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A Comprehensive Guide
Rated among the top 5% of all Internet sites by Lycos in 1995
And consistently ranked first on Google for the keyword "Ultrasound"
in the late 1950's ultrasonography has become a very useful diagnostic tool in Obstetrics.
What are Obstetric Ultrasound Scans?
Obstetric Ultrasound is the use of ultrasound scans in pregnancy. Since its introduction
Currently used equipments are known as real-time scanners, with which a continous picture of the moving fetus can be depicted on a monitor screen. Very high frequency sound waves of between 3.5 to 7.0 megahertz (i.e. 3.5 to 7 million cycles per second) are generally used for this purpose.
They are emitted from a transducer which is placed in contact with the maternal abdomen, and is moved to "look at" (likened to a light shined from a torch) any particular content of the uterus. Repetitive arrays of ultrasound beams scan the fetus in thin slices and are reflected back onto the same transducer.
The information obtained from different reflections are recomposed back into a picture on the monitor screen (a sonogram, or ultrasonogram). Movements such as fetal heart beat and malformations in the feus can be assessed and measurements can be made accurately on the images displayed on the screen. Such measurements form the cornerstone in the assessment of gestational age, size and growth in the fetus.
A full bladder is often required for the procedure when abdominal scanning is done in early pregnency. There may be some discomfort from pressure on the full bladder. The conducting gel is non-staining but may feel slightly cold and wet. There is no sensation at all from the ultrasound waves.
A short history of the development of ultrasound in pregnancy can be found in the History pages.
Why and when is Ultrasound used in Pregnancy?
Ultrasound scan is currently considered to be a safe, non-invasive, accurate and cost-effective investigation in the fetus. It has progressively become an indispensible obstetric tool and plays an important role in the care of every pregnant woman.
The main use of ultrasonography are in the following areas:
1. Diagnosis and confirmation of early pregnancy.
The gestational sac can be visualized as early as four and a half weeks of gestation and the yolk sac at about five weeks. The embryo can be observed and measured by about five and a half weeks. Ultrasound can also very importantly confirm the site of the pregnancy is within the cavity of the uterus.
2. Vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy.
The viability of the fetus can be documented in the presence of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy. A visible heartbeat could be seen and detectable by pulsed doppler ultrasound by about 6 weeks and is usually clearly depictable by 7 weeks. If this is observed, the probability of a continued pregnancy is better than 95 percent. Missed abortions and blighted ovum will usually give typical pictures of a deformed gestational sac and absence of fetal poles or heart beat.
Fetal heart rate tends to vary with gestational age in the very early parts of pregnancy. Normal heart rate at 6 weeks is around 90-110 beats per minute (bpm) and at 9 weeks is 140-170 bpm. At 5-8 weeks a bradycardia (less than 90 bpm) is associated with a high risk of miscarriage.
Many women do not ovulate at around day 14, so findings after a single scan should always be interpreted with caution. The diagnosis of missed abortion is usually made by serial ultrasound scans demonstrating lack of gestational development. For example, if ultrasound scan demonstrates a 7mm embryo but cannot demonstrable a clearcut heartbeat, a missed abortion may be diagnosed. In such cases, it is reasonable to repeat the ultrasound scan in 7-10 days to avoid any error.
The timing of a positive pregnancy test may also be helpful in this regard to assess the possible dates of conception. A positive pregnancy test 3 weeks previously for example, would indicate a gestational age of at least 7 weeks. Such information would be useful against the interpretation of the scans. Please read the FAQs for more comments.
In the presence of first trimester bleeding, ultrasonography is also indispensible in the early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancies and molar pregnancies.
3. Determination of gestational age and assessment of fetal size.
Fetal body measurements reflect the gestational age of the fetus. This is particularly true in early gestation. In patients with uncertain last menstrual periods, such measurements must be made as early as possible in pregnancy to arrive at a correct dating for the patient. See FAQ. In the latter part of pregnancy measuring body parameters will allow assessment of the size and growth of the fetus and will greatly assist in the diagnosis and management of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).
The following measurements are usually made:
This measurement can be made between 7 to 13 weeks and gives very accurate estimation of the gestational age. Dating with the CRL can be within 3-4 days of the last menstrual period. (Table) An important point to note is that when the due date has been set by an accurately measured CRL, it should not be changed by a subsequent scan. For example, if another scan done 6 or 8 weeks later says that one should have a new due date which is further away, one should not normally change the date but should rather interpret the finding as that the baby is not growing at the expected rate.
b) The Biparietal diameter (BPD)
The diameter between the 2 sides of the head. This is measured after 13 weeks. It increases from about 2.4 cm at 13 weeks to about 9.5 cm at term. Different babies of the same weight can have different head size, therefore dating in the later part of pregnancy is generally considered unreliable. (Chart and further comments) Dating using the BPD should be done as early as is feasible.
c) The Femur length (FL)
Measures the longest bone in the body and reflects the longitudinal growth of the fetus. Its usefulness is similar to the BPD. It increases from about 1.5 cm at 14 weeks to about 7.8 cm at term. (Chart and further comments) Similar to the BPD, dating using the FL should be done as early as is feasible.
d) The Abdominal circumference (AC)
The single most important measurement to make in late pregnancy. It reflects more of fetal size and weight rather than age. Serial measurements are useful in monitoring growth of the fetus. (Chart and further comments) AC measurements should not be used for dating a fetus.
Other important measurements are discussed here.
The weight of the fetus at any gestation can also be estimated with great accuracy using polynomial equations containing the BPD, FL, and AC. computer softwares and lookup charts are readily available. For example, a BPD of 9.0 cm and an AC of 30.0 cm will give a weight estimate of 2.85 kg. (comments)
4. Diagnosis of fetal malformation.
Many structural abnormalities in the fetus can be reliably diagnosed by an ultrasound scan, and these can usually be made before 20 weeks. Common examples include hydrocephalus, anencephaly, myelomeningocoele, achondroplasia and other dwarfism, spina bifida, exomphalos, Gastroschisis, duodenal atresia and fetal hydrops. With more recent equipment, conditions such as cleft lips/ palate and congenital cardiac abnormalities are more readily diagnosed and at an earlier gestational age. (Also see the FAQ and Anomalies pages).
