JavaFX 2.0 development land, simply extend the new Application class, add the required public void start method and a call to the JavaFX Launcher, as shown below:
package arrowbutton; import javafx.application.Application; … public class Main extends Application { @Override public void start(Stage stage) { … } public static void main(String[] args) { Launcher.launch(Main.class, args); } }
We'll get to the code inside the start method in a bit. For now, let's define the custom control.
The JavaFX 2.0 Custom Arrow Button
I tend to use interfaces where applicable, as it fosters good coding practice, and so it is with my custom control development. I begin to define the arrow button by creating its API interface, shown below:
public interface ArrowButtonAPI { public static final int RIGHT = 1; public static final int LEFT = 2; public void setText(String text); public void setOnMouseClicked(EventHandler eh); public void setDirection(int direction); }
The arrow has a direction it points (left or right), text that it displays, and behavior (it's clickable). You call setDirection to display an arrow button that points in the specified direction; setText to provide the button's text, and setOnMouseClicked to provide a callback in the form of a JavaFX 2.0 EventHandler, to be called when the user clicks on the button. Next, the control framework is created with a class that extends the javafx.scene.control.Control base class, as shown here:
package arrowbutton; import javafx.event.EventHandler; import javafx.scene.control.Control; import javafx.scene.control.Skin; public class ArrowButton extends Control implements ArrowButtonAPI { private String title = ""; public ArrowButton() { this.storeSkin( new ArrowButtonSkin(this) ); } public ArrowButton(String title) { this(); this.title = title; ArrowButtonSkin skin = (ArrowButtonSkin)this.getSkin(); skin.setText(title); } public void setText(String text) { getSkin(getSkin()).setText(text); } public void setOnMouseClicked(EventHandler eh) { getSkin(getSkin()).setOnMouseClicked(eh); } public void setDirection(int direction) { getSkin(getSkin()).setDirection(direction); } private ArrowButtonSkin getSkin(Skin skin) { return (ArrowButtonSkin)skin; } … }
There are two constructors: one that takes a String as a shortcut to set the button's text, and one without. In either case, the arrow button's skin is created and stored within the control. The skin defines the actual graphical elements of the button, as well as most of its behavior. The remainder of the ArrowButton control class implements the ArrowButtonAPI interface, and other required methods such as those that handle layout (not shown), and so on. Let's move on to the real fun; the skin class.
The ArrowButtonSkin Class
The arrow button control contains a skin class that implements the javafx.scene.control.Skin interface, which requires you to define a root node for your control (which contains the graph of nodes that make up your control's look and feel), and methods to gain access to the root node, and so on:
public class ArrowButtonSkin implements Skin<ArrowButton>, ArrowButtonAPI { static final double ARROW_TIP_WIDTH = 5; ArrowButton control; String text = ""; Group rootNode = new Group(); Label lbl = null; int direction = ArrowButtonAPI.RIGHT; EventHandler clientEH = null; public ArrowButtonSkin(ArrowButton control) { this.control = control; draw(); } public ArrowButton getControl() { return control; } public Node getNode() { return rootNode; } public void dispose() { } ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// public void draw() { … } public void setText(String text) { this.text = text; lbl.setText(text); // update button draw(); } public void setOnMouseClicked(EventHandler eh) { clientEH = eh; } public void setDirection(int direction) { this.direction = direction; // update button draw(); } }
I've listed the required methods first, followed by the ArrowButtonAPI methods (which are called from the ArrowButton control class), as well as an additional method, draw. You don't need to implement it this way — in fact, the intent is to actually create the node graph for your custom control in the getNode method — but I prefer to do all of the layout this way so I can call it when certain things change. Alternatively, JavaFX binding can be used to eliminate that, but since it's still in a state of flux in JavaFX 2.0, I've avoided it so far. As binding progresses (and I get my head around how it actually works in the new API), I'll include a comprehensive example at a later date.
For now, let's look in more detail at the draw method, since this is the where the real action takes place. First, the code creates a label, stores its width and height (which varies by the text length and font size), and positions it within the control using offsets:
if ( lbl == null ) lbl = new Label(text); double labelWidth =lbl.getBoundsInLocal().getWidth(); double labelHeight = lbl.getHeight(); lbl.setTranslateX(2); lbl.setTranslateY(2);
Next comes the rather lengthy bit of code to create the lines and curves that make up the arrow button itself. This code uses the JavaFX 2.0 Path class to define a custom shape that makes up the control's body. The shape is comprised of a starting point, a top flat line, a curved line for the top part of the arrow, another curved line for the bottom part of the arrow, a bottom flat line, and a vertical line to close the shape:
// Create arrow button line path elements Path path = new Path(); MoveTo startPoint = new MoveTo(); double x = 0.0f; double y = 0.0f; double controlX; double controlY; double height = labelHeight; startPoint.setX(x); startPoint.setY(y); HLineTo topLine = new HLineTo(); x += labelWidth; topLine.setX(x); // Top curve controlX = x + ARROW_TIP_WIDTH; controlY = y; x += 10; y = height / 2; QuadCurveTo quadCurveTop = new QuadCurveTo(); quadCurveTop.setX(x); quadCurveTop.setY(y); quadCurveTop.setControlX(controlX); quadCurveTop.setControlY(controlY); // Bottom curve controlX = x - ARROW_TIP_WIDTH; x -= 10; y = height; controlY = y; QuadCurveTo quadCurveBott = new QuadCurveTo(); quadCurveBott.setX(x); quadCurveBott.setY(y); quadCurveBott.setControlX(controlX); quadCurveBott.setControlY(controlY); HLineTo bottomLine = new HLineTo(); x -= labelWidth; bottomLine.setX(x); VLineTo endLine = new VLineTo(); endLine.setY(0); path.getElements().add(startPoint); path.getElements().add(topLine); path.getElements().add(quadCurveTop); path.getElements().add(quadCurveBott); path.getElements().add(bottomLine); path.getElements().add(endLine);
Next, to add a little UI flare (this is JavaFX, after all), the arrow shape is filled with a linear gradient, consisting of two grey colors. This is done by defining the stop points of the gradient within an array, and the type of gradient you want (linear or radial):
// Create and set a gradient for the inside of the button Stop[] stops = new Stop[] { new Stop(0.0, Color.LIGHTGREY), new Stop(1.0, Color.SLATEGREY) }; LinearGradient lg = new LinearGradient( 0, 0, 0, 1, true, CycleMethod.NO_CYCLE, stops); path.setFill(lg);
You can define as many stop points and colors as you'd like in a gradient. Finally, the text label and the custom shape path are added as child nodes to the root node with a single statement:
rootNode.getChildren().setAll(path, lbl);
To pass along mouse clicks to the client callback EventHandler, we need to provide our own EventHandler to handle clicks on our control's root node. The simple way to handle this is with an anonymous inner class, shown here:
rootNode.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() { public void handle(MouseEvent me) { // Pass along to client if an event handler was provided if ( clientEH != null ) clientEH.handle(me); } });
The EventHandler we create handles MouseEvents (indicated with Java Generics), and passes along the event notifications if the client has provided its own EventHandler. All that's left is to write code that actually uses the arrow button. Let's look at that now.
Using the Arrow Button
Remember the start() method at the beginning of this blog? Let's fill it in now to create the JavaFX 2.0 application shown in the screen shot above. Notice that that application's Stage object is passed as a parameter; the JavaFX scene graph exists almost exactly as it did in earlier versions. To set the application title, you set the Stage's title:
stage.setTitle("The JavaFX Bank");
Next, I've chosen a Group layout for this application. I could have otherwise chosen HBox, VBox, GridPane, and so on, but I prefer to handle the layout manually for this example. Next, I create a normal button (the Close button), an arrow button, and a label with some description text:
// Create the node structure for display Group rootNode = new Group(); Button normalBtn = new Button("Close"); normalBtn.setTranslateX(140); normalBtn.setTranslateY(170); final Stage s = stage; normalBtn.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() { public void handle(MouseEvent me) { // Close the stage (accessible through the scene graph) Node node = (Node)me.getSource(); node.getScene().getStage().close(); } }); // Create a directional arrow button to display account information ArrowButton accountBtn = new ArrowButton("Accounts"); accountBtn.setDirection(ArrowButton.RIGHT); accountBtn.setTranslateX(125); accountBtn.setTranslateY(10); accountBtn.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() { public void handle(MouseEvent me) { // ... } }); // Handle arrow button press accountBtn.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() { public void handle(MouseEvent me) { System.out.println("Arrow button pressed"); } }); // Some description text Label description = new Label( "Thanks for logging into the\n" + "JavaFX Bank. Click the button\n" + "above to move to the next \n" + "screen, and view your active \n" + "bank accounts."); description.setTranslateX(10); description.setTranslateY(50);
Notice I created EventHandlers to know when the Close and arrow buttons are clicked. Next, the three controls are added to the scene graph as follows:
rootNode.getChildren().add(accountBtn); rootNode.getChildren().add(description); rootNode.getChildren().add(normalBtn);
Finally, the Stage's Scene is created, the scene graph is completed, and the stage is made visible:
Scene scene = new Scene(rootNode, 200, 200); stage.setScene(scene); stage.setVisible(true);
Voila! There you have a shiny new JavaFX 2.0 application with a custom JavaFX control that looks and works like one of those fancy arrow buttons on the iPhone. In a future blog, I plan to cover binding in JavaFX 2.0, as well as property change listeners, which can be used as an alternative to binding. Happy coding!


