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- Caterham
Lotterer replaces Kobayashi for Spa
Three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Andre Lotterer, 32, will replace Kamui Kobayashi at Caterham for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
Who is Andre Lotterer?
- German driver Lotterer has a stellar record in both sports cars and open-wheel racing. As well as Le Mans 24 Hour titles in 2011, 2012 and 2014, he won Formula Nippon in 2011 and the World Endurance Championship in 2012.
The announcement was made on Wednesday following confirmation of Lotterer's FIA Superlicence, with the initial deal covering one race. Despite the deal Kobayashi remains part of the team.
Caterham is currently undergoing a restructure by new ownership, who had made it clear there was a possibility of a change in driver line-up in the coming weeks. Lotterer will join the team as it introduces a major upgrade package this weekend, part of a bid to secure 10th place in the constructors' championship.
Lotterer, who had numerous F1 test outings for Jaguar between 2000 and 2002, said: "I am delighted to be given the opportunity to take part in a Formula One race weekend - I want to thank Caterham F1 Team for this chance. I'm ready for this challenge and I cannot wait to jump in the car and make the most out of the weekend ahead.
"I will need to get settled and used to the car quickly, as the team has worked on a number of updates and we will need to have as much time as possible out on track to optimise the car's performance. I really enjoy racing at the legendary circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, it's one of my favourite tracks and it's very close to where I grew up, so this makes the weekend even more special and one to remember."
Lotterer has links with Caterham adviser Colin Kolles having driven for his Audi LMP1 entry at Le Mans in 2009, and this season had been driving for Audi alongside Super Formula commitments in Japan. A press release announcing the news stated: "The team will benefit from having another experienced driver at the wheel of the car throughout the weekend and the German's feedback will contribute to improve the performance of the car. The weather also plays a big role at Spa-Francorchamps and Lotterer is one of the most experienced drivers racing under mixed conditions."
At 32 years, 288 days Lotterer will become the oldest F1 debutant since 37-year-old Giovanni Lavaggi at the 1995 German Grand Prix.

subset: commoncrawl


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Concerned American Voters is making waves as the new Super PAC on the block. Beyond filling a need in the Rand Paul campaign, it's also gathering talent from all around the liberty movement. United Liberty's own Martin Avila is joining the team as their Senior Tech Strategist - a generally unsurprising move since Avila did work for the Ron Paul 2008 campaign.
Avila will be joining Matt Kibbe, who is leaving FreedomWorks to join the newly formed Super PAC as their Senior Advisor. "Politics is more decentralized today and that makes insurgent candidates like Rand Paul more competitive," Kibbe stated. "This is a big test for the liberty movement and I think our moment to deliver is now."
As for the United Liberty family of writers, while Avila will be working with Concerned American Voters PAC, the UL site will continue to offer free thoughts on free markets and smaller government, even if the writers don't happen to agree with the PAC. "I think we deserve all fair scrutiny just like any other organization," Kibbe explained.
While Avila is not leaving UL behind, he also isn't starting work with strangers. He and Kibbe have both worked together before, and with the PAC's president, Jeff Frazee. Kibbe comes from FreedomWorks, Frazee comes from Young Americans for Liberty, and Avila has worked with both organizations.


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The log files contain the following general types of message entries:
Error – These messages mark critical failures that cause status to be reported as Failed. Error messages generally provide detailed information about the nature and the cause of the problem that occurred.
Warning – These messages mark non-critical failures. Warning messages generally contain information about the cause and the nature of the failure, and also provide possible remedies.
Information – These messages mark normal completion of particular tasks.


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You are currently browsing the daily archive for November 26, 2013.
The Houghton Revisited Exhibition ended on the 24th November. Those, like me, who were privileged and very lucky to have seen the exhibit will remember it, I am certain, for many a year.
Houghton Hall in North Norfolk is a beautiful survivor, a treasure-house of the 18th century. Built for Sir Robert Walpole in the 1702s, it is a magnificent Palladian mansion, designed by Colen Campbell with sumptuous interiors by William Kent. The Hall is set in a beautiful sporting estate, perfect for political entertaining on a grand scale. Sir Robert's collection of paintings was, quite simply, magnificent, with items in it by Murillo,Poussin, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyke and Velázquez. And the interior of the Hall was designed to house it.
So the decorating schemes are really only truly complete when the original artworks are in situ. Sadly, at the end of the 18th century, the collection was sold to Catherine the Great of Russia, and eventually it formed the basis of the Hermitage Museum Collection. This summer, in an example of the grandest "installation" that I can think of, the painting were returned to Houghton, to the care of its current owner, The Marquess Of Cholmondeley, to be re-hung as they were during Sir Robert's lifetime. Some rooms in the Hall were even redecorated to bring them back to their original Palladian splendour.
So, I can hear you cry, why tell us of this now, when the exhibit is ended and what does it have to do with Jane Austen? Though the exhibition has ended, the website is still available to visit, here and the exhibition catalogue is also available to purchase( a paperback version will soon be available). But, quite wonderfully, there is an iTunes App available for iPhone and iPad. This allows you to virtually visit the exhibit, and, in a way, Houghton Hall too.
It is a wonderful, free resource and I can't recommend it highly enough. I had, at one point, despaired of getting to see the exhibit and thought this would be as close as I could get to the exhibit, despite living within 30 minutes of the Hall. It is a very good approximation of a visit, and I was very happy to "visit it" this way before I could get to the Hall. I think it is a magnificent and totally generous gift to anyone interested in architecture and art. Well done to all concerned.
And the link to Jane Austen? This type of wonderful art collection might, I think, have been the type that could have been emulated by the fabulously rich and well-established Darcy family at Pemberley. When Elizabeth wanders around the House, to a certain extent cluelessly looking at the works of art on the walls of the rooms and gallery, these, if she was lucky, might have been the type of art she might have seen:
The picture-gallery, and two or three of the principal bedrooms, were all that remained to be shewn. In the former were many good paintings; but Elizabeth knew nothing of the art; and from such as had been already visible below, she had willingly turned to look at some drawings of Miss Darcy's in crayons, whose subjects were usually more interesting, and also more intelligible.
Chapter 43 , Pride and Prejudice.
To conclude, here is a short, beautifully shot You Tube video which introduces the concept behind the exhibition, and describes some of the truly stupendous works within it.


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A major new study of pain relief during labour was widely reported in the papers today, with the Daily Express claiming that drugs work better than drug-free alternatives such as massage, and the Daily Mail reporting that painkillers are more effective than hypnosis or electronic pain-relief machines.
In fact, these headlines were misleading and oversimplified the results of this large review, which looked at all high-quality research on pain management during labour. It found there is generally better evidence available for the effectiveness of drugs to relieve labour pains (including epidurals), and less robust evidence for non–drug approaches such as hypnosis.
However, saying there is less evidence on certain methods is not the same as saying these methods 'do not work as well'. As the authors make clear, it means that, to date, there have been few good quality studies confirming how effective they may or may not be.
The review also points out that most drug-based approaches can have side effects. Epidurals, for example, increase the risk of further interventions such as forceps. It is also noteworthy that one of the interventions for which there is little evidence is the use of intramuscular painkillers such as pethidine, which is commonly used in many obstetric units.
This review provides good insight into what options women might prefer during birth, which can be discussed and noted when making a birth plan.
The review was undertaken by researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration, a respected international research group that carries out independent reviews of the evidence on healthcare treatments. The rigorous methods these reviews employ mean that they are among the best evidence sources for evaluating medical procedures.
In this particular review the researchers drew together the results of a number of previous systematic reviews on the subject of pain relief during labour. They then used well-established methods to identify relevant research and to assess its quality. In total, they brought together 15 previous Cochrane reviews on the subject and three non-Cochrane reviews, and used them to assess a range of pain relief options.
The type and intensity of pain that women experience during labour can vary greatly. It can be affected by many physiological and psychosocial factors, including fear and anxiety, prior experience and the degree of emotional support they receive. Most women require some form of pain relief.
While there are several drug and non-drug options available, the reviewers point out there has not yet been a single evidence source pulling together all the evidence from good trials on pain management in labour. The new overview aims to provide a summary of all the good quality evidence, both for medical professionals and pregnant women.
The review covered a number of pain relief methods including:
The reviewers divided the different pain relief methods into different categories, according to how much good quality evidence had been carried out on each of them. The three categories were
The reviewers found that there is good evidence for both forms of epidurals, and that CSEs gave faster pain relief than standard epidurals alone. There was more limited evidence for gas-based pain relief (inhaled analgesia) methods during labour, although the research still supported their use.
Both epidurals and inhaled analgesia can have adverse effects. The review found that inhaled analgesia is associated with nausea and vomiting, while epidurals increased the number of vaginal births needing a forceps or 'ventouse intervention', a technique using a suction cup to help deliver the baby. Epidurals also increased the risk of low blood pressure for the mother, as well as other side effects such as being unable to pass urine and having difficulty moving one's legs.
The review found there is some evidence to suggest that immersion in water, relaxation, acupuncture, massage, local anaesthetic nerve blocks and non-opioid drugs (for example, paracetamol and NSAIDs) may help to manage labour pains, with few adverse effects.
Women reported satisfaction with the pain relief they gained from all these interventions, apart from massage.
Relaxation and acupuncture reduced the need for forceps and ventouse interventions, and acupuncture reduced the number of caesarean sections. However, the researchers point out the evidence for each of these methods was mainly limited to a few individual trials (rather than systematic reviews).
The researchers found 'insufficient evidence to make a judgement' on the effectiveness of:
The reviewers say that the trials they looked at showed 'considerable variation' in how outcomes such as pain intensity were measured and that some important outcomes were never included. For example, no studies examined a woman's sense of control during labour, the effect of pain relief on the ability to breastfeed and on mother-baby bonding, despite surveys showing that these factors are important to women.
Designing future trials that include these factors is essential, the researchers argue. In addition, further good quality research on the effectiveness of non-drug interventions during labour is needed.
The authors say that during pregnancy women should be told about the benefits and the potential adverse effects of all available pain relief methods, both for them and their babies. They should feel free to choose whatever pain management they think would help them most.
The choice of pain relief during labour will be an individual one, and clearly there are benefits and drawbacks to each that must be considered. However, this review provided a good overview of the various types of pain relief available during labour, and how much evidence there is supporting their use.
Women do not have to make this choice alone, as they can get medical advice from their doctor or midwife on what may suit them best. Women can do this when creating a birth plan setting out other options such as where they will give birth.
Importantly, women who choose non-drug pain management should feel free to move on to a drug-based intervention if needed, and might benefit from planning a back-up pain relief option if their initial choice is not effective during the birth.


