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Portia by Zoya can be best described as a soft milky pale rose with cool lavender undertones in a smooth creme finish. A different choice for a charming, delicate nude look.
Finish - Cream
Intensity - 3 (1 = Sheer - 5 = Opaque)
Tone - Cool
For Best Results
Step 1: Clean the nail plate with Remove Plus ( Remove ) nail polish remover and nail plate cleaner
Step 2: Choose and apply the right base coat: Zoya Anchor for regular healthy nails or Zoya GetEven for nails with ridges
Step 3: Apply 2 coats of your favorite Zoya Nail Polish Color
Step 4: Apply a coat of Zoya Armor Top Coat
Step 5: Drop one drop of Zoya Fast Drops to the base of your nail bed
Following these 5 steps guarantees up to 14 days of wear on natural nails.
Shade Spotlight
I fully agree with Zoya`s color description on this one, it is exactly as stated. So pretty and classy. It is the only nude I have ever bought, and it is perfect. Can`t stop looking at my nails. Love it!
-Couldn`t stop looking at my nails
I love Portia. One of those colors that I sit and admire throughout the day.
Zoya Nail Polish | PortiaGorgeous!
Absolutely LOVE Portia! It`s the perfect shade of fresh, classy pink that looks natural, not shocking. Way better than Bubble Bath. The perfect combo of color and sheerness, not as sheer as BB, more color than BB, but doesn`t have that white based opaque thick painted on results you see with some pinks. Just perfect! Thanks
Zoya Nail Polish | PortiaPerfect pink
Portia is kind of the perfect pink and makes a superb French with Snow White. It is as the other reviewer said a pink with an ever-so-slight hint of gray which makes it opaque and interesting. Also nice alone with two coats.
Zoya Nail Polish | PortiaBlows Bubble Bath away!
***LOVE*** Portia!!! Finally found my perfect natural pink in this one. Was originally looking for a Zoya take on the obligatory 'Bubble Bath', and this by far blows it away. They may not be *exact* in value, but this now completely replaces it on every level… -Much more upscale & much less streaking (if any), and a way more sophisticated look. 2 coats (3's probably best) & Armor and it looks like cashmere-soft pink in super-shiny porcelain, -a totally classy spin on the natural pink polish. Love this! -Now a permanent first place in my set.
Zoya Nail Polish | PortiaVery Subtle Color!
Beautiful color...a pink with a touch of gray. Not bright, not neutral...just perfect. Definately needs 2 coats, last a surprising 4 days without chips (no top coat)


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Campground Reviews is now Available through the RV LIFE App on iPhones, iPads, and Android Devices.
Click Here to learn more.
13 RV Parks near Twin Rivers, New Jersey
Hightstown, New Jersey 1.73 miles NW
Clearbrook Park, New Jersey 3.46 miles NE
Cranbury, New Jersey 3.79 miles NW
Concordia, New Jersey 3.96 miles NE
Rossmoor, New Jersey 5.09 miles NE
We did however find 13 campgrounds within 25 miles of Twin Rivers. You can also find a list of cities with campgrounds or RV Parks near Twin Rivers in the left hand column.
720 Monmouth Rd. Jackson, New Jersey 08514 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 71 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 6 Reviews
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Jun 2018 - $25.00
We spent the summer of 2018 on site #76. Our monthly rate was $745.00 and our electric was .17 cents per kwh. The site was a pull in and set up for a cabin or motorhome. Since we are in a 5th wheel, our hook-ups were on the wrong side. Fortunately we had enough water and sewer hose and Artie, the owner, lent us a 50 amp electric cord extension so we were in good shape. The entire area is heavily wooded which made satellite TV reception very difficult but helped keep our air conditioning needs down. Internet reception on the park WiFi was impossible at the site but we were able to pick it up if we went up near the office. We were way on a cruise for two weeks and between the terrific staff and some wonderful neighbors, we felt very comfortable leaving our home there while we were away. Crystal Springs was a very nice place to be and we would stay there again. The monthly rate was a bit steep considering our site condition but the area and the staff helped make up for that. Hopefully the pool will be finished this year and we will be able to enjoy it if we get back there again. - Helen C
Nov 2017 - $85.00
RV Resort?? More like the LAST RESORT. What a pit. One (barely working) shower for whole campground. No laundry, no amenities other then a overgrown pond.
Only good thing I can say about the office staff is they're rarely there: so the abuse they espouse is kept to a minimum. AVOID THIS PLACE unless of course it's your LAST RESORT.
Lots are very close and have a fire ring. Site surface is dirt. - Jeff AP
May 2013 - $20.00
This park is mainly privately owned RV lots, with park model units ( they look like log cabins). There are a few RV lots, but most are in disrepair. The developer is presently in a legal battle with the HOA, thus all rents have to be paid to the County Sheriff. Our rate is based on a monthly rate. I would stay away from this park until legal issues are resolved. The wireless worked well; TV is very poor; the cable is just an old fashioned CATV. - BillI
1335 Reed Rd Jackson, New Jersey 08514 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 200 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 32 Reviews
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Sep 2018 - $30.00
Very nice park. Rustic with sandy dirt roads, a little narrow but fine for our 33' mh. Sites were sandy, ours was shady, fire rings at each site, a little narrow but fine for 2 slide outs. Overall the campground is older and could use a little sprucing up, but had lots of activities for kids, two playgrounds, very nice clean pool, and a DJ on Sat. night. They had paddle boats for rent and fishing in the lake. Looked like several permanent sites. Staff was friendly. Pool was kept open another week because of hot weather. Visited family living in NJ, will definitely stay again. Close to Six Flags and the shore. - RockyRanch
Jul 2018 - $55.00
Stayed for the weekend with very young grand-kids. They didn't notice the very small size of the pull thru site nor the fact that it was overgrown. Seemed like MOST of the sites were seasonal/permanent with many in great disrepair. Speed limit of 5 mph is a fantasy, no way to go that fast in a MH because of the many potholes/craters. Pool seemed very nice although not used. Many sites were WELL decorated for Christmas in July which the grand-kids enjoyed. While the campground is kinda rundown, the campers/guests were EXTREMELY friendly. Campground was chosen due to proximity to my kids' house. - Vrrmm Rydr
Jul 2018 - $55.00
This CG is a bit on the old side. Dirt roads with ruts and uncut grass. There are some eye sore sites. - Michael47
200 Georgia Road Freehold, New Jersey 07728 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 64 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 56 Reviews
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Jun 2019 - $40.00
Nice county park, woodsy, spacious and level sites. - Sue S
May 2019 - $38.00
Beautiful wooded state park with nicely set sites spread out. Sites are dirt but level. Water and electricity only but they have a dump station. Easy off the highway, but far enough away there is not a hint of traffic noise. - nancyfromnorthshore
Oct 2018 - $40.00
We have a 36 foot class A motor home. I had no problem getting in or out. Yes, it's tight, but still easy if you go slow. My site was MUCH bigger than most places I've stayed. There is a great playground for kids, clean bathrooms, nice trails, and even a free hayride this time of year. We went to Allaire haunted village which was a lot of fun. Only "warning" is that the fresh water spigots are far from the rv site. You'll need double the hose you normally need. Other than that.... great time and great site - EricNJ
920 W Veterans Hwy Jackson, New Jersey 08527 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 12 Reviews
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Sep 2017 - $52.00
We only stayed a weekend, barely used the restrooms, but saw enough to know this place has seen batter days. It's like it has the bones of a very nice resort: guard house (unattended for years), nice fences, large pool, wide sites, large grassy play area (used to be grassy), huge gathering hall, but now everything is in disrepair or needs maintenance badly. However, the staff here are super nice, eager to please, and helped us out when we got into a jam and had to leave early due to a family-related issue we couldn't control. That offsets a lot in my book. - ObjectsInMotion
Jul 2017 - $49.00
Rate reflects 8 nights. No discounts. I did not use any of the facilities. The pool is large and there is a wide open play area for children. They gave me a pull-through that wasn't quite ready for an occupant. They are updating the sewer lines so the connection pipe was quite high making it difficult to use gravity to empty the tanks. I opted to just use the dump station on the way out. Site numbering is a bit wacky. When looking at the park map, I counted five #1s. So each section has a #1. Confusing to say the least. The roads need some attention but overall, I think they are trying to overcome the previous bad reviews. The park was close to empty except for the long-term guests that pretty much had their own area. I did have some difficulty getting the Wi-Fi. Pretty quiet. - RVingMe
Nov 2016 - $50.00
This is a very busy camp ground. The spots are shaded and some, like mine was hard to level. The staff was nice to a point. - Vanslam
340 Georgia Rd Freehold, New Jersey 07728 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 125 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 35 Reviews
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Sep 2018 - $58.00