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VIDEO: J.J. Redick wins it for the Clippers with a 21-footer at the buzzer
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — That advantage that's supposed to favor the home team has only worked half the time for the Los Angeles Clippers since the beginning of February.
The Clippers split their 10 home games at Staples Center dating back to that day. Meanwhile, both the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, the teams the Clippers are chasing at the top of the Western Conference standings, remain perfect on their home floors.
Thursday night, though, J.J. Redick's familiarity with al of the sweet spots on the Staples Center floor proved useful for a team sagging under the weight of a three-game losing streak. Redick's buzzer-beating jumper from the right wing lifted the Clippers over the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was a nice way for Redick to finish off an otherwise average night for Redick and the Clippers, who improved to 23-12 this season at home.
The game-winner was Redick's 11th shot attempt of the night; he made five and was just 1-for-3 from beyond the 3-point line. Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford kept them in the game, finishing with 25 points each as the Clippers had to rally from seven down in the fourth quarter to provide Redick the opportunity to seal the deal.
DIFFICULTY: For a player who has made a living off having a quick trigger coming off screens, Redick could have pulled this off with his eye closed. His delayed run off of DeAndre Jordan's screen gave Redick the crease he needed with C.J. McCollum chasing him. Paul's perfect pass gave Redick the opportunity to go into his motion as always and lift the ball over McCollum's hand with plenty of space to spare.
GAME SITUATION: As well as Paul and Crawford played, give Doc Rivers credit for calling Redick's number with the game on the line with just 1.1 seconds to play. Crawford tied the game at 94-94 with a deep 3-pointer and was in the corner on the final play. But he didn't have the room he would have needed to turn and get off a clean shot. Doc played the percentages and made sure the ball went to the player with the third-most clutch points in the league this season.
CELEBRATION: Redick reacted like a man who has taken and made these shots all his life. The purest shooters always have confidence in their stroke, which would explain Redick turning to the crowd and raising his index finger to the rafters. Paul and Crawford reacted like they'd hit the shot themselves. Paul turned to the fans sitting court side while Crawford ran up the floor and pointed at the Clippers' bench, giving the coaching staff their due for dialing up the right play.
GRADE: For a team in desperate need of some good vibrations, Redick's shot provided that lift. It also softens the blow for Redick, whose March Madness bracket went up in smoke with his beloved Duke Blue Devils going down in the Sweet Sixteen to the Oregon Ducks just 31 miles down the road at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Let's give this a solid three Horrys.


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Well, it was a couple of weeks ago that we had a wonderful celebration here of the 35th anniversary of our ministry together. And that was just a rich and special day for me and for our family. An unforgettable time. The pen works wonderfully well, even though it was made in 1969 and has never been used since then. It's just a great reminder of...of your love and a wonderful treasure to me as...as the book is, also.
But I...as I thought about that Lord's day so many times, it kept coming back to me that this is not just my 35th anniversary. It's yours, too. You're here in this 35th year. Some of you have been here since I came. Some of you have been here since before I came. This is...this is a time for you to celebrate, as well. And...and while I deeply appreciate the...the remembrances and the gratitude and the respect and the love given to me from you on my 35th, I just felt the whole day was incomplete, because it's also your 35th anniversary. It's the 35th anniversary of this church. And nobody said anything about that. So I decided this morning that I wanna talk to you about your 35th anniversary. What...what it means to me that you are a part, collectively, whenever you came, you're a part of a 35-year glorious, glorious experience in this wonderful church.
And I was just trying to sort of pull together in my mind how I might express my...my gratitude. I don't know that anybody has ever been so privileged as I have. I can't imagine anybody's ever had a more wonderful, a more fulfilling, a more joyous ministry than I've had here. And this, by the goodness and grace of God, I...I...I don't know why. I don't...I don't have insight into the sovereign purposes of God. Why He has treated me so kindly and so graciously by giving me such an incredibly wonderful congregation of people who have been never anything to me but an immense joy.
But as I was thinking about that, I was drawn immediately to the Apostle Paul's experience with the church in Thessalonica. He wrote two letters to the Thessalonian church. Very early in his writing ministry, the first thing he wrote was Galatians in about 49 A.D. It was about 51 or 52 that he wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians. So very early in Paul's ministry...and...and I think importantly so from God's standpoint, very early in his ministry, he was exposed to a really wonderful, encouraging church. Well, time would take him to some churches that weren't so wonderful, and they weren't so encouraging, wouldn't it.
It almost seemed as if God wanted to anchor him down to the best, before He exposed him to the worst. And so I was drawn back to read 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. Be reminded, that in two epistles that he wrote to that church, he never condemned them for anything. There isn't a suggestion of some sin. There isn't any discussion of some defection. There wasn't any doctrinal aberration. But the two letters are...with...with basically some instruction regarding the second coming, the Rapture of the church, the coming of the day of the Lord to clarify their eschatology a little bit.
Everything else is commendation. Everything else speaks to the...the privilege that he had of knowing those people, the joy that they brought to his heart. That was a church that just...was an ideal church. It just couldn't have been any better than it was. Certainly, as I said, Paul had a lot of other church experiences that were far from that. And, you know, there's something to be said for pastoring one church, if...if it's like that. I would hate to be like some of those pastors in Russia and have to oversee 40 congregations. If they had a couple of 'em that were good, the others would more than cancel out the good experience, and your life would be filled with an awful lot of stress. But then again, maybe over there, sort of tried by fire. There's a...a purity and a joy in those churches that makes even having 40 churches a blessing.
But God has been good to me to have one church. That's the only church in my whole life. Grace Community Church, from the time I started ministering. One of my granddaughters came up to me...and looked at me and said, "Poppa, how old were you when you came here?...When you started preaching?"
I said, "I was really young. I was in my 20s, a long time ago." They can't even identify what I might look like at that age, you know. It has been a long time. I wouldn't have it any different. God has taken us through a lot in these 35 years, and I can honestly say you are a Thessalonian church. I have nothing for which to condemn you. I...I have nothing for which to correct you. I have nothing in terms of theology to fix. This is a remarkable, remarkable church. And after all these 35 years, is worthy of commendation of the highest kind. I have been spared some of the agonizing pain of pastors who have been treated terribly by churches, who have been criticized and abused and run off and misunderstood and misrepresented. I have...I have escaped that. I...I have...I have escaped the recalcitrant congregation that fights against the truth. I have...I...I've not know that. I've had these 35 years of absolute blessing from God, and it's because you are who you are. It's because of the wonderful work of God in your hearts.
And so, if you don't mind, I would like this morning to thank you for the 35 years you've given to me, which is far greater than the 35 years I've given to you. I'm just one. You're many and, collectively, you have literally swept me away with blessing. And Patricia echoes all of this, as does our whole family.
Now, I need to tie this into a text. You know, I had a good sermon. I need to find a verse to attach it to. This is exactly what we tell seminary students never to do. But as Al Molarsaid, you can...you can preach a non-expository message once a year as long you repent.
Well, this is gonna be expository. Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. It had to come out of Thessalonians, because this is that ideal church. And I wanna just look at the first five verses of this third chapter. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 to 5. "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."