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Note: Ampalaya is the Tagalog (Philippine language) name for a vegetable commonly called bitter melon or bitter gourd in English. It is the fruit of a vine grown year-round in the Philippines.
Do you like ampalaya?
I mean, like it…and like it so much you'd pick it over any dish available — and ON PURPOSE — not because you are supposed to eat it for its health benefits?
I like to eat vegetables. I'm even fond of vegetables that some people may not favor because of the texture, like okra and eggplants. Or herbs that some may find to taste "soapy", like cilantro (also known as coriander and called kulantro in the Philippines).
But as much as I love to eat my veggies, I do draw a strong line when it comes to the super bitter vegetable called ampalaya.
I really, really hate this vegetable, and wonder why people can stand to eat it.
And I am suspicious of people who tell me that they actually like ampalaya.
In fact, I will usually ask again… you know, just to give them a chance to change their answer.
Really? You really do like it? I always expect them to say "No, not really".
Granted, I've only asked my Filipino relatives or Filipino friends. But most of the time, for the 2nd or 3rd time I ask, they will say "Yes, I do, I really do!"
And then they typically add how healthy this vegetable is, and how it's good for you.
Ampalaya is a common vegetable in the Philippines, and is one of the vegetables featured in a popular native vegetable dish called "pinakbet".
Along with ampalaya, the vegetables included in pinakbet are tomatoes, eggplant, string beans, okra, and squash, but it does vary by region.
It is spiced with onions, garlic, ginger and bagoong (a much loved Filipino fermented seafood product).
I do eat pinakbet because I love everything else that goes into it… except of course, the ampalaya.
When I have pinakbet, I push the ampalaya to the edge of my plate, but sometimes I still accidentally bite into a slice. And then I have to try not to gag while I find a napkin to do a polite manuever while at the table.
The photo of the pinakbet dish above has huge chunks of ampalaya… easier to push aside and avoid!
I remember the first time I ate a frog dish in the Philippines.
The reason I remember is because the lunch options — what we call "ulam" or a main dish in the Philippines — and what is served with rice were:
1. Ampalaya sautéed with eggs, which is another popular way this vegetable is cooked in the Philippines… or
2. Frog legs, sautéed with onions and tomatoes. The frogs were called palakang bukid, and were likely the East Asian Bullfrog.
I must have been around 11 or 12, and up until then, had never eaten frogs. But I was hungry and hated ampalaya so much that I got over the idea of eating a frog very quickly.
Besides, there was a lot of savory sauce covering the froggy legs. I think I liked it, but haven't eaten frogs since that ampalaya vs. frog lunch event.
The ampalaya is popular not only in the Philippines, but in neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and India.
The compounds in his vegetable may well contribute to the amazing longevity of people from Okinawa — another place that loves the bitter melon.
I read an article by Dr. Andrew Weil, the fabout how bitter vegetables are good for us because:
- it suppresses appetites
- it makes the liver have to work hard and produce bile, which is important to our digestive system.
Dr. Weil's article (Why Bitter is Better) suggest veggies to try to build up our bitter vegetable tolerance… like radicchio, Belgian endive, and broccoli rabe. He also recommends, you guessed it, ampalaya!
I think I will stick with bitter vegetables I DO like (endives, mustard greens, kales and chard, and the Chinese "gai lan") because there is no way — at my age, anyway — that I think I will ever learn to like ampalaya.
My dislike for a specific vegetable like ampalaya is not unusual.
Many of us know people who cannot stand to eat beets, or brussel sprouts, or cilantro (did you know the famous chef and cooking pioneer Julia Child hated cilantro?)
You may have heard that we have many taste buds or receptors on our tongue to differentiate between, sweet, salty, sour, umami (the savory taste of meat and mushrooms) and bitter-tasting food.
The interesting thing is that while sweet and umami tastes each have one receptor, there are 20 for bitter flavors.
So, why do we have so many bitter taste receptors?
It turns out the bitter receptors helps us to avoid toxic plants.
When we taste bitter flavors, it is a warming that the food may be poisonous.
But some bitter plants are good for humans, and have medicinal properties.
So while the bitter warns us that it may be poisonous (Toxic! Toxic! Toxic!) there is also a part of us that wants just a bit of bitter veggies because it can help us.
Even now, and knowing about its health benefits, I cannot get past the ampalaya's extreme bitter taste. My reaction to eating ampalaya has always been to spit it out… like, immediately.
Oh yes…right, the vegetable is called "bitter melon" or "bitter gourd" in English. No guessing about how it will taste like, right?
And as far as why ampalaya bitter, it has to do with alkaloids and other compounds in the plant. Alkaloids are produced naturally by bacteria, fungi, animals and some plants.
Many plants containing alkaloid have been used by humans since ancient times. The strange thing is why we like some over others.
I have no problem whatsoever with other alkaloid containing foods like coffee…and other bitter foods like citrus, or olives.
We each have different thresholds for what tastes bitter, so it could be that those of us who hate ampalaya are super sensitive to veggies that have a high alkaloid content. And it could have something to do with our genetic background…hmmm.
Well, at least the alkaloid information explains why some people like ampalaya, while others, like me, are perplexed at how one can eat something so bitter… ON PURPOSE!
What about you?
Do you eat ampalaya or have a particular vegetable you absolutely cannot stand to eat?
More information:
- Stuart Exchange Philippine Medicinal Plants on Ampalaya – Momordica charantia
- Articles about food and tasting at NOVA Science.
- A post about the difference between squash and gourds (ampalaya is in the same genetic family as pumpkins and squashes and gourds called "cucurbita").


