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Crusade to free Kathleen Folbigg
THEY are three Hunter women linked by child death, murder and tragedy.
Kathleen Folbigg was convicted in 2003 of murdering her four children.
Lindy Chamberlain spent three decades mired in Australia's most notorious child murder case before she was completely exonerated of her daughter Azaria's death.
And last week Helen Cummings, first wife of a man who went on to kill his second family and himself, warned NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith about the danger of history repeating itself in an emotional appeal to free Folbigg from jail.
The case against Folbigg had ''all the hallmarks of another Lindy Chamberlain'', wrote Ms Cummings, the daughter of former Newcastle lord mayor Joy Cummings.
''I have been corresponding and visiting Kathleen Folbigg now for over a year and I have no doubt at all about her innocence.''
Ms Cummings told Mr Smith that if there was anything he could do to prevent a long, painful and protracted campaign, she would be grateful ''until the end of my days''.
Ms Cummings is leading a campaign to have Folbigg's case reviewed after a 2011 book by an Australian academic lawyer, Murder, Medicine and Motherhood, concluded Folbigg was wrongly convicted.
The legal process decided Folbigg was a ''monstrously guilty mother'' despite the failure of medical experts to say how her four babies died, academic lawyer Emma Cunliffe found.
''The groundwork of an appeal for a review of the case has already been done in Emma's book,'' Ms Cummings said.
''I contacted Emma because I always had an uncomfortable feeling during Kathleen's trial that it was actually her mothering that was on trial.
''She was totally hated and despised by society, and locked away.
''We saw that with Lindy Chamberlain, and the same thing has happened to poor Kathleen.''
Ms Cummings sent a copy of her book Blood Vows, about her first husband's murder of his second wife and young daughter, and suicide, to Folbigg in early 2012 ''to let her know where I was coming from''.
Their first meeting in Silverwater jail started with ''a hug for a long time''. Two former childhood friends of Folbigg, Alana House and Tracy Chapman, are also regular visitors, supporting the campaign for a review.
In letters and monthly meetings between Ms Cummings and Folbigg since then, ''nothing has been off limits''.
''She'll talk about her children, what ages they are now. At the time it happened she was just so devastated, so beaten down. She'd not only lost them but she was blamed for their deaths.''
Ms Cummings said Folbigg had no animosity towards her former husband and the babies' father, Craig Folbigg.
Mr Folbigg was initially supportive of his wife after the death of their fourth child, Laura, in 1999, but after seeing disturbing excerpts from his wife's diaries Mr Folbigg's support ended.
The diary excerpts included one written in 1998, when Laura was five months old, in which Folbigg wrote she was ''scared [Laura] will leave me now. Like Sarah [her second child] did. I knew I was short-tempered and cruel sometimes to her and she left. With a bit of help.''
Attempts to contact Mr Folbigg yesterday were unsuccessful.
In a response to Ms Cummings' letter to Mr Smith last week, a Department of Attorney-General and Justice spokesman said Folbigg had several avenues of review available to her, although they were ''only possible in exceptional circumstances''.
The Supreme Court could order an inquiry or refer the matter to the Court of Criminal Appeal.
The NSW Governor could also be petitioned, and refer the matter to the attorney-general for consideration of an appeal or direction from the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Supporters of a review include one of Australia's leading forensic science legal experts, Gary Edmond, who said Folbigg's case was tainted by unreliable, misleading and outdated medical evidence.
Ms Cummings said she was ''feeling quite confident that Kathleen will be released before the end of 2013.''
''The ball's rolling now,'' she said.


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The Trinidad Tourism & Lodging Association invites you to "stay in Trinidad !"
Exploring our little seaside city won't take long - it only covers about a square mile. The City of Trinidad is perched on a bluff, cradled by a forest of trees to the north and east with the Pacific Ocean crashing along the western beaches. South, redwoods grow in little groves that reach down the bluff to Trinidad Bay.
Bay views are fascinating. The unique offshore rocks are part of the California Coastal National Monument and provide homes for seals, seabirds, starfish, and many other fascinating marine life. The Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse is a great place to take in this Bay view or hike around Trinidad Head for another scenic perspective.
Trinidad Head forms a special natural backdrop to Trinidad Harbor with bobbing crab and fishing boats, boat launch, a public pier and the Seascape Restaurant. From Trinidad Head north towards Elk Head, you'll find one of the most beautiful beaches in the world - Trinidad State Beach. Pewetole Island with it's surprising blowholes sits between State Beach and College Cove. Fun hiking trails link these spectacularly scenic landscapes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Civic-minded groups like the Bel-Heights ECA Club can always be counted on to do their part for The Gazette Empty Stocking Fund.
Civic-minded groups like the Bel-Heights ECA Club can always be counted on to do their part for The Gazette Empty Stocking Fund.
On Thursday, the club made its annual donation to the campaign, which helps the Salvation Army provide Christmas assistance to those among us who have hit hard times this holiday season.
The club is part of the Extension and Community Association, an organization that touches the lives of countless people right here in Gaston County. ECA Clubs are always looking for ways to make our community a better place. They do that through their community service projects that include:
n Collecting medicine bottles for Samaritan�s Purse
n Making afghans for Warm Up America, special pillows for patients recovering from surgery, and baby quilts for the pediatric neo-natal unit
n Collecting soup and food labels for Gaston County Schools
n Collecting eyeglasses for mission trips
n Providing scholarships to students
n Teaching and preserving crafts such as quilting, knitting, sewing, ceramics and jewelry making
And did I mention they can cook? Just attend one of their annual spaghetti fundraisers and you�ll know what I�m talking about. And while they are doing all these good deeds at the monthly meetings and on special work days, they are enjoying each others� company.
A big thank you to these fine folks and to the others who made donations on Thursday. Through your generosity, the Salvation Army will be able to provide toys for needy children and food for parents to prepare a holiday meal. It will buy gifts for seniors barely getting by. The Salvation Army expects to help 486 families � 1,151 children. The Silver Bells program for seniors will help about 40 people, and about 1,800 residents of assisted living centers and nursing homes will receive gifts.
Making a contribution is easy. Donations can be:
n Brought to The Gazette , 1893 Remount Road, Gastonia, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
n Mailed to The Gazette Empty Stocking Fund, P.O. Box 1538, Gastonia, NC 28053.
For your convenience, a contribution form is included in today�s Gazette .
Today�s contributors include:
n In memory of David Shope, Tim Shope, Lorena Shields and Phillip Shields, from Theresa Shope, $25
n In memory of my loving husband Charles, son Doug, and mother Bessie Bradley, from Bobbie Thornburg and grandchildren, $125
n In honor of Laura McDonald, from the Covenant United Methodist Church Mission Keepers Circle, $25
n From The Love Class, Unity Baptist Church, Myrtle School Road, Gastonia, $100
n From the Bel-Heights Extension and Community Association (ECA), $100
n In honor of family and friends, and in memory of M.W. Carpenter and Lou Shaver, from Bill and Gay Carpenter, $100
n In memory of Lila King, Bill Kelley and Paul Quinn, from Scotty and Glen King, $500
n In memory of Ms. Drucilla Chambers, from the Winget Family, $50
n From Albert G. Myers Jr., $500
Every dollar given to The Gazette Empty Stocking Fund campaign goes directly to the Salvation Army for its Christmas outreach. By giving, you are making a difference in the life of someone right here in Gaston County.
The campaign, which kicked off on Thanksgiving Day, continues through Christmas Eve. We�ll announce our final total on Christmas Day.


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Canada Day in Banff 2017 150 yearsPosted On: Tuesday, May 9th, 2017
Come celebrate Canada's 148th birthday in Canada's finest and first national park! There are tons of family-friendly events that run throughout the day, here is a quick run down on the highlights.Read Full Post
Summer Activities in BanffPosted On: Wednesday, July 8th, 2015
Come explore the great Canadian outdoors in Banff National Park. With a wide variety of outdoor activities, there is something for everyone.Read Full Post
The Best Picnic Spots in BanffPosted On: Wednesday, June 10th, 2015
It's time to bring out those picnic chairs and sample some of the best family picnic spots in Banff!Read Full Post
Web Cameras in BanffPosted On: Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
Explore Banff from the comfort of your own home! We've compiled a list of the best webcams around Banff.Read Full Post
Johnston Canyon WalkPosted On: Monday, June 1st, 2015
Just 30 minutes from your the Douglas Fir Resort, you will find one of the most beautiful family friendly hikes in Banff National Park; Johnston Canyon.Read Full Post


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"We had a great year and took another step forward in the rapid progression of this program," said Bisons head coach Bill Taylor. "The men's team really stepped it up, despite being very young and there is a lot of excitement about the future within the program. The guys are now talking openly about gigantic goals for the future.
