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I trust you'll turn with me at this time to Matthew chapter 9 with an open heart, an open mind, to hear the message of the Word of God to us...I really feel that these are some of the greatest days of our lives as we study Matthew. Ever since I hit the 40s, I realize how irretrievable the past is, how inevitable the future is. Last night I happened to turn on the television to look at the news and saw...brief program on gerontology. Got very depressed...Looked in the mirror and realized it was all happening to me...Then I thought, "I can't think of a better way to spend the years ahead than to study the Gospel of Matthew, to walk in the footsteps of Christ. I'm so blessed and refreshed. I believe it's gonna be one of the greatest times of our life.
We're looking at verses 9 through 17 of chapter 9. There are several different elements to this text. Several little vignettes, several different conversations and, yet, they all come together to give the same message. They are wonderfully put together by the genius of the Spirit of God to give to us one of the great statements in all of holy writ on the heart and soul of the Gospel. I've entitled this section "Receiving the Sinner, Refusing the Righteous." "Receiving the Sinner, Refusing the Righteous."
The key to the passage is verse 13, the end of the verse. "For I am not come...says our Lord...to call the righteous, but sinners."...In other words, the effectual call of the Gospel to salvation is extended only to sinners, not to the righteous...It is extended not to the religious, but to the irreligious. Not to those who think they're okay, but to those who know they're not...This the glorious purpose of Christ's coming into the world. The real message of Christmas is right there in that verse. "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners." That's why He came. That's why there was a Bethlehem, a star, shepherds, wise men, an incarnation. He came to save sinners.
And Luke adds for us what some scribe picked up and put in some of the later manuscripts of Matthew. "He came to call sinners to repentance." That is said in Luke, for that is what He came to do, for there is no call into His Kingdom apart from repentance. This is the glorious message of the Gospel. It is a call to sinners to repent and be forgiven...
Matthew makes this abundantly clear. You can go all the way back, even to the genealogy at the very first chapter of Matthew, and you find that the heart and soul of the genealogy is that God saves sinners. You find a whole lotta sinners in that genealogy, don't you? In fact, everybody mentioned up until Christ is a sinner. There are only a few women mentioned there. There's Tamar, who was an incestuous woman. There's Rahab, who was a professional prostitute. There was Ruth, who was a member of a cursed nation. There was the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba, who was an adulteress. But then we shouldn't be surprised to find sinners in the genealogy. After all, God came into the world to save sinners.
When the forerunner of our Lord appeared in the third chapter, John the Baptist, it says he came to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord; and he was preaching in the wilderness of Judea; and he was saying, "Repent...repent." And the people who heard his message in 3:6, "were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."...
You see, that's the heart of the Gospel. Whenever you hear a preacher who says, "I don't preach on sin. It's negative," you will also hear a preacher who has no Gospel in his message, who does not bring men to salvation; but affirms men in the self-condemning, self-righteousness of their own ego. When you come to chapter 4 and the Lord Himself arrives, His message is no different. Chapter 4 verse 17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, 'Repent.'" And when you come to chapter 5 and His sermon, He says that the Kingdom is for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and the basic factor in that kind of a hunger and that kind of a thirst is the knowledge that you don't have it; and that's why you hunger for it. So they're aware of their lack of righteousness.
Coming to chapter 6 and verse 12, and the Lord says, "When you pray, you better pray like this: Forgive us our debts." In other words, the whole of what Matthew is saying to us is that men are sinful. They must repent, and that is first and foremost the message of the Gospel...The incarnation is that God may call sinners to repentance....
In Acts 20, as the church began to extend itself through the apostles' preaching, Paul says, "We testified to the Jews and the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." In the 26th chapter of Acts and the 20th verse, Paul says to Agrippa, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." That is his call on the road to Damascus. He said, "I have gone from there to Damascus and Jerusalem and through all the borders of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, and what is your message? That they should repent and turn to God and do works fit for repentance. Then he adds this: For these reasons, the Jews caught me in the temple and set about to kill me." Why? Because ever and always, they rejected the message of repentance. Why? Because they thought they were righteous already...and that is essentially what is the whole theme of Matthew. It is the affirmation of the need to repent and the antagonistic response of those who felt they had no such need. That's the message that Matthew chronicles for us.
And the word repent embodies in it a total turnaround; metaniaho indicates more than just sorrow. It indicates a sorrow that leads to a change of purpose, a change of direction, a change of life, a change of opinion. In fact, Broadus, the commentator says, "Whenever this Greek word is employed in the New Testament, the reference is to changing the mind from sin to holiness. Every time it is employed." That is the thrust that it has. It's really a word synonymous with conversion. A change accompanied by deep sorrow over sin and a turning toward holiness.
When the Apostle Paul was instructing Timothy in the manner of his ministry, he said, "The servant of the Lord must not strive, must be gentle to all men, able to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose him, if God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will." In other words, he says, "You must preach with meekness and gentleness and patience; and your message is repentance, for it is repentance alone that is able to draw men out of the snare of the devil."...
In Acts 17, when Paul was on Mars Hill, he never changed his message. Even though he was speaking to the brain trust of the Athenian society, he said, "The message of God is repentance, and repent, because there comes a day when God will judge the world. Repent or else." Matthew chapter 3 again, as John the Baptist was there preaching, and people came and confessed their sins, the Pharisees and Sadducees came in verse 7, and he says, "O generation of snakes, let me see in your life the fruit of repentance, and don't say to yourselves, 'We are of Abraham.' Why, God is able to raise out of the stones sons of Abraham."
What he's saying is, "Lemme see some of the true repentance out of you, and don't think you're okay just because you're Jewish, just because you're in an inheritor of Abrahamic seed, just because you've kept the rabbinic tradition, don't bank on that." But they did; and that's why in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord says, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you'll never enter the Kingdom." Theirs was a self-righteousness. You see, Jesus came to drive men to a recognition of their sin and then to repentance; and in the midst of that repentance, the free forgiveness, which He gives."
I can say it another way. The only people who ever get saved, the only people who ever enter God's Kingdom are people who acknowledge their sinfulness and repent of it. Since the scribes and the Pharisees of Jesus' day were not convinced they were sinners, they had no desire for repentance. They had no desire for repentance, because they felt no need for it. They had no need for holiness. They were already holy, and they defined holiness as an external behavior. Therefore, Jesus gave them nothing but a greater condemnation.
Now, the passage in Matthew 9 focuses on this reality. In verse 13, when our Lord says, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners." And as Luke adds, "to repentance." That is the heart and soul of the message. He can't do anything for people who think they're already okay. He can only help the sinner who, in desperation, knows of his need. Now this becomes abundantly clear and very specific in the 9th chapter, for here you have the first incident where an individual is specifically forgiven...
Verses 1 to 8, a man who was a paralytic, and you remember as we studied that how his friends brought him and lowered him through the roof, and what the Lord said to him was, "Your sins be forgiven you." The Lord knew that that was the cry of his heart. The physical was only a corollary. The thing he wanted most was the forgiveness of sin, and he had a broken and a contrite spirit. That's implied...and he was overburdened with guilt, and his heart was hungry for righteousness; and Jesus forgave him; and that, then, forced some questions. If He could forgive that man, who else could He forgive; and to what extent can He forgive; and what kind of sinners can He forgive? Can He forgive the worst of sinners?...
And that draws us into verse 9; and from verses 9 to 17, what the Holy Spirit tells us is, "Yes, He receives the sinners, the worst of sinners, all of the worst of sinners; and He rejects and refuses the righteous." Oh, this is a great message, people. It is a great message for us in this text. In order to show you the extent to which His forgiveness goes, verse 9, Matthew introduces himself as the worst sinner. He was the little mokkus of Capernaum we talked about last week. He was the tax collector, the worst of all kinds of tax collectors -- a traitor to his own people, made his living on extortion, working for a conquering power and, yet, it was to Matthew the Lord said, "Follow Me," and he rose and followed.
And then in verse 10, Matthew threw a banquet; and he invited all the riffraff of Capernaum; and Jesus was the guest; and he took all of his sinful friends and said, "I want you to meet the One who has forgiven me." That's the crowd Jesus feels at home with, by the way. He always hung around sinners, 'cause they were the only ones He could help. And, of course, in verse 11, "When the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?'" They rebuked Him. They criticized Him. They said, "What's the deal, hanging around a Teacher who hobnobs with the riffraff? Why would you wanna be with a Man like this, who runs around with the scum?" And Jesus came to the defense of His disciples and overhearing the conversation, He gave them a threefold answer. First by analogy, He said, "They that are well need not a physician, but they that are sick. By your own self-confessed diagnosis, you have affirmed that these are the worst of people. Don't you also affirm that they are the ones who most need a physician?"
The Pharisees were great at diagnosis. They were just indifferent to the cure. The second argument He uses is one from Scripture in Hosea. "Go and learn what the Scripture says," is really what He's saying. "I'll have mercy and not sacrifice. You better go back and find that what God wants is not your ritual, but your heart of compassion. That you could be uncaring and unsympathetic and uncompassionate to these people in sin betrays the fact that your religion is false."
And, thirdly, He says, "From My own authority, this is the direction of My ministry, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners." So the Lord rejects the righteous and receives the sinner.
Now, beloved, this is the heart of the Gospel; and just to show you how much it covers and how repeated its emphasis is made, I want you to look at Luke for a couple of moments and just see several passages, the 15th chapter. I want you to really see that this is critical to our understanding of the Gospel...Luke 15 verse 1. Now this sets up the whole chapter. "Then drew near unto Him all the tax collectors and sinners to hear Him." We can be sure of one thing. They wouldn't go near a Pharisee, because they'd be rebuked and criticized unmercifully. But they drew near to Jesus...He had something to give them, and they knew it.
"And the Pharisees and scribes murmured or grumbled, saying, 'This Man receives sinners and eats with them.'" Now, that sets up the whole chapter. You have Jesus, the compassionate, the merciful, the loving, the forgiving, and drawing to Himself the sinners; and you have standing far off and criticizing, the self-righteous Pharisees. They don't go near Him. They don't confess any need. They sit in judgment; and so Jesus speaks a parable.
Verse 4, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doesn't leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost till he find it? And when he's found it, lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say unto you...here's the interpretation... likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
That last line is the key to interpretation. That is sarcasm. That is irony. That is saying, "You confess that you are righteous...I'll accept that confession." Jesus accepts their self-confessed righteousness and says, "Heaven is utterly indifferent to you. Heaven rejoices over the one who is lost, knows he's lost, and is found." That's the issue...Heaven has no interest in self-righteousness...They were righteous in their own estimation. The Lord says, "On that I stand. Your self-confessed, self-righteousness means Heaven is indifferent to you."
Look at verse 8, "Or what woman, has ten pieces of silver, loses one piece, doesn't light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently till she find it? When she's found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says, 'Rejoice with me. I found the piece which I lost.' And likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents." You see, the message is repentance. The message is a forsaking of sin; and as long as you are the ninety-nine, or as long as you are the nine pieces, and you never get lost, you're never gonna get found, and you're never gonna have an angelic rejoicing. That's the issue.
He gives a third illustration. "Man had two sons. One of them forsook." You know this story. Go down to verse 18. He's over there in a foreign place eating pig slop, having wasted his substance in sin. He realizes he's a sinner. He realizes he's destitute. He says, 'I'll arise and go to my father and say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants.'" That's a beatitude attitude, by the way. That's humility. That's a begging spirit. That's brokenness over sin. That's a hunger and thirst. "And he arose and went to his father...verse 20...His father was still a great way off. He saw him and had compassion; ran, fell on his neck and kissed him." And that's how God receives a repentant sinner.
"And the son said unto him, 'I sinned against Heaven and in thy sight. No more am I worthy to be called thy son.' And the father said to his servants, 'Bring the best robe. Put it on him, and...and a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let's eat and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found.' And they began to be merry."
You see, that's what happens in the heart of God and in His Heaven when one repentant sinner comes home. And it's talking about the salvation of that man. Look at verse 25. "Now his elder son was in the field." Who's this? Pharisees, scribes, self-righteous. "I never went anywhere, father, and you never put on any party for me. I've been hanging around the temple all my life. And he was angry...verse 28...and wouldn't go in."...
What is this? This is the self-righteous, the one who never really had anything wrong, he thought. Verse 29, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment." Oh, come on. This is the Pharisee who says, "I've never broken any law." Such ego. He's shut out. The Kingdom is for the repentant. The Kingdom is for the broken...
Look at chapter 18 of Luke, verse 9, and Jesus is constantly confronting this issue. "He spoke this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and therefore despised others." That's...that's the Pharisees. That is a classic definition of them...Here's the story. "Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector." The worse sinner. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself." It's a good thing he could pray with himself, because God certainly wasn't listening. "I thank Thee that I am not as other men." See, immediately he puts himself up above. "I'm not an extortioner, unjust, adulterer, or like that tax collector in the corner. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess." He had no need. He didn't come to seek God. He didn't come to seek anything. He came to make an announcement of how great he was.
"The tax collector, standing off in the corner, wouldn't even lift his eyes unto heaven, but he beat upon his chest and said, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" You know what happens when a man does that? "I tell you, this man went down to his house...what?...justified, made righteous, rather than the other; for every one that exalts himself is abased, and the one who humbles himself is exalted." That's the great message...The Pharisee was so piously self-righteous. Never saw his need at all...
Go over to chapter 19 verse 1. "Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And on the way there was a man named Zacchaeus...means pure, he's a Jew...He was the chief tax collector, and he was filthy rich." Gained it by graft, "And he wanted to see Jesus." I kinda get the feeling that he had a real reason to see Jesus. I think he had a hungry heart. I think his sin had welled up in him so that it was just about to drown him. I think that's indicated by the way he responded. I think he was sick of his sinfulness, and I think Jesus knew it. But he was a little fellow, and he couldn't see over the crowd, so he climbed a tree. "And as Jesus came along, He looked up and saw him in the tree...verse 5, must have been a little embarrassing for the chief tax collector to be hanging out of a tree...He said, 'Zacchaeus...and He knew his name, and that must've been a shock...hurry up and come down. I'm coming to your house.'"
Now, you just didn't go to a house of a tax collector. You just didn't do that. "He made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully." I think he had a hungry heart. "And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner." But don't you see, that's the whole point. Couldn't help the rest, and the conversion of Zacchaeus takes place between verse 7 and 8...We don't know the story in detail, but it happened in there, because the fruit of his conversion's in verse 8. "And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord...'Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.'" He fulfilled the law of Exodus 22. He was gonna give back full restitution. "And Jesus said, 'This day is salvation come to this house.'"