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Image Courtesy plumenshopus.com
My power went out yesterday. With a big bang.
Everyone else in the complex had power. I checked the switch board for the safety switch. No, all good there. I phoned 'Origin', my electricity provider. No all good there....account is actually in credit.
Wandered around to see if any workmen might have accidentally cut something important while doing their stuff. Nope. Collected my mail.
"Your electricity has been disconnected today... right now, actually... go directly to jail.... and thanks for coming". What?
I phoned Energex....the people who cut my power off. They informed me that they received written advice from Origin, my provider, to do so. It was 3.30pm by now and they informed me that, no matter what, there would be no way that I would have power again by nightfall. Tears. I had just been grocery shopping and I had a fridge full of food for my hungry boys, frozen meals in the freezer made by caring friends and to break my heart further, my boys lizards have 15 eggs hatching under a electricity run heat lamp. Boys + lizards + no electricity = more crying.
I rang Origin back. "What, you're at number 45 street? Your account says number 36 street. Your account is for number 36. We have no account for number 45". Ok, so Origin, what meter have you been reading to calculate the bills I have been paying? There is no 36 in this street. Umm, errr.
On hold. On my mobile. For 1 hour by now.
I cried. As you do. When you're female. And sitting in a corridor with your mobile plugged into the power point that the cleaners use. And this is just the last thing you need. And you have baby lizards needing heat. And a fridge full of fresh (but soon not to be) food.
Went and retrieved 'cranky site manager who hates my boys' and he opened up the meter box... yep, there were all the meters... and mine?... fuses removed, padlocked and taped. He had opened it earlier for the Energex guy and happily stood there letting him cut off my power!!!!! I retrieved the meter number and informed Origin. "Yep, that's the meter number we have been reading".... well that's at number 45.... the place you say you have no account for. The physical place that your meter reader has been attending to read the meter in order for you to bill me.
On hold. Again.
Meanwhile back in my memory banks. Hang on, the notices I have been receiving from Origin since August.... "You are an unauthorized user of power and hot water at number 45. Please contact us"... my replies were unanswered. My faxes and emails, with copies of my paid bills - unanswered. Even the one I sent 2 days ago that unfortunately included the word 'moron' in it. What about those?
On hold. Again.
2 hours later. "Umm, errr, we don't know what has happened. We're sorry for the mix up. We will get Energex to reconnect your electricity TOMORROW somewhere between the hours of 1pm and 6pm. Sorry about your food. Sorry about your boy's pets. We will be starting your account again and back billing you from the date in February in which you moved in". What? I have been paying my bills. "Yes, but that was on number 36. This is 45. You have been using power at 45 and it has to be paid for".
So my mobile phone bill for 2 hours on hold? The entire rotten contents of my fridge? And the impending one year bill for electricity that I have used at number 45 for the past year? I have to pay for it all ??????? So where is my money for the bills I have been paying at your ficticious number 36? Where are the replies to all my correspondence that said, "there is someone living here... this is me.... here are my paid bills".
What an expensive mistake. All at my cost. I will be getting my electricity connected and then closing my account with them. Today. I am looking for another electricity provider.
As my boys would say, "Origin???..... EPIC FAIL".
I am typing from a bed, not in my apartment. My boys and I were kindly taken in....like waifs.
I am heading back this morning to clear out all my rotten food and check on the lizard babies.
There, I feel better now. I am sending a link to this post ... to Origin.


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Current Members
Judge Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh
(Member of the Court since 6 February 2000; Vice-President of the Court from 6 February 2006 to 5 February 2009)
Born in Amman, Jordan, on 22 February 1950.
Primary and secondary education at the Islamic Educational College of Amman. University education at Cambridge University (Queens' College) history and law, postgraduate studies in international law. M.A. LL.M. (Cantab.); (Honorary Fellow of Queens' College).
Joined the Jordanian diplomatic service in 1975. Second Secretary, then First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the United Nations in New York (1976-1980). Ministry of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for international organizations and international law (1980-1985). Head of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1985-1990). Seconded to the Royal Court (1990). Ambassador (1992). Adviser to the King and Adviser of the State on International Law with the rank of Cabinet Minister (1995). Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court (1996-1998).
Member of the Jordanian Royal Commission on Legislative and Administrative Reform (1994-1996).
Chairman of the Jordanian National Group on the Implementation of International Humanitarian Law (1998-2006).
Representative of Jordan at 19 sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations (the Sixth (Legal) Committee) (since 1976). Jordan's alternate representative on the Security Council (1981-1982). Member of most Jordanian delegations to meetings of the Arab League, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and the Organization of the Islamic Conference held in the years 1980-1988. Member of, and Legal Adviser to, the Jordanian delegation to the peace negotiations in the Middle East (1991-1994).
Representative of Jordan at the following conferences and committees in the field of the codification and progressive development of international law: Ad Hoc Committee on the Drafting of an International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (1977-1980); United Nations Conference on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties, Second Session (1978); United Nations Conference on Succession of States in Respect of State Property, Archives and Debts (1982). Chairman of the Drafting Committee at the United Nations Conference on the Law of Treaties Between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations (1986). Rome Conference on the drafting of a Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (1988).
Member of the Arab International Law Commission (1982-1989).
Member of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (1984-1993). Chairman of the Sub-Commission (1993).
Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the human rights dimensions of forcible population transfer.
Chairman of Commission IV, Unesco General Conference (1993).
Member of the International Law Commission (1986-1999).
Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (since 1999). Arbitrator in The Government of Sudan/The Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (Abyei Arbitration) (2008–2009).
Member of the International Law Association, Chairman of the Committee on Islamic Law and International Law since 2003.
Member of the Board of Editors, Palestine Yearbook of International Law.
Member of the Council of the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Lectured and participated widely in academic seminars at various universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, London, Geneva and universities in Jordan.
Publications: three reports on the human rights dimensions of forcible population transfers, to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, 1993-1997; "General Principles and Methods for Executing a New Convention", in Environmental Protection and the Law of War, London, New York,(1992; "The International Law Commission and Middle East Waters" in Water in the Middle East: Legal, Political and Commercial Implications, London, New York, 1995.
Honours: Al-Istiqlal Order, First Class (1993); Al-Kawkab Order, First Class (1996); Al-Nahda Order, First Class (1996) (Jordan). Légion d'Honneur, Grand Officier (1997) (France).