"The women are such an incredibly nice group, but struggled early with running as a team and being aggressive on the race course. However they stepped it up at the conference and regional meets, which has them very excited for what will happen this track season and next cross country season. We had ten all-time PR's in the two championship meets. The women really raced hard and for each other in those races. The program is about to explode forward and I expect us to contend for the conference championship next year.
"Both teams have the highest character and get along incredibly well. They are fun to coach. It's very exciting to be a part of this."
Both teams posted their best ever NCAA I South Region finish this season.
Team awards (team awards were voted on by the team members and coaches):
Ashley Lehman, Soph., Harrisonburg, Va.: Ashley earned this award for her progress throughout the season. Although she improved dramatically last cross country season, she incurred an injury during the winter break last year and lost her whole track season. She was unable to run all spring and was sidelined for most of the summer. Despite this setback, and some expected struggles early in the season, Ashley kept working hard and ended the season as a top five runner for the team. She also set a new all time PR for the 5000m at the A-Sun Conference meet (18:56) , and a new all time PR for 6000m at the NCAA South Regional meet (23:02).
"It was obviously tough on Ashley missing the entire track season last spring," said Taylor. "It's not easy coming back and getting into race mode again. She also lost a significant amount of summer training before the season.
"I won't say that Ashley didn't struggle at times with her confidence early-mid season. She did. However, she kept working, kept believing and ran her best race of her running career in the biggest meet of the year. She was proof that even when things don't go the way you expect, if you keep trying and continue believing, you can succeed."
Hunter Hethcoat, Soph., Franklin, Tenn.: Hunter really stepped up his performance both in races and especially in practice this year. After barely making the conference roster last year, Hunter was solidly in the top seven this season. More impressively, Hunter became a totally different runner in practice and showed that he has the potential to be among the elite.
"Hunter stepped up to be a solid top seven runner on a team that was much better than last year's team," said Taylor. "More than that, Hunter showed us in practice that he has incredible talent and really increased the quality of practices for the whole team.
"I also watched Hunter start to develop as a leader, showing in word and deed that he cares about each person on this team. Despite Hunter's progress, he has tons of room to get better and better. I keep telling him that he can be absolutely incredible and I will keep telling him that until he is."
FIGHTIN' BISON AWARD:The Fightin' Bison Award is the person who demonstrated the most guts, mental toughness and physical toughness.
Catherine Beals, Soph., Glasgow, Ky. : Catherine really fought hard throughout the season. After missing time early in the season, she attacked practices and the course to be the best she could be.
Her toughness paid off with a big 5000m PR at the A-Sun Conference meet where she ran 18:39 and finished as the top Lipscomb runner, just missing All-A-Sun honors.
She was a top two runner for the team at every meet she competed in, except the Regional meet. At the NCAA I South Regional Championships her hip locked up late in the race. Despite the pain she finished the race to show her team how much she cares about them.
"Though Catherine has improved dramatically here, she just scratched the surface of her ability," said Taylor. "She has an incredible desire to be great. It has already paid off; however it will pay off much more in the future.
"I really appreciate her toughness. She is an example to everyone on the team about how to be aggressive. She has shown her teammates that she truly cares about their success. She is a really wonderful person and her effort will certainly help her reach even higher, and will help our whole program continue to advance. "
Isaiah Greer, Fresh., Johnson City, Tenn.: Isaiah came to Lipscomb with modest high school distance PRs. That did not stop him from giving everything he had all season long. He was an incredible example of toughness for his teammates and inspired the men's team with his fight. There was never ever any doubt about how much effort Isaiah was giving.
"Isaiah was a wonderful surprise for the men's team," said Taylor. "He's such a great person and truly gave all he had. He earned a top five spot on the team and pushed himself and others in practice. I love it when an athlete comes in and just doesn't care about where they are ranked coming in.
"College running is a whole new thing and I've developed athletes dramatically, but I need them to be open to what is possible for them. Isaiah was definitely open. He just went out, listened, and gave his best. The results, which were great, took care of themselves."
FOR THE TEAM AWARD: The For the Team Award is given to the person who is the best teammate and the person who is the most positive, motivating and caring.
Meredith McFarlin, Fresh., Memphis, Tenn.: Meredith redshirted her first year of cross country for Lipscomb. Despite not competing for the team, her teammates and coaches voted her the best teammate. In practice she was encouraging. Before competitions or team travel, she would get the team together to wish them success. She gave the girls little gifts and notes. She showed all season long she was a team player.
"Meredith is great," said Taylor. "She wants to improve so much, but I believe she wants her team and her teammates to improve just as much as she wants herself to improve. She easily could have decided that because she was a freshman and because she was redshirting, she shouldn't step up. She did the opposite. She ran the workouts hard, she rallied the team and she put it all out there, physically and psychologically for the team."
Andrew Shankles, Senior, Knoxville, Tenn.: Andrew served as a team captain for his third season with the program. He motivated the team as a leader and as a teammate. He was an overwhelming choice for this award.
"It's hard to describe Andrew for this award," said Taylor. "I really think his enthusiasm and desire for team success can only be experienced. He is incredibly positive, cares deeply about his team and is one of the most vocally encouraging people I have coached. He was a top five runner when I arrived at Lipscomb three years ago.
"As our team has rapidly improved he has fallen out of the top ten athletically. Yet he has risen to the top in being a leader for the team, and was as responsible as anyone on the team for our rapid improvement this year. Andrew is a great example of the attitude each person on the team must have."
HEART OF GOLD AWARD: For the runner who demonstrates the highest character, who doesn't compromise and who does the right thing even when nobody is looking.
Louisa Van Batavia, Soph., Burns, Ore.: Louisa has high character and a strong desire to take care of her team. She works hard whether she is with the team or by herself. She is genuine and her teammates trust her.
"Louisa is always seeking more information to get better," said Taylor. "That is so important for improvement. I also see her doing the right thing at all times. She has improved so rapidly and is a person her teammates can trust.
"Because of her class schedule, Louisa couldn't practice with the team on Wednesdays. She went out every Wednesday quality session and gave her best by herself. She strives to grow as a person in every way and be the best person she can be."
Andrew Shankles, Senior, Knoxville, Tenn.: Andrew's high character and care for the team have made a huge impact and been an example to everyone.
"I just think Andrew is such an incredible example of a person striving to grow closer to God and to serve all people in love," said Taylor. "I asked Andrew to be a team captain three years ago when I arrived. He was surprised and thought that being a sophomore was too young. However, I saw immediately that he had such a huge heart for others.
"Over these three years he has grown so much as a leader. I'm very proud of the person Andrew is and am excited for him to have the opportunity to unleash his talent and heart for others on the world, wherever he goes from here."
TOTAL COMMITMENT AWARD: For the runner that did it right, did it all, did it all the time and did all the little things.
Jenny Randolph, Jun., Knoxville, Tenn.: Jenny is one of the most respected members of the program. A team captain, she takes the sport and her commitment to it very seriously, not only doing everything right herself, but organizing and encouraging her teammates to do it all and do it right all the time.
"I created these awards last cross country season," said Taylor. "So this is the third time they have been voted on (XC 08, track 09, XC 09). Jenny has been voted 'For the Team' (XC 08) and 'Fightin' Bison' (Track 09) previously.
"It makes sense she would now be voted the Total Commitment award. She always receives votes in all categories, and is just loved by her teammates. I think receiving three different awards from the team shows how much she cares about her team, how well rounded she is as a teammate and leader and how hard she works. She has grown as a leader and is one of the most positive people you will ever meet."
Chad Martin, Soph., Coppell, Texas: Chad earned this award for the second consecutive time (track 09), which is a testament to the level of commitment to excellence he demonstrates. His teammates see him doing his core work, getting his sleep, strength training, cross training, and everything else, not to mention training as hard as anyone on the team. They have immense respect for his work ethic and commitment level.
"Chad is such a hard worker," I never have to worry about him or wonder if he is doing what he needs to do. He is driven to succeed and is an amazing example of doing this sport right.