First trimester ultrasonic 'soft' markers for chromosomal abnormalities such as the absence of fetal nasal bone, an increased fetal nuchal translucency (the area at the back of the neck) are now in common use to enable detection of Down syndrome fetuses.
Read also: Soft Markers - A Guide for Professionals and Ultrasonographic "soft markers" of fetal chromosomal defects.
Ultrasound can also assist in other diagnostic procedures in prenatal diagnosis such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, cordocentesis (percutaneous umbilical blood sampling) and in fetal therapy.
5. Placental localization.
Ultrasonography has become indispensible in the localization of the site of the placenta and determining its lower edges, thus making a diagnosis or an exclusion of placenta previa. Other placental abnormalities in conditions such as diabetes, fetal hydrops, Rh isoimmunization and severe intrauterine growth retardation can also be assessed.
6. Multiple pregnancies.
In this situation, ultrasonography is invaluable in determining the number of fetuses, the chorionicity, fetal presentations, evidence of growth retardation and fetal anomaly, the presence of placenta previa, and any suggestion of twin-to-twin transfusion.
7. Hydramnios and Oligohydramnios.
Excessive or decreased amount of liquor (amniotic fluid) can be clearly depicted by ultrasound. Both of these conditions can have adverse effects on the fetus. In both these situations, careful ultrasound examination should be made to exclude intraulterine growth retardation and congenital malformation in the fetus such as intestinal atresia, hydrops fetalis or renal dysplasia. See also FAQ and comments.
8. Other areas.
Ultrasonography is of great value in other obstetric conditions such as:
a) confirmation of intrauterine death.
b) confirmation of fetal presentation in uncertain cases.
c) evaluating fetal movements, tone and breathing in the Biophysical Profile.
d) diagnosis of uterine and pelvic abnormalities during pregnancy e.g. fibromyomata and ovarian cyst.
Transvaginal ScansWith specially designed probes, ultrasound scanning can be done with the probe placed in the vagina of the patient. This method usually provides better images (and therefore more information) in patients who are obese and/ or in the early stages of pregnancy. The better images are the result of the scanhead's closer proximity to the uterus and the higher frequency used in the transducer array resulting in higher resolving power. Fetal cardiac pulsation can be clearly observed as early as 6 weeks of gestation.
Vaginal scans are also becoming indispensible in the early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancies. An increasing number of fetal abnormalities are also being diagnosed in the first trimester using the vaginal scan. Transvaginal scans are also useful in the second trimester in the diagnosis of congenital anomalies. Read one of my presentations at OBGYN.net-Ultrasound.
Doppler UltrasoundThe doppler shift principle has been used for a long time in fetal heart rate detectors. Further developments in doppler ultrasound technology in recent years have enabled a great expansion in its application in Obstetrics, particularly in the area of assessing and monitoring the well-being of the fetus, its progression in the face of intrauterine growth restriction, and the diagnosis of cardiac malformations.
Doppler ultrasound is presently most widely employed in the detection of fetal cardiac pulsations and pulsations in the various fetal blood vessels. The "Doptone" fetal pulse detector is a commonly used handheld device to detect fetal heartbeat using the same doppler principle.
Blood flow characteristics in the fetal blood vessels can be assessed with Doppler 'flow velocity waveforms'. Diminished flow, particularly in the diastolic phase of a pulse cycle is associated with compromise in the fetus. Various ratios of the systolic to diastolic flow are used as a measure of this compromise. The blood vessels commonly interrogated include the umbilical artery, the aorta, the middle cerebral arteries, the uterine arcuate arteries, and the inferior vena cava.
The use of color flow mapping can clearly depict the flow of blood in fetal blood vessels in a realtime scan, the direction of the flow being represented by different colors. Color doppler is particularly indispensible in the diagnosis of fetal cardiac and blood vessel defects, and in the assessment of the hemodynamic responses to fetal hypoxia and anemia.
A more recent development is the Power Doppler (Doppler angiography). It uses amplitude information from doppler signals rather than flow velocity information to visualize slow flow in smaller blood vessels. A color perfusion-like display of a particular organ such as the placenta overlapping on the 2-D image can be very nicely depicted. Doppler examinations can be performed abdominally and via the transvaginal route. The power emitted by a doppler device is greater than that used in a conventional 2-D scan. Its use in early pregnancy is therefore cautioned.
Doppler facilities are generally an integral part of modern ultrasound scanners. They merely would need to be switched on to function. One does not need to 'go' to another machine for the doppler investigations.
3-D and 4-D Ultrasound3-D ultrasound can furnish us with a 3 dimensional image of what we are scanning. The transducer takes a series of images, thin slices, of the subject, and the computer processes these images and presents them as a 3 dimensional image. Using computer controls, the operator can obtain views that might not be available using ordinary 2-D ultrasound scan. 3-dimensional ultrasound is quickly moving out of the research and development stages and is now widely employed in a clinical setting. It too, is very much in the News. Faster and more advanced commercial models are coming into the market. The scans requires special probes and software to accumulate and render the images, and the rendering time has been reduced from minutes to fractions of a seconds.
A good 3-D image is often very impressive to the parents. Further 2-D scans may be extracted from 3-D blocks of scanned information. Volumetric measurements are more accurate and both doctors and parents can better appreciate a certain abnormality or the absence of a certain abnormality in a 3-D scan than a 2-D one and there is the possibility of increasing psychological bonding between the parents and the baby.
An increasing volume of literature is accumulating on the usefulness of 3-D scans and the diagnosis of congenital anomalies could receive revived attention. Present evidence has already suggested that smaller defects such as spina bifida, cleft lips/palate, and polydactyl may be more lucidly demonstrated. Other more subtle features such as low-set ears, facial dysmorphia or clubbing of feet can be better assessed, leading to more effective diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities. The study of fetal cardiac malformations is also receiving attention. The ability to obtain a good 3-D picture is nevertheless still very much dependent on operator skill, the amount of liquor (amniotic fluid) around the fetus, its position and the degree of maternal obesity, so that a good image is not always readily obtainable.
More recently, 4-D or dynamic 3-D scanners are in the market and the attraction of being able to look at the face and movements of your baby before birth was also enthusiastically reported in parenting and health magazines. This is thought to have an important catalytic effect for mothers to bond to their babies before birth. What are known as 're-assurance scans' and the rather misnamed 'entertainment scans' have quickly become popular.