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May I invite you to open your Bible to 2 Timothy chapter 4. We're looking at verses 6 through 8. This great triumphant epitaph of Paul which he himself wrote as a summary of his life has occupied us now for this the third week. I received a note on the back of a registration card this week pleading with me to go faster, asking why we have to spend so much time in one verse. And attached to it with a paper clip on the back was a second registration card that said to me, "May I please thank you for taking your time in doing such in depth study of each verse." So I...thank you very much...I don't know what to do, folks. But I want you to understand that when I go into the Word of God I am pressed by the Spirit of God to express out of that text what the Spirit of God lays upon my heart. And the pace in many ways is determined not only by the working of the Spirit of God but by my own desires and my own need as God points things in my life that I need to understand and very frequently what I preach to you is what I have sought to know for myself as the Spirit of God has worked this through my own heart. So if you cannot understand why it takes so long to get through a passage, it might help you to understand that it takes that long for the Spirit of God to properly teach me what is in here. And once I have learned it, then I can pass it on to you.
As Christians I think we're all very much aware of the fact that God is a God of great grace, that God has poured out to undeserving sinners the grace of salvation and beyond that grace upon grace, abundant grace for time and eternity is promised to us. We learn that God is not only a God of grace but God is a God of generous and abounding, yes superabounding grace. The amazing grace of God causes God to want to reward, imagine that, to reward faithful believers. It's almost unimaginable that God who by grace saves us and God who by grace enables us should by grace reward us for what He has done in us, and yet He does. In Genesis 15 I was reading this week about Abram and it says in chapter 15 after Abram had just given testimony of his faithfulness to God by not accepting things from the King of Sodom, it says the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you, your reward shall be very great." And God has chosen to give to His beloved very great rewards...very great honor. The culmination of God's love and the culmination of God's grace and the culmination of God's generosity is what He has planned as a reward for those who faithfully love and serve Him.
For example, coming into the New Testament you perhaps remember Luke chapter 6 verse 22 Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and cast insults at you and spurn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man, be glad in that day and leap for joy." You say why? "For behold, your reward is great in heaven." No matter what you may endure in this world, God in His loving, generous, infinite, superabounding grace has prepared a great reward for us in heaven. In fact, the Apostle Paul says that things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him...those who love Him. In Ephesians 2:4 it says that God is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He's loved us and then in verse 5 when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ for by grace are you saved. Verse 6, and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Here's the reason, "In order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." He saved us with the intent that through all the ages to come He would pour out surpassing riches and mercy and grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Peter saw it. Peter in his first epistle looked ahead to that living hope and said that Christ had prepared and purchased for us in His resurrection an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. Reward...reward in heaven...reward in eternity, that's God's plan for His people.
The psalmist said in Psalm 58:11, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous." The writer of Hebrews characterizes God as a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. God is a rewarder of His people. He has promised that. And I don't believe anyone that I know of lived more in the light of that eternal reward than the beloved Apostle Paul. He lived for his eternal reward. He was not at all preoccupied with what he gained in this life. He said in Philippians 3, "I count all things but dung, rubbish, manure in pressing on for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." He said none of the things in this world are dear to me, not even my life. I just want to accomplish God's work and receive at His hand that which He has prepared for me. Things in this life were utterly incidental to Paul. Even the suffering of this life, he said in Romans 8:18, was not worthy to be compared with the glory which would belong to him in the future. And then that wonderful statement he makes to the Corinthians which I love so very much, and you do too if you remember it, 2 Corinthians 4:17 in which he says, "We look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, the things that are not seen are eternal." That was his focus in verse 18. Then in verse 17 he says this, "Therefore our momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison." I have my eyes on eternal things. I have my eyes on my eternal reward. And that's where his eyes are in our text, by the way. Would you look at it for me? Verse 6, "I'm already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Here's his future look, "In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing." Facing his own martyrdom which was coming imminently, Paul had no fear, no regret, no desire to stay in this world, he longed for the world to come and the reward to come into that world. That was his hope. Now remember, this is a summary of his life, verses 6, 7 and 8. Verse 6 is the present tense, "I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come." He looks at the close of his life and he's ready. He sees where he is, he understands that it's an honor for him to die, this is his last act of sacrificial loyalty to Christ. And then in verse 7 he runs by the past of his life and he says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." In other words, as he looked over the course of his life he remembered that he was faithful. No regret, no sadness, no sense of unfulfillment, no feeling of incompleteness, not the smallest thing left undone, he had finished the work the Lord gave him to do just as he had hoped and prayed he would in Acts chapter 20. And he faces death with a triumphant spirit. He has seen the grace of God accomplished within him, all that God designed. And he is now ready to face death. The past is the past. The present is almost the past. And all that remains is the future.
Let's look with Paul then at verse 8 and let's see how he viewed the future, the crown of his life and the fact that he will be rewarded. And this, dear friends, is the joy of the heart of a faithful servant who comes to the end of his life knowing he was faithful and is to be rewarded. Verse 8, "In the future," he's looking ahead. That little phrase literally is what's remaining, or what remains. All that is left, he is saying. All that is left for me is to receive my reward, is to receive what God has for me. Now somebody might say, "This seems a little egotistical. I've finished my course. I've kept the faith. I've done it all, now, Lord, I want my reward." Is this selfish? Is this somewhat crass or self-indulgent? Is this a bit self-centered? Let me tell you why it's not. God has made the promise. God promised the reward, it isn't wrong to want what God promised. Furthermore, listen carefully, our eternal reward takes into consideration not only what we did but why we did it. Did you get that? And why we did it can either affirm the doing or cancel the doing. For Paul writing in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and looking ahead to the time of reward says, "Do not go on passing judgment before the time but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts and then each man's praise will come to him from God." Motive is bound up in the deed. And admittedly sometimes...sometimes it seems as though you never do anything from a totally pure motive. But God knows the motive and what of that motive is pure is that which will be rewarded. So we don't need to fear that we might be rewarded for selfish self-centered egotistical self-indulgent crass service. The wrong motive cancels the doing of the deed. But whatever has been done for Christ and in His name with a proper heart motive for His glory, that will be rewarded.
So, as Paul anticipates the reward, he anticipates that reward which comes for a true heart and a pure intent. And so, his heart is set on that. He is the athlete who has won the struggle. He is the wrestler who has won the match. He is the boxer who has won the fight. He is the runner who has won the race. And now he looks to the judge's stand and he waits to hear of his winner's crown and to receive it. Nothing wrong with that. His effort was worthy and the righteous judge will properly reward him without mistake. So he looks to the future, in the future.
Then he says this, "There is laid up for me," the verb is the same language as 1 Timothy 6:19 used in the same basic way to express the same idea. It means safely stored away or deposited. And the term, by the way, was used of athletic awards, so he stays within the framework of his athletic analogy. And he says there is stored up, safely deposited with God, a reward for my service. It's a present tense, it could say...all that remains is what is being laid up for me...because he was still in the process of in a sense accumulating that reward, wasn't he? He was still alive and he was still serving the Lord.
Now as he looks at his reward he sees it in very general terms and doesn't go into detail, but I want you to understand what he means by this, and this is going to be, I think, rich and helpful to all of us. What does he call his reward? Verse 8, he says there is laid up for me, safely deposited in the presence of God, the crown...or perhaps the wreath for the word here is stephanos and that had to do with a wreath placed on someone's head usually woven like a garland out of some kind of plant. It is the very same word, by the way, used in Matthew 27:29 to describe the crown of thorns that was placed on the head of Christ. The word diadema or diadem as we know it in English, speaks of king's crown, this is not that. This wreath, this thing woven out of a plant, in Jesus' case a thorny plant, was a wreath that was used to put on the head of a person being honored. It was used, for example, of a magistrate who had completed his term in civil government and was stepping down and when he had a special event in his honor as a retiring magistrate, they would put on his head a laurel wreath as a symbol of the crown of his faithful service. Whenever there was a special celebration of joy, the special guest at such a celebration would wear a laurel wreath as an indication of the focus on their dignity and the honor they were to receive on this occasion. When people went into the temple to worship pagan gods, they often put a garland on their own heads to indicate the dignity and the honor which they considered they were undertaking by entering the presence of a deity. So it was used of celebration and special honors.
But most of all it was associated with athletics. And the winner of any great athletic event in that part of the world might receive that garland around his head. In 2 Timothy 2 you might remember verse 5 which talks about the athlete who competes to win the prize, and the prize would be public honor as symbolized by the wearing of the wreath, much like we are watching as the athletes in the Olympics are receiving a gold or a silver or a bronze medal around their necks. Paul says I'm ready to step on to the judge's stand and have the righteous judge give me the proper reward.
He was anticipating the winner's wreath. And he was anticipating a winner's wreath unlike those that he had seen in his world that would never grow old. In 1 Corinthians 9:25 speaking of the effort and the winner's reward he wrote, "They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one." The runner's run to win a perishable thing, we to win an imperishable. So he was looking for his reward, his great reward, that which would crown his life, that which would evidence to him that God was pleased with the service he had rendered.
And just what is that crown? Look back at our verse. What is it? It is the crown of what? Of righteousness. Now as we look at that we might as the question...what does that mean? And some have suggested that it might be in the Greek language, it is in the genitive case and there are several options you have with a genitive form in the Greek. Some would say it is a genitive of source, that is to say it is the crown which comes from righteousness...righteousness being the source of the crown. That is to say it is the crown given to me for my righteousness, the crown that proceeds from righteousness. That's possible linguistically. I don't think it sounds true to the nature character and humility of Paul. And furthermore it wouldn't define the crown at all. If it said the crown that proceeds from righteousness, we wouldn't know what the crown meant or what it was. There's another approach and I think a better one and that is to see it as a genitive of apposition, which is a very common use of the genitive which means it would read like this, in the future there is laid up for me the crown which is righteousness...the crown which is righteousness. I take it that that's exactly what it means, that's the preferred interpretation. You say why so? Well because I believe that is what is anticipated when one comes to Christ. Do you remember Matthew chapter 5 verse 6? As Jesus characterizes the one who comes to true faith He says this, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after...what?...righteousness for they shall be filled...filled with what?...with what they hunger for, with what they thirst for." Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled with righteousness. And I believe then that that is the crown of the believer's life. I believe there are two things that a believer, including Paul, desires. One, the presence of God. Two, the absence of...what?...sin. And so he is looking at the great laurel wreath of his life which is righteousness, the absence of sin that debilitating reality, deeply entrenched in his flesh. And though he had the gift of imputed righteousness even as Christ had been made unto him righteousness, and though he had practical righteousness as in Romans 6 when he wants the servant of sin had become the servant of righteousness, he did not yet have perfect righteousness. Yes the righteousness of Christ was imputed to him in salvation, yes practical righteousness became part of his life through the indwelling Spirit and the power of new life, but he had not yet known the fullness of eternal perfection and righteousness. The Kingdom of God ultimately, Romans 14:17, is righteousness, righteousness as well as joy and peace. Christ is ultimately to be made unto us righteousness. And so as you look at the future and you look at your eternal reward, what you see is righteousness...righteousness. That's your reward.
In Galatians 5 and verse 5 Paul sees that in the future. He says, "For we through the Spirit by faith...listen to this...are waiting for the hope of righteousness." You say, "Now wait a minute, don't you have imputed righteousness from Christ?" Yes. "Don't you have practical righteousness in your living? Aren't you obeying God's law?" Yes, not perfectly but yes. But what I don't have is the fullness of righteousness for which I hunger and thirst. Every true believer longs for true and perfect righteousness.
Peter understood it, I think. In 2 Peter 3:13 he says that looking ahead to the new heaven and the new earth he says, "According to His promise we are looking for the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells." Righteousness...righteousness, the absence of sin. Revelation tells us there won't be any unrighteousness there, none at all. All the liars and sorcerers and defilers will be outside. Heaven will be righteousness perfected. So he is looking then at the reward of his life which is eternal righteousness.
Beloved, does that sound wonderful to you? The absence of sin, the presence of God, never to know again a temptation, never to know again an evil thought, never to know an evil word, never to speak an evil word, never to do an evil deed, never to not do something you should have done, absolute perfect and eternal righteousness...that's what he longed for. The greatest battle Paul ever knew in his life was not against false teachers and it was not against demons and it was not against Satan. The greatest Paul ever fought was against...what?...sin. And the weariness of life is all bound up in the fact that while we're trying to be successful in the battle against those outside of us, we're constantly having to fight the battle against that which is inside of us. And he longed for eternal righteousness. The fight was a fight and the struggle involved him and the race was a tough race and he was running against himself. And as he tried to keep the treasure of the faith, he had to fight his own fallenness and his own sinful heart to stay true to God's Word. And he was weary with it all and it was over and he wanted eternal righteousness.
This genitive of apposition that says the crown which is righteousness, I think we see in a couple of other key spots. Look at James 1 for a moment, this will broaden your understanding. James 1:12, "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved he will receive...here's another genitive of apposition...the crown which is life which the Lord has promised to those who...what? that's the second time we've heard that this morning...who love Him...who love Him." First Corinthians 2:9 said, "Eye hasn't seen and ear hasn't heard and it hasn't entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared to those who love Him," here James says, "Those who receive the crown which is life will be those who love Him." And Paul has just said in 2 Timothy 4:8 that this crown which is righteousness will not be for him only but for all those who have...what?...loved His appearing. Keep that in your mind. We're going to come back to that thought.
The crown which is life then is just like the crown which is righteousness. What is the crown which is life? The crown which is eternal life. These are separate crowns for separate people, this is the general wreath that will crown the head of every believer. We'll all enter into eternal righteousness. We'll all enter into eternal life. Look at 1 Peter 5...1 Peter 5:4 he writes, "When the chief shepherd appears, when the chief shepherd appears you will receive the unfading crown...another genitive apposition...which is glory." That's promised to every believer. When the chief shepherd appears you will receive the crown which is righteousness, the crown which is life, the crown which is glory. All that means is you will be rewarded for your faith and service to Christ by eternal righteousness, eternal life and eternal glory. Wow! No more sin, no more death, no more humility or defeat, eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory.
Revelation 2:10 also speaks of the crown which is life. "Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown which is life." So, beloved, we're not talking about some specific crown that goes on your head in eternity that you wear around forever saying, "Look what I won!" We're talking about eternal righteousness, eternal life and eternal glory. And just as in the time when the Bible was written, an honored person wore that laurel wreath as the expression of someone's respect and someone's love and someone's desire to exalt them, so we will wear forever eternal righteousness, eternal life and eternal glory as evidence of God's desire out of love and grace to exalt us forever and ever and ever in His presence. Marvelous, marvelous truth.
When you think about your eternal reward it's called by many names in Scripture, this eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory. It's described as being with Christ, beholding the face of God, behold the glory of Christ, being glorified with Christ, reigning with Christ, reigning forever and ever, joint heirship with Christ, inheriting all things. It's described as an inheritance with the saints in light. It's described as shining as the stars, as everlasting light, as entering the joy of the Lord, as eternal rest, as fullness of joy, as the prize of the high calling of God, as treasure in heaven and as an eternal weight of glory. And it all refers to the same thing, eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory. That's what Paul looked for. He wanted what God had promised him, the absence of sin, the absence of death, the absence of humiliation, righteousness, life and glory forever. What a hope...what a hope. That's what was waiting him deposited safely with God. You say, "Well, John, are you saying that there are no specific crowns? Are you saying that there are no specific rewards for my service to Christ?" No, that's just not spoken of here. If I can footnote let me say I believe that there will be a time when we will receive certain rewards at the same time, that there will be the general reward of righteousness, life and glory with all of its different terminology. There will also be some specific rewards to individual believers for their faithful service. They will be over and above the great rewards.
Now if you look at eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory, you can see that all wrapped up in the parable of Matthew 20. Don't look it up, we don't have time. But in that parable Jesus pictures a man who went out to hire some people to work in his vineyard. He hired some, they worked twelve hours. He hired some more, they worked nine hours. He hired some more, they worked six hours. He hired some more, they worked three hours. He hired some, they worked one hour. At the end of the day he paid them all...what?...the same, exactly the same. And Jesus was saying the last shall be first, the first shall be last which means everybody ends up the same. The last are first, they're first. And if the first are last, as soon as they become last they be first again. So everybody finishes the same. And the point of the parable is illustrated in the way the men were paid. No matter what your service was, no matter how long you worked, no matter how hard the work, in the end we'll all receive the same eternal life, the same eternal righteousness, the same eternal life, the same eternal glory, the same eternal Christlikeness. That's illustrated in that parable.
You say, "Well what about the individual rewards? Aren't there some specific rewards to individual believers like us for our service to Christ?" Yes, I believe there are and I believe Scripture teaches about those. In Romans, for example, just briefly to touch the Scriptures, we don't have time to develop them, Romans 14 it says verse 12...verse 10, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, then verse 12, each one of us will give account of himself to God. So we're going to bow the knee, verse 11 says, and we're going to praise God. That's, I think, very specifically talking about the judgment time of believers. We're going to come before the Lord, He's going to evaluate our works. We'll all have eternal life, righteousness and glory but He's going to evaluate our service. And each one of us will give an accounting of our service.
Second Corinthians 5 broadens our understanding a little bit, verse 10, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Same idea, judgment seat of God in the prior passage, judgment seat of Christ here, Christ is God, that each one may be rewarded for his deeds in the body according to what he's done whether it's good or phaulos, not really wicked or evil like the word kakia, or kakos, but useless, valueless because there's no issue of sin there, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ, Romans 8:1. We're not going to the judgment seat of Christ to be punished for our sin, to have our sins exposed, there's no sin there, sin has been dealt with, right? At what judgment seat was sin dealt its fatal blow? The cross. The judgment seat is not a place of condemnation, the bema as it's called, is not a place of judgment. Sin has been taken care of. I don't believe there will be any sin there at all. I don't believe there will be any sin there. For believer's sin is a past issue, it's put away in Christ. No sin brought up. Only an evaluation of a believer's service to determine what is good. And the basis of the future reward will be that service rendered in this life. There's no issue of evil there. The judgment seat of Christ, whether our deeds were highly valued or useless. Sin is not the issue, just the relative value of our service to Christ.
Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 3, one more and perhaps the most key passage. Describing that event it says verse 12 that we can build our lives with gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, straw. Now are any of those things evil? Is straw evil? Is hay evil? Is wood evil? No, they're just relatively invalue...relatively valuable or invaluable. Precious stones are invaluable, gold is valuable, silver is valuable, wood is not so valuable. They throw wood away. You have never seen a gold scrap heap. You've never seen a silver scrap heap. But you have seen a lot of wood scrap heaps. Straw, hay...not particularly valuable, not evil just of no value. So he is saying you are building your life and some of the things you do are gold, silver, precious stones, some are wood, hay and straw. In the day that we come to the judgment seat of Christ our work will be made manifest or evident, the day will show it, fire comes in the picture here, fire hits all that...guess what burns? Straw burns, hay burns, wood burns, the rest doesn't. So that's what remains. On the basis of what remains in verse 14 it says he shall receive a...what?...a reward. So here beyond that sort of generic eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory, the Lord will grant to us some reward. And whatever is burned up, verse 15 says, we'll just suffer the loss of reward but still be saved. We just won't have the reward like we might have had.
You say, "Well, what in the world are these rewards?" And as I pointed out in our series on heaven, I believe the reward itself given to us will be our capacity and the nature of our eternal service. We'll all have eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory, eternal Christlikeness, but we'll all do different things in eternity. And the things we do and the sphere of our service and the nature of our service and the sphere of our authority and the nature of our co-regency with Christ will be determined by the faithfulness of our service here. Just by faith in Christ and salvation you receive the crown of righteousness, the crown of life, the crown of glory, but the rest of these rewards come as a result of your faithful service here and what you do in service here will determine the nature and extent of your service and your authority and your co- reigning with Christ throughout eternity.
Revelation 7:13 to 15 says we'll serve Him. Revelation 22:3 says we'll serve Him. The nature of that service, I believe, determined by our service here. In Matthew you have the parable where our Lord promises the person who has been faithful over little that He will give him...what?...much, much greater service, much greater authority. The man the Lord Jesus talks about, the one who is faithful over a small area being given a greater area of responsibility. And thinking of Luke I think it's chapter 12 verse 42 where the Lord talks about the one who is a faithful servant, He says in verse 43, "Blessed is the slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes, truly I say to you he'll put him in charge of all his possessions." In other words, if you're faithful while the Lord's away, when He comes back He'll give you a greater sphere of responsibility. If you're faithful with what He gives you here, if you use your gift here and use your ministry here and use your opportunity here, then forever and ever and ever you'll have a greater sphere of service.
And I want you to know, beloved, you know this as well, the greatest single joy in life is serving Christ, right? So the greatest joy of eternity will be serving Him. And the greater the opportunity to serve Him in eternity, the more wonderfully fulfilling it would be. That's why John writes in 2 John 8, "Look to yourselves that you don't lose your reward," it's precious because what you do here will be rewarded by God's allowing you to do things there in heaven forever and ever. Revelation 3:11, "Don't let anybody take your crowns from you," don't let anybody rob you of that. You be faithful so you don't lose the reward you've already gained by some discrediting, some sin. We're going to reign with Christ. Revelation 2:26 it says, "I'll give him authority over the nations." We're going to have...we're going to reign with Christ, we're going to serve with Christ. And the sphere of our reigning and the sphere of our service is determined by the faithfulness here. You remember the man who was faithful with what the master gave him and he said, "Well, I'll give you ten cities." Faithful with a few minas, which is a hundred days labor, I'll give you five minas, or ten minas. That's the idea of eternity, when the master comes back all those parables say is if you've been faithful with what you've had, He's going to give you more, more service, more responsibility, more authority. That, I believe, is what our eternal reward specifically is. Generally it's eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory, eternal Christlikeness. But we're all going to spend eternity serving Him and ruling along side of Him.
That's a footnote. Look back at the text. So what Paul is saying is that I'm looking forward to the crown which is eternal righteousness, I'm looking forward to being free from sin. I'm looking forward to eternal perfection. How is that received? Look what he says. "Which the Lord, the righteous judge," He's a perfect judge. You know He never makes a mistake? Never makes a mistake, perfect, righteous judge. He's a lot better than the judges at the Olympics, wouldn't you say? Perfect judge, never makes a mistake, knows exactly what everybody's performance is and whether it's perfect or imperfect and to what degree, perfect. He is the judge, it says in verse 1, of the living and the dead. And he says in that day the judge who is perfect in His judgment will apodidomi, will recompense me, will reward me. The judge who sees all, who knows all, who evaluates all in perfect righteousness will perfectly evaluate my life and give to me that eternal righteousness, that eternal life, that eternal glory and whatever other reward He deems fit.
You say, "When does it happen?" It says it happens on that day, on that day. What day? Well he's already mentioned that twice in this epistle. Chapter 1 verse 12 he mentioned that day, chapter 1 verse 18 he mentioned that day, and here he mentions it for the third time. It has to do with the day of the judgment seat of Christ, the judgment seat of Christ, the time when the Lord brings His people to the evaluation of their service. You say, "When is that?" Well do you remember we were reading a moment ago in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, listen to verse 5, "Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time but wait...where it is...until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts and then each man's praise will come to him from God." You'll get your reward in that day...here's the phrase...when the Lord comes. It's at the coming of the Lord, it's at the coming of the Lord for His people, at the coming of the Lord for His redeemed, it's when the Lord comes. Revelation 22:12 says, "Behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me." I believe it's right after the Rapture of the church. The Lord comes and raptures His church and takes us away and then we receive the reward. You say, "Now wait a minute, you said that the eternal reward was eternal righteousness, eternal life and eternal glory. If we have to wait until the Rapture to get that, then what are people doing now who died?" Fair question. Well they already have eternal righteousness, eternal life and eternal glory only not in its fullness. You say, "Why not?" Because they don't have their glorified...what?...their body. So though they have eternal righteousness and eternal life and eternal glory, they have not yet experienced fully what that means because they do not have a glorified body to give full expression to that. And while they probably are already serving and reigning with the Lord in some way, it's not the fullest and final expression of that because they are as yet an incomplete being. And so Paul is looking to that fullness on the day when the Lord comes, takes His church and then rewards His church with glorified bodies and they in that final and fully redeemed total expression are able to live out their righteousness life glory and render their service and their authority on His behalf. So it's in that day that the fullness of it comes to pass, that day when the Master comes, in the words of Matthew 25:19, to settle His accounts and rewards His faithful servants.
So, there is a day when Jesus comes. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians that He will rapture the church. The dead in Christ will rise first. We which are alive and remain will be caught up to meet them in the air then all of us will be in glorified spirits, glorified bodies, we'll be able to give full expression to our eternal righteousness, our eternal life, our eternal glory, our eternal Christlikeness and render full service, full authority over whatever God causes us to lead.
You see, it says in Luke 14:14 these words, "You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Very important statement. It's at the resurrection of the righteous that this will take place. That is not to say, and please don't miss this, that people now in the presence of the Lord are not expressing full righteousness, and are not expressing rather righteousness, life and glory, it's just not the full and complete expression that they will have when they receive their glorified bodies.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:19, "For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of exaltation, or celebration? Is it not even you...listen to this...in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?" In other words, what's the crown of my ministry? What's the supreme joy of my life? What's the greatest glory for which I live? To see you at the coming of Christ. Why? Because it's at His coming that you will be redeemed soul and redeemed body, joined together in full expression of eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory, eternal Christlikeness. Until that time it's not complete...it's not complete.
And lastly, who is this for? Who gets in on this kind of reward? Look at the end of the verse, so very basic. On that day He will bring this reward and all that we have discussed not only to me but also to all...and what's the qualifier?, who have what?...loved His epiphaneia, His presence. Now remember I mentioned a moment ago that several times we read about those that loved Him. James said a crown of life is promised to those that love Him. Paul says that we don't even know with our eyes or ears or minds what God has prepared for those that...what?...love Him. And here he says this crown is given to all those who have...perfect tense...and in the past and continually are loving His presence. What does that tell us? Well who does this refer to? I'll tell you who it refers to, all true Christians. I have said this, I repeat it again, the greatest single mark of a true believer is love for God and Christ. That's it, that's the bottom line. Love, the heart of love toward God and Christ, Christians love God, love Christ, non Christians don't. That is one dominant note and theme in the matter of regeneration and conversion. When a person becomes a Christian, they love God, they love Christ, and they ought to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. But we're not there yet. When a person is regenerated and made new in Christ, he's given a new heart and a new will and a new desire and a new intent and a new attitude that expresses itself in love...in love. That's the essence of salvation, you love God. You don't always do what's right, but you love God and you love Christ. And when you sin, you feel badly because you have violated your love. Jesus made it very clear in John chapter 5 and verse 42, Jesus said words that you can't miss. "I know you," He says, "that you do not have the love of God in yourselves," that's how He characterized the unbelievers. You don't love God...you don't love God. He characterized believers in John 14, just the opposite. John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him." He loves you, God loves you, you love Him. That's characteristic of a believer. Verse 23, "If anyone loves Me he'll keep My word, My Father will love him, will come to him and make our abode with him. We dwell in people who love us." Regeneration, see, is God's work whereby He enables you to love God. It says that God has shed abroad, Romans 5:5 in our hearts the love of Himself.
"Beloved," 1 John 4:7, "let us love one another for love is from God and everyone who loves...here it is...is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God." Could it be any clearer than that? The bottom line, loving God...loving God. Philippians 3:20, "Our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, Jesus Christ." Why do we eagerly wait? We love Him...we love Him. First Corinthians 16:22 says, "If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed, maranatha." Curse the ones who don't love Him. Bless the ones who do.
So, beloved, you can look at this verse and apply it to your own life. The reward of eternal righteousness and eternal life and eternal glory and eternal service and eternal authority that comes along with these general things is promised to all those who have loved His presence, because that's the mark of a believer, it refers to all believers, all Christians. Do you love Christ? Is that the deepest truest expression of what's in you? You love Christ? You show it by obeying Him. Is that the deepest desire of your heart? Do you delight in His law? Do you long to obey? Then you're headed for an eternal reward. But on the way you can enhance and enrich that eternal reward by faithful service and that's why Paul wrote to the Colossians these words..."Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, it is the Lord Christ whom you serve." If you love Him, serve Him with all your heart and then enjoy eternity as He expresses back to you His gratitude for your service by enhancing your service and your responsibility beyond your wildest dreams. And you'll know the fullness of eternal joy in serving the one who gave Himself for you. Let's pray together.
Father, thank You again this morning for such a wonderful testimony by the beloved Apostle Paul. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us. Even as we began with Abraham and the words that came to him, directly from heaven that told him You had a great reward, so we come clear to the end of the New Testament and we hear the words of Jesus..."Behold I come quickly and My reward is with Me." O Lord, how thankful we are that You're a God of love and grace and generosity and that You have designed eternity in order that You might pour out on us Your kindness, expressing to us all Your love, all Your goodness. Father, we long to serve You faithfully that we may enter into the fullness of our reward. We long to know that eternal righteousness, eternal life, eternal glory. We long to serve in the most wide- far-reaching way we can throughout eternity. We long to be as responsible as You will allow us and so, Lord, with that as a goal, help us to be faithful here knowing that if we're faithful over little, You'll make us lord over much. If we rule well over five cities, You'll give us ten. If we serve You faithfully, You'll give us a greater service. To that end we pray that Christ might be exalted now and throughout all eternity. Amen.
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Introductory Kids Fishing
August 3, 2018 @ 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
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Head to the creek and prepare to get your hands muddy catching fish & crabs! Introductory Kids Fishing provides kids (ages 6 – 15 years old) with a hands-on fishing experience using modern and traditional fishing techniques including rod and reel, hand-lining, and cast-netting on the marsh. No experience necessary. Equipment and bait are provided. Children 10 & under must be accompanied by an adult at no additional fee. Learn more and register at www.bhic.org/ki