And then He made on the of the greatest statements in the Bible. "For the Son of Man is come." Why? "To seek and to save...what?...that which is lost." That, people, is the heart and soul of the Gospel message. Jesus came to save sinners. The worst, the vilest who know it, who recognize it, who repent of it, who seek to be forgiven. That's what we've been seeing in Matthew 9.
Now, let's look back at it; and I wanna draw us through the final four verses, just quickly; and you'll see how it all unfolds. The message of Jesus was so different. It was so unlike traditional pharisaic, rabbinical Judaism. It just didn't mesh. It just didn't connect. It...it created confusion, because it was so inward and...and...and so personal...and so we find posed a question in verse 14. Now we don't know if this happened in actual sequence, but certainly it happens in logical sequence in the thought of the Holy Spirit, and may well have been on the very same occasion as the prior conversation.
"Then came to him the disciples of John." Now these are the disciples of John the Baptist. You remember when John came, many people followed him; and at a point in his life, he tried to transfer his followers over to Christ. In John 3:30, he said, "I must decrease and He must increase." In other words, "You've gotta leave me and go to the Messiah now. He's here." But it's apparent that not all did. In fact, even into the life of the Apostle Paul in Acts 19, we still have some disciples of John of Baptist running around loose who don't even know about Christ. So apparently these are connected somehow to John.
John, as you know, from chapter 4, is in prison now; and so they are very devout. Attached themselves to John the Baptist. No doubt deeply concerned about his imprisonment. No doubt still connected very tightly to the pharisaic, Judaistic tradition; and so they say to the disciples, or to the Lord, we're not sure which, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Thy disciples fast not? Why do you and your disciples not fast like we do?" This indicates that, even in the fact that they followed John the Baptist and were close to getting to the truth, they were still stuck with their system; because the Pharisees believed you should fast twice a week; whereas, the Old Testament only listed one fast, the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur, and that was the only fast prescribed in the entire Old Testament. But they had built all this ritual and all this routine.
Now, watch this, you're gonna see a fascinating truth here. They said, "Why do we fast and you don't fast?" In other words, what they're really saying is, "How come your religion is so different than ours?" The three major expressions of the Judaistic traditions of that time were fasting, almsgiving, and prayers; and they had their little routine during the day when they said prayers at so many intervals; and they would stand on the corner in the middle of the street and do it; and they had their little almsgiving routines; and they also had their routine fasts; and they would look like they were fasting with a drawn face; and they would decorate themselves so everyone would know they were fasting.
Well, these external, outward rituals were the substance of their religion; and what they're really saying is, "How come you don't do what we do? How come your approach is so different?"... That's really a very important question. You see, they don't see religion as a matter of humility, sinfulness, repentance. They see religion as a matter of ceremony, as a matter of ritual; and there are many like that today. I think, for example, in the Roman Catholic church, there are many people who...who go for the routine of going. You go, and you kneel, and you stand up, and you take the mass, and you run through the beads, and that's about it; and you couldn't carry on a conversation with them about forgiveness and repentance and true conversion; because they wouldn't even know what you were speaking about. It's the routine of bowing down to a saint or lighting a candle or going through a ritual; and we have 'em in Protestantism, too. The people who pray a little prayer at the dinner table. They own a Bible. Now and then they open it. They go to a church service. They sing a song, and they go through the forms, the routines, the externals. They don't even understand the inside. They don't know what it means to be convicted of sin, to have a deep repentance in the heart. That's essentially what they're asking. "How come your system's so different? You don't do what we do."
Look at the Lord's answer. Tremendous answer. "Jesus said to them, 'Can the sons or the children of the bridechamber mourn?" Now, the ones He's referring to here are the attendants of the bridegroom. In those days a wedding would last seven days, and a man getting married would choose his best friends, and they were responsible to keep the party alive. That's right, promote the festivities, carry out the celebration, generate the fun, make sure everything goes well...and Jesus says, "Look, this is a wedding. This is a celebration. This is a happy time. You don't expect the groom's attendants to mourn during the wedding feast, do you?" In other words, "Your ritual is out of sync with reality." See what He's saying? He's saying, "You crank out your routines irrespective of what God is doing in your midst." In other words, there's no connection between reality and your ritual.
Now, mark that. That's a very important thing. "Why, we fast twice a week." "Well, are you sad twice a week?" "No, we just fast twice a week." "Well, don't you know that fasting is connected with mourning?" "Oh?" "Don't you know that fasting is connected with praying?" "It is? No, we just fast twice a week...or that...We go to church every Sunday." "Oh, you do?" "Oh, yes, we've gone to church every Sunday for years." "Why?" "We've always gone to church." "Do you go there to worship God?" "What?" Say, "What is the reason? What is the attitude?"
He's saying, "You have a system that is utterly external, that functions with no connection to reality...I'm saying this. The bridegroom is here. I'm here with them. This is celebration." Back to verse 15. "The days will come when the bridegroom shall be hopiero, snatched violently or violently taken away." Talking of His crucifixion. "And then they will fast." You know what the Lord is saying? Listen to this. "If you go through any religious exercise apart from an honest attitude in the heart, it is ritual and nothing more...If you fast just to fast, pray just to pray, go to church just to go to church, read the Bible just to read the Bible, sing a song just to sing a song, you've missed it."
He's saying, "Look, we're saying we have an internal, vital, real relationship with a living God, and what we do is a result of what's happening in that relationship. And right now...He says...the bridegroom is here, and the wedding is going on. You don't cry at a wedding. You cry at a funeral. You're happy at a wedding. I'm here with them. This is not a time for mourning."
By the way, our Lord is saying, as a footnote, "You shouldn't be fasting unless you're fasting out of a broken heart." That's why the Old Testament only gave one fast. That's why Isaiah and Zachariah 7 both tell us that God does not want our fasts. He wants our love. Fasting will come very normally. Fasting will come very naturally. Fasting will come very genuinely when you have a broken heart...in prayer, seeking God. But to use anything as a means, some ritual to gain the favor of God is to miss the point; and He really just shows the difference between what He taught and their entire system. They just function, function, function without any meaning. He says, "We don't fast unless there's something to fast about, and we get happy when there's something to be happy about."
So He really disallows all of the supposed benefit of their twice a week fasts. There'll come a day, and there did. When Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were utterly devastated and shattered. There are times for that, but the routine and the ritual is not the issue. The reality is. So here comes Jesus forgiving sin, and they're all happy, and the bridegroom is there, and the forgiveness is going on, and it's joyous, and they say, "How come you don't do the pharisaic thing?" And He says, "Because it's unrelated to reality. It's an empty, meaningless form.
Now listen. There's a bigger question than that. Then their thinking is this. "Well, how...how...how do we relate to You then? What are You trying to say to us? How does our present religion relate to what You're teaching?" And, in effect, the Lord says, "It doesn't relate at all. I just gotta tell you, we can't connect at all. That's right, we can't connect." And Jesus gives them two illustrations in verse 16 and 17 that are so powerful.
Jesus is not teaching reformed phariseism. He's not teaching a reformed rabbincalism. He's saying, "Look, I am not here to just kinda polish off your system. What I'm saying is so diametrically opposed to everything you are doing. There is no connection." Now, some people have taken this passage and made it mean that He's setting aside the law and bringing in grace. Nothing could be further from the context. That is not what He's saying. In fact, law and grace have always coexisted anyway. Now, watch what He's saying. Two very graphic illustrations that extend the thought of fasting to a full doctrinal comprehension. Watch verse 16.
"No man puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the tear is made worse." Now, in those days, the garments were cotton or wool, and both would shrink. If you had an old robe, and you got a big hole in it, right? And you take a piece of brand new cloth, stick it in that hole, and stitch it all around, then, as soon as you wash that garment, that new cloth shrinks, and the old fibers are gonna be ripped by the strength of the new cloth; and all you're gonna get is a bigger hole. You keep doing it, and it just gets bigger and bigger. You can't put a new one in an old robe. Anybody who knows, knows that if you're gonna patch an old robe, you gotta use an old piece of material.
What Jesus is saying is this. "There is no way that what I teach can fit into your system. No way. There is no way that the message that I am giving of an internal holiness, of a real repentance, of a heart attitude, can ever fit in the ritualistic system that you hold. No way. Not only won't it connect; but, secondly, your system can't contain it."
Verse 17, "Neither do men put new wine in old wineskins, else the wineskins break and the wine runs out and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine in new wineskins, and both are preserved." Now, what they used to do in storing wine was they took the skin of an animal, took the hair off it, and sometimes even turned it inside out; and they would use the neck part where the head was cut off as the spout; and then they would secure by stitching all they other openings; and they'd have this whole big animal hide; and they'd fill it up with wine.
Now, once it had been emptied and had hung around without anything in it, it would get very dry; because, in the filling, it would stretch; and in the drying, then, it would crack. If you refilled it again, the weight of it would just break the cracks open and you'd lose it all. So you had to put new wine in new wineskins; and what the Lord is saying is, "Look, your system won't hold this truth. You just have to dump your system. There's no connection."...The pharisaical, Judaistic, traditional, legalistic, formal, self-righteous externalism was in no way able to either mesh with the ministry of Christ nor was that system able to contain the ministry of Christ.
You know what the result of it is? The system had only one option. The system had to eliminate Christ. That's all...that's the only option they had, and they did...It's useless...to try to put the two together. This is a very important point...that our Lord is making. He did not come to make a few additions to Judaism. The forms of Judaism couldn't contain the message He brought. Now, that is not to say, listen to me, that is not to say that the Old Testament is disconnected. Oh, no. He came to fulfill the Old Testament. Their religion was not the religion of the Old Testament. It was a rabbinic tradition that denied the very truth of the Old Testament as He made abundantly clear in the Sermon on the Mount...
So Jesus said, "Look, your system says you're righteous. Mine says you're vile and sinful. No way to match those two together. If you hang onto yours, that's it."...I really believe, people, that when someone comes to Christ, they have to say goodbye to a ritual system. Now, there are people in ritualistic systems. They'll confess Christ. I think if it's genuine, eventually, they're gonna come out of that ritualistic system...to the freedom of Christ, to the expression of an inward relationship.
Now, as we close this message, I want you to listen very carefully, 'cause I wanna pull it all together. I believe I see in this text three marks of a true believer. Three marks of a true believer. No. 1, he follows the Lord. He follows the Lord. Look back at verse 9. "Jesus said to Matthew, 'Follow Me.' And he arose and followed Him." It is characteristic, now mark this, of a true believer that he lives a life of unquestioning obedience. Does Matthew say anything? No, he just gets up. I think about Peter, who got up and, in John 21, the Lord says, "Follow thou Me," and he starts to follow a little way, and then he turns around and says, "Oh, what about him?" And the Lord says, "None of your business. You follow Me." And from then on, he didn't ask any more questions.
I believe that a true Christian lives a life of unquestioning obedience. I don't believe a true Christian's always kicking against the traces, always despising the life of obedience, always resisting the obedience. I believe a true Christian follows the Lord.
Secondly, I believe a true Christian feeds the lost. Matthew couldn't wait to call all the sinners together and give them Jesus. Look at your life. Does the Spirit of God dwell in you? If He does, the same compassion for the lost that exists in the heart of Christ will exist in you. Oh, it may get cluttered and covered up by your own selfishness from time to time; but it's gotta be there. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "For the love of Christ...what?...constrains me." And so he goes on to say, "I find myself an ambassador for Christ, begging people to come to Christ and be reconciled to God."...He says, "Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."
In other words, in that chapter, 2 Corinthians 5, he talks about how motivated he is to reach the lost because of the judgment of God and because of the love of Christ in his life. If the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, there has to be that compassion. You see, that's why Jesus condemned the Pharisees, because they had no compassion. He says, "You've got the sacrifice. You just don't have the mercy." A true believer follows the Lord and feeds the lost.
And, thirdly, a true believer forsakes legalism. Forsakes legalism. We see that in the remaining part of the passage. He says no to the...to trying to sew a new patch in an old robe, to try to fill up an old wineskin with new wine. He sees there's no connection. He knows you're not begun in the Spirit and perfected by the law or by some routine or some ritual. He knows you don't get entangled again with a yoke of bondage...
Now lemme draw it down to where you are. Do you follow the Lord? Do you follow the Lord with a life of unquestioning obedience? Is your highest privilege and greatest joy and deepest desire to obey Him? If not, there's a question about your salvation. Do you feed the lost? Do you have compassion, mercy, care? Do you sense the heart of God beating in your heart toward those that are outside Christ?...Thirdly, have you forsaken legalism? You know the difference between true worship and going to church? True comprehension of the knowledge of the Holy through His word and just reading the Bible? You know the difference between baring your heart before God and praying as a routine?...I hope you do. True believers follow the Lord, feed the lost, and forsake legalism.
I hope you have come to know Him, and that those are the desires of your heart. I think the great hymn of John Newton may put some words to your emotions as we close this morning. Listen to it. In it, he chronicles his transformation when he saw he was a sinner and he came to Christ. Listen to these words.
"In evil long I took delight, unawed by shame or fear, till a new object struck my sight, and stopped my wild career. I saw One hanging on a tree in agonies and blood, Who fixed His languid eyes on me as near His cross I stood. Sure never till my latest breath can I forget that look. It seemed to charge me with His death, though not a word He spoke: My conscience felt and owned the guilt. It plunged me in despair. I saw my sins His Blood had spilt, and helped to nail Him there. A second look He gave, which said, 'I freely all forgive; this blood is for thy ransom paid; I die that thou may live.' I do believe. I now believe that Jesus died for me, and through His blood, His precious blood, I shall from sin be free."
That is the message. I trust you received it. Let's pray.
Father, the words still echo in our minds. "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Thank You, Blessed Father...that You came for sinners; because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Thank You that we are redeemable, because we're sinful. Help us to recognize it. May no one in this place live under the illusion that they're righteous, that they're all right...when they're not. And those of us that are Christians, or think we are, may we look closely to see if, indeed, we follow the Lord, feed the lost, forsake legalism, manifest that we belong to the new and the true, not the old, false forms of religion...Save us from the rituals... that fabricate a false relationship with You. Damn men's souls...and bring us to the truth for Your sake. And now, Father, thank You for the clarity with which Your Word speaks. Thank You for this time we've shared, for the joy of our salvation, again we say thanks. Bring us together again tonight in a time of refreshing study and worship and ministry; and may this whole day be holy unto You. Pray for Christ's sake. Amen.
This article is also available and sold as a booklet.
This sermon series includes the following messages:
Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource.Publisher Information