Most experts do not consider that 3-D and 4-D ultrasound will be a mandatory evolution of our conventional 2-D scans, rather it is an additional piece of tool like doppler ultrasound. Most diagnosis will still be made with the 2-D scans. 3-D ultrasound appears to have great potential in research and in the study of fetal embryology. Whether 3-D ultrasound will provide unique information or merely supplemental information to the conventional 2-D scans will remain to be seen.
Click here for some good sample images courtesy of Dr. Bernard Benoit. Visit the GE 4D site for more pictures and information. Dr. Najeeb Layyous's 3-D and 4-D website also has many more pictures and clips. Read also the FAQ page.
A short history of the development of 3-D ultrasound in pregnancy can be found in the History pages.
The ScheduleThere is no hard and fast rule as to the number of scans a woman should have during her pregnancy. A scan is ordered when an abnormality is suspected on clinical grounds. Otherwise a scan is generally booked at about 7 weeks to confirm pregnancy, exclude ectopic or molar pregnancies, confirm cardiac pulsation and measure the crown-rump length for dating.
A second scan is performed at 18 to 20 weeks mainly to look for congenital malformations, when the fetus is large enough for an accurate survey of the fetal anatomy. multiple pregnancies can be firmly diagnosed and dates and growth can also be assessed. Placental position is also determined. Further scans may be necessary if abnormalities are suspected.
Many centers are now performing an earlier screening scan at around 11-14 weeks to measure the fetal nuchal translucency and to evaluate the fetal nasal bone (and more recently, to detect tricuspid regurgitation) to aid in the diagnosis of Down Syndrome. Some centers will do blood test biochemical screening at the same visit.
Further scans may sometimes be done at around 32 weeks or later to evaluate fetal size (to estimate the fetal weight) and assess fetal growth. Or to follow up on possible abnormalities seen at an earlier scan. Placental position is further verified. The most common reason for having more scans in the later part of pregnancy is fetal growth retardation. Doppler scans may also be necessary in that situation.
The total number of scans will vary depending on whether a previous scan has detected certain abnormalities that require follow-up assessment. What is often referred to as a Level II scan merely indicates a "targeted" examination where it is done when an indication is present or when an abnormality is suspected in a previous examination. In fact professional bodies such as the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine does not endorse or encourage the use of these terms. A more "thorough" examination is usually done at an a perinatal center or specialised clinic where more expertise and better equipments may be present.
One should not dwell too much on the definitions or guidelines for a level II ultrasound scan. The prenatal sonologist should always try very hard to look for and assess any abnormality that may be present in the fetus. It is not very meaningful to be talking about level III or even level IV scans.
That a pregnancy should be scanned at 18 to 20 weeks as a rule is gradually becoming a matter of routine practice. Please go to the FAQ page and News page for other discussions. A rather thorough discussion paper on Ultrasound screening in pregnancy can be found here. Read also the RCOG's paper on routine screening in pregnancy.
What about Safety?It has been over 40 years since ultrasound was first used on pregnant women. Unlike X-rays, ionizing irradiation is not present and embryotoxic effects associated with such irradiation should not be relevant. The use of high intensity ultrasound is associated with the effects of "cavitation" and "heating" which can be present with prolonged insonation in laboratory situations.
Although certain harmful effects in cells are observed in a laboratory setting, abnormalities in embryos and offsprings of animals and humans have not been unequivocally demonstrated in the large amount of studies that have so far appeared in the medical literature purporting to the use of diagnostic ultrasound in the clinical setting. Apparent ill-effects such as low birthweight, speech and hearing problems, brain damage and non-right-handedness reported in small studies have not been confirmed or substantiated in larger studies from Europe. The complexity of some of the studies have made the observations difficult to interpret. Every now and then ill effects of ultrasound on the fetus appears as a news item in papers and magazines. Continuous vigilance is necessary particularly in areas of concern such as the use of pulsed Doppler in the first trimester.
The greatest risks arising from the use of ultrasound are the possible over- and under- diagnosis brought about by inadequately trained staff, often working in relative isolation and using poor equipment.
A discussion on the various possible effects of ultrasound on the human fetus can be found here. Ultrasound scans should best be performed when there is a clear indication to do so. When there is, safety considerations should not be an issue to prevent its prudent use.
It should be bornt in mind that prenatal ultrasound cannot diagnose all malformations and problems of an unborn baby (reported figures range from 40 to 98 percent), so one should never interpret a normal scan report as a guarantee that the baby will be completely normal. Some abnormalities are very difficult to find or to be absolutely certain about.
Some conditions, like for example hydrocephalus, may not have been obvious at the time of the earlier scan. The position of the baby in the uterus has a great deal to do with how well one sees certain organs such as the heart, face and spine. Sometimes a repeat examination has to be scheduled the following day, in the hopes the baby has moved.
Images tend also to be strikingly clear in skinny patients with lots of amniotic fluid, and frustratingly fuzzy in obese women, particularly if there is not much amniotic fluid as in cases of growth restriction. As in almost every endeavor, there is also a wide difference in the skill, training, talent, and interest of the sonographer or sonologists. The improvements in equipment has also lead to the earlier detection of abnormal structures in the fetus bringing along with it "false positives" and "difficult-to-be-sure-what-will-happen" diagnosis that could generate huge amount of undue anxiety in patients.
There are much more to find out at the (Frequently asked questions) page Here, or
The Picture Gallery
to view images of the fetus.
and here for some fetal heart sounds recorded on a doppler device. The rate is about 140 beats per minute.
If you are interested to find out more about a particular fetal anomaly, take a look at this compilation of Web pages which describe in some detail specific congenital anomalies that are diagnosable by ultrasound.
Check out the two new sections:
History of the developments of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
This is must-read for medical professionals
and history buffs
News and Views on the latest in Ultrasound scans in
pregnancy from the major News sources on the Internet
And take a look at
Great reading and helpful information on Obstetric Ultrasound :(updated March, 2006)
Obstetric Ultrasound from RadiologyInfo.
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology: Guidelines, statements, opinions.
Pregnancy ultrasound from MEDLINEplus
Prenatal Ultrasound Links from OMNI.