"Unfortunately, Chad had an injury in the middle of this season. However, he attacked his cross training, by himself, the way he attacks everything else. He made the most of the situation and continued to seek excellence. That commitment to even attacking his cross training when times are tough sent a message to the team about the right way to do this sport."
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: For the runner who was most valuable to the team in every way and who contributed the most to the teams success.
Caitlin Anderson, Jun., Franklin, Tenn.: Caitlin, a team captain, was the number one runner for the team most of the season and never finished lower than second on the team. She led as a captain, she led in practice striving to hit the mark in everything, and she led on the race course.
"Caitlin strove to be the best she could be and made an invaluable impact on the team," said Taylor. "Our team would not have been the same without her from a team finish standpoint, from a leadership standpoint and from a practice standpoint.
"She set the tone for the team and was vital to the women's teams improved performance at the end of the season. Although she has already dropped nearly three minutes off her high school 5k PR, she will drop even more time and will lead the women's team to an even higher level this track season and next year."
Ryan Chastain, Sen., Mitchell, Ind.: Ryan led the team in every meet he participated and finished in the top of every race. He was a true low point scorer and set the pace in all practices. He earned All ASUN Conference honors for the second year in a row.
He is the only All-A-Sun runner in Lipscomb Cross Country history. Ryan is also a team captain.
"What can I say about Ryan?," said Taylor. "He is such a talented and smooth runner and a really great person. He has improved dramatically in every way since I arrived here three years ago, and I don't just mean in terms of time.
"For three years Ryan has been stopping by my office to ask questions about his racing, his practices, his team, etc. He has listened very well and has been willing to make tough changes in his racing and training. It has been a joy to coach him these three years and a bigger joy to watch him grow as a person and as an athlete. He will be greatly missed, however he has shown the returners what they need to do to rise up to that level."
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: For the freshman that made the biggest impact on the team.
Shelby Marvel, Ashland City, Tenn.: Shelby was consistently the highest freshman finisher on the team throughout the season, finishing in the top five for the team in every meet.
"Shelby had a solid freshman season," said Taylor. "She came to us with very little distance running experience; having joined cross country for the first time after the season started her senior year of high school, and missing all but two meets in her only season of track.
"This year was certainly a learning experience for her as she had to adapt to a higher level of training and the team concept. She picked things up throughout the season, had a great conference race where she set a new all time PR, and showed that she is going to be an incredible collegiate distance runner. She is freshman of the year and she is just learning how to be a distance runner. Once she learns how this all works, she will run extremely fast and will help our team succeed as well."
Tim Muller, Denver, Colo.: On a team that had as many as four freshmen in the top five this year (and no less than three), Tim clearly stood out as the top freshman from day one. He finished first overall in the team time trial and led the team at the Belmont Opener. The rest of the season he was consistently one of the top runners for the men and set the tone for both the freshmen and the whole team.
"Being freshman of the year on this year's men's team is saying something," said Taylor. "We had so many freshmen step up in a huge way this year, so the competition was fierce.
"Yet Tim was the clear choice for this award. His effort in practice and races really pushed our program forward. And Tim is nowhere close to reaching his potential. I really think he is going to be a force in collegiate distance running nationally very soon and he is one of the many reasons the returning men are so excited for the future of the men's team."
TEAM CAPTAINS: The team captains for the Lady Bisons are Caitlin Anderson, Jenny Randolph. The Bisons team captains are Ryan Chastain, Benton Reed and Andrew Shankles. All comments in this story are from cross country coach Bill Taylor.


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Lamb Kashmiri (Kashmir) Recipe
If you would like to buy all of the above spices please add them to your basket. You can remove any spices or products which you already have from the basket.
Cooking Method for Lamb Kashmiri
Serves 4
Pour the oil into a large saucepan bring up to a medium heat. Add the onions and reduce the heat to low. You can optionally add 1 or 2 Whole Star Anise which help bring out the sweetness of the onions and imparts a subtle aniseed flavour but remove them once the onions are cooked. Cook the onions gently and slowly until they turn a golden brown colour.
Make a paste of the ginger puree, garlic puree, curry powder, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, with a little water. Add to saucepan and stir in well and fry for a couple of minutes.
Now add your 800g Diced Lean Lamb Steak stir in well.
Add the Coconut Cream and egg mixture.
Mix the Cream, Yogurt, Tomato Puree, together in a jug with the water or stock and pour into the saucepan and mix in well. Turn up the heat until the sauce begins to simmer and leave to simmer for 20 Minutes. Stir occasionally.
Finally sprinkle in the Garam masala and stir in well for the final 2 minutes of cooking. Garnish with the Slices of caramelised banana. Cut the banana in 4mm thick slices, coat with sugar on both sides and heat in a dry pan until cooked and caramelised. It takes about 2-4 minutes so get ready while the curry sauce is simmering. and serve.
For a quicker and easier alternative why not try our
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8th February 2007, 08:40 PM
Big day for lady she lost two bottom milk teeth and i can't find them so i think that she may have swallowed them which i have heard is quite common, i have a quick question is it usual for her to go off her food she didn't touch her tea and we wet it to soften it? She very playful and she has been eating treats when we did training. So i don't think she ill.


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Look with me at your Bible. We have the great joy again today of examining another section in Matthew 14. I hope you're noticing that we're moving a little faster; we are trying to get done before the Second Coming. We are having a great time in Matthew's gospel, and we come at this juncture in our study to verses 22-33.
This is one of the familiar, beloved, very important events in the life of our Lord, in the lives of His disciples, and in your life and mine as well. To understand this marvelous event, I want to begin by drawing your attention to Matthew 14:33, which is the key verse in our text. "Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'"
Something happened here to convince them of that. What happened was so convincing that the next day, when the multitude which showed up for another free meal after the feeding the prior day had left, the disciples stayed and Peter, speaking for them, said this: "We believe and are sure that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." You can't make any greater discovery than that; that is the greatest discovery you can make, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God.
Verse 33 is the first time they have ever said that. The Father said it at the baptism; the demons said it on the eastern shore of the sea, but the disciples have never said it before. They have seen miracle upon miracle upon miracle, healings, raising the dead, casting out demons, they have heard preaching and teaching without equal, and they have been hearing it for two years. Now, they come to this monumental affirmation, which means that something very spectacular must have happened to inspire such confidence and surety as is indicated by their testimony in verse 33 and the next day in John 6:69-70.
Look at verse 33. Before we see what happened that caused them to be sure, let's just examine the thought that they worshiped Him. That is a very essential reality in the New Testament. It tells us something very basic about Jesus Christ; it tells us that He is equal with God. In the Old Testament, God alone was to be worshiped. When God established the law by which man was to live, it began with, "You shall have no other gods." Only the true God, Jehovah God, is to be worshiped. That rang loud and clear through the monotheism of the Jewish religion, that one God and one God alone was to be worshiped.
However, in the New Testament, again and again and again we note that Jesus Christ also is to be worshiped. The simple conclusion is then that Jesus Christ is equal with God, and that is affirmed in the statement that He is the Son of God, He is of the same essence as God. If you look at the New Testament, you'll see the mark of the worship of Christ planted everywhere.
Looking in the gospels, for example, we find the wise men worshiping in Matthew 2, the leper worshiping Him in Matthew 8, the Gentiles worshiping Him in John 12, a Canaanite woman worshiping Him in Matthew 15, a maniac out of the tombs worshiping Him in Mark 5, a blind man worshiping Him in John 9, the disciples worshiping Him at His resurrection and again in the mountain in Matthew 28, then worshiping at His ascension in Luke 24.
If we look in the epistles, we find in Hebrews 1 that all the angels of God worship Him. In Philippians, we find that God demands that every creature on the earth, over the earth, and under the earth bow the knee to worship Jesus Christ. If we go all the way to the consummation and the revelation, we find Him being worshiped by all those in glory, in chapters 4, 5, 11, and 19.
So this theme sweeps its way through the gospels, the epistles, and to the revelation of the New Testament - that Jesus Christ is to be worshiped. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says in I Corinthians 16:22, "If that is not done, let that man be anathema," or accursed. So Jesus Christ is to be worshiped, and that is something reserved for God.
When John, in the wonder of his visions in Revelation, fell down to worship an angel, the angel said, "Get up, for I am only a creature as you are. Worship God." He reaffirmed that single-worship perspective, and yet when Jesus was worshiped, never ever did He say, "Get up, for I am a creature as you are." He accepted it. They worshiped Him, in verse 33, because it was clear to them that they had a right to do that because He was the Son of God. They were sure of it, after the event that occurred in this text.