We stayed in Pine Cone because we had to be in NJ & it was the closest to our family. This place should not be able to call itself a resort. Dirt & sand roads & sites, potholes & puddles all over to get around. Trees & shrubs not trimmed to accommodate a 45' bus. Tight turns to get to site with trees in the way. Scraped the awning of the bus on one of the trees. Getting out of the site was no picnic either. I had to hold back tree branches so that my husband could make a wide turn to get out. Most people in the "resort" live there permanently with sites that look exactly like that. Site was small with a tree close to door, no room to move around. Site was not long enough or wide enough. They should not tell you that they can fit a 45' bus, if they can't. We had to stay for 18 days & we could not wait to leave. It was $350/wk. We have stayed for an entire month in other campgrounds for what we paid for 18 days here. Never again unless they do some major work there. We stayed off season so the pool was already closed for the winter. Camp store was satisfactory, nothing special. Tennis court look old & not maintained. We did not use the showers or laundry. - Denise58
Sep 2018 - $60.00
Grouchy personnel, small lots, overflowing dumpsters, nickel and dime you at every step, trees encroaching RV paths, pine sap covers your RV by the time you leave. I only stay here because I have to. Cable TV sucks, Internet virtually unusable, you pay extra if you have a washer/dryer, you cannot use sewer totes for non-sewer sites, you must use their honey wagon for a fee. - VagabondLove
Jul 2017 - $53.00
Park is very sandy and uneven. Do not go after a rain storm. My problem is that during the night, my electricity went off. Went to the front office and called the emergency number five times with no answer. I then knocked on a campers door who was familiar with the park and he showed me a breaker box that had possible "tripped". It worked but where was the help from the front office. Spoke to the front office the next day and it was like no big deal to them. She says she was at the gym and didn't receive any calls. Stay away from this place. - Troy650
360 Butterfly Rd Jackson, New Jersey 08527 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 124 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 38 Reviews
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Apr 2019 - $75.00
Camped early in the season, so it was relatively quiet. Nice camp store and friendly staff. Campground roads are a little tight for a very large rig. Just need to pay attention at the corners and watch the leaning trees. - Mike Corl
Oct 2018 - $28.00
The sites are large and wide, with sandy soil and lots of trees. We didn't use the restrooms or laundry but I did investigate and they were spotless. Pool was closed as it was end of season. The store is well stocked with friendly staff. My grandchildren did visit and joined in on crafts, a hayride and trick or treating. Very restful and peaceful at night. - RickyTs
Oct 2018 - $63.00
This is a nice campground with wooded sites and nice large roads. Our site was large and private but sand. I know its south jersey but I can do without the sand it gets everywhere. The office staff was nice. The pool looks nice. Mini golf was fun and the lakes are nice. There is some good hiking trails in the back that were wide and well marked. - Phatsteve
301 Brewers Bridge Road Jackson, New Jersey 08527 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 200 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 36 Reviews
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Jul 2018 - $24.00
My husband and I have been staying here for over a month, before we get on the road. We are newbies, in the midst of renting out our home and getting ready to retire. We have found our stay here to be very pleasant and conveniently located in central NJ. Our site is clean and neat, maybe a bit close to our neighbor, and found some dead branches over us that need to be trimmed, but other than that we really do not have any complaints. The management is quite excellent and responsive. This is a good, safe family place, with lots of summer activities for families. There is a decent laundromat available here. Lots of nearby shopping and there is a Laundromat in town, if you wish to save some $ on laundry. - J Muench
May 2018 - $33.00
This was a nice resort, but we didn't use the facilities. They have 2 pools, bocce ball, basketball, mini golf, activities in the summer. We were there on a rainy week. Being all sand, it made for a mess walking the dog. I will say we got in and out with our 40' rig, but it was very difficult. There is an escort to help and he was very helpful. Lots of trees, no satellite, they had cable, we had fhu 50 amp, unhooked by office, verizon signal on and off, wifi available. Appreciated the recycle bin. The traffic noise is there if you are parked in back. Our spot was quiet. Spots were roomy, but felt crowded as they were every which way and no sense of privacy at all. - dorcol
Oct 2017 - $59.00
Wooded park but road noise is evident. Jet traffic into and out of McGuire. A lot of rules (walk dogs only on your site, can't use your washer/dryer, no pitbull or pitbull mixes), seemingly ignored and not enforced. A lot of seasonal sites. Narrow roads, tight turns. Ok for an overnight.
Follow the web site directions rather than the GPS. Roads leading to the campground are good. - jplante4
Jackson, New Jersey (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 150 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 2 Reviews
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Jul 2008 - $18.00
We stayed at this park during the 4th of July. It is a run down trailer park more than an RV.Their are small children running around all day unsupervised with a lake and is very noisy all day and night. While we were there there was a car chase involving two drunks and one of them drove his truck into the lake. Cable did not work, water lines were full of air, bathrooms and showers were filthy, laundry room always flooded and machines not working.The worst was the geese every morning and the tons of crap they left at your campsite. We would not return if it was free. Would not recommend. - scb
May 2008 - $25.00
We drove through this camp ground. Lots of full time campers with some very old campers. The grounds were not kept up at all. Nice lake. Pot holes in the driveway area that you could lose a small car in. Talked to some locals and they said to stay away due to plenty of drugs and convicts. - Jodee
300 Gordon Road Matawan, New Jersey 07747 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 53 | 0 Reviews
201 State Route 34 Bldg C-29 Colts Neck, New Jersey 07722 (map) | Click To View Phone
Sites: 15 | Recent Rate: $$$$ | 5 Reviews
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Apr 2018 - $25.00
Site sloped down from the rear to the front so entry stairs very high. Sewer cap behind the pad at the middle of the pad. Rear tires at the end of the pad. Thirty feet from sewer compartment uphill to a 7" pipe, not a 5". Unusable. Obviously never looked at an RV or talked with anyone. Envelope at gate says drop envelope at Bld C39. No map. Our site was on a poorly marked and gravel road. Been to numerous bases and camps. This is the first I would never return to. - Navychop
Sep 2017 - $25.00
Nice park. Large concrete pads with (mostly) elbow room between the sites. Nicely mowed and manicured lawn. Blazing fast Wifi. It is quiet with some shady, some sunny sites. The base's location is very close to catching train or ferry for NYC and the Jersey Shore. The Jersey Shore came as a very pleasant surprise to me as it was new, clean, active with parallel boardwalks and pavilions. Gorgeous homes across the street. A real pleasure to go see. The base is small and the NEX isn't much more than a 7-11, but it is well kept and security is tight. There are a couple of things I would warn you about. When you first drive in to the base you will see a very strange entrance. Go left and make the big loop around to the big building. Yes, you'll drive in to the building to get ID'd. They will check the ID's of everyone in the vehicle. That's the first warning. The second warning is this. You'll be instructed to turn right on T-1 and if your assigned sight is 9 through 15 to make the first right off of T-1 into the park. Do not turn on that first right unless you're only 10' long. Go about 75 feet further, turn right then 75 feet and you'll see a gravel pass through to sites 9 through 15 that is actually wide enough. That first right is only about 10' wide with curbs on both side and a fire hydrant on the corner. You'll see what I mean when you get there. The sewer hook ups are at the back/wrong side of the sites. No bid deal, just have a long sewer hose. We enjoyed the park and the area. - jomark
Sep 2016 - $25.00
We stayed here for two weeks, including over Labor Day, and were pleasantly surprised by the experience. Upon arrival at the gate, we were given a welcome packet with our site number and information on where the office is to check in after setting up. When you arrive, you will pull in through a large building which is the ID check. Stay in the right lane, since the left is for commercial deliveries. The sites are long and paved and very easy to back into, but the connections are not placed in the best spots. The power pedestal is located at the back of the pad, and was a stretch for the length of our cable, so check your power cable before you park. The sewer connection is the worst I've ever seen, it is located in the middle of the pad right under where our axels were. I had to crawl under the axels to connect the sewer, and had to remove part of the piping from the plug because it was sticking up four inches high. That aside, everything else was great.
It was quiet and you have enough room to not be on top of your neighbors. Although we did have an issue with one neighbor who had guests over and blocked our parking access, so I had to go ask them to move, even though they were sitting outside and watched us pull up and still did nothing until I asked. The utilities worked well, no cable TV, but over the air channels were fine and wifi is standard Navy GoWifi. The laundry room has three washers and dryers and all worked well. It was perfectly located to visit our family and be able to catch the train to NYC. There is no commissary or exchange on base, but a Super Walmart is about 10 minutes away, and I recommend visiting Delicious Orchards just up 34 for great baked goods, fruits, vegetables and deli meat. The base is small, but we still had plenty of areas to walk our dogs without worrying about traffic.