Ultrasonographic "soft markers" of fetal chromosomal defects.
Soft Markers - A Guide for Professionals.
Fetal Soft Markers in Obstetric Ultrasound.
First trimester Down's screening from GeneCare.
The RCOG paper on routine screening in pregnancy.
Safety considerations from the British Medical Ultrasound Society.
Worrying concerns from Birth.com.au.
On the Safety and Usefulness of Prenatal ultrasound.
Ultrasound, more harm than good?.
The fetus hears the ultrasound?.
A set of articles on the accuracy, safety and pitfalls of prenatal ultrasound by Kmom.
Obstetic ultrasonography from Answers.com.
Practice Guidelines of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
Dr. Greg Devore's Prenatal Diagnosis Homepage.
Fetal Ultrasound Online (Peter W. Callen).
3D Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Najeeb Layyous's 3-D and 4-D pictures.
3-D ultrasound, University of California -- San Diego.
University of Cambridge 3D ultrasound Research.
University College London, 3D Fetal studies.
OBGYN.net Ultrasound.
Safety of 3D ultrasound from AskQuestions.org.
IBIS Birth Defects Information System.
Dr. Hutchon's Obstetric calculator page.
The Gestation Network.
Fetal Medicine Unit, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London.
Fetal surgery at UCSF.
The Fetus.net from Dr. Philippe Jeanty.
Michael Applebaum's Ob/Gyn ultrasound site.
Perinatology network -- Ultrasound.
The AmnioNet.
ObGyn Ultrasound at Fairbanks Clinic.
This page has been linked by over 500 noteworthy medical resources sites on the Web. I have in this website tried to put together materials relating to the use of Ultrasound in pregnancy which I could access on the web. Some of the material I have written myself and others are links to many excellent articles and websites on the Internet. I am grateful to these sources (in particular the Creighton University Radiology Department) which have allowed me to link to their sites and the specific pages. Pages on this website are intended primarily for the reading of fathers and mothers to be. I hope students, medical practitioners and other healthcare workers may also find the information useful. The Links section above also furnish you with some of the best reading and information on the Internet concerning the various aspects of ultrasonography in pregnancy. The "History of Ultrasound" is an important Internet paper on this subject and is primary for the reading of medical professionals.
In no way should these pages be a substitute for professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner.
You have been visitor numberto this website.
Buy a book on Obstetric ultrasound ?
Back to top l The pictures l The FAQ page l The safety References l
Catalogue of anomalies diagnosable by ultrasound l history of Ultrasound in Obstetrics l
Ultrasound News from all over the world l discussion on routine ultrasound in pregnancy l
fetal measurements l 3 D ultrasound l Down syndrome l The other sites l
Dr. Joseph S.K. Woo
MBBS, FRCOG (Eng),
Hong Kong. email


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It's been almost a decade since Britney Spears graced the stage of the Video Music Awards. And it's been 13 years since 'The Kiss' with Madonna set tongues wagging.
Now Spears is back.
MTV confirmed the singer is set to do it again for the Aug. 28 broadcast on MTV.
Spears, who will be dropping an album on Aug. 26, two days ahead of the broadcast, announced the appearance in conjunction with MTV on Twitter.
Spears is scheduled to be joined on stage by rapper G-Eazy and the pair will perform the lead single "Make Me..." from her upcoming album Glory.

subset: commoncrawl


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"I am NOT a tourist"
Anousheh Ansari, the first-ever female 'spaceflight participant', speaks about her flight, unexpected friendships and her aversion to being called a 'space tourist'.
On 18 September 2006, taking her seat on board the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft, Ansari lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, together with NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin. During her eight day stay on the International Space Station, the Iranian-American entrepreneur was the test subject for four ESA experiments.
How did you get the idea of wanting to go to space?
Space and space exploration has been something that I have been doing since I was young. It started with a fascination – just watching the stars at night and wondering what is out there in the Universe and if there are other people living out there. It was a fascination with the mystery of space. That is something that has stayed with me through my childhood and my adulthood. Even though my career did not directly avoid becoming an astronaut, because I didn't want to, it became a motivation for me for success in business. So it's been something that I dreamed about and had in my heart for a long time.
Why does the term 'space tourist' get on your nerves?
I don't like the term 'space tourism' or 'space tourist' because I feel that it doesn't do justice to what we do as 'spaceflight participants' or explorers. A 'tourist' is someone who decides to go somewhere, buys a ticket, takes their camera, packs a bag and goes. For this experience, I had to train for six months in Star City, perform physical and mental training, learn all the systems of the space station and the Soyuz rocket.
So to me, I had to learn a lot more than a tourist would have to learn about their trip. The closest thing I can compare it to is people who go to exploration trips to Antarctica, or to the Arctic, or people who climb Mount Everest. You would never call them tourists. You would maybe call them 'expedition member' or some different terminology, but they would not like to be called tourists. So that is why I don't like to be called a 'tourist'.
What was the most unexpected thing you experienced in space?
The most unexpected thing that I experienced I guess was the friendship that I found during the spaceflight. I did not know how well I would be accepted by the astronauts and cosmonauts. Sometimes you think that they may feel you are competing with them in taking a seat on board a spacecraft. So what I found was that they are really an exceptional group of people, very unique. I enjoyed their company and I enjoyed their friendship. I really made friends that I think I will have for life and that was something that I really didn't expect, and it was a very positive aspect of my overall space experience.
What was the most annoying thing you experienced in space?
The annoying part of the space experience was about my body adjusting being in weightlessness, and the motions sickness and the headaches that I got during the first two days being on the Soyuz trying to get to the space station. I wish I could skip that part or if there was a pill I could take it and make my body adjust quickly. That would make the trip perfect.
What was the best part of the experience?
The entire experience completely exceeded my expectation and was something that I always dreamed and imagined and when I finally was able to experience it, every part of it was really wonderful and something that I will never regret doing.
So overall it was an exceptional experience. The most memorable part of it would be the first time I looked out of the window of the Soyuz. It brought tears to my eyes, because I first of all realised that I was in space and my dream had just come true and that made it a very special moment; and of course just watching Earth from space and seeing the beautiful planet that it is – without borders and signs of trouble – that is the picture that I will cherish forever in my heart and that I will always remember.