And I read that this week, and I said, "You know, that could be written today to Grace Community Church." That's really you. You know, the expectation of the people toward the pastor is very high, very high, and rightly so. Because the Scripture sets the expectation very high, doesn't it? Shepherding God's flock is the highest calling. Not just in a sense of privilege, but in the sense of duty, obligation, responsibility. Most serious task any person could ever be given on the earth, because this is that which is most reflective of the purpose of God for His redeemed people and for the world.
Therefore, the Bible gives to this responsibility the highest level of excellence and commitment and devotion and faithfulness. And there's so much in the Word, and through the years we've gone through just about all of it that defines for us the duty of pastors and elders and overseers and shepherds, and we've endeavored to understand the standard that God has set. And as we can within our limitations, move our lives in the direction of fulfilling those things. The duty of the under shepherd, under Christ to his church is precise. It is clear. It is demanding. It calls for the highest kind of devotion, dedication, diligence, endurance, faithfulness...spiritual sensitivity. And if one falls short of the standard as it's laid down in Scripture, one is disqualified from this great privilege.
And while it is right to talk about that side of the relationship, it is also right to talk about the other side of the relationship. And that is the relationship between the people and the pastor. Whatever I have brought to you, you have brought more to me. I have a serious, demanding, and formidable duty, and it doesn't get any easier, and it's not slowing down. But you also have had a duty through all these 35 years, a duty which, I might say, that you have fulfilled toward me and toward the others who have shepherded the flock along with me here. And Scripture does say a lot about the responsibility that you have toward your pastor.
Philippians 2:29, Paul says, "Receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard." Speaking of...Epaphroditus. Hebrews 13 says you're to follow our faith. You're to subject to our teaching. First Thessalonians 5:12 and 13 says you're to esteem us and regard us highly for the work that we do. Not because of personality, not by objective evaluation of the importance of our work, but because doing what we do is so important. It's all important to show respect and love and support and appreciation and all of those things, and submit to the truth.
But there's another...another approach to this that is, as I think, comprehensive, and it comes out of this passage. There are five specifics that you can render to a pastor that can make his life joyful. Five gifts that you give and have given to me for all these 35 years. And they are laid out in those five verses. Five things that I would desire for you from the very beginning. Five things I desired from you. Five things now that I can say through all the 35 years of our time together, you have given to me constantly in an unbroken gift. Five spiritual activities. Five benedictions. Five blessings that you've literally covered me with through all these years. And I need to specifically thank you for them.
The first one is this. I desired and you have given to me your prayers. Your prayers. You have been prayerful. Let's just say that. You have been prayerful. Notices verses 1 and 2. "Finally, brethren, pray for us. Pray for us that the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. Pray for us on a positive note, that the Word may go forth effectively. Pray for us on a negative note that we might be protected from those who would do harm to us."
Here is the shepherd wanting the prayers of his sheep...here's the pastor wanting the prayers of his people. And when you stop to think about it, it is interesting that Paul, of all people, was supremely gifted, qualified, and given divine revelation, along with Holy Spirit-guided opportunity. He had the most to start with. Preeminent in his giftedness. Preeminent in his power. Preeminent in his opportunity. Preeminent in his connection with Jesus, to Whom he communed and Whom he saw personally in some incredible revelations. He was competent. He was immensely capable in his natural ability to think, to reason. With all that natural ability and his formidable education and his immense experience and his great skill and the power of the Holy Spirit and divine revelation and the presence of Christ and all of that, he's still very much aware that he needs prayer. That if anything is gonna happen to advance the Kingdom of God, it has to transcend him. And it isn't that he asks for something he doesn't have. He doesn't say, "Pray that God will give me power." He knew he had power, 'cause he had the Holy Spirit. He doesn't say, "Pray that the Lord'll give me the truth." He knew he had the truth, because it was revealed to him. He didn't even pray that the Lord would give him opportunity. He had opportunity everywhere he turned. He wasn't really praying for more of anything. He had all there was that God could give to make him powerful and effective, to literally impact the world.
When he is saying, "Pray for us," meaning himself and those who serve with him, he really is focusing on the fact that he knows that it's very easy for him, because he's human, to get in the way of all these resources that he already has. Short-circuiting the power...that God has released in him through the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he prayed, I'm sure, constantly to get himself out of the way, because he said in Romans 7 that what he...what he wanted to do, he found himself not doing. What he didn't wanna do, he found himself doing. And he was a wretched man who could easily intrude in the work of the Holy Spirit. He could become himself a barrier to what God wanted to do through him. He not only prayed for himself, but frequently, though his letters, he asked the people to whom he ministers to pray for him. As strong as he was, as gifted as he was, as noble and faithful and experienced as he was, he even says in Colossians 129, "I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." He had the mighty power of God working in him. Still he pleads for people to pray for him, 'cause he knows how easy it is for him to short-circuit the power that's already there. He was dependent on the Lord for every aspect of his ministry.
He certainly prayed for the Thessalonians. Look at chapter 2, verse 16, right before where we began reading in chapter 3. And he says, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word." There's an indication of his prayers for them, for their comfort and their strength. He knew things were difficult for them. There were, according to chapter 1 verse 4, "Persecutions and afflictions," which they were enduring. And so in chapter 1 verse 11, he says, "To this end, also, we pray for you, always that our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness in the work of faith with power." Always praying for his people. He then turned around and said, "I need you to pray for me." It was true. He needed their intercession. He had a hard life. He had a difficult life. He had a solitary life. He had a dangerous life. He was usually self-supporting. He was always preaching where he was not wanted, to people who didn't wanna hear what he said. That's tough.
I mean I'm encapsulated in a place where I'm supposed to preach. You come to hear me preach, and I suppose you want to hear me preach. Paul preached, throughout his whole ministry, in places that he had to sorta commandeer. Synagogues, temples, schools, wherever, basically to people who didn't wanna hear what he had to say. And he certainly couldn't succeed without the power of the Lord. And so he says...let's go back to verse 1 for a moment...finally...literally, it means...loifusin the Greek means for the rest...and rather than finally, as if it's the last thing, this term means besides that, or in addition to whatever else I've been talking about, besides that, I want you to do this. Pray for us.
Now it's missing a little nuance in the Greek. We don't always need to deal with the Greek, 'cause sometimes the English is clear enough. But in this case, for...the word for is pari. Periphery, peripheral, perimeter. It means around. Pray around us. Pray around us. Surround us with prayer. Present tense..."Continually surround us with prayer." Here's the most spiritually strong man, the most gifted man, the most used man. Shows his meekness and shows his humility, asking for the prayers of virtually the weakest Christians.
You know the story of Thessalonian church, right? It was planted basically in two weeks, three Sabbaths. Came to Thessalonica, preached on the Lord's day, was there a week. Preached on the Lord's day, was there another week. Preached on the third Lord's day, stayed a little bit longer. But what you have here in this church, very, very weak belief. Basically, new believers. And here is a wonderful reminder that the strongest of believers is dependent upon the weakest of believers interceding for them. And all through the years, you have done that. All through the years, I have been surrounded by prayer. You tell me that all the time. There's never a day in my life that goes by that I don't get letters, cards, not one, but many, telling me you're praying for me. "We're praying for you. We're praying." Sometimes it's a short note. Sometimes it's a...a card purchased somewhere. I've seen 'em all. I've seen everything Hallmark has to offer. I've seen all the computer-generated cards. I've seen you make them with your own hands. I've seen the cards your kids make. I've gotten the notes and letters on every imaginable kind of stationery and napkins and whatever and whatever.
I'm not complaining. Keep those cards and letters coming, folks. They're a great encouragement to me. But they always say the same thing, "We're praying for you. We're praying for you." You know, you look at the ministry here, and you ask why has God blessed this? Because you've literally surrounded me with prayer through all these years, and I thank you for that. My...my...Patricia, my wife, thanks you for that, and our family thanks you for that. The fruit of that is visible in this ministry and in our lives.
Whatever gifts a man may have, whatever natural abilities he may have, they cannot operate apart from the power of God to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. And so it's your prayers, and I...I just need to say thanks for 35 years of holding me up in prayer. From the very earliest years, there were people who prayed. From the very earliest years. Some have gone on to Glory, and I've wanted to see if I could find somebody to take their place. No matter how gifted someone might be, no matter how available the power of God, no matter how well-versed they are in the truth of the revelation of God, we are always deeply aware of our own personal inadequacies, and we are dependent upon the power of God to protect us from ourselves, and you have always built a fence around me of your intercession.