Aside from the connection locations, it is a very nice campground and we would definitely return. - pfogleboch

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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
June 30 - Basilides and Potamiana, Martyrs
Basilides took her from the court of the prefect and knew that she was first to go and be raped before being taken to the place of her public and gory execution. On the way, though, Basilides began to have second thoughts about the brutality of his orders. She had kept her virginity as a type of offering before the Christian God she worshiped and although Basilides didn't have the same reverence for her God he respected the tenacity she held. She showed unexpected bravery for a woman facing certain, gruesome death. So, Basilides did something very surprising--perhaps because he was ashamed at the idea of having the woman raped in addition to executed, perhaps because he wanted to get the whole thing over with sooner rather than later, or perhaps because he wanted to show Potamiana mercy--he bypassed the gladiators and took her directly to the spot of her death. Potamiana thanked Basilides and returned to her prayers as they walked to Rome's bloody altar where she would be turned over to death in the name of the Roman values and convictions. The crowds screamed at her and insulted this traitor to Rome as she walked the last few hundred yards. Basilides commanded the worst of them to stop and they did, for the most part. When they tried to throw stones and garbage at her he stepped in between her and the crowd knowing that none of these crowd would have the courage to throw such things at an emissary of the Empire. Once Potamiana was handed over for execution she was slowly lowered into a cauldron of burning pitch but she thanked Basilides for his kindness and mercy and promised that she would pray for him and for his conversion.
Potamiana died a martyr and Basilides went home shaken by her words and bravery. She had faced death without a tremor of fear and with a confidence that he wasn't certain he and others could have mustered in a similar situation. The love and forgiveness she had offered to those around her even as she was shown nothing but brutality and hatred haunted his thoughts. She had called his actions merciful even though Basilides was still leading her to her death in chains. A few nights after her death he a dream wherein Potamiana appeared and assured him that she was still praying for him and that she would gladly welcome him when he followed after her. Basilides knew what she meant and in the morning he sought out a priest and was converted to the faith of Potamiana and away from the faith of the empire. He knew intimately that there was a cost associated with such an audacious act but he paid it willingly. After his baptism, he went to his fellow soldiers and proclaimed his new found faith to them. At first they thought he was joking but their laughter turned to amazement when he insisted that he was telling the truth. Being loyal to the gods and values of Rome they turned him over to their rulers so that they might not incur Rome's condemnation themselves. Basilides was beheaded for being convinced of the faith of the one he had escorted to death--a faith that offered mercy even for the greatest of sinners and forgiveness and love even for enemies.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
June 29 - Peter, Martyr, Apostle, Rock
Peter was awestruck that Jesus was assuming some imminent abandonment. He was offended that Jesus would suggest such a thing when, from what Peter could tell, he had been a good follower and disciple. In fact, he must have assumed that he was clearly one of the leaders among the group. Though Jesus' words confirmed this they also insisted that failure was stalking him in the fog of the unknown that always lies ahead of us. Peter insisted, "Lord! Even if it means going to prison or, God forbid, dying, then I will never turn my back on you."
Jesus shook his head sadly, held Peter's over-confident gaze for a moment and said softly, "I assure you Peter that, three times even before the sun comes up, you'll deny only only our bond and connection but even that you ever met me." Having made this unpleasant pronouncement, Jesus moved on to other teachings. Later that night he was arrested and even though Peter had tried to defend him with his own sword, Jesus had insisted that this was the way things were supposed to be. Peter must have burned with rage at Judas as the man walked away from the whole incident richer for having sold out his supposed Lord. Perhaps he vowed that he would not do the same as Judas and so he followed Jesus by stealth so that he could keep his eye on Jesus and wait for the signal to fight back and overcome Jesus' accusers and captors.
While he waited for that moment he began to feel the cold of the night and so he gathered around a nearby fire that some of the interested members of the crowd had built for warmth. He must have seemed distracted as he constantly looked to the face of Jesus among his captors as they tried and abused him. Perhaps while his attention was on the face of his Lord--who seemed intent on refusing to defend himself before their ridiculous charges--a servant girl was staring at him as if she knew him. She whispered to the small crowd, "I saw this man traveling with the one they're going to crucify."
Peter heard it and a little fear crept up his spine and encouraged him to defend himself before her not-quite-accusation. "Him?" he began, "I've never even met the guy." He said it because he must have known that attracting attention to himself would keep him from keeping his eyes on Jesus in anticipation of the revolution Jesus would indubitably start any moment. So, Peter told a lie in pursuit of what he deemed the "greater good" or being able to devote his full attention to what he expected Jesus would soon be doing. After all, it could happen at any moment and he didn't want to miss the signal.
But, then, another member of the crowd who had heard the servant girl took a more interested look at Peter. The man said, "You know, I think you're right. I think he's one of the disciples of that man. I'm sure I've seen him in that crowd." Now, Peter knew that the crowd was honing in on him and would soon label him a friend of Jesus. Peter knew that he couldn't help Jesus if he, too, ended up in the same dangerous position on trial before the powerful and influential. So, he decided again to tell a lie to protect himself and, in his own estimation, to protect Jesus' plan. He denied knowing Jesus louder and more forcefully. This seemed to work and so they left Peter alone because he seemed angry and unapproachable. Peter continued to watch and wait for a signal from Jesus but Jesus continued to walk the path that Peter was confident would end in his death.
After another hour of light conversation and discussion one of the men in the crowd finally came to a decision. He had agreed that Peter looked like one of the disciples of Jesus but wanted to hear Peter talk more to see if he could place his accent. Finally, the man yelled his accusation, "You guys are right! Listen to him talk...he's clearly from Galilee and you know that the man they're going to crucify spent a lot of time there. They say his disciples were from there."
Peter was furious that the crowd would not simply leave him alone so that he could do the will of God and wait for Jesus to tell him what to do. Instead, they wanted to make these accusations and get in the way. In his anger he spat out at the crowd, "You don't know what you're talking about! I don't know the man." As the last word left his lips, though, he heard the crow of a rooster and realized with a sudden and damnable certainty that Jesus' prediction had come true even as Peter had tried to remain loyal and wait for Jesus' signal. He gasped and turned to look upon the face of Jesus--who was now staring at him with a strange mixture of grief and hope. Peter realized what he had done and ran from the place weeping as he had never before--and would never again. In the pursuit of his will disguised as God's will he had betrayed the one he had vowed never to abandon.
After Jesus was crucified, Peter remembered the second part of what he had said. Even as the hour of his death approached, Jesus had held out the opportunity for mercy and forgiveness. Peter knew that there was healing even for a soul as sick with sin as he was. After the resurrection of God all things were made clear to Peter and the disciples he now led and comforted. He was brought back into the fold of discipleship with two commands that stand now for all Christians (who are, even now, both deniers and confessors of Christ): "feed my sheep" and "follow me." Peter would follow his Lord for the rest of his life until his martyrdom where he was crucified upside down at his own request so that his death could not be compared to that of Jesus.
Monday, June 28, 2010
June 28 - Irenaeus, Student of Polycarp, Opponent of the Gnostics, Church Father
Irenaeus was an opponent of heresy but a lover of heretics. The particular heresy that Irenaeus resisted so avidly was that of the gnostics. They insist that the material nature of humanity and creation is by its very definition corrupt and evil. They go so far as to assert that Jesus only appeared to be human because the physical and the spiritual could have no union if the being was to be called "good." But, Irenaeus insisted that there was no salvation if Jesus was not fully human because the power of Jesus' blood-bought redemption was in the incarnation and the incredible physicality of the event. About the heretics he opposed he wrote:
"Such are the adversaries with whom we have to deal, my very dear friend, endeavouring like slippery serpents to escape at all points. Where-fore they must be opposed at all points, if per-chance, by cutting off their retreat, we may succeed in turning them back to the truth. For, though it is not an easy thing for a soul under the influence of error to repent, yet, on the other hand, it is not altogether impossible to escape from error when the truth is brought alongside it."So, Irenaeus opposed the heretics in an attempt to bring the Truth alongside their errors so that they might escape the way of death and destruction and begin the journey of conversion that Irenaeus walked with the help of his teachers.