Just a few other words of introduction. This particular account is therefore one of the great moments in all of redemptive history because it is a major step in the affirmation of the disciples. They are the key to the Kingdom, in a sense. They held the keys, and they were the key. They are to be the rulers in the Kingdom. They were the front line to proclaim the Kingdom. It was very important that they had an ever-increasing understanding of the King's identity.
I don't think, in this section, that their understanding is fully complete. I think there are still many questions that they will have resolved as time goes on, many fears, anxieties, and doubts that will recur in the future. But there is, nonetheless, a major step of affirmation that Jesus is, in fact, the long-awaited King, the Christ, the Messiah, the Coming One, the Prophet, the Son of God. So this, then, becomes a very, very important section of Scripture.
As a corollary to that, related to us, may I say that it is also an important Scripture because it tells all of us about the protective love of Christ.It is a tremendous insight into God's care for you and for me as His children. Basically, as Christians, we need to know that. We get ourselves into difficulties in life, and into places in life where we exhibit little faith. We fear that God has abandoned us, and wonder whether we can ever get out of it, and this is a great text to encourage our hearts that if we are moving in the road of obedience, walking in the way of obedience, we are in the way where God protects and cares for His own.
John the Baptist had asked a very important question. He asked this question of Jesus: "Are you the Coming One, or should we look for another?" That was the question on the lips of everyone; that was the question on the lips of the disciples, on the lips of the crowds. Some thought He was Elijah, some thought He was Jeremiah, some thought He was one of the prophets. Everyone was in the process of evaluating who this Jesus was. "Are you the Coming One, or are we still looking for that One?" John articulated that for everyone.
For two years, Jesus had been demonstrating that He was that Coming One, that Prophet, that Messiah, that Christ, that Son of God, that King with a Kingdom. For two years, He had been demonstrating that with great power, mighty works, and mighty words. In the last even that we just looked at, which ended in verse 21, He had brought great anticipation to culmination, because He fed about 25,000-30,000 people, and that is probably conservative. He had created food for them all. It was a monumental, vast, far-reaching, sweeping miracle to create food. There were thousands of eye-witnesses to it, and as a result of that particular miracle, He reached a crescendo of popularity.
This was the climax of the popularity of Jesus. For two years, His ministry had been on the rise and He had been proclaiming, healing, casting out demons. Then, in the later part, He was joined by the disciples who also began to proclaim, and cast out demons, and to heal. The rising excitement, the fever pitch, the waves became billows. Irresistible impulses began to seize the multitude as they saw the power and wisdom of this individual. Then, when He was able to feed them with food He created from His own bare hands, seemingly unaided in any way, and they were eye-witnesses to it, and could taste it, they were convinced.
You have at this juncture the pinnacle of Jesus' popularity and John 6:14-15 says that they got together and were going to make Him the King. The disciples must have thought, "That's it. We've done our job. We've accomplished it. They see that He is the King, and they're going to make Him the King." Immediately at that juncture, when their hopes had reached the highest point, and it all looked like it was going to fall in their laps, I mean, they knew when the Messiah came, He would feed the multitude, and He had done it. It was, in their minds, very likely the door kicking open to the Kingdom. The people were saying, "We want Him to be the King!"
At that moment, He sent the disciples away, He sent the crowd away, and went into a mountain by Himself. In their little rowboat, as they were pushing their way out to sea, they must have been unbelievably disillusioned and disappointed trying to figure out how He could spend two years getting to this point, but when it was within His grasp, to send it away.
You see, Jesus didn't want their shallow commitment or minimal devotion. The crowd had political ends, and self-indulgent ends; all they could think about was free food without labor. The next morning, they showed up again for breakfast. Jesus said to them, "You seek Me not because you care about Me or what I say, but because you want another free meal."
Life for most people, in those days, consisted of trying to get enough to get the next meal. If they could have free food, that's the kind of king they wanted. With the power that He had, He could overthrow the Herodians and Romans, give them freedom from bondage, heal all their diseases, cast out all their demons, and create food for them; they were thinking, "This is the Kingdom!" But Jesus did not respond.
In fact, the next morning, He says to them, "You didn't come after Me because you really cared, but because you wanted a free meal. Let Me tell you, the only meal you're going to get out of Me is that you're going to have to eat My flesh and drink My blood. You're going to get Me on My terms; you'll have to take all of Me as your Lord and Master and Savior, and you'll come on My terms." And they left. They didn't want that; they were shallow, thorny soil, only in it for what they could get out of it. When they saw there was no more to get, they were gone. When He gave them a lecture on theology, they split. But the disciples didn't leave.
At that point, in John 6, Jesus said to them, "Will you also go away?" Peter said, "To whom shall we go? Only You have the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." The multitude left, but they stayed. They said, "We're sure."
How did they get so sure? Because of what happened in this passage. He refused the Kingdom the people offered Him. His Kingdom was not of this world, according to John 18:36. His Kingdom was not the kind of kingdom men wanted. The fact of the matter is, His Kingdom was in a little, frail boat in the middle of a storm on the sea. That's where the seeds of His Kingdom were, and it wasn't the kind of kingdom that men thought. When He sent the crowd away, and dealt with that little group of disciples in a boat, He was building His Kingdom in His way, for they would become the rulers of the Kingdom. So we see Him revealing Himself to them. The whole import of this passage, then, is to bring the disciples to the place where they really understand.
They went away from that shore disillusioned, and no doubt were asking the question, "Is He really a king? Is this really the King?" They needed a regal, royal display. "Is He the Messiah, the Lord, the One we thought?" They needed evidence, and boy, do they get it.
Look at verse 22. "Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.' And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'"
Oh, what a great story, a great account, a great record, and a great verification of Christ. I want you to notice five aspects of the divine nature manifest in this event. We'll just look at the first three today, because they are worth developing. Next time, we'll finish. They worshiped Him, first of all, because they knew He was the Son of God on the basis of divine authority. It is just kind of implied there, but in verse 22, it tells us, "Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away."
This indicative of the fact that Jesus controlled everything. He controlled those who were His own, and those who were not. He controlled the disciples who did not want to leave Him, who did not want to leave the moment, and the excitement, and the great thrust of that effort to make Him king. They were captivated by the whole thing, but He controlled them. The mob was going to kidnap Him and force Him to be a king, but He controlled them too, as well as the wind and the waves and the sea and their thinking and their faith and everything else that He controlled. Jesus had authority over everyone and everything, and it comes through to us clearly in this story, as well as in others.
For example, if you look at the gospel record and see again and again the authority of Jesus Christ manifest, you can conclude only that Jesus Christ had authority like no other. In John 5, He said that He had authority to judge all men, and that authority was given to Him by the Father. So He had authority over time and eternity, over life and death, over destiny.
In Mark 1:27, the people asked, "With what authority does He command even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him?" Not only did He have authority over life and death, time and eternity, Heaven, Hell, and destiny, but He has authority over the supernatural world, and over fallen angels. He, at His crucifixion, said that if He had so chosen, He could have called a legion of holy angels to His aid. He not only has authority over the fallen angels, but over the holy angels.
In Matthew 7:29, the people who listened to the Sermon on the Mount said He taught as one having authority; He had authority over the minds of men. When the Jews in Mark 11 came to Him and challenged Him, asking, "By what authority do you do these things?" He said, "If you answer My question, I'll answer your question. Was John the Baptist of God or not?" It says that they thought among themselves and said, "If we say he was of God, then He will ask why we didn't believe him. If we say he was not of God, the people will trample us because they all believe he was a prophet." So they said to Jesus, "We cannot tell." And Jesus said to them, "Neither am I going to tell you by what authority I do these things." Literally translated, that means, "None of your business. You're not interested in My Kingdom; its privy secrets are not yours."
He had authority, and they all knew it. He transmitted that authority, according to Luke 9:1, to His disciples, and they went out in His authority. We see it with Peter and John in the temple, when they healed the man who was begging there. "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." There, he exercised that authority granted to him by Christ.
The sum of it all comes in Matthew 28:18, where Jesus says, "All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in Earth." He had authority. What is authority? If I were defining authority, I think I would define it as ruling, sovereign control. He was in control of everything. He called all the shots, made all the decisions about everything. He commanded angels, holy and fallen; He commanded men, redeemed and unredeemed. He commanded them in time and eternity, in Hell and Heaven. He determines their destiny. He controls nature. He creates whenever He will create; He stops the storm whenever He will stop the storm, and causes the wind and causes it to cease. He can walk on water; He has authority. That becomes clear to us in this passage.