text:
Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
Dosen't Eaton supply to the various dealers? Would they not be the most correct?
I've heard some people were pleased with them. Some say the springs sit to high when installed.Mike
Very interesting thread. How much more are the Bob Harris springs. Also i thought that the correct finish was bare metal.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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New Study Documents Symptoms of Cleanup Workers in 2002 Spill Off Spanish Coast
By ELANA SCHOR of Greenwire
Published: August 25, 2010
More News From Greenwire
- New Study Documents Symptoms of Cleanup Workers in 2002 Spill Off Spanish Coast
- Undersea Oil Plume Vanishes in Gulf, Degraded by Previously Unknown Bug
- White House, Critics Reach Stalemate in Dispute Over Oil Budget in Gulf
- Little Hope, Help for DOE's Displaced Yucca Mountain Contract Workers
- 'Opportunistic' Bacteria Feasting Slowly on Underwater Oil in Gulf
A new study has found a higher incidence of respiratory problems and chromosomal changes to white blood cells among fishermen who helped clean up a 2002 oil spill off the Spanish coast, providing a guide to potential flashpoints that may arise as federal scientists begin studying the long-term health of responders to this summer's Gulf of Mexico gusher.
The study, published in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 501 exposed workers and 176 nonexposed workers following the 2002 sinking of the tanker Prestige, which released an estimated 63,000 tons of oil -- a spill nearly twice the size of the Exxon Valdez in 1989.
The exposed workers were examined two years after their contact with spilled oil, when "a greater proportion" of that group was found to still experience respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and nighttime shortness of breath, the study's authors wrote. Chromosomal abnormalities in white blood cells, considered a potential marker for heightened cancer risk, was also detected at higher rates in fishermen who regularly came in contact with oil during cleanup work.
Joan Albert Barbera, a pulmonologist at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and one of the study's co-directors, noted that the research team had chosen "subjects we considered highly exposed" because they had spent at least 15 days on cleanup work for upward of four hours daily.
"It seems advisable," Barbera said in an interview, that oil-spill responders limit their cleanup work to those parameters and wear protective facial masks to limit their inhalation of hydrocarbons.
During the 86-day Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, fishermen who participated in BP PLC's "vessels of opportunity" program often worked shifts longer than four hours, but beach cleaners were often called on to rest for at least as long as they worked to mitigate the effects of heat stress.
Still, Barbera explained, the Prestige disaster differed in several notable ways from the Gulf leak, limiting the extent to which the new study can inform long-term monitoring of U.S. oil-spill responders.
The crude that spewed from the Macondo wellhead this year was lighter than the heavy bunker oil that came from the Spanish tanker, and the Prestige oil was also released on the water's surface rather than a mile beneath the sea, as was the case in the Gulf.
Hoses were also used to clean oiled shorelines following the Prestige spill, posing a greater risk of toxic aerosol inhalation, while no such tactics were used in the Gulf. Conversely, the use of chemical dispersants represents a variable introduced during this year's event but not in 2002.
"The bottom line is that we can't assume that all the findings of this study will necessarily apply to workers in the Gulf, but the study certainly raises serious concern about long term respiratory and cancer risks to oil spill clean-up workers," Natural Resources Defense Council senior scientist Gina Solomon blogged in a response to the new report.
Dearth of worker studies
The new study does, however, represent a significant addition to the previously meager catalogue of scientific research into the human health consequences of oil spills that was available in the wake of this year's gusher.
"We were surprised" to see how little literature was available on the subject, Barbera said. "There was a number of articles regarding effects on clamshells, on birds, on fish," but not workers.
One of the few studies already on the books, a 2006 analysis of Prestige cleanup workers, found evidence of DNA damage among cleanup workers, with the degree of genotoxicity varying depending on the type of task performed and the duration of work. The study, presented by Spanish researcher Blanca Laffon at a June meeting of the National Academies' Institute of Medicine, also found short-term DNA damage in subjects who cleaned oiled birds but did not see evidence of that genotoxicity lingering.
In her response to the Annals study, Solomon said that ensuring medical care for sickened locals and monitoring long-term health impacts should be top priorities during the ongoing Gulf response. Those goals are driving an ambitious Gulf worker study now in the works at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), where officials have warned that their initial $10 million in federal funding is "just a deposit" on the full costs of a prospective evaluation (Greenwire, Aug. 19).
Aubrey Miller, a senior medical adviser to the NIEHS director, testified before a House committee in June that previous studies of health risks experienced by those exposed to oil from the Prestige and Valdez spills "remind us of the importance of keeping longer-term, less-obvious sequelae in mind, not just the immediate toxicity effects, when considering the overall health impact of this type of disaster."
An editorial accompanying the new Annals study -- co-written by Larry Engel, an epidemiologist at New York City's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who has joined the NIEHS study's investigative team -- expanded on the lessons that it might offer to scientists and officials tracking the health of Gulf workers.
"In the Deepwater Horizon spill, tension has already developed between the desire to fully investigate the health consequences of the spill and the desire to provide reassurance that will reinvigorate the region's tourism and seafood enterprises," the editorial says.
"In the face of such conflicts, results will inevitably be seen as supportive of one view and counter to another," it says. "Researchers need to be aware of this context and ensure that the scientific evidence is generated and disseminated in an objective, transparent manner."
Copyright 2010 E&E Publishing. All Rights Reserved.