Irenaeus lived in a period of time when being Christian had a steep cost. Martyrs were being made among those who professed faith in Jesus and the ministers of the early Church were constantly working to avoid detection and execution. He was sent from Smyrna to Lyons where he was made a bishop and leader in the Church. He was relatively safe in Lyons in the late second century but he was still forced to deal with both severe persecution and public distrust. He wrote prolifically and intelligently so that others could benefit from his teachings and reasoning but he did not value philosophy over the teaching of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he often insisted that, though philosophy had its place, there was no faith without the movement of the Spirit. Therefore, even though he was a contemporary of Justin Martyr he was not, necessarily, in total agreement with him. About the Kingdom to which he aspired and which the world misunderstood he wrote:
"And when you hear that we look for a kingdom, you suppose, without making any inquiry, that we speak of a human kingdom; whereas we speak of that which is with God, as appears also from the confession of their faith made by those who are charged with being Christians, though they know that death is the punishment awarded to him who so confesses. For if we looked for a human kingdom, we should also deny our Christ, that we might not be slain; and we should strive to escape detection, that we might obtain what we expect. But since our thoughts are not fixed on the present, we are not concerned when men cut us off; since also death is a debt which must at all events be paid."Irenaeus didn't need to say anything more about the Kingdom they sought to a world that so easily misunderstood it, its teachings, and its values--a Kingdom growing quickly by the teachings of those intimately connected to Jesus through a line of teachers and leaders.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
June 27 - Sampson of Constantinople, Physician, Healer, Hospitable
Having been freed from the hooks of the world that bound him to a perpetual race to consume and produce, he set out from Rome for the East. As he traveled, he offered healing and comfort to the sick and dying he met along the way. God provided for his needs both from among those he healed and from other Christian congregations along his path. While he journeyed, though, he began to feel God calling him to a specific location. When he had set out he simply felt God's will leading him eastward but as he drew close to Constantinople he felt an irresistible pull toward the confines of that great city and its teeming masses of sick and homeless. He continued healing and taking care of the sick and homeless in Constantinople for some time until he obtained a home through the charity of others. Once given a home he turned it into a shelter for those without homes or places to live. Each wanderer and sick person was welcome in the home of Sampson as he endeavored to treat each person that came to his home as he would treat Jesus himself. Eventually, the church in Constantinople ordained Sampson--the itinerant worker of healing and wonders--as a priest of the Church.
Shortly thereafter, the emperor Justinian the Great himself had a dream. Justinian was very sick and could find no relief from his illness. In Justinian's dream he was directed by God to find the man they were calling Sampson the Hospitable. Justinian was assured that if Sampson would simply lay his hand upon the infected area of Justinian then he would be healed from it. Justinian went out the next day looking for Sampson among the medical community but could not find him in any of the places he expected to find physicians. Eventually, he overheard a homeless man talking of healing and Justinian was able to determine he was speaking of Sampson. He was perplexed that a great physician would heal without charge but asked the man where he could find Sampson. When he found him he was healed nearly immediately and without charge. Justinian offered him a fortune in compensation but Sampson refused it--he worked for free and by the will of God. Instead, Sampson asked Justinian to build a hospice for the poor, the sick, and the dying in Constantinople. Justinian did it gladly and Sampson became its first resident healer and caretaker. Every day its doors were open to those who needed healing and treatment but had no money to offer in payment. Money was not the motivation in Sampson's hospice but, rather, it was the will of God for humans to care for humans and in doing so, to find redemption through love. Sampson died peacefully years later but his hospice would continue to operate for over 600 more years.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
June 26 - Germaine Cousin, Shepherdess, Abandoned, Victim of Abuse
That night after finishing her work in the field and having returned the sheep to their owner Germaine made her way back home to her father's farm. Germaine's mother had died when she was only an infant but her father had remarried and as she approached she could tell that her stepbrothers and stepsisters were just then sitting down to their nightly meal with her father and stepmother. She didn't bother to go into the home, though, because she knew she would be unwelcome. From the first day that her stepmother had arrived in her father's home she had outcast Germaine partly for fear that her deformity and disease--a form of tuberculosis that attacked the lymph nodes in her neck--might be passed on to her own children and partly because she was the daughter of her new husband's first wife and represented a love and life beyond her domination. Germaine's father caved to his new wife's insistence and Germaine was forced to sleep in the farm's stable or in a nearby tree. If she was exceptionally lucky and it was exceptionally cold she was occasionally allowed to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs of the home. She was fed a meager allowance of bread and water and often punished severely with scalding water by her stepmother for perceived slights and imagined wrongs. She accepted her stepmother's abuse and prayed that she might be healed from the illness of soul that produced such evil within her.
Each day Germaine went out to live the lonely life of a shepherdess and bring home what little money she made to her father and stepmother. The small amount of bread and water afforded to her was often far less than she needed but she was still quick to give it away to those she met who were hungry. On more than one occasion Germaine prayed over the bread and multiplied it so that the many children who had come to learn the Faith from her--as they often did without the fear and disgust of their parents--might eat with her, as well. She never missed a service of worship at the church and was thankful for the little kindnesses she occasionally received from passersby and from the clergy. Germaine prayed simply ("Dear God, please don't let me be too hungry or too thirsty. Help me to please my mother. And help me to please you.") but had a faith in God's goodness and providence that was both unexpected and unshakable. One night her father finally came to his senses and decided to go and bring his daughter--now twenty-two years old--in from the cold to sleep in a bed in his and her own home. He tried for a while but Germaine resisted her father's mercy because she knew her stepmother still refused. One morning he went to rouse her from her sleep in the tree because she had not awakened at her usual time. He found her dead from a combination of abuse and exposure. Germaine died without the comfort of her family but within the embrace of her Lord and Savior.
Friday, June 25, 2010
June 25 - Peter and Febronia, Newlyweds, Prince and Princess, Committed to Each Other
When Peter saw Febronia he gasped at her beauty. As prince had been surrounded by pretty women who were both alluring and flirtatious. Yet in Febronia he saw something different--she was only a peasant but there was a beauty within her that seemed to shine only for Peter. For a moment he forgot all about anticipated healing and sought only to talk to this woman who so thoroughly captivated him. Each day he would return to her home only to rest in her presence and learn more and more of who she was and what she believed. He was encouraged to learn she was a Christian but was even more encouraged by the fact that she held no disgust for his leprous appearance and, in fact, seemed to see some beauty within him that had been made only for her. Peter told Febronia about his vision and she seemed humbled by the very thought that God would use her to heal a prince. She agreed to pray over him and to serve God's will by fulfilling God's promise of healing. But before she could pray, Peter asked her to marry him after she was done working God's wonder over him. She agreed to his proposal and then prayed for his healing as his beloved fiance. Peter was healed at the request of his beloved--made whole by the love of another and the will of God--and soon the two were married.
There was one very big problem with this fairytale romance, however. The Russian nobles detested the very thought that a noble prince would marry a peasant. Even worse was Peter's clear infatuation and devotion to Febronia who they viewed as an unworthy commoner. They came to Peter and they urged him to cast his peasant wife aside. They appealed to his sense of tradition and nobility but this proved unsuccessful. They encouraged him to be thankful to Febronia for the healing--perhaps even pay her handsomely--but not to persist in marriage to a woman unable to attain nobility by their standards. Peter stoutly refused and remained committed not only to his beloved wife but also to their common faith which taught them the value of devotion and vows. So, Peter and Febronia were forced out of Murom and they traveled by boat away from the city. In their travels and wanderings they knew that they were "home" as long as they were with each other. They performed miracles and wonders as they traveled and their reputation not only as wonder-workers but, also, as devoted husband and wife spread. They died as they had lived--together and within the same hour. They were buried in the same grave for they shared one life.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
June 24 - G.K. Chesterton, Author, Wit, Prince of Paradox
G.K. wrote many books--both fiction and non-fiction--which are still reprinted and read today. Once he was asked by the writers of the British newspaper The Times to add his voice to a chorus of highly regarded thinkers and speakers on the subject: "What's wrong with the world?" The great minds of the day were given room to make their arguments for inherent flaws of the world as they saw it. G.K., however, took a different approach and tendered the briefest of all responses when he wrote:
"Dear Sirs,Though it was clearly a humorous and witty response, it was also a statement of G.K.'s deeply held Christian convictions. In this witty response, G.K. was able to insist upon the fallen nature of humanity and its own need for redemption from some outside source. The humor of the letter enabled its message to slip by the intellectual defenses of the readers and lodge a particularly potent paradox within their minds.
I am.
Sincerely yours,
G.K. Chesterton"
G.K. can only truly be understood by reading his work and contributions to the faith. Accordingly, I will close with a selection of some of my favorite quotes:
"By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece."
"Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions."
"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people."
"You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it."
"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about."
"The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums."
"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected."
"There is a certain poetic value, and that a genuine one, in this sense of having missed the full meaning of things. There is beauty, not only in wisdom, but in this dazed and dramatic ignorance."
"The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man."
"Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously."
"It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all."
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
June 23 - Anthony of Padua, Preacher, Franciscan, Called
Anthony had become a Franciscan so that he might follow in the footsteps of the men whose callings had been so clear and sacrifices so definitive. He soon set out to travel to Morocco to take up the calling of the men who had been martyred. Anthony made this decision knowing that his own martyrdom was the likely outcome of such a calling but he went willingly and eagerly. While traveling, however, he became severely ill and was forced to turn around and return to Portugal to seek medical attention and time to recover. Anthony was heartbroken that he would be turned back from Morocco and what he perceived to be his calling but he did so knowing that God's will could not be frustrated and that if it was God's will for him to go to Morocco then he would find his way there. Yet again, though, circumstances changed for Anthony when his ship was wrecked on the coast of Sicily. Anthony had no connection to Sicily but it seemed as nice a place as any for him to recover and continue his life of monastic service and devotion. He had the opportunity to go to Assisi and after the occasion of his presence passed he remained there as a servant of God who seemed lost in his calling. Anthony must have felt adrift in God's plan to be so far from home and so far from anywhere he had ever imagined God guiding him. In Italy Anthony was an unknown and of no consequence. Yet, Anthony continued to wait for God to do God's will and allow him to join into the work of the Kingdom in the world--he was content to wait on God's guidance because he trusted that God's calling upon him was true and complete.