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Dear Supporter,
A month remains in the Illinois legislative session and much remains to be accomplished. Many of the environmental community's legislative proposals have made it past critical deadlines. Other proposals haven't made it as far and may move later with increased support from leadership. We are thrilled to present to you these short articles about our member affiliate's legislative priorities presented by experts from each organization.
Beyond these legislative proposals, there is much work to do. IEC is actively keeping an eye on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources budget. While the Governor's proposed budget keeps the agency funded, the possible rollback of the state income tax will make this a difficult budget year. We are supportive of the Governor's recommended budgets for IDNR and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
IDNR also has recently announced vast changes that it will propose to its rules for coal mining permits and for inspection of coal ash ponds. These reforms are a first step and are sorely needed to address the vast environmental concerns related to this industry. IDNR is also responding to over 40,000 comments made by citizens to its proposed fracking rules. We are actively working to see the 30 pages of comments made by environmental groups addressed in the next proposal put forth by IDNR, which should occur in the next few months.
With a month left in the legislative session, we will be finishing work on our priority bills for the year, but also playing defense against any proposals to strip environmental protections or fund environmentally irresponsible projects. We will keep you updated via e-mail and let you know when you should take action. Your support is incredibly meaningful and your involvement in these issues helps us to work towards positive environmental change in Springfield.
Jennifer Walling
Executive Director
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Moving on Climate Ready Water Infrastructure
Rob Moore, Natural Resources Defense Council
The Illinois State Senate and Illinois State House have unanimously passed legislation that will help make wastewater and stormwater systems better prepared for the impacts of climate change. SB 2780/HB4382 will make low-interest loans, loan guarantees, and other forms of financial support available from the state's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF, but known in Illinois as the Water Pollution Control Loan Program) for green infrastructure, water efficiency and other projects essential to making Illinois communities more resilient to floods, droughts, and other climate related impacts.
These bills makes these kinds of projects eligible for CWSRF support in Illinois for the first time ever. And the fact that the legislation explicitly recognizes the importance of using CWSRF funds for climate preparedness work is a big deal.
Every state has a Clean Water and a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. In total they represent about $109 billion in capital nationwide available for water infrastructure. In Illinois, the CWSRF has disbursed more than $3 billion in low-interest loans. Last year, President Obama identified the SRFs as an important tool for getting communities — and their water infrastructure — prepared for the climate of the future.
Governor Pat Quinn committed $1 billion in additional water infrastructure financing in his State of the State address and put forward the legislation. SB2780 must go through the House or HB4382 must go through the Senate before the legislation can head to the Governor's desk.
Things are looking good for climate preparedness in Illinois.
Protecting wildlife in Illinois
Rebecca Riley, Natural Resources Defense Council
Illinois is seeing an amazing wildlife resurgence, with wolves, black bears, and mountains lions returning to our state after a decades-long absence. The trouble is, because these predators have been gone for so long, we don't have rules in place to protect them. The Illinois Senate took an important step towards correcting that problem by voting unanimously in favor of SB 3049, a bill to add wolves, black bears, and mountain lions to the Illinois Wildlife Code.
Under current Illinois law, anyone can shoot a wolf, black bear, or mountain lion at any time, no questions asked. And in fact, that's exactly what happened last fall when a mountain lion journeyed from the Black Hills of South Dakota to Illinois, most likely in search of a mate. The animal caused no apparent trouble on its trek, but when it got to Illinois, a farmer contacted the authorities who shot and killed the big cat.
If enacted, Senate Bill 3049 would put a stop to this free-for-all. Almost every mammal in the state, including predators like bobcats and coyotes, is already regulated under the Wildlife Code. Adding wolves, black bears, and mountain lions to that list is just common sense. Under the proposed law, farmers will be able to protect their livestock, but they will not be able to shoot these animals for no reason. The Senate's vote was the first step in making this solution the law and protecting these native predators as they attempt to return to their former range.
As the Chicago Tribune said in their editorial this past fall: "Wild animals roam this state. Always have and, we hope, always will. As we urged here in 2008: The same Illinois that was unprepared for the last cougar had better get ready for the next. He's probably en route."