Go back to verse 22. It says that immediately after they had wanted to make Him king after He had fed them, "Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side." He sends the disciples away first; they were no doubt delighted with the desire of the crowd, and surely wanted the kingdom to come. They had been waiting a long time for this, and were ready to get their rank, to get their robes and sit as the hot shots in the kingdom.
They had all of this anticipation. They had suffered for two years in their wanderings and travelings, with the antagonism and hostility of the political and religious leaders, and now, when they saw the crowd reach this fever pitch, they could see it coming. They could see the kingdom beginning to open, and they were really excited. The Lord knew this was difficult for them, so He just sent them away and removed the temptation. Fully aware of their weakness, and their susceptibility to the political plans of the crowd, to the confusion that they must already have had, and certainly Judas, if no other, would have fostered this within their midst, He said, "Go to the other side."
They were on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee and needed to go across the northern end to Capernaum. Mark tells us that they were headed to Bethsaida, John says that they were headed to Capernaum; they were both side by side, Bethsaida being a suburb of Capernaum. So it just means they were going in that general direction in a short trip across one little corner of the Sea of Galilee, something they were familiar with and had done many, many times. But they didn't want to go, and that's why the Bible says He made them.
I'm sure they put up a fight, certainly because they didn't want to leave the action of the moment, secondly because they didn't want to leave the Lord, and thirdly, they probably saw the storm starting. They didn't want to go, but He sent them anyway, and that's how it is when you're in authority. I love the fact that they went anyway. Waht's amazing is it says later on, when they hit the storm, the wind was contrary to them. I guess any normal person would say, "Let's not fight it. Let's turn around, and it will blow us back to the other shore." But not them; when the Lord said, "Point your bow to Capernaum," they did it. They fought it all the way even though they weren't making any headway; they continued in the path of obedience to the authority of Christ, His sovereign authority.
Even the wild-eyed mob couldn't resist His authority; it says in verse 22 that after He had sent the disciples away, He would send the multitude away. Verse 23 says that after He had sent the multitude away, He went to pray privately. He sent the whole crowd away! They were going to kidnap Him; they were at a fever-pitch, and He had total control over them, and total authority. He sent them all away.
You say, "Where did they go?" They went all over the place and went to sleep, thousands of them, sleeping all over the hillsides and wherever they could sleep in the area of Bethsaida Julia, and that hillside where He had fed them dinner. He just sent them away, and they went to sleep. How do we know they went to sleep? Because they woke up the next morning, and when they woke up, they were all in the same vicinity according to John 6, and they said, "It's breakfast time. Where's Jesus?" but He wasn't there. They knew a good thing when they saw it.
That's when He gave them a lecture about how the only other meal they were going to get was His flesh and blood. They said, "Forget it," and from then on, the popularity of Jesus started going down. He taught a little in the synagogue, and did some healing, but eventually, He began to move away, and His popularity waned, and He spent more and more time with the disciples and less and less time with the crowds. This is that peak from which things begin to descend to His crucifixion.
He sent them away; He shot their dreams to pieces because He would not be made a political leader on their terms. Verse 23 says, "He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there." The hope of any rest and quiet was gone, the hope of any debriefing with the disciples was gone; the miracle of that day had only added to the excitement, augmented the pressure and the danger from those who would want to destroy Him, only added pressure to the popularity that would have wanted to make Him an illegitimate King.
I believe, beloved, that that was a temptation of Christ very much like the third aspect of Satan's temptation in Matthew 4, when Satan showed Him the kingdoms of the world and said, "I'll give you the kingdoms of the world if You will bow down to me." I think this is a very similar situation, and that this comes as a temptation.
What does Christ want but to be king? Here He can bypass the Cross; the people are willing to push Him into Jerusalem, sweeping down in the Passover season, and what a time! They're all going to be there at the Passover to raise up the Messiah. With His power, He knocks off the Herods, the Romans, brings them freedom, provides the kingdom elements. I believe this came to Him as a temptation along the line of that temptation which came when Satan had Him out in the devastation. But He gained the victory, and I think He tasted the sweetness of the fruit of that victory in the fellowship and communion with the Father that He enjoyed in that mountain in prayer.
It was a familiar place to be - in the presence of the Father. He went there very often at night to find rest for His soul, and to find that great fellowship for which He longed as He expressed the longing in John 17, saying, "How much to I want to be restored to that which We knew before the incarnation," that sweet communion with the Father.
Notice it says in verse 23 that it was evening. This would be, by Jewish definition, the second evening. The first evening was from 3-6, and the second evening was from 6-9. From 3-6, the first evening, He had fed them. From 6-9, we're in the second evening, and it's coming toward darkness. As it grows dark, He is alone in the mountain, and He is praying. Always remember that if He needed to pray, how much more do I need to pray!
You ask yourself, "For whom does He pray?" All you need for an answer is John 17, which says that after He prayed on His own behalf and exalted the Father in His prayer, He then spent most of the time praying for His own, and I see Him there interceding for His own, praying for His disciples, that they will overcome with victory the same temptation He had just overcome, not to follow the mood of the mob, or the shallow popularity. I believe He prayed for them.
In Luke 22:31, He said to Peter, "Satan has desired to have you, Peter, but I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail." Isn't that a comforting thing? That is the High Priestly work of Christ. Right now, this moment, at the throne of the Father, He prays for you and for me and He prays with the authority of God. What a great confidence!
So we see the authority of Christ here; we see His authority as He commands the multitude, as He commands the disciples, as He calls upon the Father's protecting care for His own. No wonder they worshiped when they understood His authority; so should we.
Secondly, we see here revealed His divine knowledge. I love this. Verse 24. Meanwhile, we leave the mountain and go back to the sea, the Lake of Gennesaret, the Sea of Galilee. The boat is in the middle of the sea. John's gospel says 25-30 stadia, or furlongs, out into the sea, which is about an eighth of a mile, and puts them somewhere between 3-4 miles into the sea. The trip from where they were on the shore at Bethsaida Julia across to Capernaum and Bethsaida West couldn't have been more than four and a half miles; we don't know exactly, because we don't know the exact spot they were in, but it was at most four and a half miles.
Instead of going along that little cut on the north shore, they find themselves three or four miles out into the middle, and it's only seven or eight miles across, so they're pretty well in the middle. They are being tossed with the waves, and the wind is contrary.
You have to love these guys, because they're doing their best to be obedient, aren't they? They are pushing that bow in the right direction, confused, disillusioned, disappointed, upset, questioning, but they keep the bow pointed to the west. They left after the meal was served in the first evening, and are trying to navigate four miles. Instead, they are in the middle of the lake, afraid they're going to drown.
Mark adds that they were distressed in their rowing. Notice the word 'tossed' in verse 24; it is the word translated in Matthew 8 as 'tormented.' It means 'to test by torture.' They were being tortured for their lives. John tells us that not only was the wind contrary, but John 6:18 says it was a fierce wind. So they are being tormented; it is a bad night. They are trying to be obedient, but they're not having much success. It is dark and gloomy, the storm is violent, the water is angry, and worst of all, no Jesus.
The last time they got in a storm like this, Jesus was in the back of the boat and all they had to do was wake Him up and have Him stop the storm, which He did. But He isn't here. To make it even worse, He can't get there because they took the only boat. John tells us in John 6 that the next morning when the multitude got up, they saw there was no other boat.
So they had taken the only boat, and they had no Jesus and know that Jesus isn't going to come, because there isn't any way to get there. But all the while, they're in the middle of the sea, going through all this trauma, and He's up on the hill praying for them. It is a marvelous picture of the High Priestly intercessory work of Christ, isn't it? While His own are down being buffeted, battered, tormented, tortured, tossed by the storm, He is quietly and calmly in the Father's presence on their behalf. They don't know it, but they're secure. For five or six hours, they've been at it, trying to go four miles, with no success. But isn't it comforting to know that He knows? He knows.
Verse 25. "In the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea." I like that; no hoopla. It just says He went walking on the sea, just like you would take a walk on the sea. It is so matter of fact that it is almost overpowering. But for Him, it wasn't any big deal; He who made the sea could walk on the sea if He chose. So He came walking on the sea.