And that's what Paul acknowledges, "Brethren, pray for us." They had done that. They needed to continue doing that. Even though he's a chosen vessel of God, he has no confidence in his flesh. In fact, he does have confidence in his flesh that it'll do what flesh does. But then he brings two requests in specific with regard to this prayer covering. One, "Pray for the success of the message. Pray that the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified just as it did also with you." He's looking beyond those people, isn't he?
The Word of the Lord came to you, and it came with power, and it came with conviction, from the very beginning. I will never forget it. First Sunday I came here, to candidate in my 20s. All that was here was the chapel and the little building behind it. And I preached on a Sunday night. And some of you know the story. I preached. I don't know. I...I wasn't watching the clock. But I was...I had been studying Romans 6 and 7 for a number of months that summer, and so I was getting an opportunity to unload it. And I think I preached about an hour and 20 minutes. And they were used to 30-minute messages, because they only had a one-hour service...when it was over, Patricia looked at me with a great deal of incredulity. "Do you know how long you spoke?" she said. I said, "I don't know." And we were sure that no one would want me to come back. And, afterwards, some of the elders of the church came to me and said, "If you were our pastor, would you...would you give us the Word of God like that every week?"
And I said, "Well, I would, but maybe not that long." They had...they invited me back for the next Sunday, and there was a huge clock on the back wall. Huge. From the first day I came here, the Word of God spread and was received. From the first time I came.
And so Paul says, "Just as it did with you, would you pray that the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified?" Back in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 5, Paul said to the Thessalonians, "Our Gospel didn't come to you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction." Boy, when he preached the Word to these Thessalonians, it really came. It came in power in the Holy Spirit with full conviction, and they believed it. Verse 6 says they "became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the Word. Even in tribulation, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia...and watch this...for the Word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything."
Is that an ideal situation? You go there. You're there a few Lord's days. You preach the Word. They embrace the Word. In fact, chapter 2 verse 13, 1 Thessalonians 2:13 even goes deeper into how they responded. "We constantly thank God that when you received from us the Word of God's message, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God. You accepted it, not as the word of men, but as God's Word...which also energaia, energizes it's work in your who believe. And you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus." From the very outset, this church received the truth. From the very outset, they believed it. They embraced it. And so Paul says, "Pray that the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you. Pray for the success of the message."
Now the Word of the Lord, phrase used hundreds of times in the Old Testament, number of times in the New, means the Scripture, the revelation from God. That is the Word of the Lord. "Pray that it may spread rapidly." That's the Greek word trekko, to run. "Pray the that the Word of God will run." Reminds me of Psalm 147, I think it's verse 15, which says, "He sends forth His command to the earth, His Word runs very fast." He wants them to pray, that the Word, the saving, sanctifying Scripture, the truth, the revelation of God will move swiftly, keep on moving, running like a strong runner, speeding over the land without obstruction or without hindrance, making rapid progress everywhere.
To the Ephesians, he said something very much like this. Ephesians 6:18, "Pray with all prayer and petition in the Spirit with this in view, pray on my behalf...verse 19...that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel. Pray that it'll run...he says to the Thessalonians. To the Ephesians, he says...pray that I'll be bold." You've prayed for that, too. I get into situations where some people aren't bold. I get into situations that are pretty tense and adversarial. And for whatever reasons, my heart leaps to the opportunity to be bold for the Gospel. It's not a second thought. I don't have to convince myself to overcome some obstacle. I can't wait to get there and to be bold for the truth. And I really believe that that's because you've prayed. You've surrounded me with that kind of prayer by which God strengthens me to the boldness of the proclamation of His truth.
And then here, he says, "Pray that it'll go across the earth fast." I'm...I'm generally living in a state of shock at how the Word of God has spread from this church to the...to the ends of the world. Wherever I go in the world, I come across it. I go to a place like Samara out on the edge of Siberia, the middle of absolutely nowhere, where the Russians relocated people. There's a million and a half people out there now to build military weapons, to build war machines, to build airplanes, and things like that. Across the Volga River, because they knew the Nazis couldn't cross the river to get to them. Way out in the middle of nowhere. I go there, and people are embracing me and hugging me and thanking me because the Word of the Lord from Grace Community Church has penetrated their world...through books translated into...a Bible translated, and through 25 young missionaries that are over in the former Soviet Union teaching and training and taking the Word of God from this church to the ends of the earth.
And they're in Croatia and this morning, Christian Andrezanfrom Berlin was here in our prayer time. The Word of the Lord is spreading even in Germany and seminary in Mexico and you go anywhere in the world and the Word of the Lord has gone forth. And wherever it goes, it's glorified. What does that mean? It's honored. It's respected.
You can read the comments in that little article of some of those men in Samara, and it was the same response in...in Moscow of how they loved the Word of God, and when they hear it and understand it, they exalt it. They lift it up. All you could ever ask for as a pastor is that you would be given the opportunity to preach the truth, and that the truth would get legs and run across the face of the earth swiftly. Paul says, "Pray that that'll happen." You have done that, and God has heard your prayers. Everywhere I go, I see the fruit of your prayers. Your prayers. I carry your heart with me there. I always greet everybody in...from Grace Community Church. I always start out, "Pregets vou you." From all the people who love you at Grace Community Church.
And you have surrounded me with your prayers. You've surrounded others of us with your prayers, and you've surrounded our missionary shepherds with your prayers. And God has heard them, and the Word is speeding around the world. It's just amazing to me.
You know, the Spanish radio broadcast, Graciavos Otros, is now on more radio stations than the English ones? Do you know Henry Tolopelohas more radio programs than I do? He's like a rock star in Latin America. Isn't that exciting? Isn't that wonderful how the Word of God has spread in about three years? Just keep praying. You've done that, and you've seen...this is just what God does in response to your prayers.
Secondly, with regard to this pray for us, first of all that the message may go to the farthest part of the world, that it may run rapidly, and be glorified. But, secondly, not only for the message to spread, but for the safety of the messenger. Verse 2, "That we may be delivered from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith." Through the years, there have been threats. There have been times when...even physical difficulties came into play. And God has marvelously sustained us and rescued us and delivered us. Ruamai, the word delivered means to be rescued. It pictures a somewhat threatening situation.
And, well, Paul isn't saying, you know, "This is for my personal preservation and my personal comfort. This is just a necessary element of keeping the message going, isn't it? You have to protect the messenger if the message is gonna keep going. There was great hostility to the Word. There's still great hostility to the Word. Paul was facing that hostility everywhere he turned. The Gentiles resented it. The Jews resented it. As I said, everywhere he preached, he preached in an environment where he wasn't welcome, a message he didn't wanna hear.
Paul knew about all this hostility. He woke up every day knowing he could ev...he could die. It could be his last day. The plots of the Jews. The plots of the Gentiles. And the world is full of perverse and evil men. Those people who hate the truth. He...he mildly says, "For not all have the faith. Not all hold the Christian faith." There are enemies of the faith. Through the years, I get threatening letters and sometimes actual physical threats. And I really believe that I've been protected through all these years from that and all...any other things that might come, because the Lord wants to keep the Word going forth.
Perverse is an interesting word, atapone. It means out of place. The only time it's used of people is here. It's normally talking about something that's out of place. It's somewhere it shouldn't be. These are people who are spiritually out of place. Morally out of place. Unrighteous, perverse. And they're evil. And they're around, and they hate the truth. And so Paul says, "While you're praying for the message to go, pray for the messenger who has to take it." 'Cause there won't be a message if there isn't a messenger. And I can think back to the many, many times when you...and you continually do it...but many times when your prayers have surrounded me in a time of physical need. In a time of stress. In a time of confrontations, many unbeknownst to you. And God has heard and answered your prayers.
What more could a man ever ask for than a congregation surrounding him with prayer. For the positive spread of the truth and the protection of the messenger. You have given me that for all these 35 years. And, consequently, I will forever be in your debt.
Secondly, what else would a pastor want out of the people? I think this is so important. Not only that they would be prayerful, but that they would be trusting. Let's just say that. That they would be...or faithful. To what? Well, look at verse 3, "The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." What he is saying there is this. "I want you to know...I want you to be reminded that you can trust the Lord to protect you. You're gonna have to live your Christian life out there. You're gonna have to pay the price of that. You're gonna proclaim a message that's not popular to people who don't wanna hear it. You're gonna have the enemy coming after you. You're gonna have Satan coming against you. The Lord's faithful." What is this saying? This is saying, "Look, I...I thank God for a church that believes in the sovereign faithfulness of God." You do what you do, and you live the way you live, because you believe God is in control. That's how we live our lives in this church.