Anthony ended up in San Paolo because of his illness and his relative obscurity among Italian Franciscans. One day a group of Dominicans and Franciscans gathered together for the purposes of an ordination. The Franciscans had assumed that surely the Dominicans would be prepared to preach--after all, the Dominicans were the Order of Preachers. The Dominicans had assumed the Franciscans would have a preacher since they were hosting the day. Consequently, nobody was prepared to preach on the occasion of the ordination. The monks decided that humble Anthony would preach and he objected to their insistence. They overruled him, though, and he was compelled by his obedience to his brothers and his Lord to do as they asked. He ascended to the pulpit and swallowed nervously. Finally, he began preaching whatever it was that the Holy Spirit directed him to say. At first, it was halting and hesitant but as the Spirit gripped Anthony the words came clearly and powerfully through him to the attentive audience. They were astonished at the clarity of the words he brought forth on that day and he gained a reputation of spirited preacher in the small community. His reputation began to spread from that day and soon he was not only preaching sermons to the many who were desperate to hear words of hope, faith, and love but he was also working wonders in the crowds that came to see him. The man who feared he had missed God's calling found it seemingly by accident when called upon to preach the Word of God. For the rest of his life he preached and worked wonders and lived into the wondrous calling God had known from before his birth and Anthony only found out a day at a time.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
June 22 - Alban, Protomartyr, Convert, Hospitable
The next morning Roman soldiers arrived at the place where Amphibalus had been hiding and they knocked on the door of Alban's home with orders from the emperor. Before he opened the door, Alban made an important decision. He had heard the story of Amphibalus and the Lord Jesus and knew well that there is no greater love than to lay yourself down for another. So, he took the cloak and hood of Amphibalus while he slept and opened the door silently to greet the representatives of Rome on his threshold. They threw him to the ground and tied his hands behind his back. Alban offered no word to them and, instead, prayed that he might have courage enough to see his plan through to the bloody end. They brought him before the governor and he was beaten severely. As he was beaten his hood fell back from his face and his true identity was revealed. Not only was he not the accused priest but he was, also, a Roman soldier who had apparently allowed himself to be turned over into the hands of the Roman empire to protect a Christian priest. The governor was furious at being fooled and at the audacity of Alban to perpetrate such a scheme. He ordered Alban to offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods so that, perhaps, he might have mercy on this fallen soldier. Alban shook his head and uttered the words that signed his death warrant: "I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things." With his profession of faith he had sealed his fate.
He was beaten severely again and then forced to walk to the top of a hill where he would be executed. Being a Roman citizen he was condemned to decapitation at the hands of an executioner. As they walked to that lonely place of death his crimes were intoned to the crowds who watched questioningly. Each step deepened the conviction and shame in the heart of the executioner and he began to ask questions of Alban as to why he was going to give up his life instead of make the same sacrifice he had made so many times before. Alban told the executioner of his own faith and the fundamental conviction that gripped his heart: Jesus who had been executed had been the True God and had died so that sinners might find grace and true life in this world. The executioner was astonished at not only the words of Alban but, also, the confidence with which he walked to his certain death. When they arrived at the place of Alban's death the executioner confessed Jesus as his Lord and refused to be a party to Rome's imperial death sentence. He was arrested by the soldiers and held there to watch as a second executioner finished the task and made a martyr of Alban. Soon thereafter, the executioner joined him in martyrdom. Eventually, Amphibalus was caught, as well, and he suffered the same death in the same place for the same crime of allegiance to the same Lord.
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 21 - Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Teacher, Harp of the Spirit
Constantine died in 337 and the Persian ruler Shapur II began to raid the northern portions of Roman Mesopotamia. These attacks were repelled, according to Ephrem's hymns and poetry, by the mighty prayers of Jacob of Nisbis. But some twenty years later they were picked up again and the Roman empire was willing to make a deal because of the chaos ripping through its power structure in the wake of the death of Julian the Apostate in battle. Since Constantius II was not willing to attend to the needs of the cities of norther Mesopotamia and the new ruler Jovian was willing to sacrifice the cities to save his army, the city of Nisbis was turned over to Shapur with the understanding that its Christian population would be banished. Ephrem led the community in its exile and they eventually landed in Edessa. In Edessa, Ephrem helped to rebuild the congregation and continued to teach them through the wonders of poetry and hymnody. Even as rival teachers tried to engage him in formulaic debate he refused to abandon the world of the arts for the world of academic discourse. He wasn't concerned with winning arguments and solving intellectual puzzles, he was concerned with taking care of the mysteries and proclaiming what amounted to nothing more than foolishness to most.
In the year 373 famine hit Edessa and tore through its occupants with ferocity. A plague resulted from the widespread starvation and death. Ephrem led his congregation to care for the sick, hungry, and dying and did so by example. Eventually, he succumbed to the plague that afflicted those he loved and cared for. Through the years, we still have four-hundred of Ephrem's hymns so we can trust that there were thousands of hymns and poems at his death. He left a legacy of love and mysterious providence behind him to the Church he loved and served. This legacy was inspired in him by the Lord he loved and of whom he wrote:
Your Bread kills the Devourer who had made us his bread,
your Cup destroys death which was swallowing us up.
We have eaten you, Lord, we have drunk you,
not to exhaust you, but to live by you.
See, Lord, my arms are filled with the crumbs from your table;
there is not room left in my lap.
As I kneel before you, hold back your Gift;
Keep it in your storehouse to give us again!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
June 20 - William Carey, Called, Discouraged, Missionary
But, that passion--a question of whether or not the assembled ministers were taking Christ's Great Commission seriously--refused to recede and only burned stronger within him. Soon, William was pinned between two painful options: he could retain the respect and acceptance of his colleagues but quench the movement of the Holy Spirit, or he could speak the words he felt he was called to say and sacrifice his own ambition upon the altar of God's calling. This was a colossal struggle waged within the confines of William's mind and heart as the business of the meeting proceeded. He knew that the assembled ministers were known as "hyper Calvinists" and that they felt that mission work and evangelism was of no use or profit--after all, God would save whoever God wanted to save regardless of what people did. But, William couldn't shake the feeling that Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations was still binding upon Christians even in the eighteenth century. He had become Baptist because of his willingness to dissent from the official State Church but this dissent seemed even more painful and costly. Finally, William cleared his throat and asked the question he had been led to ask: "Gentlemen, is it not our duty--the duty of all Christians--to spread the Gospel to all the world?" Silence flooded into those brief moments after his question as each mind stopped to consider what he had said and formulate a response. In that moment, William felt relief but one of the elder leaders in the group interrupted that cathartic moment with his response, "Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine." This resistance characterized the rest of William's ministry.
William gathered missionaries around himself and though he was resisted from seemingly every angle he formed a missionary society and moved to India to spread the Gospel to those with ears to hear and eyes to see. The British East India Company opposed their arrival in India and so they found it hard to sail there but, eventually, a Danish ship gave them passage to Calcutta. They struggled to reach out to a people who didn't seem interested all the while suffering disease, fatigue, and depression. They honored the cultural distinctions of India and the Hindu religion but vehemently repudiated the caste distinctions that dehumanized some while privileging others. This group began printing the Bible in the language of the people and preaching a message that became increasingly well received as they continued to oppose the dehumanizing forces of the society. Offering both liberation and salvation, they became proponents of a new creation and a Kingdom "not of this world." More and more missionaries were coming to join this foothold of the Kingdom in India but this presented yet another terrible point of resistance. Many of the new missionaries were unwilling to suffer the same rigors as William and his friends and were soon demanding both a separate house (unlike the communal house that William and friends had lived in) and servants to attend to them. Eventually, William broke away from the society he had founded and continued preaching and teaching on his own. He died in 1834--still preaching and teaching to the day he died. Though he faced resistance throughout his life, he had chosen the path of the Spirit and renounced the path of comfort--in doing so, he gained the Kingdom.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
June 19 - Jude, Martyr, Apostle, One of the Twelve
After the resurrection, Jude anticipated that the Kingdom of God would soon take its place in the world in a powerful and obvious way that compelled all who heard of and saw the wonders to pledge their allegiance to the Kingdom of God and forsake the powers of this world. But Jude, like the others, had overestimated the ability of people to turn their backs on the masters who held them in bondage. In essence, he underestimated the power of sin and brokenness to perpetuate slavery in the souls of the people. Finally given a chance to trade the broken systems of the world for the glorious Kingdom, Jude was distressed to find people remaining in their sin simply because it was comfortable and familiar. At Pentecost, Jude was among the group of people who were anointed by the Holy Spirit and given a charge to go forth and take the Gospel to all peoples. Jude traveled with Simon the Zealot and visited Mesopotamia, Libya, and Persia among other places. Everywhere they stopped they preached, healed, and performed miracles. Of particular interest was Jude's tendency to perform exorcisms upon the stone and wooden gods of the people he found. When confronted with an idol that wordlessly laid claim to many souls, he would pray quietly and then dramatically point at the idol. With a scream, a demon would flee the idol at the command of God and the idol would crumble or splinter in the presence of the people.