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Nov 30 2011
episode 140:"i'm a real mommy now!"
episode 140: "I'm a real mommy now!"
Donation incentive for this month is a Vera Bradley Erica In Very Berry Paisley. SUPER cute and filled with wonderful wonderful pockets!
-garden buttoned up
-black tarps down to expand the beds
-wildlife highway
Handmade holidays:
Ribbon chains for the Christmas tree
-Halloween I'm a real mom now!
-IEP and changes coming
-skin care service announcement
-Ryan's new job
fibery goodness:
-spectra shawl and scarf purgatory
-vanilla socks to the recue
-boneyard shawl by westknits in handspun
-The Big Project comes back
Favorite things:
Walk Fit orthotics
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POINT MAGU SEA RANGE, Calif., Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Raytheon says its Standard-6 interceptor missiles were on target in their first over-the-horizon engagement test against cruise missiles.
The U.S. Navy fired two SM-6s from the USS Chancellorsville and each destroyed the BQM-74 target drones, the company reported.
"The SM-6's ability to engage threats at significantly greater ranges than other missiles in its class is a game changer for the U.S. Navy," said Jim Normoyle, Raytheon Missile Systems' SM-6 program director. "We verified the weapon's new processor earlier this month, and we're preparing for the USS Chancellorsville's Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials in November."
The SM-6 leverages airframe and propulsion system of earlier Standard Missiles, has active and semi-active guidance modes, and uses advanced fuzing techniques. It will be used to provide Navy ships with extended range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles as part of the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air mission area.
"SM-6 combines the best of our SM-2, SM-3 and AMRAAM missiles, providing an enhanced anti-air warfare and over-the-horizon capability at a reduced cost," said Mike Campisi, Raytheon Missile Systems' senior director of Standard Missile-1, -2 and -6 programs. "We have delivered more than 50 missiles ahead of schedule and under cost, and we remain on track to reach initial operating capability in 2013."
The missiles are produced by Raytheon's new $75 million, 70,000-square-foot SM-6 and Standard Missile-3 all-up-round production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.
The U.S. Defense Acquisition Board approved full-rate production of the SM-6 missile last May.