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Katy Perry Deleted Russell Brand Scenes from 'Part of Me' Documentary
While her upcoming 3D documentary 'Part of Me' promises to showcase much of Katy Perry's life on tour, backstage and everywhere in between, there are a few things that won't be covered: Her relationship, marriage and split with Russell Brand.
The Sun reports that Perry deleted any and all scenes related to her time spent with the British funny man. A source told the paper, "There's loads of stuff in there that relates to her life with Russell and she's really not comfortable about it all going in."
Totally understandable, we think — especially considering in a recent interview (with Interview!), Perry revealed she doesn't like revealing details of her personal life with the public. "I don't really ever tolerate it –especially when it comes to my personal life or my family. When I'm working, I'm all yours. But when I'm not working, stay the f— away," Perry said. "That's how it goes. So whoever made up the idea that everyone has the right to every bit of information about you because you're famous … No one made that rule. It's not a law, and if you think it is, then you don't really understand how the world works."
Perry has insisted previously that her song 'Part of Me,' released just after her split with Brand, isn't about her ex-husband. Now it looks like her movie of the same name won't be either. No word on whether her new beau will make any cameos, though!


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I have attended this event on 23/02/2010. It focused on the issues on cloud storage within repository context. People from leading repositories presented their view and development work of cloud technologies.
Michele Kimpton from DuraSpace
DuraCloud (http://www.duraspace.org/duracloud.php) has been in a pilot phase since the beginning of Fall 2009 and will be released as a service of the DuraSpace not-for-profit organization in the fall of 2010.
Key advantages of cloud:
- Scalability
- Remote off-campus 'storage of digital assets'
- Ease of implementation
- Flexibility
- Don't have to staff locally
- Cost
- Elasticity
Major challenges of cloud:
- Trusting third party to manage critical assets
- Long-term reliability of solution
- Data security
- Performance and bandwidth concerns
- Loss of control
- Administrative burden of SLAs
- Transparency of solution
- Data lock in
- Less customizable
Institutional needs: managing digital collections
Service areas:
- Remote secondary storage of digital collections
- Preservation support
- Ability to replicate content to multi providers and locations
- Ability to synchronize backup
- Access to content
- Intra-institution shared collections
- Inter-institution shared collections
- Compute services
- Online primary storage
Duracloud services in the cloud for durable digital content
- Admin
- Service manage
- Storage manage
- Amazon S3
- Rackspace Cloud files
- EMC atmos
- Other clouds
- Services
Pilot projects
- NYPL pilot: Digital Gallery collection (http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm)
- Backup copy all TIFF images (10 TB)
- Transform TIFF to JPG by using ImageMagic
- Run J2K image server in Cloud
- Push JPEG 2000 back into Fedora
- BHL pilot: Find the best cost competitive solution for keeping multiple copies in multi-geographic locations. They have entire backup in the cloud for 40 TB TIFF/JPG.
- WGBH media library and archives for videos.
Future work of Duracloud
- Distributed
- Collaborative
- Web oriented
- Open
- interoperability
Alex D. Wade from Microsoft
'Moving to a world where all data is linked and can be stored / analyzed in the Cloud.'
Windows Azure (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/) is Microsoft Cloud platform.
Zentity Cloud Storage (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/zentity/)
OGDI SDK: 'OGDI is open source starter kit written using C# and the .NET Framework that uses the Windows Azure Platform to expose data in Windows Azure Tables as a readonly RESTful service using the Open Data Protocol (OData) via an ASP.NET based Windows Azure web role.' (http://ogdi.codeplex.com/)
EntityCube is a research prototype for exploring object-level search technologies, which automatically summarizes the Web for entities (such as people, locations and organizations) with a modest web presence. (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/entitycube/)
Les Carr from EPrints
EPrints 3.2 gets cloud storage support. An abstract storage layer called the EPrints Storage Controller has been implemented to utilize new 'storage plug-ins' to store files in different places:
- local storage
- cloud storage
- hybrid storage
An XSL like language is used to describe 'where to store' logic.
A broadcast describing EPrints cloud is available here: http://www.slideshare.net/lescarr/eprints-and-the-cloud