The things that Jude did could not and would not go unnoticed for long. While in Lebanon and preaching they finally attracted enough ire through their words, healings, and exorcisms that they were set upon by an angry crowd. Every time Jude freed another soul from slavery to some power of this world, somebody stood to lose something whether it was Rome or the priests of the gods he defied. They took him from his makeshift pulpit in Beirut and they beat him savagely with a club. Taking turns so that his agony would be ever fresh, they tried to find new ways to make an old means of torture shut him up. Instead, he continued to use the breath he had left to preach a message of love for enemies and forgiveness for all people regardless of sin. He continued to proclaim release from captivity even as he suffered for daring to believe in it. Finally, they beat him to death and cut off his head as a trophy. Though they thought they were eliminating the presence of the Christians among them by executing their leader, they only exacerbated the sincerity of the message. In essence, they had finally given Jude an opportunity to demonstrate his genuine trust that love was enough and forgiveness was the right of all people. With that bloody club his accusers set him free from a world of oppression even as he spoke of a Kingdom not of this world but open to all.
Friday, June 18, 2010
June 18 - Leontius, Hypatius, and Theodulus, Martyrs
Hypatius knew his orders very well and so he led his group of soldiers--including his dear friend Theodulus--in executing the governor's will in Tripoli. But, as they approached Tripoli, Hypatius became very ill. The soldiers stopped and set up camp to care for their dying leader. Voices were hushed as Hypatius languished alone in his tent and drew nearer and nearer to death by the second. Though the empire claimed to control death, they could do nothing to protect themselves from its power when disease and tragedy crept through their camps and homes. As Hypatius drifted between fitful sleep and awakened agony he had a vision of an angel standing before him. The angel said to Hypatius: "If you wish to be healed, you and your soldiers should say three times: 'God of Leontius, help me.'" Hypatius refused to do so but told his dear friend Theodulus what he had seen. The soldiers were eager to save the life of their commander and so they prayed what the angel had taught and Hypatius was miraculously healed. The soldiers were astounded and Theodulus himself was converted to the faith of Leontius in the wake of such a miracle. Hypatius was left with questions but he still had his duties and so he and his soldiers continued on to Tripoli. When they arrived, they were hungry and tired and a hospitable person took them in for the night. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, their host was Leontius and, though they were unaware of the identity of their host, Leontius knew who they were and why they had come.
In the morning he revealed his identity to the men and they were awestruck that he knew they had come to arrest him so that he might be executed for his faith. His audacious hospitality purchased their attention and they listened to him explain the Christian faith and the way of love and redemption. Theodulus had already converted and so he not only professed his faith in front of his friends and peers but, also, preached the same gospel to them that Leontius confessed. Hypatius soon became a Christian, as well, and the three men prepared for the arrival of Adrian. They knew that Adrian's arrival likely meant their deaths and so they prayed one with another and tried to ready their minds and hearts for the challenge of their martyrdom. The converts among them were baptized shortly before Adrian arrived and sent yet more soldiers to arrest them when he found out what had happened to his tribune and soldiers. Leontius was forced to watch as both Hypatius and Theodulus first refused to renounce their newfound faith and then were beaten and executed. He was returned to his cell and left to think about the brutality he had witnessed but when Adrian brought him out again Leontius was still unwilling to renounce his faith. So Adrian had Leontius hung upside down by his feet and a heavy weight tied around his neck. This did not kill him at first but it slowly stretched him to death. While he suffered, he was beaten on the chest, stomach, and back with wooden rods. Eventually, they beat him to death and tossed his body outside of the city along with the bodies of Hypatius and Theodulus. The local Christians who had learned hospitality from Leontius sneaked out to the bodies that night and buried them with a Christian funeral.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
June 17 - John XXIII, Pope, Reformer, Friend of the Sick and Prisoners
Roncalli selected the regnal name of John even though it hadn't been used in over 500 years. The last pope to use the name John had divorced himself from the other cardinals and from the pope to select their own pope and establish a different route of apostolic succession. This meant that the previous pope John was better known as antipope John XXII. By choosing the name John, and the number XXIII, Roncalli affirmed the antipapal status of the previous John while redeeming the name for use among future popes. John reasoned that the history and tradition of the name John was greater than that of one antipope who had strayed from the path. In doing so, John insisted that the Church's work was comprised of both confession of sins and redemption. One of his first acts was a surprising one for any pope--let alone a pope who was 77 years old. He made visits to the local prison and children's hospital to provide pastoral care for both the sick and the incarcerated. He laid his hands upon children with polio and lifted them up in his prayers and visited prisoners, insisting, "You could not come to me, so I came to you." From the outset, John established his papacy as one concerned with others and the great commandment of loving others.
In his short tenure as pope--a little less than five years--he also began the process of renewal and reformation within the Church he loved and served. It was at John's insistence that the Second Vatican Council was convened and conversations were begun about how best to reach out ecumenically and how best to approach and address a rapidly changing world. John was unwilling to see his beloved Church fall behind in its calling to love the world and so he sought to renew and reform it. Under John's leadership, the Church began to accept that some things might have been done wrong in the past and that stoic refusal of change was neither Christian nor acceptable. John himself would not live to see the end of the Second Vatican Council but it would be finished under the guidance of his successor pope Paul VI (Montini--made a cardinal by John's efforts). John died on the third of June in the year 1963 having served the Church he loved with devotion and great pride even though he was thought of as little more than a "place holder" at first. Even now he is remembered for his ecumenical efforts and his insistence of the primacy of love and compassion when interacting with the world and those in need.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
June 16 - Tikhon of Amathus, Bishop, Generous, Did Much With Little
So, it was no surprise when Tikhon was left in charge of the bakery once again but it was surprising to his father what he did when hungry people came begging. Tikhon took a loaf of bread, broke it, and gave it into the hands of the hungry people on the doorstep. He invited them in for a little while so that they might find some momentary shelter and eat in peace. He broke another expensive loaf of bread and began baking yet more for them. He did it all, of course, because he felt that the faith he had learned at the knee of his mother and father commanded him to do so. When he was presented with the opportunity to do what Jesus had taught Tikhon didn't know that most would avoid this command and, instead, followed the words of Jesus. Specifically, he gave food to the hungry because Jesus had said that those who feed the hungry are, in actuality, feeding God. So, he treated those hungry people in the shop with the love and attention that he desired to lavish upon God in the flesh. In a very real way, he was able to draw closely into the presence of God by handing over hot bread into the hands of one unable ever to pay for a slice--let alone a whole loaf. Then, Tikhon's father came home just as Tikhon was handing over yet another expensive loaf--it seems that generosity truly is an addiction--and saw what was happening to the valuable bread meant to be sold to support the family.
He rushed Tikhon's beloved guests out of the shop and asked Tikhon what he thought he was doing. He began to lecture Tikhon about the need of the family to support itself and how giving away bread robbed his own family. He mentioned that the granary where they kept the wheat was nearly empty because he had made bread in anticipation for some festival or feast. Now, that bread was in the stomachs of the hungry. He assented that it was good to feed the hungry as Jesus had commanded but not to do so so radically and lavishly. After all, wouldn't the crusts be enough for the hungry? Tikhon, however, with honest and sincere faith asked his father if he had forgotten what God had promised. "I wasn't feeding the hungry. I was feeding God. Didn't God tell us that we would receive again one-hundred-fold for what we have given away in love?" His father agreed that this was the command but refused to accept such naive idealism--having been thoroughly indoctrinated by the world's gospel. So, Tikhon led his father to the granary where, miraculously, it was filled to overflowing with wheat. At the sight of such a promise miraculously fulfilled, Tikhon's father repented and insisted that they must continue to bake and break bread for the poor and the hungry--and so they did for many years even after Tikhon's path led him away from Amathus and elsewhere into God's service.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
June 15 - Amos, Outcast, Trouble Maker, Voice of God
"Hear what God had to say to us, Israel, and know that it doesn't make me happy to say it for it is a sad word for me, as well:
Sweet, lady Israel is falling and will not rise from the dust.
She will be abandoned by all
and will have none to pick her up in her hour of need.
For thus says the Lord God:
only one of every ten soldiers who leaves the city shall return.