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Kevin SmithKevin Patrick Smith was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, to Grace (Schultz) and Donald E. Smith, a postal worker. He is very proud of his native state; this fact can be seen in all of his movies. Kevin is of mostly German, with some Irish and English, ancestry. His first movie, Clerks (1994), was filmed in the convenience store in which Smith worked.
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There has been much speculation lately about what happens to Lemon Law buybacks – the cars and trucks that are so defective, no one can fix them. The lemons get resold, sometimes without future owners knowing. I know because one lemon returned to my office to let me represent it again.
I had a client who bought a car brand new from a fairly high volume dealer not far from my office in suburban Detroit. She noticed almost immediately it had a wonky transmission. Harsh shifting, slipping and so on. She brought it in for service. The technicians said they found a problem and fixed it. They gave it back to her. It was still messed up. Repeat that cycle three more times and she called me. In the four repair visits, the technicians said they witnessed the defect every time and they appeared to have tried to fix it each time. The repair orders listed all sorts of parts being replaced and so on. It's just that none of the repair attempts solved the problem. We sent a last chance letter to the manufacturer and they declined to take a last chance at repairing it.
We filed suit and the manufacturer quickly agreed to buy the car back from my client and pay the fees and costs associated with her lawsuit. I was with her the day she turned the vehicle in at the dealership and signed all of the papers necessary to rid herself of the car. That was the last she saw of the car. But it wasn't the last time for me.
The manufacturer took possession of the car shortly thereafter, did what they could to try and fix it, and sent it to an auction where it was sold to a dealer. The manufacturer sent paperwork to the auction to let the purchasing dealer know the vehicle was a lemon law buyback in the hope that they would to pass that information along to the next civilian purchaser.
A few months later I got a phone call from a woman who told me she had a used car with a bad transmission. I didn't catch it right away but it was the same year, make and model as the car in the story above. When I told her that the Michigan lemon law doesn't generally cover used cars she told me there ought to be a law covering this one.
I asked her why she thought that.
She told me that she had brought the vehicle in for warranty repairs several times and when the transmission could not be fixed, she had done a title search on the previous owner and found out that this car was the one I had gotten bought back for my client above. That client had given her my number. This was in the days before Carfax (although, Carfax might not have helped her much anyway). She had not been told of the car's history.
We filed suit against the dealer for misrepresentation – that is, failing to disclose the true history of the vehicle to my second client when she bought the car. And how did we know that this dealer definitely knew the car was a lemon law buyback? It was the same dealer both times. And when we filed suit, they did not deny it had happened this way. They just said it was an "oversight."
The vehicle got bought back again. I think the dealer picked up the brunt of the cost of this suit but I'm not privy to how defendants divide up their portions of a defense (and yes, we sued the manufacturer also because the transmission was never fixed, giving rise to a breach of warranty claim as well.) And if you are wondering about the math, this vehicle's transmission had been subjected to nine (9) repair attempts that we know of by this point. Four times for the first client, once by the manufacturer before the auction, and four more times for the second client. When she turned it in, the trans was still messed up.
I wish I still had the VIN of that car. It was early in my career and I would love to know how many more times after that it changed hands. I also admit I half expected to have it return to my office, asking me to get it repurchased by the manufacturer again.
Follow me on Twitter: @stevelehto
Hear my podcast on iTunes: Lehto's Law
Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and Michigan lemon law. He wrote The Lemon Law Bible and Chrysler's Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit's Coolest Creation.
This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we're not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn't act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.