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UF will pay Pearson Embanet an estimated $186 million over the life of its 11-year contract to help launch and manage the state's first fully online, four-year degree program.
The University of Florida will pay Pearson Embanet an estimated $186 million over the life of its 11-year contract — a combination of direct payments and a share of tuition revenue — to help launch and manage the state's first fully online, four-year degree program.
How UF evaluates how well Pearson does its job is unknown — the standards by which the contractor is measured are still being withheld from the public, such as minimum enrollment figures and total tuition levels.
UF officials maintained that those criteria are "trade secrets" exempt from state public records law.
"Per the General Counsel's Office, the redacted information is confidential as a trade secret of Pearson, deriving independent economic value from not being generally known to, or readily ascertainable by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use," Janine Sikes, the UF assistant vice president for media relations, said in an email to The Sun.
The Gainesville Sun pieced together what UF could wind up paying Pearson based on a business plan presented to the Florida Board of Governors in September, two months before UF Provost Joe Glover and Chief Financial Officer Matt Fajack signed a contract with Pearson Embanet CEO and President David Daniels.
The Sun asked UF last week for a copy of that contract, and received a heavily redacted copy that omitted UF's contributions to the company, the company's portion of tuition revenue, and any instructional fees the company was going to charge.
The Sun ran a story reporting that officials were withholding that information. After repeated requests, UF officials directed The Sun to a report of the proposed business plan for UF Online that had been presented to the Florida Board of Governors two months before UF signed its contract with Pearson Embanet, saying that the business plan contained the same information The Sun requested.
Two days later, on March 20, UF sent The Sun an unredacted copy of the pages of the contract containing some of the payment information, saying it was the same as the information in the board presentation. Other information remained redacted.
On March 21, Associate Provost Andy McDonough met with a Sun reporter to show where the business plan matched up with the Pearson contract. McCollough pointed out that Pearson is being paid $9.5 million over the first five years of the contract because typically the company is paid according to the number of students enrolled.
"The rationale is we were starting from scratch," McCollough said.
Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill last year tapping UF to create an online university that would offer a full, four-year degree program at 75 percent of the tuition that residential students pay. The Legislature gave UF $35 million in startup funds for the first five years, and also gave the university six months to get the program up and running.
UF hired Pearson to launch a nationwide marketing campaign and to recruit students for the fledgling program. UF Online began with 583 students, all of them transfer students.
The next step is getting enough first-year students to sign up for the fall to meet the goal of 1,000 students by then, McCollough said.
Zina Evans, UF's vice president for enrollment management, is working with Pearson to recruit the next class of students. Evans said 91 freshman have applied for the fall.
How many students sign up will depend largely on Pearson's marketing efforts in building a national campaign on UF's academic reputation and status among its peer institutions, McCollough said.
"Pearson has the experience and expertise to do that," McCollough said.
Pearson Learning is part of an international publishing and media conglomerate that includes The Financial Times and Penguin Publishing. It entered the e-learning support field for public universities in 2010, starting with Arizona State University and the California State University System, according to Inside Higher Education.
It bought Embanet Compass in 2012 for $650 million — leapfrogging from fifth to first in providing online learning support for public colleges and universities, according to Inside Higher Education. UF had a prior relationship with Embanet supporting eight online graduate programs.
Under its new contract with UF, Pearson is responsible for creating "proprietary digital content," providing admission and enrollment support, generating leads and signing new students, tracking retention rates, engaging in joint research and development, and providing on-demand student support.
The company is motivated, McCollough said. Recruiting and retaining students is key to Pearson's ability to recoup its investment over the long term, McCollough said.
The legislative subsidies end in 2019, at which point the program is supposed to be self-sufficient, McCollough said.
After 2018, UF will also stop paying Pearson directly and Pearson's income will come entirely from its share of tuition revenue and any fees it charges. UF projects it will have over 13,000 students in UF Online generating $43 million in tuition revenue by 2019 — of which Pearson will get close to $19 million.
By 2024, with 24,000 students anticipated, revenues generated will be about $76 million, with $28 million going to Pearson, McCullough said.
What UF gets in return is Pearson's marketing expertise and experience, McCollough said.
McCollough said the business model — developed with the help of outside consultants and talks with officials at Arizona State Online and Penn State World Campus — is a sound plan.
"We are running UF Online according to the business plan, and we have not had any missteps," Provost Glover told the board of trustees Thursday.