Somebody gets a heart attack and they go to the hospital, conversations are always amazing. "Well, I'm just trying to see what God's saying to me in this. I wanna know what the Lord's purpose is. I'm rejoicing in what God has for me." Somebody has cancer. I got a phone call the other day from a lady who's going in for chemotherapy. She said, "I'm so excited to see the hand of God in this." We live under the confidence that our Lord is faithful, don't we? So no matter what happens, no matter what goes on, we...we see the mighty hand of God, faithful to us. I have no fear of the evil one. That's not true with everybody. We got a new movement in...an evangelicalism called the Openness of God. It's very, very fast-moving movement, and what it basically says is, "God does not determine the future. God does not control the future. He doesn't necessarily completely control the present. He doesn't even know the future, because it hasn't happened. There isn't anything to know. And so God's up there trying to sort it out as...as it happens just like we are. And, you know, we just need to kinda hold Him...hold Him to the fire and encourage Him to...to do a good job of kinda reacting."
That's a horrible thing. I don't need a God like me. That's not helpful. Everybody else in my life operates like that. I need somebody who doesn't. I need a God who transcends all that, who's sovereign over all that. And that's the God who is our God. That's the God we've always believed in here at Grace Church. We have always believed in...in that marvelous doctrine of grace called the sovereignty of God. We have people in our church who have joined our church from other churches, and they have said to me, "We left that church because that church believes in the sovereignty of Satan." This is a Christian church. But you know what they say? The devil will give you cancer. The devil will give you a heart attack. The devil, steal your job. The devil will bring divorce into your family. The devil will make your kids sick, so we gotta go through the house praying away the devil. Praying away the demons." And people live in fear and terror that the devil's gonna do something awful to you.
We don't live like that. We don't live like that. We know that the...the Lord God is sovereign, and the devil can only do what God lets him do for his own purposes. We don't live in fear. We live in joy. We live in confidence. We live in trust. I don't think I could piece together peoples' lives who lived under the sovereignty of Satan. I think trying to shepherd those kind of people would be absolutely so destructive I couldn't comprehend it. If I could say to somebody, "God is in this, working His glory and your good," I don't know where I'd go. I'd be like Job's friends giving stupid answers out of ignorance. But I can tell you this, through all the years that we've been here, whatever comes and whatever goes, God is doing His Will, and all things are working together for what? For good, because He's in control of all things.
You have given me back that trust. You have trusted in the God of the Bible...and He has strengthened us, and He has protected us from the evil one. And He will always do that. Romans 8, right? Nobody's gonna bring a charge against God's elect. Nobody's gonna condemn us. Christ has already died for us. Nothing is gonna separate us from the love of Christ. It's been such an immense joy to live with the people that trust.
I need to hurry. Thirdly, if I could want anything out of a people, it would be that they're prayerful and trusting. Thirdly, that they're obedient. Not to me, but, verse 4, "We have confidence in the Lord concerning you that you are doing and will continue to do what we command." In the end of the day, you know what makes the...the parent happy is the child's obedience. Is that not true? Is there anything more difficult to deal with than a disobedient child? Same is true with pastoring. A recalcitrant, rebellious, resistant congregation is a heartache of heartaches. You've never been that. For 35 years...whatever we have brought to you by way of Biblical command, you have obeyed. And verse 4, I can say with Paul, "We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command." You always have, and so that's an assurance you always will. The fact that you always have indicates that you're truly converted. Because the truly converted obey, do they not?
"If you continue in my Word, then you're My real disciple. Whoever loves Me, obeys My commandments," and on and on, those verses go. So Paul says, "I'm confident of this, because I've seen it. My confidence is in the Lord and His work concerning you." They were a genuine church. They were a true church. Real believers and 1 Thessalonians 1:4, he calls them, "The elect. The chosen of God." I've seen it. You are doing, and you will continue to do what we command. Therein is the...is the preacher's supreme joy. We bring you the Word, and you do it. You do it. It's just a continuing joy to me. We know that you're truly Christians. We know that you are truly being sanctified. We know that you truly honor the Word of God, because you do it.
This is a great blessing. This is a benediction of all benedictions. Because when we call you from the Word to trust God, you do it. When we call you from the Word to be prayerful, you do it. So at the heart of this little list of five, number three, right in the center, holding it all together is obedience. This...this great gift that you have given to me. Heart obedience. Heart obedience.
Number four, verse 5, "And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God." What would a pastor want from his people that they would be prayerful, trusting, and obedient, and loving? Loving. This doesn't say they weren't loving. Of course, they were loving. They were characterized by love. Love was a distinguishing mark. Back in chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians verse 3, he says, "I constantly bear in mind your work of faith and labor of love." But what he's saying here is, "My desire for you is that the Lord would direct." Now that word direct is a verb that means to make straight...to make straight...it is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 of removing obstacles out of the way and straightening out the path so there's no hindrance. So what he is saying is this: "My desire is that the Lord would put you on a direct path, straight into the love of God." The word heart means your inner being. It's like saying, "You know, I...I just want you to go straight into the depths of the love of God." Not just God's love for them, but their love for Him. I want you to immerse yourselves in the love of God. Certainly, you've already done it. I...I just want the Lord to direct you in a non-diverted, straight path, deep into the love of God.
And that, too, has been characteristic of this church. I don't think people on the outside can ever understand this church. They can't understand it. They hear me preach a message. In fact, one man introduced me at a bookseller's convention. He said, "This is John MacArthur. He's much nicer in person than he is in his sermons." Well, that's fair enough. I mean if I'm preaching a sermon on a certain issue, I'm not trying to be nice. I'm trying to explain what the Bible says. But we better be loving in our relationships. And this church has always been that. This is the most loving congregation I know, most giving, sacrificial, nourishing, caring, compassionate. I keep getting letters off the Larry King program. "You were so compassionate. You were so caring...toward the man you were talking to." Well, what else? I think people are surprised, because they think if you're doctrinal and you're definitive about Scripture, somehow love is missing.
You know, if...if I have not love, I'm nothing more than a noisy gong, right? This church has always been characterized by love. In fact, I think probably it's its most visible characteristic. You have given back love to me, to my wife, to our family, to all in the congregation and all outside. We are known as a church of people who have plunged, as it were, deep into the love of God.
Thank you for 35 years of loving me. Finally, I wanna say more than I'm being allowed to say by time, 'cause it's way gone, unless this clock is wrong. It's not. One final comment. Clayton took too much time this morning. That'll cost him.
Number five. May the Lord direct your hearts into the steadfastness of Christ. May the Lord direct your hearts into the steadfastness of Christ. The word steadfastness, kupamonae, endurance, endurance, endurance. You know, what more could you ask for than a...a...a people who are prayerful, who are trusting, who are obedient, who are loving, and who are enduring? I'll tell you what, this church is a testimony to endurance. Thirty-five years of listening to one man. That is endurance. That is really endurance. You have endured in love. You have been patient for the ups and downs, the bad decisions, the mediocre decisions, the good decisions, the directions, the misdirections. Through it all, you have endured in loving patience. You have shown your steadfast love for Christ. You have shown your steadfast love for truth. You've shown your steadfast love for me and for all of us who serve you.
Honestly, Paul is summing up here all that I could say about you, and I don't know what I'd say beyond this. You are prayerful, trusting, obedient, loving, and steadfast. And the privilege that I've had for 35 years to be here, I'm sure, is without equal, and I will spend, not only the rest of my life, but my eternity in praise to God for the gift of this congregation.
Father, thank You for the time we've had. We haven't had enough time. So much more to say. Left so much unsaid that this people needs to hear. But, Lord, first I thank You for them. Then I thank them for responding to You. For making this one pastor's life so rich...so rich. And now, as we end, Lord, if there are any here who don't know Jesus Christ, may You open their hearts to faith in Him and salvation, the forgiveness of sin, and the hope of Heaven. There are some struggling with sin. May this be a day of cleansing. If there are some who need to become a part of this church and serve here and be shepherded here, would You draw them, as well? Do Your work in each of our hearts. And, again, Lord, thank You for Your gift to me in this church for all these years. In Christ's name, Amen.