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Scott Peterson
Begin making this one day before serving.
- Yield
- Makes 12 servings
- Brownie
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- Mousse
- 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
- 3 large egg whites
- Caramelized bananas
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 4 firm but ripe bananas, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- For brownie:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour. Stir butter and both chocolates in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir in chocolate mixture. Sift flour over and fold in. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of brownie comes out with dry crumbs attached, about 18 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
- For mousse:
- Stir white chocolate and 3/4 cup cream in heavy medium saucepan over low heat just until white chocolate is melted. Cool completely.
- Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in another large bowl until peaks form. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Gently fold whites, then whipped cream, into white chocolate mixture. Spoon mousse atop brownie in pan; smooth top. Cover torte and refrigerate overnight.
- For caramelized bananas:
- Preheat broiler. Line heavy large baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Toss banana slices with sugar and lemon juice in large bowl to coat; arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Broil until bananas begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Cool completely.
- Release pan sides from torte. Transfer torte to platter. Top with caramelized bananas. Serve with chocolate sauce.


text:
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We have a lot of fun fall traditions at our house, and one of them is TV watching. Autumn is a time for grilling out, watching football, and sitting down during the week to check out a new crop of television shows.
Did anyone watch the Emmys a few days ago? This year's host was GLEE star Jane Lynch. I didn't catch all of (it wasn't as entertaining as I'd hoped… the most interesting part was an awkward appearance by Charlie Sheen) but I was able to get a glimpse of some of the shows I've been missing.
The big winners this year were MODERN FAMILY, which won four awards including best comedy, and MAD MEN, which continued its four-year winning streak as best drama. If you've never watched MODERN FAMILY, it is an up-close look at an all-too-quirky, all-too-human family in Los Angeles, California. If your family isn't exactly the Cleavers, you might enjoy this show.
And MAD MEN… Well, it has won best drama for four years now, so I'm guessing you're at least familiar with it. Madison Avenue ad execs and their shenanigans… Lots of beautiful clothes from the 1960s. You get the idea.
Of all the awards given out, I was most excited about the one that went to Jim Parsons, who is from my hometown of Houston. Yay! Parsons won for his role in the sitcom THE BIG BANG THEORY. If you haven't watched this show, and you have even the teeniest, tiniest nerd gene, then you're missing out. The show–which features socially inept physicists (insert joke here) living in California– is smart, funny, and original.
What shows are you watching this fall? I'd love to hear about all the ones I'm missing. Toss out a recommendation or a shout out to your favorite sports team.
Anyone who comments will be eligible to win a signed copy of my new book, SNAPPED. Have a great weekend!


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B.J. Hoeptner Evans
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Unofficial DataVolley Statistics * Official Statistics
To view the U.S. Men's 2011 FIVB World League Media Guide, click here.
After losing the first set, Brazil came back to defeat the U.S. Men, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21 in an FIVB World League match before a crowd of 14,800 enjoying breakfast at World League on Saturday in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Brazil, the two-time defending World League champion ranked No. 1 in the world, improved its record to 5-0 in Pool A. The U.S. Men, ranked No. 5, fell to 3-2, but held on to second place in Pool A. The two teams will play again on Sunday at 10 a.m. in Brazil (6 a.m. PT).
"We have been fighting during World League to play at the same level during the entire match," U.S. Men's Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. "We will watch the tape from the game and we will see that we played some excellent volleyball and was also made a lot of mistakes. Brazil is a great team and we can´t help them like we did today."
Brazil out-hit the U.S. Men 47-46. Brazil's hitting efficiency was 0.237 and its kill percent was 39.8. The U.S. Men's hitting efficiency was 0.180 while their kill percent was 37.7.
Brazil out-blocked the United States 11-10 and had four aces as compared to two for the U.S. Men. The U.S. was hurt by 23 blocking errors and 14 serving errors.
The U.S. Men had more digs than Brazil, 52-47 and Brazil had more digging errors, 29-27. The U.S. Men were credited with 43 excellent receptions and four errors. Brazil totaled 42 excellent receptions and two errors.
The U.S. Men got 13 points each from opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) and outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.). Stanley, the MVP of the 2008 Olympic Games where the U.S. Men won the gold medal, beating Brazil in the final, scored on 12 kills (35.3 kill percent) and one block. Priddy scored on a match-high 13 kills (40.6 kill percent).
"I think that today we play some good and bad volleyball," Priddy said. "We had ups and downs during the match. We need to have more consistency. Also, our number of unforced errors was greater than the normal after the first set."
Brazil opposite Leandro Vissotto led all scorers with 14 points on 11 kills (34.4 kill percent) and three blocks. Pereira Bravo added 12 points on nine kills (42.9 kill percent) and three blocks.
Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) totaled 10 points on eight kills and two blocks. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added nine points on seven kills, one block and one ace.
Middle blocker Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah) scored seven points on three kills and a match-high four blocks.
Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) scored two points on two kills. Outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) had one point on one kill. Setter Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.) scored one point on a block. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) had one point with a kill and opposite Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.), who played as a serving substitute, connected on an ace.
U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the team in digs with 13 and five faults on 21 attempts. Stanley added 10 digs and two faults on 12 attempts.
Anderson, who was the Brazilians' favorite hitting target, came through with 14 excellent receptions and no faults on 22 attempts. Lambourne had 13 excellent receptions and one fault on 25 attempts. Priddy added 12 excellent receptions and one fault on 19 attempts.
Knipe started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Lee and Millar at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Thornton at setter and Lambourne at libero.
Patak, Lotman, Suxho and Holmes all played as substitutes.
Brazil held a 4-3 lead in the first set, as the U.S. Men scored on kills by Priddy and Stanley along with a Brazil error. The U.S. tied the score on an Anderson kill. Anderson took the serve and took the U.S. Men on a 7-0 run. Anderson scored on two kills from the back row. Stanley added a kill and Millar scored with a kill and block. Brazil called timeout and got the serve back when the U.S. passed the ball out of bounds and Brazil trailed 11-5. But two straight Brazil errors increased the U.S. lead to 13-5 and the U.S. held a 16-9 lead at the second technical timeout (TTO). Brazil scored on a Lucas Saatkamp block after the TTO, but the U.S. Men came back with two straight points on an Anderson kill and Millar block. The teams traded points until the U.S. lead was 21-14 and Brazil scored on a kill and block to pull to within five. Stanley scored with a kill and the teams traded points until the U.S. reached set point at 24-18. Stanley's serving error kept Brazil in the set, but Millar ended it with a kill.