He knew where to walk, by the way; He knew right where they were, exactly where they were. It didn't matter that He couldn't see them. That is His divine knowledge - He knows everything. Darkness is no barrier. Remember what I read you in the beginning of the service? Psalm 139 says that the night and the day are the same to Him. When you say, "The darkness hides me," the darkness will be as the light. Darkness is no barrier, distance is no barrier to the knowledge of the Son of God. He knows where we are, our distress, our circumstance, and He knows how to get to us.
This happened during the fourth watch of the night. At night, when you were a sailor, someone kept watch always. They divided the watch into four parts, four shifts, with one man for each watch. The first watch was 6-9 in the evening; the second watch was 9-12; the third watch was 12-3; and the fourth watch was 3-6, the morning watch. They had been at this all night, and they are in great anxiety and fear.
He waits a long time until He comes; that is all part of the lesson. Do you realize that if you never have a storm, you'd never know that He can handle a storm? You never really understand the power of God in your behalf until you are strung out to the extremity. That is part of it. Why do you think our Lord didn't go to Martha and Mary until Lazarus was so dead that he stunk? Because it was in the impossibility of that extremity that they would see His power. He could have just turned around on the top of the mountain and hushed the storm, or made sure it never started. But He ran them out to their extremities so that they would learn that in that extremity, He was there, and He knew and understood.
He does know. He knows everything; He knows your sitting down and your rising up, as I read this morning. He knows everything there is to know about you - where you are, what your needs are. He has known you from your womb. If you ascend to Heaven, He is there; if you make your bed in Sheol, He is there. If you take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, there will His hand lead you and His right hand will hold you up. It doesn't matter where you are, He knows, because He knows everything.
In Exodus 3:7, there is a wonderful verse. It says, "The LORD said: 'I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.'" He said, "I know where they are, what they're enduring, how difficult it is, and I will come and deliver them."
Listen to Genesis 22. Abraham has Isaac on the altar, in whom all of his hope resides, and Abraham lifts his knife in the air to plunge it into the heart of Isaac to kill him. At the moment he starts to plunge that knife, the angel of the Lord says, "'Abraham, Abraham!' So he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.'" The angel says, "Abraham, the test is over; you passed. Hold it!"
Have you ever thought, "What would happen if God was just a few minutes late?" No, He knows the extremity, where you are, what the storm is like, what your boat is. When it is time, and you're at the end of the extremity, He'll be there. And the next time, you'll know that, right? That's how He teaches, and that's what He was teaching them.
He not only came in the storm, but He came on the storm. He uses the very trial as His footpath. The howling wind, the crashing waves, they don't affect Him. In fact, as He is walking on the water, I can see the water flattening out and becoming placid; I don't even think He got wet. It says He came toward them. Why? Because they had needs, and were at the end of their rope. They were in the extremity. He couldn't see them from the mountain, or in the dark, stormy night, but He knew exactly where they were.
You can't hide from Him. Proverbs 15:3 has a wonderful, encouraging word about that. It says, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place." In Hebrews 4:13 says, "There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing, then, that we have a great High Priest," isn't that good? We have a High Priest who knows every single thing about us; what a comforting thought.
He says to the disciples, "You don't need to fear anything. I even know the number of hairs on your head." That means He has to keep counting every day, because that changes. He said, "I know when a sparrow falls," and the Greek word means 'to hop.' He doesn't just know when they die, but every time one hops. Jesus knew because He was God. In Matthew 6:32, He said, "Your Father knows you have need of all these things." God knows. You're never out of His knowledge, never away from His omniscience.
It says in Matthew 6:6, "The Father who sees in secret." Remember Jesus' introduction to Nathaniel? "Nathaniel, I saw you before I saw you, when you were sitting under that tree." In John 2, no one needs to tell Him what is in the heart of man; He knows what is in the heart of man. Revelation tells us that He has eyes that are piercing, and that see everything. The disciples learned that He knew right where they were. He didn't go roaming around the sea saying, "Guys, where are you?" He went right to them.
That brings us to a third revelation of His divine nature, which I'll call divine protection; you could call it divine care. We have seen His omniscience, His authority, and now His care and protection. "When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!'" The Greek word means a phantom, apparition, phantasm. "And they cried out in fear."
By the way, Mark adds that they all saw Him; this isn't one guy who thought he saw a UFO go by. They all saw Him. There wasn't any deception here; they all saw Him and stared at Him, and it was all very clear. I have to make that point because there are those liberals who want to tell us that they just thought they saw Him. They saw Him. They didn't know what it was, but they knew they saw Him, whoever He was.
In John 6:19, John says He came near their boat, and of course, at that point, they are terror-stricken. I mean, it was bad enough to be in the situation they were in in the middle of the storm. It was still, perhaps, the dark before the dawn. They were panicked, weary, terribly disillusioned and disappointed. There was a sense of hopelessness, not only in their present circumstance but in their extended circumstance of what their life meant. To add to all of that, here comes someone walking on the water. They just can't handle it. Some commentators say that Jesus was just walking along the shore by the water, that's all. That's the precise reason John said they were 3-4 four miles out in the middle; he was absolutely walking on the water.
In verse 26, it says they were troubled. The noun form of that verb is tarache, and I remembered an old word that I heard in a psychology class once - ataraxia. I looked it up in the dictionary, and sure enough, it was a word that I legitimately remembered. Ataraxia means to be free from anxiety, emotional disturbance, trouble, and to have tranquility. Taraxia means trouble, upheaval, to shake up, to agitate, to trouble. A figurative use is to upset, or throw into a state of panic or alarm. That is the use of it here; they were in a state of panic. They were horrified having seen this phantasm, this apparition.
Mark, who records this, adds another interesting note. He says that He would have appeared to have passed by their boat. I mean, He was just walking along on the water, like it was normal, and then just strolling past the boat, as one would walk down the sidewalk, waving at folks. It looked as if He would have passed by, and we have to ask why He would do that. It reminded me of Luke 24:28, where Jesus had walked on the road to Emmaus, and it appeared He would have continued and just gone on, but they asked Him to stay, and come with them. So then He revealed Himself to them.
The Lord will always be there, but wants to illicit from the heart of the one in need the cry. He responds to the cry. He always stops for the ones who call, and they screamed, "It is a ghost!" They were in a state of panic, crying out alright. So He stopped. Mark says He talked with them, and Matthew says what we read. Verse 27. "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.'" And they would have known His voice. He's saying, "Stop fearing." Isn't that good? "I'm here; take heart."
'Be of good cheer' is an English colloquialism that means to take courage, take heart, don't be afraid. You see, God is the protector of His people; oh what a great truth! The storm never gets so extreme that He doesn't know where we are, or that He can't walk on the water. He will protect His own. He never comes too late.
This is the lesson for the Twelve, and for us. There is no reason for fear in your life as a Christian. None at all. There is no reason to have anxiety or be upset no matter how severe the storm, or how hopeless it looks. He just comes along and so matter-of-factly says, "Cheer up! I'm here." He doesn't give them some great speech, or a great theological description, or explain to them how you can walk on water. This is not to teach the disciples how to walk on water; none of them ever did. After this incident, no one in the Bible ever walked on water.
People today who claim to be able to do miracles don't do well on this one either. This is not to teach people how to walk on water; this is to teach people who can't walk on water that God can. It is to teach that in the extremities, you don't need to fear because He is there, and He will respond to your needs.
We didn't get to Peter, and we have to know about how he did it and sank. But in closing, in Acts 27, Paul was on a ship in the sea, and the ship was being tossed by a storm, and the crew had jettisoned the cargo, throwing out everything they didn't need so they could keep the ship afloat. They threw out the tackle, and everything else. They were all fearing for their lives, sure they'd be tossed onto the rocks and destroyed, and an angel came to Paul in the middle of the night.
Paul is perfectly at peace; he just keeps reminding them they shouldn't have left the last port. Easy for him to say, right? The angel says, "Paul, I have a word from God. Everyone on the ship is OK. They'll be safe. Would you please make that announcement?" So the next morning, Paul says, "I have an announcement. We'll all be safe, for an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, came to me in the night and said that God is going to preserve all of us. We'll lose the ship, but we'll all be saved. Therefore, be of good cheer." That is very hard to do, because Paul was a human. But it's easier to do when you see Jesus walking on the water, saying, "Don't worry about this storm. I'm here." Then Peter wanted to test and make sure, but we'll see that next time. Let's bow in prayer.