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Holy People Are Happy People
So much could be said of the consequences of sin and impurity for the Christian. And we should speak of them — the Bible certainly does. David, in Psalm 32, described the misery of unrepentant sin as his bones wasting …Read More
Count It All Joy
Just a few days after the death of his wife, Idelette, John Calvin wrote these words expressing the depths of his suffering: "The death of my wife has been exceedingly painful to me … . I have been bereaved of the best …Read More
Where Is Your Hope?
The story is told that a financially comfortable North American went to visit a mission church that was located in the village dump in a city in Africa. Wondering, he shadowed the pastor for much of the day until he …Read More
Christian Exiles
In a profound sense, this world is not our home. When we are away from our bodies we will be "at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). We are not to be "conformed to this age" (Rom. 12 …Read More
For My Good?
In 1993, my wife and I were involved in an historic train wreck. The crash of the Sunset Limited into an inlet from Mobile Bay killed more passengers than any Amtrak accident in history. We survived that eerie accident but …Read More
The Joy of the Lord
As I consider Matthew 20, I find that the laborers complained because they worked all day and received a certain wage. Then those who worked just part of the day received the same amount as the ones who gave it …Read More
For the last four years, I have spoken at a conference on the West Coast called "Resolved." The name is drawn from the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and is aimed at college students and "twenty-somethings" in the next generation …Read More
The Blessed Rich in Spirit
There is real poverty in the world, more than we would care to admit. Jesus, after all, told us that the poor would always be with us. But just as all Israel are not Israel, so all the poor are …Read More
A Light in Dark Places
"The Holy Spirit has exhorted the faithful to continue clapping their hands for joy until the advent of the promised Redeemer," wrote John Calvin in a comment on Psalm 47:12. Paul would heartily concur! Writing from a prison cell …Read More
Unquenchable Joy
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2). Was James a masochist? "When you face trials, do it with joy." Who …Read More


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Jennifer Lopez: All I Have
All I Have is the first residency show by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez. The show is performed at The AXIS auditorium located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Buy cheap Jennifer Lopez tickets for her show in Las Vegas with the promocode GoodDeal at Cheapbargaintickets.com. Use the promocode at the check out to get a 5% discount on Jannifer Lopez tickets.
Jennifer Lopez: All I Have Tickets
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Marketplace Pricing
As a resale marketplace, rather than a box office or venue, CheapBargainTickets connects ticket buyers with great deals from individual sellers.
Madison Square Garden
4 Pennsylvania Plaza
4 Pennsylvania Plaza
New York, NY 10001
About Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden (sometimes called MSG or simply The Garden) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Located between Seventh and Eighth Avenues from 31st to 33rd Streets, it is situated atop Pennsylvania Station (the second railroad station to bear the name). It is the fourth venue to bear the "MSG" name, the first two (1879) and (1890) of which were located on Madison Square, on East 26th Street and Madison Avenue, with the third Madison Square Garden further uptown at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street. The Garden is used for professional basketball and ice hockey, as well as boxing, concerts, ice shows, circuses, and other forms of sports and entertainment. It resides in close geographic proximity to other midtown Manhattan landmarks, including the Empire State Building, Koreatown, and Macy's at Herald Square. It is home to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association, and residency to singer-songwriter, Billy Joel.
191 Beale Street
191 Beale Street
Memphis, TN 38103
About FedExForum
FedExForum is an arena located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Memphis, both of whom previously played home games at the Pyramid Arena. The arena officially opened in September 2004 after much debate and also a derecho wind storm on July 22, 2003 that nearly brought down the cranes that were building it near the famed Beale Street. It was built at a cost of $250 million and is owned by the City of Memphis; naming rights were purchased by one of Memphis' most well-known businesses, FedEx, for $92 million. FedExForum was financed using $250 million of public bonds, which were issued by the Memphis Public Building Authority (PBA). The venue also has the capability of hosting ice hockey games, concerts, and family shows.
Beacon Theatre
2124 Broadway
2124 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
About The Beacon Theatre
The Beacon Theatre is a historic theater at 2124 Broadway (at West 74th Street) on Broadway in upper Manhattan, New York City. The 2,894-seat, three-tiered theatre was designed by Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager as a movie palace for motion pictures and vaudeville. Today it is one of New York's leading live music and entertainment venues, and controlled by Madison Square Garden, Inc.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and writer. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he was both a chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving behind his initial base in the culture of the folk music revival, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" radically altered the parameters of popular music in 1965. His mid-1960s recordings, backed by rock musicians, reached the top end of the U.S. music charts while also attracting denunciation and criticism from others in the folk movement.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise that plays in the East division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The team plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, which finished construction in time for the 2009 season.[1] The Cowboys joined the NFL as a 1960 expansion team.[2] The team's national following might best be represented by its NFL record of consecutive home sell-outs. The Cowboys' streak of 160 sold-out regular and post-season games began in 1990, and included 79 straight sellouts at their former home, Texas Stadium, and 81 straight sell-outs on the road.
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band that originated in Los Angeles, California.[2][3][4] The group was formed in 1994 as Kara's Flowers while its members were still in high school. The original members of the band were Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick; they signed to Reprise Records and released an album, The Fourth World, in 1997. After a tepid response to the album, the band parted ways with the record label and the members attended college. In 2001, the band regrouped, with James Valentine added to the lineup, and pursued a new direction under the name Maroon 5.
Cher is an American singer and actress. Recognized for having brought the sense of female autonomy and self-actualization into the entertainment industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in various areas of entertainment, as well as continuously reinventing both her music and image, which has led to her being nicknamed the Goddess of Pop.
James Taylor


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ID Cards
NEC uses an ID card called the Penguin Pass. All faculty, staff, and students are required to receive a card, as this ID is also a smart card that will allow access to our buildings and certain areas within them.
You can save time and submit a photograph online so that your ID will be ready upon your arrival. The Penguin Pass can be used to purchase meals, use vending machines, borrow library materials, make photocopies, gain access to certain areas of our buildings, and is also accepted by several local merchants (such as Symphony Market and Cappy's Pizza).
There are three options for submitting a photo:
Option1: Attach a digital photo to an email and send it to email@example.com. Make sure to include the words "Photo ID" in the subject line of the email. In the text of the email include your legal name and "SCE student."
Requirements for the Photograph:
- Photos should be in color, and recent enough to be a good likeness of you; taken within the last six months.
- You must be the only person in the photo.
- Photos must be head shots that measure at least one inch in length.
- Photos must be clear, facing forward, full face, from the top of the head to at least mid-chest level, taken in normal street attire without a hat or sunglasses or any other obstruction of the face, including head resting on hands.
- Photos should be taken agains a plain light background, preferably a white background.
- Digital photos must be in jpeg/jpg format.
Option 2: Get your photo ID taken in the 241 St. Botolph building room 106
Option 3: Call NEC's Building Operations office at 617-585-1176 to schedule an appointment.
Once your photo has been received, please allow one week for processing.
Your ID will then be avaialble for pickup at the 241 St. Botolph Street building.


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Marketing Solutions
Hometown Marketing
When your family wants to give something back, tell them about Aurora's Sentiments program. If a family chooses an Aurora casket or urn, Aurora will make a donation to the American Breast Cancer Foundation in the name of the deceased.
The American Breast Cancer Foundation generously offers financial assistance to underinsured and underprivileged men and women. Funds help individuals cover the costs of preventative screening, diagnostic tests, medical treatment and survival of breast cancer.
Just like our Honoring the Veterans program, it's completely free for you and your families to participate. All you have to do is fill out and return a postage-paid card when your family selects an Aurora casket or urn.
In return, we'll send you a certificate saying a donation has been made in the name of the deceased. This elegant parchment certificate is perfect to present to the family after funeral services have concluded, and will serve as a treasured memento.
To get started and receive a free promotion kit, contact your Aurora representative or complete the online form on the next page.
Next: Request a Marketing Kit


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HOTSEAT- Painter of height: Architect Atwood cowboys up the town
Not many men choose from the violet end of the spectrum for their business attire, but architect Bill Atwood wears a purple polo shirt and probably doesn't think twice about it when he gets dressed.
The biggest misperception people have about architects, he says, is that "They're all wearing their underwear too tight." Bill Atwood doesn't have that problem.