Brazil re-grouped between sets and came out with conviction in the second set, grabbing a 6-2 lead thanks to a kill, an ace and four U.S. hitting errors. Anderson got a kill to spark the U.S. offense and three strikes in a row from Priddy pulled the U.S. Men to within one at 7-6. Brazil used a kill to lead 8-6 at the first TTO. The teams battled back and forth. With Brazil leading 12-11, the U.S. Men got a block and ace from Anderson to lead 13-12. With the score tied 14-14, a Priddy kill and Stanley block gave the U.S. Men the 16-14 edge at the second TTO. The U.S. still led by two at 19-17 when Brazil tied it on a U.S. serving error and Vissotto block. Knipe called timeout, but the U.S. gave Brazil the 20-19 lead with a hitting error. Stanley tied it with a kill. But Brazil scored the next three points on a Vissotto kill, an ace by Bruno Rezende and a U.S. error to lead 23-20. Knipe called timeout and Priddy responded with a kill. But Brazil won the set with two straight kills.
The U.S. Men took a 6-3 lead to open the third set, scoring on a kill by Lee, two Millar blocks and a Priddy block and two Brazil errors. Brazil score the next six points behind the serving of Rodrigo Santana, scoring on three blocks and two kills to lead 9-6. Lotman replaced Anderson at outside hitter and Stanley scored with a kill to keep the U.S. within two at 9-7. With Brazil leading 13-10, it had two straight errors to let the U.S. pull to within one at 13-12, but it got the points back on two U.S. errors and took a 16-12 lead into the second TTO thanks to a block. Coming out of the break, Brazil scored again when the U.S. failed to return an easy Brazilian block. Later, a kill by Santana followed by a U.S. hitting error put Brazil up by six and caused Knipe to call timeout at 19-13. With Brazil leading 20-14, a Stanley kill gave the U.S. the serve and Patak, playing as a serving substitute, scored with an ace. A block by Lee pulled the U.S. to within three at 20-17 and caused Brazil to call timeout. Brazil pulled away again with a kill and a block. The U.S. called timeout and Brazil's Bravo served into the net, but Brazil reached set point at 24-18 thanks to a kill and block. Brazil's serving error gave the U.S. one more point before a U.S. hitting error ended the set.
Brazil took a 7-2 led in the fourth set before the U.S. could get back on its feet with a Stanley kill. A block by Brazil's Murilo Endres gave the South Americans an 8-3 lead at the first TTO. The U.S. Men scored three straight points on a Lee block and two straight Brazilian errors to pull to within two at 8-6 and cause Brazil Head Coach Bernardo Rezende to call timeout. The strategy worked as Brazil scored the next four points on two kills, a block and a U.S. error to lead 12-6. Knipe called timeout and replaced Thornton with Suxho. The U.S. Men responded with three straight kills by Lee to cut Brazil's lead to 12-9. However a U.S. service error ended the run and the U.S. errors continued, helping Brazil take a 16-11 lead into the second TTO. Santana scored on a kill coming out of the break to increase Brazil's lead. The U.S. came back with a kill and a block, but it would be the last U.S. run of points until Brazil reached match point at 24-19. A Brazil net violation followed by a Priddy kill cut Brazil's lead to 24-21, but Endres ended the match with a kill.
To visit the USA Volleyball World League web site, click here.
To visit the FIVB World League web site, click here.
Tickets to see the U.S. Men play Poland at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates are available at the Sears Centre Arena Box Office (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway), online at SearsCentre.com or by calling (888) SEARSTIX (732-7784).
Tickets to see the U.S. Men take on world No. 1 Brazil in Tulsa at the Reynolds Center at the University of Tulsa are available online at TulsaHurricane.com. Tickets are available at the box office (800 South Tucker Drive) by calling (918) 631-4688 or in person (office hours 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday-Friday).
Tickets to see the U.S. Men play Puerto Rico on July 1-2 (7 p.m. PT both nights) at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach can be purchased by visiting the Long Beach State athletics web site, by calling the ticket office at (562) 985-4949 or by visiting the box office (open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. starting June 6; the address is 1250 Bellflower Blvd.).
For more information, visit the USA Volleyball World League web site.
2011 FIVB World League
12-Player Roster for June 11 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
(12-player rosters for each night are announced shortly before the matches)
No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
1 Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State)
3 Evan Patak (Opp, 6-8, Pleasanton, Calif., UC Santa Barbara)
4 David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State)
5 Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU)
6 Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State)
7 Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC)
8 Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount)
9 Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU)
10 Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine)
12 Russell Holmes (MB, 6-7, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU)
13 Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai'i, Hawaii)
14 Kevin Hansen (S, 6-5, Newport Beach, Calif., Stanford)
Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Team Leader: Rob Browning(Newport Beach, Calif.)
Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Medical Doctor: Keith Feder (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Trainer: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.)
Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa)
Pool A Standings
Team record (points)
1. Brazil 5-0 (15)
2. Poland 2-3 (6)
4. Puerto Rico 0-5 (0)
U.S. Schedule and Results
Date: May 27-28
Opponent: Poland
Location: Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland
May 27: Poland def. USA, 25-20, 25-22, 25-19
May 28: USA def. Poland, 25-22, 25-19, 37-35
Date: June 3-4
Opponent: Puerto Rico
Location: Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico
June 3: USA def. Puerto Rico, 24-26, 29-27, 25-17, 25-17
June 4: USA def. Puerto Rico, 25-23, 26-24, 22-25, 25-12
Date: June 11-12
Opponent: Brazil
Location: Mineirinho in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
June 11: Brazil def. USA, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21
Date: June 17-18 (7 p.m. both nights)
Opponent: Poland
Location: Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. - BUY TICKETS
Date: June 24-25 (7 p.m. both nights)
Opponent: Brazil
Location: Reynolds Center at the University of Tulsa (Okla.) - BUY TICKETS
Date: July 1-2 (7 p.m. both nights)
Opponent: Puerto Rico
Location: Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. - BUY TICKETS
Date: July 6-10
Opponent: Teams must qualify
Location: Gdansk-Sopot, Poland


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The Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance brought some 4,000 visitors to the fields and lagoon below the Marin County Civic Center over the weekend to see 175 cars from the 20th century, including a Rolls-Royce and a Duesenberg that belonged to movie stars (Elizabeth Taylor and Mae West, respectively.)