Just using this as an illustration - life is stormy; we know that. It is painful, there are hurts, wounds, some of us suffer more than others, though all of us suffer to some degree. The great confidence of this passage is that you're never away from the authority, knowledge, or protective care of the Savior. Never. The storm is never so severe, the night is never so black, the boat is never so frail that He is not there; that is our confidence.
That is what He wanted to teach them. There would be a lot of storms in their lives, a lot of frail ships in their lives and in the lives of those who would follow in their path, and they needed to know that God walks on water. He comes to us in the storm, and makes the storm His very path. We need to know that because that takes away our fear. What is to fear? He is either in the mountain interceding with the Father on our behalf, or He is on the sea, walking to us. Either way, we are secure. We are secure in His prayers, in His power, His protection. That is a great confidence.
These disciples saw divine authority, divine power expressed as He controlled people, destiny, elements; they saw divine knowledge, and they knew He knew where they were. They saw divine care and protection, and they said, "Truly, You are the Son of God," and they worshiped Him. That is the right response. He didn't want them to think of Him as a political leader but as the God of the universe who controlled everything. They saw it. I hope you do also. He is the same Christ; He still has authority, knowledge, and protecting care on behalf of His own.
If you've never invited Christ to be your Savior, you don't have that promise of His care, but you can if you'll open your heart to Him today. If you're a Christian, you have no cause for fear, but only faith. He is there, and He is able.
Father, thank You for showing us again the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Thank You that we, with these dear disciples, with all of our weakness and desire to see the show, to see the Kingdom in all of its glory, with all of our hunger to see the miraculous, the wonder, help us to learn that we really see more about You in the storm, in the extremities, in the place where we have no resource, because there, You come to lift us up. Father, we pray that we might trust You in the hardest times, and learning, trust You more next time, and give You glory and worship You as the Son of God.
Bring to the prayer room those You desire to come; gather us again tonight with great anticipation for the privilege of studying Your precious Word, fellowshipping with Your Spirit and Your people. We give You ourselves and this day to accomplish Your purpose; in Christ's name, Amen.
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Brutal Cheerleader Girl Fights an Increasing Trend
YouTube is encouraging teen girls to brutally beat each other and tape it! But seriously, girls between the ages of 13-18 are vicious and should be locked up anyway. And God knows how they're hazing in sororities these days.
Orlando's Local 6 really milks it with a 23-photo slideshow of a recent Florida attack found on YouTube, where five cheerleaders pound on one poor girl. The county sheriff noted that the girls had "no remorse at all."
We did a YouTube search and there are a lot of genuine girlfight videos up there: girls fighting outside a school, brass-knuckle-wearing girls fighting over a boy, or kicking each other on the sidewalk in front of a club. Girls, girls, girls.
What's the appeal of a girlfight? It's a great combination of straight-dude voyeurism, schadenfreude, dominant-chimp impulses, and the popularity of hit tv show Cops. It's also misery and conflict on parade: the entire premise of reality TV.


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Employer Services Contact Information
Our service area includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. If you are in a different State, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands or outside the U.S., then please click on the following link How to Reach Us for additional contact information.
Filing W2s electronically is free, fast, and secure! In addition, you will receive an acknowledgement receipt of your submission.
As a great starting place, we recommend that you visit and bookmark Social Security's Employer national website www.socialsecurity.gov/employer. The website is full of useful information, such as:
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Step-by-step tutorials
- First Time Filers
- Other Web Sites of Value to Employers
If you still have questions or concerns regarding wage reporting issues, then please contact our Employer Reporting Technicians at (800) 772-6270 [7:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday]. In addition, you may reach the San Francisco Region's, Employer Services Liaison Officer (ESLO) via email by clicking on the following link: Employer Services Liaison Officer.
For assistance regarding tax questions and filling out IRS forms (for example, 941, 945, 1098, and 1099), please call the IRS toll-free number at 866-445-7438.
Because Internet email is not secure, please do not send any personal information, especially Social Security numbers, in your feedback.


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Scale and Compass Image for Crab Nebula
Crab Nebula, M1, NGC 1952
6,500 light-years (2,000 parsecs)
Data were provided by the HST proposals 9787 and 10526: J. Hester and J. Foy (ASU), and J. Morse (RPI); and proposal 13109: M. Weisskopf, A. Tennant, and C. Wilson-Hodge (NASA/MSFC), J. Arons (UC Berkeley), R. Blandford, R. Buehler, S. Funk, and Y. Uchiyama (Stanford University), P. Caraveo, A. De Luca, and M. Tavani (INAF), E. Costa (CNR), C. Ferrigno (Integral Science Data Center, Switzerland), D. Horns (DESY, Germany), A. Lobanov (Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Germany), E. Max (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), and R. Mignani (University College London).
F550M (V) and F606W (V) + POLV60
This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS/WFC instrument. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors represent not only changes in different filters, but also the same filters taken on different exposure dates to highlight features that change over time.
NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI);
Acknowledgment: J. Hester (ASU) and M. Weisskopf (NASA/MSFC)


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MANILA, Philippines — I'm not the volunteering type. The Philippines has seen its share of natural disasters, but my role in any relief effort used to be limited to packing old clothes to have them picked up by a charity, never to see where they go or what happens to my contribution.
When I first heard about Tropical Storm Ondoy (known internationally as Ketsana), I was on a weekend beach trip with some friends and took note of the typhoon only as a travel-related inconvenience. About 24 hours later, we were glued to the television as the news broke the first video and photos of the devastating flood. We were all on our phones and PDAs, using the hotel's wi-fi to see what everyone back home was going through.
I had seen my share of floods living in Makati City, but it hadn't been a problem in my neighborhood in recent years. Because of this, I've become complacent though still aware that I have to keep important items (documents and electronics) at least six inches off the ground. Just in case. But that did not prepare me, my family, and my friends, for the flood that Ondoy brought down on our homes. Filipinos measure floods by how high it goes up your body. My room was almost knee-deep in water. An uncle had to wade in chest-deep water to get back home. For many friends, the flood was "lampas tao" or past a person. The waters went over their heads, and they were forced to retreat to the house's second floor, or the roof, or a neighbor's roof.
By all their accounts, it happened too quickly. Some could only grab absolute essentials (phones, laptops), and others only had time to escape with their lives (only to battle the current once they survived drowning in their own homes). And then there were others (over 200 as of last count) who weren't as fortunate.
My travel companions and I happened to be far enough from Manila that we were able to keep ourselves updated the whole time. We never lost power, unlike many in the affected areas, and were able to watch the news coveragen. We were able to recharge our mobile phones, and relay messages on behalf of people whose phones had gone out after the first day. Our friends were furiously updating their Facebook profiles, Twitter pages, and blogs, and within minutes we were seeing new photos, new stories, new calls for help, and new ways to take action. Soon we could donate to disaster relief centers and the Philippine National Red Cross through bank deposits, Paypal, credit cards and our cellphones.
Volunteering around Manila
When I returned to Manila, I spent most of my day volunteering to compensate for not being in town when I was needed the most. Friends who had been to various relief centers on day one posted about grocery items that were needed, and I made a trip to the supermarket to get supplies (where the lines were extraordinarily long for a Tuesday morning). I found out from a friend on Facebook about a center that needed an extra hand, so I just showed up. Dozens of college students, whose classes were suspended that day, had the same idea. Together we sorted clothes, loaded bags of rice, noodles and canned goods onto trucks headed for Cainta, one of the most devastated areas. We had to load the truck quickly because the families had to get the food before dark. (This particular community still didn't have power.)
Now I know what happens to my donations. I even have faces to associate with the often anonymous flood victims, though many of those faces are friends and family members. I wasn't the volunteering type, but the online updates from my friends about how they've helped their communities is encouraging me to do the same. The local term for this kind of collective effort is "bayanihan" but now our individual acts are tied together by status updates and shared photos. The helplessness in the face of this disaster is still there, but it's easier to do something about it now.
As the waters start to subside, a lot of people will be returning to the muddy, filthy shells that used to be their homes. They need all the friends — online and otherwise — that they can get.
Mina V. Esguerra is an editor and communications consultant based in Manila, Philippines. Since writing this, she has worked at another relief center, and was inspired even more by the skill and spirit of the young Filipinos she volunteered with.


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Holy Angels honored and thanked its employees during the annual Employee Appreciation and Awards event held Jan. 11 at the Gastonia Conference Center.