Better known locally for a couple of high-profile projects in the works– Waterhouse condos over Club 216, an art deco complex on West Main (the former site of Under the Roof), and the completed Cream Street 10– Atwood also has buildings familiar to citizens who aren't necessarily downtowners: the Dairy Queen in Crozet, the Blimpie on U.S. 29 north, the Everyday Café on Pantops.
Florida-raised Atwood started in art and migrated to architecture. "Art's a journey," he says. "Some of the ugliest sh*t I've ever seen, I painted." Besides, he doesn't see art as something that needs to be sold– and he had to eat.
He came to Charlottesville in 1975 to work on Albemarle's first PUD– planned unit development– and like so many others, never left. "It was a lot like landing on another planet– the planet of tweed," he says.
At his first public hearing– a proposal to put a horse farm in Farmington– an argument ensued about the flight path of a horsefly. He was hooked.
Atwood debunks the "black box theory"– the notion that architects have a black box in the next room that's going to tell them what to build for a client. "We always listen to the client," he stresses. "All I do is anti-gravity machines. The clients– they have the answers."
Or as he once told a sixth grade class, "I'm the only person who will take someone's fantasy and make it a reality."
Thirty-three years after landing here, he could be reaching the most challenging part of his work life yet: his attempt to bring Waterhouse and the West Main building to life amid Charlottesville's stringent, yet shifting, zoning.
"I'm clearly irritated by former city councilors and mayors from Southern Environmental Law Center telling me buildings are too tall on West Main Street," Atwood grouses, clearly taking a shot at sunshine-lovin' former mayor Kay Slaughter. "We're not a city blessed with a growing number of neighborhoods. UVA is growing, the city can't annex– where are we going to put these people?"
He decries nine-story buildings that look like "the Pentagon on steroids, the wedding cake from hell," but that are by-right possibilities downtown, arguing that taller, thin towers atop the first six stories is much less intrusive and more European.
"I don't get it," he says. "Nine stories is the most uneconomical height to build because of fire safety, elevators.... Up to six stories or over 12 is most efficient. Nine stories– that's a dead zone."
As challenging as his upcoming projects will be, when asked about his most controversial project, Atwood doesn't chose Charlottesville. Instead, he names an African-American church he was working on 15 years ago "in the middle of nowhere" in Buckingham. "We got inspected by OSHA people and fined," he says. "I've done buildings in eight states, and OSHA appears in Buckingham? Someone didn't want that church built."
He doesn't hesitate to name his favorite project: a village in Hiroshima to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the atomic bomb. "That will always be by far the most important thing I've ever done," he declares.
During the five years he worked on the project, he never asked the Japanese how they picked "an average American schmuck" for the project. Later, he discovered it was a golf clubhouse that looks like a tobacco barn he'd designed in Williamsburg, a popular destination for Japanese tourists.
He has advice for Americans doing business in Japan: you can't do business unless you sing karaoke. And you have to perfect your song.
"I'm an outstanding cowboy karaoke singer in Japan," Atwood insists. His song? "Born to Be Wild."
Age: 60
Why here? I came here to do the county's first PUD– Peacock Hill.
What's worst about living here? Dress code
Favorite hangout? Café Cubano
Most overrated virtue? Wearing underwear
People would be surprised to know: I paint everyday.
What would you change about yourself? I would change my wig.
Proudest accomplishment? I was named Practicing Architect of the Year by the Planning Commission.
People find most annoying about you: I'm loud.
Whom do you admire? Mike Davis, former Albemarle Planning Commissioner and smartest man I ever knew
Favorite book? Black Angel: The life of Arshile Gorky
Subject that causes you to rant? Psuedo urban experts
Biggest 21st-century thrill? Traveling to Japan to work in Hiroshima
Biggest 21st-century creep out? Joining the U.S. Army. But not for me, for them.
What do you drive? Saab
In your car CD player right now: Bob Dylan
Next journey? Africa
Most trouble you've ever gotten in? OSHA fine for rural African American Church
Regret: That I didn't drink more Rocci in Istanbul
Favorite comfort food: Celery with peanut butter
Always in your refrigerator: Cold weather. I'm from Miami.
Must-see TV: The Sopranos
Describe a perfect day. Painting all day
Walter Mitty fantasy: I'm appearing with John Conover in a Hunter S. Thompson movie in which we discover the next sports/health drink...Wild Turkey!
Who'd play you in the movie? Donald Sutherland
Most embarrassing moment? Birth to this morning; it never ends.
Best advice you ever got? Listen.
Favorite bumper sticker? Cancer sucks.


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overweight 7yr old daughter
Hi is there any way in which I can help my little angel to eat healthy.. What can I put in her snackbax to school? I think she eats too much bread.
Started by Ursula on 08/07/2010 in Welcome To Circle Of Moms!!
Last update on 08/13/2010 by Lorraine


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A New Tractor from New Holland can be operated cab-end or engine-end first. The TV6070 bidirectional tractor features a Turnabout console that rotates the seat and controls 180° so the tractor may be operated from front or back. With 3-pt. hitches on both ends, the TV6070 provides speed and versatility. Jobs are completed in less time because attachments are "doubled up." For example, hay can be cut and conditioned up to 35 ft. wide at a time by pushing a sickle header and pulling another one. Or snow can be removed faster with a snow blower on one end and a blade on the other.
The new tractor model is equipped with a 6.7-liter, fuel-efficient diesel engine and can operate on any diesel fuel or biodiesel blend up to B100. It is rated at 105 PTO hp. The new model features a transmission with eight operating ranges from 0 to 19 mph. The driver selects a range and then has infinite control of the speed with a drive control handle. The ranges may be shifted on the go. In addition, when the tractor senses a steep hill or heavy resistance, it automatically downshifts the range and then returns to the original setting when the load is reduced.
The retail prices start at $91,500 for the base TV6070 and $101,200 for a model with a front-end loader. For more information, contact your New Holland dealer, visit www.newholland.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/fin, or circle 152.


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hi, i am 26 years old man. and having a curved penis problem. kindly tell me how to get a curved penis in to straighten.
That depends on if it's only a slight bend or whether the guys (and gals) call you Captain Hook whenever you drop trou. The medical condition is called Peyronie's disease. I'll print some information below.
Dr. Bob
bent penis Jan 8, 2010
I am 22 now. I have been masturbating from almost 10 years rubbing against bed. the same approach everytime. recently I have observed myself that I am keeping my penis sidewards while I rub against bed and also observred that its bent sidewards (slightly+). Is bed-masturbation cause for my bent penis in my case? always force on growing muscles to sidewards..?? is this the reason?
Response from Dr. Frascino
"Bed-masturbating" is not the cause of your bent big bopper. No matter how you "burp the nephew," you won't turn Mr. Happy into Captain Hook. A slight bend in your banana can be normal. More significant bends are called Peyronie's disease. See below.
Dr. Bob
Bent in Penis after long tome masturbation Jan 20, 2009
I am masturbating since long and try to avoid from this bad habit but unfortunately unable to do at my end. Still i am trying to avoid maximum time even months have been paased but night fall occurs. I found bent in my penis towards right side like banana shape and with some veins also seen on it. I want to reshape it as it was before, second either it comes under disease disorder of testis or my sperms may able for the reproduction.Thirdly I should go fora herbal treatment with no side effects. What should I do??.Reply please as soon as possible.
Response from Dr. Frascino
Masturbation is not a "bad habit." It's a perfectly normal and healthy habit.
Your bent banana is not due to masturbating. What you have is Peyronie's disease. (See below.) Peyronie's disease does not affect sperm production or ability to reproduce.
Should you go for herbal treatment? No, it would not be effective. As for what to do, you could see a urologist if you're concerned about your "right hook."
Good luck.
Dr. Bob
How to quit masturbation. (Peyronie's disease) (M ASTURBATION 2008) (QTND: CAN YOU GIVE YOURSELF AN STD BY MASTURBATION, 2008) Jul 11, 2008
Dr. Frascino, I have masturbated for six years and feel ashamed because of it. Now things have gone to far and my..shaft is starting to curve. So now is the time to stop, can you tell me how?
P.S. PLZ respond, I have to end this.
Response from Dr. Frascino
Quit masturbating??? Why? It's completely normal and very healthy. There is absolutely no reason to be ashamed of "choking the chicken" or "burping the nephew" or whatever euphemism you'd like to use! (See below.)