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Wednesday, March 17, 2010
10 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started Cloth Diapering…
1. Try before you buy
What I thought I would like and what I ultimately liked were two very different things. I thought I would like gDiapers for their hybrid flexibility, but I ended up loving bumGenius All-in-ones and Blueberry Deluxe One Size pocket diapers instead. I thought I would prefer hook and loop (Velcro) for its ease, however, I much prefer snaps because they don't "catch" in the wash.
Don't go out and buy a bunch of one type of diaper from the very beginning. Try one or two of a variety of types - then place a big order when you decide what works best for your family.
2. Patience is a virtue: wait for the bargain
Especially for those on a limited budget, you should know that different diaper brands and diaper stores run a lot of "specials." If you're able to wait and be patient, you will probably get the diapers that you love for a discount, or with free shipping, or with some other bonus. Kelly's Closet has a different discount/promotion almost every week! You just have to wait for "your" diaper to be the one on sale. You can add to your stash a little over time – this will help keep a low impact on your bank account.
3. Accessories are not included
While you don't "have" to have accessories to cloth diaper, there are a few that really help. In my life, the diaper sprayer, various Planet Wise wet bags, and "cloth diaper friendly" diaper cream are the three things I couldn't live without. It's good to remember to add in your personal "extras" when making your decision and cloth diaper budget.
4. The Scoop on Poop
I'll come right out and admit it; I was terrified of the poop. The reality is, you will have to deal with poop if you cloth diaper. With that said, you would also have to deal with poop if you use disposables (we call them poop-splosions in my house). Dealing with poop is just part of being a parent. So prepare yourself to get up close and personal, regardless of your choice of diapers.
5. How you wash your diapers matter
When I first started reading about all the complicated wash routines and the "cloth diaper friendly" detergents, I thought it was just a marketing technique to get me to buy more things that I really didn't need. I planned to just do the diapers my regular way with regular detergent. But the hype is true; repelling and the stinkies are real!
You do need to do a "special" wash routine (basically just a few extra rinses - it's best to keep it simple!) and use a cloth diaper friendly detergent. Rockin' Green detergent is great and I would love to use it on all our clothes. Cloth diaper laundry really is not that bad; I actually enjoy hanging the diapers on the line, there's something really fulfilling and wholesome about it. Just be prepared with a good laundry routine and cloth diaper friendly detergent.
6. If the onesie fits… it might not
Even the trimmest cloth diaper doesn't fit as trimly as a disposable. Your baby's bum will look a little "fluffy." You will soon begin to see this as cute and accessorize accordingly, but for now, keep this in mind. When you purchase all those cute, tiny infant clothes in advance, remember you might need to size up with pants or look for things that are a little longer in the torso (Carter's onesies tend to run long) to accommodate for the bigger (yet cuter) bum.
7. No question is stupid
At first, I was embarrassed by how little I knew. I was certain my questions were stupid. I soon realized two things: First, if you have a question, then other people probably have the same question so go ahead and ask! Second, the cloth diapering community is incredibly supportive, helpful, and kind. They are ready and willing to answer your questions (at least the people at Kelly's Closet always have been for me!) and many of them enjoy talking about cloth diapering and helping out newbies. So go ahead and ask, because there are no stupid questions (in the world of cloth).
8. If you do it, they will come around
When I began to think about cloth diapering, I dreaded telling my family. I was sure they would think I was crazy. And, at first, they did. Ultimately they saw how easy it is, how cute cloth diapers can be, and how much better it is for the environment. Above all, they saw that it was important to me and my husband, and they wanted to support our choice. They all came around and they are all 100% supportive. Don't be afraid to cloth diaper because of what other people think. They'll probably come around much more quickly than you imagine.
9. You might save money… or you might just get addicted
Cloth diapering is supposed to save money, and if you buy some of the basic "systems," it really does. But cloth diapers are really cute! There are all sorts of different kinds, and you will probably get sucked in and want to try all the cute new styles and prints. So buyer beware, cloth diapering is addictive, and you might not end up saving a ton of money if you are always buying the newest, cutest cloth diaper. But you'll still be saving the environment!
10. There's more than one way to cloth diaper
There are probably as many different cloth diapering "solutions" as there are cloth diapering families. What worked for my best friend and her son just isn't quite right for me and my daughter. You can read and research all you want, but soon you're just going to have to try it. Some things will work, others won't; you'll figure out your "solution" step by step. Be patient with yourself and with cloth diapers, and don't be afraid to try something innovative!
By Melody S.
22 comments:
- Ashley said...
I really wish I had been more patient when I was pregnant with my son. I researched-some- and bought a huge amount of one kind of diaper before he was even born. I have decided to keep those diapers for now, our next baby might fit into them better. I have since learned what kinds of diaper(s) work best for us, and I know what to expect from my end of things when any other babies come around.
I can't say enough about how true these 10 points are, so I'll just leave it at that.
- March 17, 2010 at 3:11 AM
- Mike and Jess said...
I LOVE this post. i have been cloth diapering for 3 months now--(my twins are 4 months) and these are all things i am learning to be true. Reading this made me smile!
- March 17, 2010 at 4:14 AM
- Tami Pearson said...
i like you "poopsplosions" - we call them poocanos - like poo volcano. :)
- March 17, 2010 at 8:48 AM
- Jess said...
This is a great list and very true. Especially about becoming addicted! I not only want all the cute diapers but every accessory too. It's bad!lol.
- March 17, 2010 at 9:02 AM
Too true! I was so gung-ho to get "the best" types that I severely limited myself in the beginning. And I was neither patient nor did I save much when buying (sorry, honey). I CD much wiser now, which is a good thing since we just found out Baby #2 is on the way!
- March 17, 2010 at 10:54 AM
- Joshua and Stephanie said...
This is a great article, its so true on all the points. I am going to have to save this to share with my friends that are always asking me about cloth diapering!
- March 17, 2010 at 10:56 AM
- Mama Lungo said...
This is so very true!! I am new to cloth diapering and have become addicted! I have also had to learn to deal with the poo, adjust my laundry mindset and size up in clothes But I love cloth an will never go back!!
- March 17, 2010 at 11:19 AM
- K8tmama said...
I definitely agree that there is more than one way to cloth diaper. I am slowly discovering what way works best for me and my baby. I started cloth using a system a friend introduced me to...in the end I didn't like it because of how it fit my baby compared to other systems. I jive with the try before you buy! I am still slowly experimenting and building my stash into something that works for me and my baby.
- March 17, 2010 at 12:00 PM
- Crystal said...
Great tips! I wish I had read this before I started cloth diapering. I especially wish I had waited for bargains instead of buying right away.
- March 17, 2010 at 12:44 PM
- Dani said...
great post! Those would be my 10 things - especially the 1st one!
- March 17, 2010 at 5:02 PM
- Alycia said...
Every single one of those reasons is soo true! If only I read this BEFORE I became addicted....
- March 17, 2010 at 10:32 PM
- Andrea said...
I wish I'd known not to let my toddler discover that the metal thing on the toilet is magical and can spray water allllll over the room.
- March 18, 2010 at 9:56 AM
- Kelly said...
What a great post. Melody you really hit every point on the nose. I couldn't say it any better
- March 18, 2010 at 11:06 AM
Thanks for this post! It was very helpful. I will be cloth diapering exclusively. Our first baby is due in just 4 weeks! I will also pass this post on to a friend who is cloth diapering.
- March 18, 2010 at 1:22 PM
- Jennifer said...
Good advice regarding #1 and #2...it's nice to know you can get good deals if you wait and are patient. And I appreciate your honesty wrt #9 -- I've noticed the same thing!
- March 18, 2010 at 2:06 PM
What great tips thanks for sharing. I wish I would have known some of these when I started. I agree Kelly's Closet staff have been very helpful in answering any questions.
- March 18, 2010 at 2:16 PM
- fancygrlnancy said...
This is sooo true! I wish I had also found such great websites to get answers from like the cloth diaper whisperer.
- March 18, 2010 at 8:09 PM
- Jenney said...
This is a great post. I love how you set it up and how it covers many many of the basic "bases". I have "talked" three new moms into cloth diapering recently and told them similar things, but you just have a way with words-love it!
- March 19, 2010 at 3:26 PM
- Mandy All said...
Just an aside for #6, you can buy onesies extenders to help extend the wearable life of your baby's too-small-to-wear-over-cloth clothes.
- March 21, 2010 at 11:12 AM
Thanks for this post. I am just starting out and these were some good tips. I definitely need to work on the patience part. I think that when I bought my first couple diapers I didn't do as much research as I should have.
- March 21, 2010 at 3:43 PM
- hosiewosie said...
I agree- wish I was reading this before I started CDing! :-)
- March 21, 2010 at 5:59 PM
- HIS Brave Storm said...
This is all so true! I'm onlt 5 weeks into cloth diapering and almost all of this applies to me. I fell for the gdiaper thing in the begininning because in all honesty it seemed simpler and was easy to understand. No foreign abbreviations and what not, as well as having flushable inserts made it all that much more appealing. I'm still using my gdiapers because I absolutely refuse to have the money invested be wasted, but I will not buy more and I'm changing diapers just about every hour and doing WAY TOO MUCH laundry but it's fine. Thanks to all the patient and friendly people at kelly's closet and daipershops fb page I now have an understanding of most things cloth and some Fluffy Mail on the way that will hopefully better meet my coth diapering needs.
- August 30, 2011 at 12:41 PM


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VELUX® SUN TUNNEL™ skylights are ideal for smaller rooms such as closets, hallways, laundry rooms and second baths. You can now add natural light to places you thought were impossible.
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New Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS Among Black Americans 40 and Older Heads to Houston, TX
Houston TX -- The estimated rate of HIV occurrence in Houston is almost two times the national rate of new infections, with Black American's accounting for over half of new infections. To help curb these numbers the Black AIDS Institute -- the nation's only HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people -- is bringing its latest initiative to Houston.
Trump AIDS is a unique national campaign that combines the traditional Black pastime of bid whist -- a popular card game among Black Americans aged 40-plus -- with community health outreach efforts designed to help educate an often overlooked HIV/AIDS demographic. Backed by the Houston Sun, Rolling Out Magazine, DSHSHIVSTD program, St Hope Foundation, Bee Busy, Inc. and other local organizations, Trump AIDS also helps raise money to fight the disease in Black communities.
The program launched in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15th and is now heading to Houston, Texas, beginning February 26th at the SRO Sports Bar & Café, 444 Northwest Mall, 9800 Hempstead Road. For a complete list of cities hosting events and to register, please visit TrumpAIDS.org.
"AIDS does not only affect a select demographic such as youth, women or gay men," says actor and AIDS activist Danny Glover, who is a celebrity co-chair of Trump AIDS. "It affects all groups of people. That is why Trump AIDS is such an important campaign for Black people to support and participate in." Jackée Harry, the other celebrity co-chair, adds, "We must unite as a community -- for the sake of our community. To do nothing is to be part of the problem."
"I am thrilled to have Trump AIDS and the Health Fair in Houston because I think the tournament is unique in that it's targeting African Americans, many of whom believe they are immune to HIV," says Norman Mitchell, CEO of Bee Busy, Inc. "I think this event is an excellent way to help change that," he adds.
Jeffrey Campbell with the St. Hope Foundation, Inc. echoes Mr. Mitchell's sentiments. He says, "Trump AIDS is a great idea! Houston has a large number of Bid Whist players who I think will be open to getting tested and receiving information because it's a part of a game that they love so much."
The health fair features free onsite HIV testing for all tournament attendees, players and guests. All are welcome to participate.
The winner of the Houston tournament automatically qualifies for the national tournament to be held in Las Vegas in November, and a chance to win $45,000.00 in prizes. Other participants are able to qualify for the national tournament and have their travel expenses to Las Vegas paid by raising $3,000.00. The participants who raise the most money will join Jackee Harry, Danny Glover and others in a celebrity Bid Whist tournament.
"Rates of HIV in persons over 50 years of age are 12 times higher among African Americans than among whites," according to Timothy G. Heckman, Ph.D. "Older people do not consider themselves at risk. Physicians rarely talk to older patients about sex or other risk behaviors."
"Trump AIDS is an unprecedented event that will provide Black people who are not actively engaged in the HIV battle with access to important health information," says Black AIDS Institute COO Aron Myers. "This is a tremendous opportunity for the Atlanta community and good citizenship for all."
"There's no way to end the AIDS epidemic in Black communities without targeting this population," adds Black AIDS Institute founder and CEO Phill Wilson. "The Black AIDS Institute has spent the last decade meeting Black folks where they are. Trump AIDS is a perfect example of identifying an indigenous pastime in our community and using it to deliver culturally effective messaging. Everything about this effort, from the date and city where we launched the campaign, to its celebrity co-chairs -- Danny Glover and Jackée Harry -- celebrate the Black experience."
Participants will be encouraged to get involved in the fight to end the AIDS epidemic in the Black community while having fun and potentially winning prizes.