The first award of the evening was the presentation of the Dr. C. Ellis Fisher Caring Hands, Caring Heart Award � given to Kevin Loftin , posthumously. The award recognizes distinction, excellence, commitment, generosity and vision. For 14 years, Loftin served as a member of the Holy Angels board of directors, six as the chair. Following those six years, he continued his service as the chair of the finance committee and remained in that role until his death Feb. 22, 2012. The award was given to members of Loftin�s family, Tom Weathers and Kelly Revels.
The President�s Award for Excellence was presented to Louise Green , of Mount Holly, for her unconditional love of the residents and seeing the possibilities in each resident. A staff member for 22 years, Green serves as a program director for the ICF (Intermediate Care Facilities) group homes � Fox Run Homes and Belhaven.
Carol Viall , of Gastonia, received the Beth Withers Make A Difference Award. Holy Angels established the award in 2006 in memory of Withers, who died in a car wreck and had worked at Holy Angels for more than 16 years as a second-shift nursing supervisor. Viall , currently serving as the office manager, received the award in recognition of her kindness, thoughtfulness and compassionate heart for the children who were served in the Little Angels Child Development Center and the community group home residents.
The Maria T. Morrow Spirit Award, established in 2005, named in honor of Holy Angels� first resident, is presented to staff members who exhibit a spirit of love, perseverance and can-do attitude. Teresa Friday , of Belmont, received the 2013 Spirit Award. Friday has been employed since 2005 as the Area One classroom coordinator. She brings joy and enthusiasm to Holy Angels as she works with the youngest residents with delicate medical conditions.
Five Achievement of Excellence awards were also presented. Each recognizes outstanding job performance consistently displayed by an employee who has worked at Holy Angels for at least one year. All of the Achievement of Excellence winners were nominated by those staff members who work most closely with them.
Following is a list of the 2013 Achievement of Excellence winners:
�Relief Direct Support Professional � Shawaylon Graham . The Charlotte resident is a member of Holy Angels� weekend relief staff. Graham has been employed at Holy Angels for four years.
�Supported Employment � Cheryl Tiearney . The Holy Angels resident has been employed at Cherubs Caf� & Candy Bouquet since 1998. She is known as the first supported employee to produce a complete candy bouquet.
�Related Service Professional � Rebecca Cozad . The Gastonia resident, who serves in the Support Services department, is known as a very willing team player. She has been employed for over eight years.
�Program Professional � Heather Green . The Charlotte resident serves as the director of nursing. She has been employed for three years and understands the medical needs of the residents, in order to maintain their health and well-being, and assures the appropriate medical services are being provided.
�Direct Service Professional � Rasmee Insomphou . The Charlotte resident is a member of the second-shift staff, serving as a health care technician. She has been employed at Holy Angels since 2003.
Holy Angels was founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy � a specialized service for children from Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland and Mecklenburg counties, as well as children from throughout North Carolina. The private, nonprofit corporation located in Belmont provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities with delicate medical conditions.
To learn more about Holy Angels, or to volunteer, call 704-825-4161 or visit www.holyangelsnc.org


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Hey guys, I used to post over on DT back in the day and have lurked around on here since launch. It kills me to do it, but I have to sell my Power Wagon. My hope is to sell it to someone on here who really wants a PW, so I'm hoping to avoid tire kickers on Craigslist. Details below:
2005 Quad Cab
second owner
title in hand
38500 miles (bought it in 2009 with 16k)
4 inch lift (from original owner)
35 in Procomp MTs
new brakes 8k ago
ball joints just replaced
front end replaced
lots of other little things here and there
will also throw in a box full of stuff for the truck (see pic) including ARB snatch block, 30k lb recovery strap, tree saver, drop pintle plate with an 8 ton Buyers pintle (three balls included), a bottle jack, a pry bar, and the heavy duty tractor supply tool box (movable, not in the bed) it's all sitting in currently.
Mechanically it's very strong--the only issue is the low washer fluid sensor light stays on. Have kept all records of things I've done/had done to it.
There is surface rust on the frame of the truck. Not structural. See in the pics.
The body has some scratches on the tailgate that upper management (my wife) told me I couldn't pay to get fixed. I got it priced out and it was $650-$800 to fix (mainly the Power Wagon letters and labor to put them on). There are also a couple small ones near the gas cap that have been on the truck since I got it eight years ago. See pics of both.
I love the truck and hate to sell it, but I just don't use it enough to hold on to it, as evidenced by the fact I've put on 22k miles in eight years. I mainly used it to run to a friend's place in northern Maine with quads and sleds or to run see family in PA.
Asking $20k. I'm located just outside Boston. PM me with any questions. Happy to take or send more pics.
FS: 2005 Power Wagon w/38k miles
Buy / Sell / Trade - Got something to get rid of, or are looking for something specific?
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FS: 2005 Power Wagon w/38k miles
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Parking RampPage address: http://www.mnsu.edu/parking/parking_ramp.html
Proposed Lot-4 Ramp
Concept: D as of 09-06-12. Click to view.
Concept: F as of 09-06-12. Click to view.
Eight years ago a parking consultant provided cost studies on whether MSU needed and could afford building a 400 stall parking ramp/tabletop structure. At the time of the study per space cost for construction and long term financing ranged from $9,431 ($3.8 million tabletop) to $12,233 ($4.9 million tabletop). Those prices may now top $18,000 per stall based on the exaample St. Cloud State University presents in its current ramp building project. Annual upkeep of such a structure is an expense that also has to be budgeted. See May 2000 Parking Study.
Now that St.Cloud State University is building a 500 stall, $9 million parking "structure," some believe it is time for Minnesota State Mankato to follow suit. The two universities are very different in where parking spaces are located and how the campus buildings are placed. St. Cloud used part of its institutional reserve to pay for about half of the $9 million in projected costs, whereas MSU has avoided accumulating large institutional reserves beyond what is recommended by its governing group, the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (Minnesota State). At roughly $18,000 per stall one can see that building a parking stall is much more expensive than creating surface parking spaces at $2,500 per stall (curb and gutter, hard surface, lighting). MSU has some land options not available to St. Cloud State and MSU's bus and shuttle service to and from the more distant parking lots is extensive.
MSU's parking program receives no support from either state tax dollars, student activity fees, etc.; financially, it stands on its own. To finance the bonds to build a 400 stall structure MSU would have to commit all revenues from the ramp which would include permit income as well as cash receipts related to hourly parking. Should ramp income fail to pay for annual debt service and operating costs, funds would be tapped from existing parking program revenues (permit sales, fine collections, paylot fees, etc.)
There seems to be much support for ramp construction until people are confronted with the realization that the ramp would in all liklihood not be a self-sustaining entity and would need support from the rest of the Parking Program to ensure against a default on bond and related interest charges. It is a hard sell indeed to explain to a Gold, Orange, Purple, or residence hall Green permit holder why their investment in parking may have to be diverted to cover any cost associated with a ramp.
During 2007-08 the congestion in the inner core of the campus has been reduced thanks to the work of the Parking Advisory Committee and others. Using marketing techniques a significant number of cash customers who regularly used the visitors paylot (Lot 4) have chosen this past year to buy parking permits. One reason is that the PAC raised the first hour charge to $3 and the charge thereafter to $2 per hour. A year earlier a student or employee could park for two hours in the centrally located "sunken" visitors paylot for $3, now they would pay $5. Departments inviting guests to the University saw no increase in the the cost of the paylot passes they bought for their visitors ($5 full day pass; $2.50 half day pass), so it is believed that this year the paylot is actually being used more by visitors and guests instead of being full of students and employees.
Visitor Paylot vacancies now exist in the core of campus at peak periods of the class day, an unheard of stiuation just 12 months earlier. All of this may well change, however, as new buildings come online and affect the existing traffic patterns in the core of the campus. The new Sears residence hall west of the Student Union will open this fall with its 608 beds and no additional parking. A College of Business building is planned across the street from the Student Union which will attract a whole new group of customers who will want to park close-in. A multi-level ramp is being discussed which would affect and may well replace the existing 200 stall visitors paylot (Lot 4) and nearby 60 Gold permit stalls in Lot 4a. A parking structure in the core of the campus will be expensive.
For purposes of this survey two sites for a prospective ramp are offered. Even in the best of circumstances, only one could be financed, however, should a tabletop parking structure ever be approved.
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