The concours had all the trappings of these events — judges outfitted in blazers, khakis and straw skimmers, ladies in finery (they're trying to get a whiff of couture into the proceedings) and, of course, the cars.
They ranged from 1920s-era Rolls-Royces to late model Lamborghinis, but the centerpiece was a collection of unique cars made by Oakland coachbuilder Steve Moal. These are bespoke cars and each one is truly unique, made to customers' fantasies; and specifications, once the fantasies have dissipated slightly.
'We have visions of making this the Kentucky Derby of Marin,' said John Nirenstein, the concours chairman. 'We'll have a garden party with beautiful automobiles.'
Sprinkled about the edge of the display field were booths offering wine tastings, food, beer and soft drinks. At one side were a few new cars, brought there by local car dealers who were showing off their wares.
Nirenstein said the proceeds from the $20-a-head ticket sales go to Hospice by the Bay, of Larkspur, Calif., and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties.


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Hello, I have this project due today for class and I cant seem to get it compiled without errors, it gives me one error and its not specific enough for me to fix it on my own, so I am asking for help here. Here is the code, and what its "supposed" to do.
"A liter is 0.264179 gallons. Write a program that will read in the number of liters of gasoline consumed by the user's car and the number of miles traveled by the car, and will then output the number of miles per gallon the car delivered. Your program should allow the user to repeat this calculation as often as the user wishes. Define a function to compute the number of miles per gallon. Your program should use a globally defines constant for the number of liters per gallon."
And here is my code;
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.Code://Assignment 1 //Gas //september-27-05 // #include <iostream> using namespace std; int main() { int liters; double distance; double gallon = (0.264179*liters); do { cout << "Please input how many liters of gasoline is in your vehicle"; cin >> liters; cout << "Please input the distance in miles you traveled in your vehicle."; cin >> distance; cout << "Your vehicle's MPG is:" << (distance/liters) << endl; }while(liters >0); return 0; }


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Jonathan Mak sighs.
After three years of work, development on Sound Shapes is finally wrapping up. And yet, Mak and co-creator Shaw-Han Liem don't seem particularly relieved.
"At this point, all you're seeing are problems," says Liem. "It's hard to appreciate how cool it is sometimes, because all you're dealing with all day are issues."
From an outsider's perspective, however, you might say Sound Shapes is shaping up to become one of the PlayStation Vita's killer apps. The game is similar to Mak's previous title, Everyday Shooter, in that it's musically driven and visually striking experience. But Sound Shapes extends these concepts into the realm of platform games, letting players move a sticky, blob-like creature through elaborate 2D worlds while capturing strategically placed notes that chain and build upon one another to create a looping song. Enemies and projectiles pulse to the rhythm, and the game world is almost entirely tied to musical cues. In some scenarios, you can even gauge when your blob is in danger because of the beat.
It's an experience that is hard to explain in words, but in playing the game it's clear that Sound Shapes combines the best parts of the rhythm and platform genres into a wholly new and incredibly fun experience. Talking to the game's creators, though, it's also clear that balancing the two genres has proven difficult.
"The campaign has examples of... levels that are [about] enjoying the musical experience while you're traveling through the world. And then it has some pretty hardcore platforming insanity," says Liem, who is also known as Toronto-based electronic music artist I am Robot and Proud.
The challenge is keeping that platforming insanity in check. Even this far into development, there is a sense that the pair is being pulled in both directions—and with additional pressure, not only to finish the game but to make something that fans will enjoy. "Making it too gamey is a touchy subject, I guess, because it sort of fights against the spirit of the game," Mak elaborates, "which is all about creating stuff and enjoying music."
The creation aspect that Mak refers to is another major pillar of the Sound Shapes' experience—user generated content. A level editor included in-game will allow players to write their own songs and design their own levels to share with the community, a process that is surprisingly accessible to non-musicians. The interface resembles that of a synthesizer, where different instruments and notes can be placed on-screen. The relative positioning determines the timing and sound of the looping beats, and you can see and hear the results in real time.
The hard part is, of course, making it simple for players to create good-sounding levels—songs and records that "reasonably sound like music," says Mak. Thus, the tool has been purposely designed in such a way that it's easy for someone who has no knowledge or rhythm or tone or melody to pick up the game and create a level, while "musical housekeeping" is constantly taking place behind the scenes. But the creators say depth is also there for players to create something truly amazing and unique.
"The approach is to come up with ways of encoding musical knowledge into the game itself—coding ideas about rhythm and ideas of melody and harmony and different musical concepts into the visuals and into the entities' behaviors themselves—so that just by manipulating the things visually, you can be manipulating these musical concepts without having to necessarily know what those things mean," explains Liem. It's like watching a musical score play in real time—visualized, not with traditional instruments, but elements of the game world.
"It's super exciting. Even just as someone who wants to write music, I would want to fuck around in it," says Mak. "It's not Cubase or Logic, but its own thing."
The pair have a similar philosophy when it comes to level design—creating the visuals and gameplay elements shouldn't be difficult either. Mak, for example, had never developed a platform game before, and as a result had to rethink a lot of the traditional wisdom of how platform games are built, without breaking the rhythmic and musical elements of the game. That also means Mak and Liem have been able to use their own learning experience to make the creation process easier for players. The game is constantly teaching players how new tools and enemies work in each song, so that by the time they reach the end of the campaign, they've seen enough of how everything works to re-create that functionality themselves.
"You can make a game that's mostly music. You can make a level that's all super, super hardcore gameplay stuff. And we think it's cool that you can go to those two extremes," Liem elaborates. "But we're sort of waiting to see what things people are doing and how people are using it. And I feel like that's going to be a whole thing beyond us just finishing the game—us participating in this community."
"Maybe there'll be this whole sub-genre of Sound Shapes levels that are just beats," suggests Mak. "And it's really easy to collect all the notes, and you just hear cool music. We would want to respond to that."