This is what God has to say to us:
Seek God and live
but don't chase after Bethel,
place no confidence in Gilgal,
and don't entrust yourselves to Beer-sheba;
for Gilgal shall be cast away and Bethel shall fade from the earth
Take time now to seek God and to find life in the seeking
or know that God's wrath--which we deserve--will consume us like fire
it will devour our sin and we will catch fire with it.
Oh, you who turn justice to vanity!
You who bring the stain of sin to righteousness!
Remember the one who made the stars that others kneel before
who brings light into the deepest darkness
who brings the dark of night to even the brightest day
who commands the chaotic waters of the seas,
who bends their wills to serve His
Remember this one! The Lord is His name
who displays even greater power still against the strong
so that even the strongest of us are nothing before Him.
Those strong ones among us hate those who correct them,
they loathe the one who has the audacity to speak truth.
So, listen up, strong people and know that because you trample the poor whom God loves
and tax the have-nots to increase your wealth
You may have built a beautiful house like none other
but you shall not live in it;
You may have planted a gorgeous vineyard, but you will not enjoys its wine.
For God knows your many sins
and knows just how grievous they are--
Yes, God knows that you afflict the righteous and are bought by bribery.
God knows you push the needy aside in public and have no patience with God's beloved.
If you know what's good for you then you'll shut your mouth;
because there is plenty of punishment to go around. 10
Why not try seeking God and rejecting evil?
In doing so, you might live,
and the Lord God Almighty will walk alongside you,
just as you have already claimed--it's not too late!
Despise evil and love goodness,
and reclaim the healing power of justice performed in public;
If so, it's possible that the Lord God Almighty
might offer undeserved grace to the remnant left after God's judgment.
This is what the Lord God Almighty has to say:
The cities will be filled with wailing
and in the streets the word on everybody's lips will be 'Alas!'
Farmers will turn from their hard work to the harder work of mourning,
and those whose lips are skilled in lamentation will give themselves over to wordless grief.
The vineyards will be filled with the cries of the people
for God will pass through the people in judgment.
But, woe to those who anxiously await the day of the Lord's judgment!
Who would want the day of the Lord's judgment?
It is a dark day--not a bright one;
it will be as if someone fled for their life from a lion,
and ran into the arms of a bloodthirsty bear.
or went into his home--a place of safety--and rested his hand on his wall,
only to be bitten by a snake.
Is there some joy in God's coming judgment that we might look forward to it?
Is there some silver lining to that dark cloud?
Don't you get it?
God hates--despises--the festivals of our people
God takes no delight in our solemn assemblies--in all our self-obsessed pomp!
Even though we lift up offerings and sacrifices in the name of ritual
God will not receive them.
We offer our best in mechanical repetition of past ritual
but God will not even look upon the heartless offering.
God won't listen to the noise we call songs of praise if our hearts are not in the right place
God has no time to hear beautiful melodies from darkened hearts.
You want to please God?
Then, let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.


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Mobile cloud data synchronization provider Funambol has drawn on its dual-licensing commercial and open source business models to make some forward looking predictions for the mobile cloud market in the year ahead.
Writing in an internal piece shared with Dr, Dobbs this week, Funambol's VP of worldwide marketing Hal Steger outlines his top predictions for 2011 looking beyond mobile devices to a "smarter" cloud future.
With global wireless subscriptions reaching 5 billion in September this year, Steger says that it is not surprising that cloud services are now aligning to address the mobile environment. Initially more closely associated with desktops and servers, cloud services now enable wireless devices such as mobile handsets to access, share, and synchronize data and rich media with one another, but what could be next for this maturing sector?
The new open "smart" cloud
According to Steger, "To date, the mobile cloud has primarily addressed the handset market, allowing devices to communicate with similar devices. However wireless devices include many non-phones such as tablets, consumer electronics and in-car information/infotainment systems etc. — so with handset penetration at near saturation levels in mature markets, the real growth is in these non-phone units."
"But for the mobile cloud to evolve and be able to sync all these disparate platforms together, service providers will need to: improve performance by extending cloud services beyond phones to other connected devices; learn how to optimize the delivery of media to different devices over different networks, taking into account different network conditions (bandwidth, data traffic, frequency, 3G, LTE, etc); add device management to provide more security (i.e. if device is lost the data can be erased/disabled); and also monetize it — if providing cloud service then a service provider has built-in hooks to monetizing it," said Steger.
Straddling both the commercial and open licensing models as it does, Funambol's corporate stance specifies that we still need to unlock the potential of mobile open source — and that open source will be the key to unlocking mobile devices and services to create a connected environment where consumers can sync, access, and share content across a range of devices.
The popularity of the Android mobile operating system will continue to grow on the client side, says Steger. However, it faces stiff competition, with Meego, the young upstart, most likely to challenge Android's title. The ability to provide open source cloud services on the server side will also become more important as handset manufacturers look to improve the functionality and power of their devices.
"Ultimately, we need to get to a point where app developers can finally make money. Interest in the sector will continue to rise and 'Freemium' models will become more popular, shaking up existing mobile advertising platforms, as developers view it as a viable business model. Cross-platform conversion will become widely adopted in the industry with app development becoming more 'open,' offering a wider user base and increased revenue opportunity," said Steger.
For 2011 and onward, Funambol and Steger point to the next 12-months being the year that mobile video needs to "come of age," but whether it can be made to work over cellular networks remains to be seen. Common perception is that streaming video and video conferencing is unreliable over mobile networks, but this may change with 4G around the corner.


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Thanks for taking time to visit.
It is always a pleasure seeing your artful treasures,
so please come play with us.
On a Personal Note:
While many of you are wishing to thaw out from freezes, or shovel yourselves out of snow-covered peaks, we have been enjoying an extremely mild, wet winter. Just so you know, though, it means lots more bugs, vines, weeds, and soil contaminants that a good freeze can quill to help farmers and normal people tolerate the hot months.
A little stroll at 8:30 AM - the sun just after sunrise:
A dwarf azalea on steroids - giggle. The early morning sun is casting light on the screen. You might be able to see that it is slightly green because of how damp the winter has been - we must pressure wash the mold and mildew off. (not essential if we have normal weather patterns).
Kilo, wondering what I'm doing, and why am I walking so early:
The "Community Water Hole" so that all the critters and birds can drink during the day; and at night, water for the deer, opossums, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, and whatever else strolls through in the nocturnal hours.
One of the several woodpiles stacked around the property. During the cooler months, lots of tree trimming is done to minimize damages from summer storms, tropical storms and hurricanes. After the debris is burned, the larger pieces are split using our log splitter. I marvel that my husband enjoys doing these things. The "logs" have since been transported to the open-air "wood shed".
Top of the "hill", and the top of our property, are these large azaleas. The center bushes are a good 12 feet high (3.6 meters). Everything is in a shadow - the foreground reveals a bit of sunshine trying to peek through the trees as it is still early:
My favorite person Jack (and Kilo, his faithful sidekick) at the waterhole. (The wood pile behind him has been stashed away). That large green plant growing up the huge oak trees in the back left is a Monstera in the Philodendron Pothos variety.
Because we have not had severe freezes the past several years, it is growing crazily!
Another woodpile - which has been since stacked. The little open air "wood shed" is visible below at the right. We enjoy using the fireplace when there is a chill in their air, or if it is too warm for the heater, but it's chilly outdoors and very wet. During the winter, of course:
March means a month of severe pruning and massive leaf raking! All the brown area above is fallen oak leaves. Our oaks lose their leaves in February, and grow little "squiggles" at the beginning of March in order to release pollen. The air will be yellow with pollen, and we all stay away as much as possible. It is those weeks we relish heavy rains to knock the pollen out of the trees and air.


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Cowboy Church
Every Sunday until April 7, 2019
5:30pm – 7:00pmCategory: Worship Services
Cowboy Church was established to encourage fellowship and a place where people can come just as they are. There is country music, food, and dancing. All are welcome! Bring a covered dish to share and join us Sunday evenings in the Family Life Center. You will be glad you did!
More in Worship Services
June 30, 2019 8:30am – 9:30am8:30AM - Traditional Worship
June 30, 2019 10:45am – 11:45pm10:45 am Contemporary Worship
June 30, 2019 10:45am – 11:45pm10:45 AM - Traditional Worship


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(CNN) -- If you've got dinner reservations for December 22, there's probably no point in changing them on account of an apocalyptic prophecy.
December 21, 2012, is the endpoint of the 5,126-year Great Cycle marked on the Mayan people's "Long Count" calendar. Some say that could be the end of everything. Or not.
We've noticed a few sarcastic story comments, but some readers seem fascinated. The apocalypse has left cultural footprints.
"Doomsday Preppers" is a popular, if somewhat controversial, TV program detailing how people are preparing for the possibility of disaster on the National Geographic Channel. TNT's "Falling Skies" and NBC's "Revolution" are fictional depictions of apocalyptic scenarios. For those more interested in a zombie apocalypse, "The Walking Dead" is shambling on AMC.