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The handsome stallion looked more like his old self since some of his charismatic floppy forelock hanging down his forehead has grown back.
They used it as an unlikely excuse for So You Think not quite regaining the form that saw him win Australia's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, in 2009-10 when trained by Bart Cummings.
Now the five-year-old, who is disputing favouritism for the US$10 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, a 2,000m contest, seems to have been groomed as the "King" of O'Brien's famous Ballydoyle stable and he looked the part as he led out the team. This team comprises of St Nicholas Abbey and Treasure Beach, who will both contest the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, presented by Longines, Await The Dawn (Group 1 Dubai Duty Free, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free) and the Group 2 UAE Derby, sponsored by The Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah Group hopefuls Daddy Long Legs and Wrote for their first look at the track since their arrival on Monday.
It is O'Brien's most concerted attack on the world's richest racemeeting and a win for So You Think, who will be ridden by O'Brien's son Joseph, would secure his future value as a stallion for Coolmore Stud.
The O'Brien team walked two circuits of the all-weather track and then had a light canter just to get the "feel " of the artificial surface. O'Brien is not expected in Dubai until Friday night.


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Click on the About this Book tab to see a lot of information that can help you learn more about the book and evaluate it for reliability and usefulness.
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IRIS-42 is an Information Literacy project developed with a grant from the Distance Learning Council of Washington, 2007-2008. Some content, images and activites were inspired by, and/or copied/adapted from TILT: The Texas Information Literacy Tutorial. This material may be distributed only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the TILT Open Publication License (the latest version: http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/yourtilt/).


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- Product Overview
Our new Circular Neon Flex offers full 360° illumination in an 18mm diameter specification. As it is mains powered no transformer is required and very long runs of up to 50 metres can be achieved.
LED Neon Flex is the revolutionary replacement of traditional Glass Neon. Its possible applications are as flexible as the product itself. Neon Flex is made by filling flexible plastic tubes with highly-luminous LED lights.
Neon Flex looks better than glass neon - and it opens all the environments where fragile Glass Neon cannot be used. As the name suggests, it is highly flexible. LED Neon Flex can be bent to a minimum radius of 8 cm, and can be cut easily to your desired lengths. Maximum Length at any time is 50 metres.
Please Note: If you order more than a 1 Metre length of Neon Flex you will receive a continuous run as it is taken from a 50m roll.
For a working Neon Flex installation you will need:
• Neon Flex LED
• 1 x Neon Flex Power Cable
• 1 x Neon Flex Connector Pin
• 1 x Neon Flex End Cap
IP44 rated subject to correct installation. Heat shrink tube and silicone glue is essential to seal both the endcap and power cable in order to maintain the IP44waterproof rating.
- Voltage - 230v
- Dimensions - 18mm Diameter
- LED Type - SMD2835 in Epistar Chip
- Unit/Cut Length - 1000mm
- Max Load - 50m
- LEDs per metre - 144
- Power - 7.7W Per Metre
- Lumens - 666lm Per Metre
- IP Rating - IP44
- Bend Radius - 80mm
Please note that we are not able to offer refunds on custom cut lengths of Neon Flex, only for full 50m reels.
- Technical Specifications
Neon Flex Circular Warm White Size: (1.15 MB)
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Primetime's Medical Emergency: Where Are All the Hospital Dramas?
Dec 2, 2014 5:15 PM EST
NBC's ER premiered 20 years ago, changing the style of medical dramas by marrying fast-paced action with richly drawn characters and serialized storylines. Competing against it on Thursday nights was another medical drama, CBS' Chicago Hope. ER aired… Read more


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MOTOACTV Golf Edition
This state-of-the-art gadget is like having a caddy wrapped on your wrist. The built-in GPS technology tracks the front, center and back distances to greens and hazards on 20,000 courses worldwide; it keeps your score, what club you used and statistics that elevate your game by illuminating strengths and weaknesses. Track your steps, distance and calories burned; and you can sync your game via computer to see how you compare to the pros playing the same course. $299.99 at REI, Best Buy, Sports Authority and online at Amazon.com and Motorola.com.
Courtesy MOTOACTV
Copyright © 2019, The Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore Sun Media Group publication | Place an Ad


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A Spring family says a hanging electric wire should have been fixed by CenterPoint Energy weeks before their two children were shocked as they were playing in their backyard.
Christopher and Sarah Zarsky are suing the electric company after their 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son were burned by a wire in their backyard in the 3600 block of Nutwood Lane on Feb. 17, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.
CenterPoint spokeswoman Alicia Dixon said the company does not comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit says a guy wire from a distribution pole in the Zarsky family's backyard came into contact with one of the energized power lines located nearby. The wire had previously parted from the anchor, leaving it swinging loose.
When the guy wire contacted the energized power lines, it shocked the children who were playing below, knocking them both unconscious and leaving them severely burned, the lawsuit says.
The little girl was on fire when her father ran outside and she had stopped breathing. Christopher Zarsky said in the suit that the fire spread to her head and he was able to stifle it and perform CPR to revive her.
He had previously notified CenterPoint about the loose wire in his back yard, according to the lawsuit.
The children remain in the intensive care unit at Shriner's Burn Unit in Galveston. Both remain in critical condition, with severe burn injuries that have already resulted in multiple skin grafting and surgeries, including amputation.
"They have a long road ahead of them," said Tony Buzbee, the parents' attorney.
The lawsuit asks for damages and says CenterPoint was negligent. A Harris County judge has granted a temporary restraining order to prevent CenterPoint from fixing the wire so they can collect evidence for their case. "We will hopefully find out as the case goes forward, how many homes have that exact same set-up," Buzbee said.
By Erin Mulvaney
Houston Chronicle - chron.com
February 25, 2013
Houston, TX


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Subscribe to The Chicago Manual of Style Online
Q. Is it necessary to use a comma after words like next, then, after that, last, and finally when they are the beginning of a sentence? I am a lower-school teacher and need to clarify this.
Q. Is it "Hello Mr. Doe" or "Hello, Mr. Doe"?
Q. Please tell me if it's permissible to use a comma rather than a semicolon in the following sentence: "The idea isn't to use the test to get people in trouble, it's to help them avoid decisions they'll regret later." The rules seem to suggest that a semicolon is preferred but not absolutely required; a semicolon feels to me like it separates the thoughts more than I'd like.
Q. How should the sentence "Guess what" be punctuated? I realize that it's technically an imperative sentence, which should end with a period (or exclamation point), but in many contexts it's used as if it were interrogatory, and thus it's often punctuated with a question mark rather than a period. Is this simply incorrect?
Q. Hi, CMOS people. You answered a question for me a few days ago, about using a comma or a colon to introduce dialogue in a book project we are doing. We took your advice and are using commas. My friend, though, would still like to use a colon to introduce internal dialogue. (Michael thought: if I go home now, Mother will know I forgot something). Would that be OK, or should we stick to commas for everything? Thanks!!
Q. This may be impossible to answer, but I feel it's important, so I'm gonna give it my best shot. This is how I would punctuate the following:
Can you believe that I said, "When she says, 'Do you know which fruit Jim likes best: apples, bananas, or oranges?,' tell her this: 'Actually, I once overheard Jim say, "I only eat pears!" '."?!
Q. Realizing that every style guide I have read states that periods always go inside quotation marks, I argue that, if a quote is only a part of a sentence, the period at the end applies to the entire sentence, and not just to the quoted part; therefore, it should be placed outside the closing quotation mark. Does this reasoning "hold any water" at all?
Q. With the author-date system, I know that punctuation is supposed to follow the reference—for example, "And his other misfortune" (Brown 2001, 1a). But does this still hold true for questions? It just plain looks wrong to me. For example:
It appears as if, in the culture of breast cancer, death is a taboo: "Why is there no room in this cult for some gracious acceptance of death, when the time comes, which it surely will, through cancer or other misfortune" (Ehrenreich 2001, 1a)?
Q. I know the period or comma goes inside both single and double quotation marks, but is an apostrophe treated the same as a single quotation mark, or does it stay with its word? For example: "That ain't nothin'," Joe replied.
Q. Are the commas in the following placed correctly? (The sentence cannot be recast.) "She took a workshop titled, 'Writer's Workshop,' several years ago." Thank you.