As for your shaft starting to curve, this is not due to masturbating! It's a condition called Peyronie's disease (see below). The cause of this condition is not known. But we do know it's not caused by wanking!
I would suggest you review the information in the archives of this forum. We have a whole chapter devoted to whacking off. Remember, it's completely normal. In fact, I just may take a break from answering questions to play with my own "home entertainment center" for a pause that refreshes!
Dr. Bob
question about HIV and bent penis Jun 27, 2006
Dear Doctor, I think you are a wonderful person and I may donate to your foundation if I can find out how. You have answered one of my questions before and relieved some stress. I have a few minor questions that may help me a little. I recently (within a month) have noticed my penis is bent a little to the side. A few questions please...
Is it normal to have a slightly bent penis...is it harmful?
Can masturbating cause the bent penis or does it just happen?
Although I used a condom and I am not worried about this particular situation too much, does it increase your chances of contracting HIV or AIDS if you have a bent penis?
Thank you doctor...please answer.
Response from Dr. Frascino
I'll be brief:
"Normal" would be straight. "Slightly bent" is extremely common and not at all harmful.
If masturbating caused a penis to bend, I would be Captain Hook rather than Dr. Bob.
A slight bend will not affect sexual function. A severe bend (Peyronie's disease) can cause discomfort. Bends, be they slight curves or severe kinks, do not affect HIV risk.
Donation information for The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation can be found on our Web site at www.concertedeffort.org.
Stay well.
Dr. Bob
Peyronie's Disease
Peyronie's disease is the development of abnormal scar tissue, or plaques, in tissues inside the penis. When a penis affected by Peyronie's (pa-ro-NEEZ) disease is erect, it's usually bent and may be painful.
Peyronie's disease may prevent a man from having sex, and men with Peyronie's disease often experience stress or anxiety related to this disorder.
Research about the effectiveness of nonsurgical treatments for Peyronie's disease is limited. Surgery to correct a curved or bent penis is usually recommended if the deformity is severe or prevents satisfactory sexual activity.
Peyronie's disease symptoms may appear suddenly or develop gradually. The most common signs and symptoms of Peyronie's disease include the following:
Deformed penis When the penis is erect, it appears deformed. The penis may:
Be bent, or curved, upward, the most common deformity Be bent down or to one side Have an "hourglass" appearance, with a tight, narrow band around the erect shaft Have a "hinge" effect, in which the penis appears erect but bends sharply downward at the base The curvature or other deformity may gradually worsen over the first six to 18 months. At a certain point in time, the deformity will no longer worsen, but it will continue to recur with erections.
Pain Pain most often occurs with an erection during the first six to 18 months after the onset of symptoms. However, pain associated with Peyronie's disease may occur in any of the following cases:
During an erection Only during an orgasm When the penis is touched even when it's not erect (flaccid) Scar tissue under the skin The scar tissue, or plaques, associated with Peyronie's disease can be felt under the skin of the penis as flat lumps or a band of hard tissue.
Other symptoms Other signs and symptoms include:
Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Shortening of the penis When to see a doctor See your doctor if you have any symptoms during an erection that cause pain, prevent you from having sex or cause you anxiety. An accurate diagnosis is necessary to get appropriate treatment.
Treatments and drugs By Mayo Clinic staff Nesbit plication Your doctor will likely not recommend treatment if all of the conditions apply to you:
The curvature isn't severe and is no longer worsening You don't experience pain You can engage in satisfactory sexual activity Oral medications There's limited information on the effectiveness of drugs to treatment Peyronie's disease. A number of oral medications have been proposed and tested, but the use of these drugs isn't supported by reliable research.
Penile injections Research on drugs injected directly into the plaques in the penis is somewhat limited. However, these treatments may reduce the curvature of the penis and pain associated with Peyronie's disease. If you have one of these treatments, you'll receive multiple injections over several months. You'll be given a local anesthetic to prevent pain during the injections.
Penile injections for Peyronie's disease may include one of the following drugs:
Verapamil is a drug normally used to treat high blood pressure. It appears to disrupt the production of collagen, a protein in connective tissues that appears to be a key factor in the formation of Peyronie's disease scar tissue. Interferon is a protein that appears to disrupt the production and promote the breakdown of collagen. Collagenase is an enzyme that breaks down collagen and may eliminate some scar tissue. Surgery Your doctor may suggest surgery if the deformity of your penis is severe or prevents you from having sex. Surgery usually isn't performed until the condition is stabilized until the curvature hasn't changed and your erections have been pain-free for at least six months.
Common surgical methods include:
Shortening the unaffected side. A variety of procedures can be used to shorten the tunica albuginea on the side of the penis opposite the scar tissue. The shortened side of the sheath and the less elastic, scarred side of the sheath end up being about the same length when the penis is erect. This results in a relatively straight erection. These procedures usually shorten the overall length of the penis. It's generally used in men who have adequate penis length and a less severe curvature of the penis. A risk of this procedure is difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction). Lengthening the affected side. With these procedures, the surgeon makes several cuts in the scar tissue, allowing the sheath to stretch out and the penis to straighten. The surgeon may have to remove some of the scar tissue. A graft is sewn into place to cover the holes in the tunica albuginea. A graft may be tissue from your own body, human or animal tissue, or a synthetic material. This procedure is generally used if a man has a shorter penis, severe curvature or a complicated deformity. This procedure runs a greater risk of erectile dysfunction than does the shortening procedure. Penile implants. Penile implants are essentially artificial versions of the spongy, tube-like tissues in the penis (corpora cavernosa). The implants may be semirigid manually bent down to appear flaccid or bent up for sexual intercourse. Other penile implants may be inflated with a pump implanted either in the groin or the scrotum. The inflated implants cause the penis to be erect. Penile implants are usually used if a man has both Peyronie's disease and erectile dysfunction. When the implants are put in place, the surgeon will likely make some incisions in the scar tissue to relieve tension on the tunica albuginea. You'll likely go home from the hospital the same day as the surgery. You'll need to leave the dressing on your penis for 24 to 72 hours. Your surgeon will advise you on how long you should wait before having sex. You'll likely need to wait at least four to six weeks.


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Using every and all forms of technology is completely acceptable and recommended in grad school. Indiana University makes it easy for people like me to understand new email interfaces, citation management softwares, setting up wireless printing, and more.
- University Information Technology Services – the technological support and services for the entire university. I have taken classes on Excel and HTML for my graduate assistantships to help me learn new skills and brush up on others. There are various workshops and trainings you can sign up for through the university.
- After I purchased my
pride and joy, bane of my existence, laptop I had to download some appropriate software such as Office for MAC, Adobe, and the wonderful Endnote. These software programs and many more are available through the university.
- Questions or issues with software, internet logins, pass phrases not working, or email servers giving you trouble…well the campus support center will answer questions by phone, email, in person, and by chat.
- There is even a place to purchase hardware on campus right in the Indiana Memorial Union and discounted items through IU Surplus.
What I have described here is only a small part of the tech services and support here on campus. I am still learning about new tips and tricks all the time.


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PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian is shaken by today's disastrous jobs report.
Writing on FT.com, El-Erian listed off the disappointing metrics of the report, but he warns of much worse.
These disappointments partly reflect changing seasonal factors, including the prior impact of this winter's unusually mild weather. But there is something much larger in play, and the implications go beyond economics; they influence key elements of the political narrative for the upcoming presidential and congressional elections.
The report demonstrates that firms "lack conviction" to hire for "expected future business."
Why? Uncertainty about everything, writes El-Erian:
American consumers, as a group, still carry too much debt and have to cope with higher oil prices. The prospects for exports, which have grown markedly, are gradually dimming now that the rest of the world is slowing. Meanwhile, policymakers have yet to find a way to deal properly with a year-end fiscal cliff, the result of Washington's repeated inability to design coherent fiscal policy.
This demand uncertainty compounds worrisome structural impediments to growth.
His evidence that we already face structural problems: 5 million long-term unemployed; 9-month average time out of work; 25% unemployment for 16-19 year olds; and 12.6% unemployment for those without high school degrees.
The only option, he says, is for Congress to act and address impediments to growth "that have been repeatedly identified" but gone unaddressed.
But he's not optimistic that will happen:
"Political bickering and dithering may again deliver a depressingly familiar seasonal pattern that undermines the wellbeing of millions and renders the subsequent recovery even more difficult to secure."