"The Hunger Games" book trilogy and movie series features a post-apocalyptic, dystopian society broken up into districts and a wealthy capital. The government forces children to fight to the death each year.
But it was the 2009 film simply titled "2012" that helped introduce the masses to the swirl around the Mayan calendar. The three-year storyline takes viewers through apocalyptic staples including solar flares, cataclysmic storms, tectonic distress, mass panic and terrorism.
Interestingly, Google Trends graphs show 2009 marking a turning point when Web searches for "apocalypse" started to gradually rise. The brief spike back in 2004 seems to be related to searches for the film "Resident Evil: Apocalypse." Of course, the word "zombies" tops the apocalypse-oriented terms, while "end of the world" brings high peaks that meet up with "zombies" before dropping into deep valleys. "Doomsday" looks less popular.
Social media mentions of the word "apocalypse" are much harder to track, but Twitter posts appear to follow comparable trend lines both in the past month and since July 2010, as visualized with analytics site Topsy.
The apocalypse obsession seems palpable, but we wanted to know why. As we took a deeper look, we came up with five themes that seem to explain it.
Opinion: What we learn from collapse of the Maya
It's the recession, right? Maybe.
Robb Willer, an associate professor of sociology at University of California, Berkeley, studies political and religious psychology. He says the economy might be a factor, but other reasons include the rise of evangelical Christianity in the past 20 years.
Christian preacher Harold Camping predicted a Judgment Day on May 21, 2011, and also made a similar prediction in 1994. The "Left Behind" series of books bolstered the concept of a Second Coming.
People have been debating prophecies for a long time. The debunking research in "When Prophecy Fails" was published in 1956, and Stephen King put out his apocalyptic novel "The Stand" in 1978.
Willer says he's been thinking a lot about the feeling of powerlessness that we get in the face of something undeniably powerful. Some would use the word "awe" to describe the sensation, and it affects how we view the world.
Apocalyptic prophecy behavior is puzzling at first glance because people tend to be optimistic, rather than pessimistic, Willer says. (See also: Powerball jackpot.) The people who believe in the prophecies, he explains, aren't crazy. They just "need some kind of source for the apocalyptic prophecy that they believe is credible," be it a Mayan calendar or the predictions of Nostradamus. Willer listed superstitions and astrology as examples of common nonscientific beliefs.
A compelling narrative sometimes comes along with it.
Jerry Piven, a researcher who has studied psychoanalytic epistemology and wrote a book on the psychological undercurrents of terror and apocalypse, says he feels an apocalypse almost embeds a tale of fantasy into reality and provides safe theater for exploring death. He says a student once asked him if it was OK that he enjoyed using a Dungeons & Dragons character who is a "priest of apocalyptic power."
"I asked if he believed that the world was truly so vile that he would really destroy it with the apocalyptic powers of his dark deities," Piven explained. "Well of course, he did not."
Willer said the apocalypse can be a spectator sport and a reality show for some people.
"It could be that a lot of interest in apocalyptic prophecy comes as much from people being ironically entertained by a few people believing in it as actually believing that the world will end," he noted.
Concerns about the unknown
There's nothing like a viral hoax to get people talking. We saw it right here on CNN iReport.
An unvetted iReport post about the "Nibiru" asteroid garnered so much traction -- more than 90,000 page views and 10,000 Facebook recommends -- that NASA created an account on CNN iReport and posted comments to help debunk the doomsday text.
This post and others like it allege that an asteroid is approaching Earth, which is pretty scary to think about. Even worse, NASA is said to be keeping this information under wraps so as not to incite panic. But the hoax notes that the news release is coming soon, so get ready.
For the most part, our community hasn't been believing the Nibiru claims, although there were comments on the original iReport that were supporting the idea of a NASA cover-up. There seemed to be as many people trying to debunk the post as there were people who were afraid of total destruction.
"There's always someone ready to buy into the latest doomsday story," commented iReporter Mark Ivy of Farmersburg, Indiana. "For some, the titillation of it all is too much to resist."
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was one of many experts who commented on the hoax on Twitter:
Things you might say if you flunked Astro101: "Planet Niburu is real and is headed toward Earth."— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) December 2, 2012
NASA posted a page on their website devoted to the Nibiru buzz and other such theories. The common theme among the stories is they involve a force so strong that it could affect our entire world.
At the same time, there are people who say the world probably isn't ending, but they aren't leaving their lives to chance.
'Doesn't hurt to be prepared'
The door chime at a San Diego military surplus store called Bargain Center seems to ring steadily throughout the day, and profits are noticeably up. The store is a popular place to buy survival goods, even though they only make up about a 10th of the store's selection.
Some customers specifically mention December 21 when they come in, says owner Joel Dreifuss. He feels that he's been selling about 50% more survival-oriented items during the past six to eight weeks. MREs, water purification systems and storage supplies are the most popular items, as well as getaway backpacks and emergency supplies.
Dreifuss says many of them are adding to their existing supplies of survival gear, just in case they need to be ready for trouble. Many of these people are self-described "preppers," a community of people who value preparations for life-altering events.
"It doesn't hurt to be prepared for three or four days of not having anything, no electricity or heat," Dreifuss said.
He says he's rung up a few more gas masks than usual, but the numbers aren't extreme.
Bad things do happen, and there's plenty of media to cover it, which Dreifuss theorizes might be contributing to apocalypse fever; and if desperation trumps decorum, humans may be feared as much as the forces of nature.
He talked about 1992's riots in Los Angeles and desperation in the aftermath of a severe storm. He shuddered at the thought of Black Fridays.
"They're animals, and that's over a $199 TV," he said of holiday shoppers. "Can you imagine if it's cold and they're hungry and the power's out?"
It's the end of the world (as we know it)
There's a popular reverse acronym among the "prepper" community that goes right along with a famous R.E.M. song that is topping apocalyptic playlists everywhere: TEOTWAWKI, or "the end of the world as we know it." That, along with SHTF, or "s--- hits the fan," are emblematic of prepper philosophy.
"Anything that could or would change your life as you now know it" qualifies, says a blogger and Twitter user known as Survivor Jane. One might go through a natural disaster or lose their home or job.
Survivor Jane is a well-respected prepper who started a blog in 2008 to provide a place for women to explore their ideas about making disaster preparations. She says she created the #preppertalk hashtag on Twitter in August 2012, which allowed her to exchange knowledge with others more easily. Her following attracted National Geographic's attention, and she has participated in some "Doomsday Preppers" tweeting sessions.
"I am more about taking accountability for myself and being self-reliant," she said. "If that means extra food, water, shelter and a means to protect myself is a bad thing, so be it. I don't want anyone to suffer like the victims of Sandy did, some needlessly."
She says she receives more inquiries about staying safe from natural disasters than about the annihilation of humanity.
"A lot (of questions) are coming from people wanting to know how to better prepare for a storm like Sandy," she explains. "But then again with the 'end of the world' looming, people are seeking its validity and how to prepare for it."
Something to keep in mind: "If the world is going to end," she adds, "There's no need to prepare for anything because we'll all be gone."
Getting a fresh start on society
For Chicago-area author Alex Newton, there is a scale of disaster intensity that starts with house fires and flash floods and ends with a global pandemic or, if you're really unlucky, a zombie apocalypse. The last item is a joke from his book, "Plan and Prep: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse."
Newton, known as @ZombieApocGuy on Twitter, specifically chose zombies as a metaphor for everything that can possibly go wrong. Whereas some people might admire the special powers of a vampire or werewolf, zombies are the "ultimate predator" because "they just don't stop. They just keep killing."
The September 11, 2001, terror attacks inspired Newton's interest in prepping. He recalls feeling stranded for hours and unable to get in touch with his family. He vowed to never again be caught off guard and put his military experience to use.
He recommends getting started by assessing the real dangers in one's geographic area, such as blizzards or earthquakes. One might make a "bug-out bag" for a quick egress or stash extra supplies. Newton's concern is being ready to survive, rather than the "end of the world" or doomsday prophecies.
"What the Mayans determined back then was amazing," he said. "I just think they didn't get time to finish their calendar."
He wonders if those who hope the world will end need a little excitement in their lives or secretly want society to start over.
"There's a lot of benefit that may come for some if the world ends, unfortunately, and some people look forward to that," Newton said.
Stayin' alive?
Newton is optimistic that he'll live to see his next "Plan and Prep" book come out. But there are also those who are concerned. What about you? Whether or not you plan on still existing come January, we'd like to hear your perspective.
If you think the apocalypse could happen, tell us what you plan on doing between now and The End. Are you making any preparations of any kind? Even if you don't believe in it, we'd still like to hear how you'd theoretically spend your last days on Earth or how you'll be celebrating come December 22.
There's not much time to share your thoughts. Post a comment below or sound off on video via CNN iReport.