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Barcelona is a welcoming and fascinating city, with a climate that makes it possible to enjoy it all year round. Its geography offers seaside, mountainside, or both at once. With its many centuries of history: Roman, Medieval, Gothic, Modernist … it's a mix of cultures, religions and races.
To visit Barcelona form Hotel Neri is to visit it from the very heart of the city, right in the middle of the Gothic quarter, and we propose you the most unique places and spaces.
Start your tour from the Hotel Neri, a hotel in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, and enjoy all the surprises that await you in the city.
For further information, please visit Barcelona Turisme.
Places of interest at the Ghotic
- Plaça Sant Felip Neri
- Basílica Santa Maria de Mar
- Plaça del Rei
- Catedral de la Santa Creu y Santa Eulàlia
- Gran Teatre del Liceu
- Palau de la Música Catalana
- Palau de La Virreina
- La Rambla
- Plaça Real
- Picasso Museum
- Barcelona Historial Museum (MUHBA)
- Contemporary Art Museum (MACBA)
- Boqueria Market
- Santa Caterina Market


text: Palermo with its 667,000 inhabitants is the administrative capital city of the Sicilian Region and of the homonymous province. Its millennium history, has given it a remarkable artistic and architectonic heritage which varies from the Punic Walls ruins, to several houses in liberty style, to Arab-Norman style residential houses, to baroque churches and Neoclassical theatres. For cultural, artistic and economic reasons, Palermo has been among the major cities in the Mediterranean area, and nowadays is one of Sicily's main destinations.In IX century A.C., with the Arab invasion, the city, also known as "the paradise land", became very beautiful. The "Ziza" and "Maredolce" castles and the "Parco della Favorita" park are evidence of this period. The extensive economic and cultural development took place during the Norman and Suevian period. Significant changes were also made to the city under the Aragonese rule.Palermo city centre consists of what used to be the city centre inside the sixteenth-century walls, and it's divided into two streets which create a sort of cross, also known as "La croce barocca" (The baroque cross).Nowadays the city centre of Palermo is divided into four (administrative) districts: (Loggia-Castellammare, Tribunali-Kalsa, Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale) and Monte di Pietà-Capo) linked up to the two historical arteries of the city: the " Cassaro" and "via Maqueda", a perpendicular street to the former that, at its junction, creates the "Quattro Canti di Città " square.Among the various monuments to be visited, a special mention must be given to the ones related to the Norman and Arab period: in the Norman Palace, currently the seat of the Sicilian Parliament, there is the "San Giovanni degli Eremiti" church, with its typical red cupolas, nowadays this is one of the city symbols; we must also mention the "Martorana" church, with its rich mosaic decorations. Near the "Martorana" church we can find the "San Cataldo" church, a Norman building dating back to 1160.Another very important building is the new Modern Art Gallery "Sant'Anna", which keeps a convent of Baroque origins.In order to savour the aromas and taste of the typical culinary specialities in Palermo and Sicily, don't forget to visit the renowned "Vucciaria" market.


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Move the guide to refine
4 hotels found in Calaba Town
Result 1-4
Freetown, 1 Stafford Dr Imatt
7.9 km
Freetown, Hughes Point
8.4 km
Freetown, Peninsula Road
8.8 km
Freetown, Jomo Kenyatta New Englandville
9.3 km
After entering a search request the hotel room prices and availability are being downloaded real-time from approximately 30 hotel- and booking websites. If it is unexpectedly not possible to request the hotel room prices and availability from one or a few providers, or if one provider does not transmit the information to LookingforBooking after entering a search request, only the prices and availability from available providers are being displayed. If you want to see the full picture of all hotels at LookingforBooking, you should search without a date. Then you will be able to compare all hotels on their location and facilities.


text: "Hopkins Deer Hunting cordially invites you to test your hunting skills on approximately 2,000 acres in Kent County, Maryland. We have various types of deer hunting making it possible for you to enjoy yourself. Our skilled guides will take you on a hunt you will be telling your friends about for years to come."


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Vision of the Seas - Alaskaby Kuki,
Cruising Misty Fjords last night was so wonderfully peaceful and serene. The Bang Family again invited us to enjoy this from the bridge. Standing on the wing of the bridge while passing through inlets so narrow I felt I could touch the mountains on either side was an almost mystical experience.
These glimpses I've had of life on the bridge
At Sea- Aug 5
Today is our final sea day as we cruise the inside passage back towards Vancouver. Yesterday's sunshine has temporarily disappeared. The morning is drizzly, cool and very foggy. The quiet is interrupted only occasionally by the ships foghorn, as it's radar picks up other ships, or boats in the area. Today is a good day to reflect about a cruise that has passed by much to quickly for my liking.
The Purser's desk called this morning to say they have us listed as staying on the shop to do back to back cruises. Alas, it's only a mistake. I thought I'd best admit to the error because next week's occupants of my cabin might not care for my snoring.
By mid afternoon most of the fog had cleared and people were out sunning by the pool. Most probably not even realizing how much luck we'd had with the Alaskan weather.
We felt very privileged to be invited to the Captain's private quarters. And I'm pleased Captain Bang has allowed CruiseMates to use these exclusive photos of his home at sea. It's a comfy apartment just below the bridge containing a living room area, dining room area, separate bedroom and bathroom, and the Captains office.
With the exception of vacation times this has been Captain Bang's home since the Vision came out the shipyard, and we appreciate him sharing it with us. Captain Bang, his wife Darlene, and daughter Kiki were such fun to talk to. My complete report of our interview will follow here on CruiseMates shortly.
While we were sitting and visiting there was a call from the bridge saying pods of whales had been spotted. We all raced to the bridge like kids hearing that candy was free at the corner store.
The Captain announced to all the passengers whales had been sighted and we could hear the OOHS and AAHS from the people on the outside decks as the whales passed on both sides of the ship.
There was an International Fireworks competition taking place in Vancouver tonight, and as a special treat for the passengers the Captain "put the pedal to the metal" to get us into Vancouver Harbor in time to watch. It was breathtaking to watch this display from the ship in the harbor. An amazing way to spend our last night onboard.
It's a good thing they told me in advance about the fireworks competition, or I would have thought RCI was staging it just for me.
Sadly, tomorrow our Alaska adventure draws to a close, but it's NOT over yet. The adventure continues...Next Installment Go to the Beginning of Kuki's Adventure


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It has already known that the coffee table is the focus to the center of living room also an involved to member of your family. In style also overall allure, glass top table is a best table for improve the room. It's deemed as the best coffee table with its design also features and function love by everyone.
So, let us look a closer to this best-love furniture and why they are complement with any living room decoration. Commonly the base and material of this table are made from wood, metal also mix material. Solid wood material is like maple wood and oak also rhodesian teak with cherry wood and metal base frame are cast iron and stainless steel also aluminum with wrought iron. Coffee table also available mixed base material like the leather, stone and wood or metal.
The classic couplings coffee table are oak wood frame with glass tops or polished aluminum frame also with glass top to create contemporary style. The important aspects of having a glass top coffee table that it shouldn't overlooked. wood material table take a process of long treatments to keep durable, clean and best condition.
There are some important things that you must consider when you choose the glass top table, that is not just any old piece of glass and it should be a tempered glass. Make sure to choose tempered and laminated glass which is added toughness and durability also it's edges are rounded also good machined. Much of glass top material of coffee tables are come with these standard features.
A good news that you can best design of glass top coffee tables in the market and it widely available. The internet online shop are the great place to search the wide range, the price also the affordable style that you can find. In this internet you also it comparable price to any traditional retailer. Don't forget to make sure that coffee table that you choose to purchase have good material, style and brand. Double check that the brand are reputable and have well known customer service dealer. At the last the glass top coffee tables are a popular choice for living room furniture.
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Last time, we talked about Impostor Syndrome, how many of us struggle with feeling like a fraud. This often dovetails into a nasty cycle of over-achieving as a coping mechanism to shield us from feelings, failure, pain, etc. But, like many coping mechanisms, they can be great for the short-term but a living hell if …
June 29, 2018 archive
Jun 29 2018
Learning to FEEL: Put Down the iPhone & Embrace the iFeel
- By Kristen Lamb in Culture, Kristen Lamb, Self-Help
Featured Books
Rise of the Machines—Human Authors in a Digital Age
What is a brand? A platform? Why do we need one? How do we get one? Better still how can we create a brand with the power of driving book sales and still have time left to do THE most important part of our job? Writing more books.
This book demystifies branding and social media and harnesses the same passion and imagination we authors use to write books, then uses that to locate and cultivate a devoted fan base. The methods taught in this book can weather any technological upheaval, and is virtually fad-proof. The new cool social site might change, but your platform will remain.More info →
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- Flawed Characters vs. "Too Dumb to Live": What Makes the Difference? May 13, 2019
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About Kristen Lamb
Kristen Lamb is the author of the definitive guide to social media and branding for authors, Rise of the Machines—Human Authors in a Digital World. She's also the author of #1 best-selling books We Are Not Alone—The Writer's Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It's Me, Writer. She's just released her highly acclaimed debut mystery-thriller The Devil's Dance.
Kristen has written over twelve hundred blogs and her site was recognized by Writer's Digest Magazine as one of the Top 101 Websites for Writers. Her branding methods are responsible for selling millions of books and used by authors of every level, from emerging writers to mega authors.