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Austin, US-Lady Gaga had a friend vomit on her as she performed at South By Southwest. The controversial singer performed a special set at the US festival, in which she entertained the crowd with her provocative antics.
During the show Gaga invited friend Millie Brown on stage to assist on Swine. Millie, a "vomit painter", proceeded to drink a full bottle of neon green liquid before forcing herself to throw up on the singer as she played the drums. Gaga had kicked off her appearance by roasting herself on a spit. The 27-year-old was wheeled onto the open air stage at Stubb's BBQ on a spit as her dancers basted her with barbecue brushes.
"I love my fans because they always let me be myself and they don't care what anybody says," Gaga told the crowd. The show, sponsored by Doritos to benefit the star's Born This Way Foundation, lasted for around an hour and also saw the singer in a self-reflective mood. As she got ready to perform her song Dope, she told the crowd: "It's so much easier to be yourself than it is to be somebody else. Because then you have to pretend to be someone else and like things that you don't like and do stuff that you don't want to do."


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Product Description
Bound to a Warrior is the first book in Donna Fletcher's thrilling new series featuring four brave Highland warriors who are determined to return the legendary king of Scotland to his throne. Fletcher captures all the magic and passion of the wild Scottish Highlands in this sexy and exciting historical romance, the story of a proud, brave lass whose heart is imperiled when she finds herself Bound to a Warrior.
From the Back Cover
It has been prophesied that four men, raised as brothers, will bring Scotland back to her rightful glory. The first is running for his life.
Charged with the restoration of Scotland's one true king, Duncan MacAlpin isn't surprised to find himself fleeing an army across the verdant hills of his homeland. But having to do so while shackled to a woman . . . that is a true challenge to Duncan's ingenuity and self-control. For the lovely, untouched maiden he's chained to is far too captivating to resist.
Despite her innocence, Mercy guards her own dangerous secrets. Proud and unafraid—hunted and imperiled for who she is and what she knows—she is determined to regain her freedom and never let it be taken from her again. Yet locked so tightly to her imposed escort, tempted by the warmth of the powerful Highlander's body, she aches to give herself over completely to desire . . . and risk the heart she has fought so hard to protect.


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In many ways, Apple is a victim of its own success. The mass market and consumers of Apple products look forward to every WWDC. In the past, Apple has released products at the conference that have changed our lives, such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Therefore, when WWDC rolled around at the beginning of June, the same high expectations were there.
Ever since the release of the first iPad, Apple has come short of meeting the expectations of the mass market and its consumers. Although these incremental updates are spectacular in many ways, they fall short of the expectations that shareholders, investors and even the general public have of Apple's innovation abilities due to its prior success.
While these updates enhance the user experience, once the initial fervor dies down, this new update most likely won't move the Apple stock and enable the company to blow out its numbers like it once did. Regardless, iOS 7 truly is a great operating system upgrade and is Apple's most significant smartphone operating system update since iOS 3, with a redesign, updates to settings, iTunes Radio, enhancements to existing apps and more.
Dipesh Mukerji, senior director of Product Strategy & Marketing at Kony, Inc., discusses his top seven features in the upcoming iOS 7 release.
Related Topics : In Their Own Words: The Four Dark Horses for the Third Major Mobile OS Speak, HTC, Mobile Search, 3G, Location-Based Services
Wearables are revolutionizing the workplace, with innovations that create a safer work environment or enhance the way professionals are able to go about their job. ... More >>
Here are the top 10 strategic technology trends that will impact most organizations in 2017. Strategic technology trends are defined as those with substantial disruptive potential or those reaching the tipping point over the next five years. ... More >>
Digital innovation is by far the biggest influencer, changing the way we do just about everything, from shopping to communication to running a business. ... More >>


text: Clifford Neal, who mostly signed his work Oisif Egaux, was an artist of the underground comix scene. He was the editor and publisher of Dr Wirtham's Comix & Stories, of which several comix appeared in the second half of the 1970s. He also drew for this comic, and contributed to Alien Cumshot #1, Bad Girl Art #1, Fever Pitch #4, Platinum Toad #11 and Promethean Enterprises #5.


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President Schrum Announces Plans to Retire in 2013
August 20, 2012
August 20, 2012
- Lucas Adams
President Jake B. Schrum has announced plans to retire from Southwestern University at the end of the university's 2012-2013 fiscal year.
Schrum has served as president of Southwestern since July 1, 2000. He is the 14th person to serve as president of Southwestern and the third Southwestern graduate to serve as president of the university. Only three other Southwestern University presidents have served longer.
President Schrum announced his plans to retire while giving his annual state of the university address to faculty and staff Aug. 23.
"It has been a special honor and privilege to lead my alma mater," he said. "Jane and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. Southwestern has a great future ahead of it and I look forward to watching its continued progress."
Dr. Robert W. Karr, chair of Southwestern's Board of Trustees, said a search committee composed of trustees, faculty members, students, staff and alumni will start meeting in September to begin the search for a successor. Karr said the trustees plan to announce a successor well before President Schrum leaves office June 30, 2013.
"I know of no person more passionate about undergraduate liberal arts education than Jake Schrum," Karr said. "Southwestern's 15th president must exemplify that same passion while providing visionary leadership consistent with the University's core purpose of fostering a liberal arts community whose values and actions encourage contributions toward the well-being of humanity."
The trustees have secured the services of a search firm to help them in their selection of a new president. The firm, AGB Search, is affiliated with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and specializes in assisting colleges and universities with leadership transitions.
President Schrum earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from Southwestern in 1968 and went on to earn master of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1973. He began his career in higher education administration by serving as a fundraiser for Yale, and then went on to hold other positions in university advancement at Muhlenberg College, Texas Wesleyan University, Southwestern University and Emory University. He returned to Texas Wesleyan University to serve as its president from 1991 to 2000.
During his tenure at Southwestern, President Schrum has presided over the largest fundraising campaign in the university's history. That campaign, which is known as Thinking Ahead: The Southwestern Campaign, has raised more than $136 million of its $150 million goal. President Schrum has been instrumental in developing relationships with new funding sources such as The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which has given Southwestern 16 grants totaling more than $8 million during his tenure. President Schrum personally received three presidential leadership grants from the Mellon Foundation and helped secure the relocation of the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE), which is supported by the Mellon Foundation, to Southwestern in 2009.
Funds raised through the Thinking Ahead campaign have allowed Southwestern to construct several new buildings during President Schrum's tenure, including a new admission center and the Prothro Center for Lifelong Learning, which consolidates student services into one building. Several buildings also have been renovated, such as the Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center.
Funds raised through the campaign also enabled Southwestern to start its signature program known as the Paideia program. The program was designed to help students integrate what they learn in the classroom with outside experiences such as civic engagement, intercultural learning and research projects with professors. President Schrum helped secure an $8.5 million gift from the Priddy Charitable Trust that enabled Southwestern to add the faculty members necessary to implement the program. While the original Paideia program was voluntary, a new program that makes the benefits of Paideia available to all students will be launched in the fall of 2014.
Another of President Schrum's major accomplishments has been increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups who attend Southwestern. Thirty percent of the students in this fall's incoming class at Southwestern are students from underrepresented groups compared to 21.8 percent in the fall of 2000.
President Schrum also personally pushed for an emphasis on sustainability at Southwestern. He signed both the Talloires Declaration (an international effort to promote environmental sustainability in higher education) and the College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, which requires campuses to promote sustainability through teaching and action. On Jan. 12, 2010, President Schrum signed an agreement with the city of Georgetown that enables Southwestern to get all of its electricity from wind power for the next 18 years. All the buildings that have been constructed at Southwestern in the past five years have earned LEED certification.
Enhancing student life on campus has been another focus of President Schrum's administration at Southwestern. Included in this was expanding Southwestern's athletic offerings. Four new varsity athletic teams were started or announced during his tenure – softball, men's and women's lacrosse, and football.
President Schrum also has been instrumental in bringing the Georgetown community together to make Georgetown a "college town" rather than just a "town with a college in it." He also formed a Board of Visitors to help spread the word about Southwestern across the country.
President Schrum has been a national leader in the field of higher education and has served as national board chair for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) as well as for the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT).
In his final year at Southwestern, President Schrum said he hopes to bring the Thinking Ahead campaign to a successful conclusion and to have Southwestern's accreditation reaffirmed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
After he retires from Southwestern, President Schrum and wife, Jane, plan to continue to have a residence in Georgetown.
For more information on President Schrum, visit http://www.southwestern.edu/about/leadership/