That balance between music and gameplay is perhaps Mak and Liem's biggest challenge. They're quick to point out that features like leaderboards and the timed completion of levels aren't meant to deter more casual players. For instance, the game doesn't penalize a player if he or she takes too long to complete a level, or doesn't collect all the notes along the way—they can still experience the visuals and music of the game at their own pace.
The fear of being "too gamey," or not enough, is a constant concern. "So even though we're almost done, it's kind of like we're not almost done," says Mak, who declined to give a target release date. "If this thing takes off, and people are interested in it, there's so much more to explore."
"I think we have an idea in our head of how good it could be," says Liem. "So at this point, it would be pretty shitty to have it not live up to that—to have been working on it for this long, you know?"


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Envelope(redirected from nuclear envelope)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
In technical analysis, two moving averages of a security's price indicating its upper and lower limits. That is, a price tends not to move above the higher moving average or below the lower moving average. Analysts use envelopes to help them determine buy and sell signals. When a price reaches the higher moving average, analysts may declare a sell signal, while they may declare a buy signal when a price reaches the lower moving average.


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Know your Food Groups with Diabetes
Diabetes Food Pyramid vs. USDA Food Guide Pyramid
The Diabetes Food Pyramid is very similar in design to the old USDA Food Pyramid. The old pyramid has been redesigned as MyPyramid. The design is intended to encourage a variety in a number of different food choices, as well as physical activity, according to Amanda Kirpitch, M.A., R.D., C.D.E., L.D.N., at Joslin Diabetes Center.
The Diabetes Food Pyramid categorizes food based on its carbohydrate content. In the traditional pyramid, milk and cheese are both contained in the dairy category, whereas in the Diabetes Food Pyramid, cheese is a protein and included in meat, and the milk group contains carbohydrate-containing foods, such as milk and yogurt, Kirpitch says. Starchy and non-starchy vegetables are also separated accordingly. In addition, portion sizes are adjusted to equal approximately 15 g of carbohydrates, or one choice.
Importance of Following the Diabetes Food Pyramid
The Diabetes Food Pyramid helps people with diabetes identify the foods that contain carbohydrates and recognize the items that will have a greater effect on their blood glucose. It may also help patients determine portion sizes of different foods. However, both pyramids lack individualization and makes it difficult for people with diabetes to truly determine what and how much they should be eating, she says.
Food Groups in the Diabetes Food Pyramid
Food Group
per Day
Breads, grains, other starches
|carbs (starch, sugar, fiber), B vitamins, minerals
|bread, pasta, cereal, beans, peas, corn
|5 - 8
|vitamins and minerals,
minimal amount of carbs
|broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, salad greens
|3 - 5
(3-4 oz portions; 15 g carbs per serving)
|carbs (sugar, fiber, starch), vitamins and minerals
|apples, oranges, peaches, pears, melons
|2 - 4
(8 oz servings)
|carbs (milk sugar), calcium, minerals, vitamin D, protein
|milk, soy milk, yogurt,
|2 - 3
|Meat, meat substitutes, other protein
(1 oz serving)
|protein, Iron, vitamins,
|beef, poultry, pork, fish, cheese, tofu
|8 - 12 ounces
|Fats, oils, sweets
(5 g fat per serving)
|saturated fat, unsaturated fat
|butter, vegetable oils, sour cream, cream cheese
|use sparingly
* - should be spread evenly throughout the day at 30-75 g per meal
Related Links
The Calorie King Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter will tell you the number of calories and the number of grams of fat and carbohydrate of just about any food you can think of.
Click here to purchase this book from the Joslin Store.
To make an appointment with a Joslin dietitian, please call (617) 732-2400.
Page last updated: November 07, 2019


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Hewlett-Packard chairman Ray Lane, along with three board members, will meet with some of his company's top investors to reassure them about the job they're doing, according to a new report.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in an interview published today, William Patterson, executive director of CtW Investment Group, a large HP shareholder, said that he and his supporters will lead a charge aimed at removing Lane and two of his fellow board members, John Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson, at the company's annual meeting on March 20.
That is, Patterson told the Journal, unless HP itself decides to change "the leadership of the board and its key committees."
According to the Journal, Lane's reported meeting with his company's top investors aims at hearing his detractors' complaints and attempt to quell the unrest. The Journal's sources say that the vote to remove Lane and others from the board will likely fail, but it's being taken seriously, nonetheless. In a statement to the Journal, HP said only that it looks "forward to discussing any concerns this particular group of investors may have."
HP hasn't had the best go at it over the last several years. The company's CEO office has been a revolving door, with current chief executive Meg Whitman finally delivering some much-needed consistency to the management team. The company has still, however, faced trouble competing in the mobile space and watched as Lenovo has continued its impressive growth. HP's $11 billion purchase of software company Autonomy has also been criticized by HP's investors. And now, they want some answers.
It's not clear what the future holds for HP's board. However, in an interview with the Journal, Anne Sheehan at the California State Teachers' Retirement System, which also owns a boatload of the company's shares, said that HP is "looking for new board members."
CNET has contacted HP for comment on the Journal's report. We will update this story when we have more information.


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Community Health Workers
People who live in poor, remote places face considerable challenges receiving health care. The high cost of treatment and transportation, the time required to travel to the nearest health facilities, and the stigma associated with disease make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to access necessary services.
PIH's Response
For nearly three decades, PIH has hired and trained community health workers to help patients faced with these challenges receive care. Our 12,000 community health workers around the world visit patients at home, assess their health, and link them with clinics and hospitals.
In Haiti, where PIH's community health worker program originated, they are called accompagnateurs to emphasize the importance of accompanying people in their journey through sickness and back to health.
Living in the communities where they work, community health workers are trusted and welcomed into patients' homes to provide high-quality services for a wide range of health problems. A patient beginning treatment for tuberculosis, for example, is paired with a health worker who visits every day to supervise treatment and ensure the patient takes medications regularly and correctly. For people living with HIV or other chronic diseases, this support enables them to live longer and healthier lives.
Community health workers also make sure patients have food, housing, and safe water so that they recover and remain well. They lead education campaigns on topics such as mental health, sexually transmitted diseases, and palliative care, and empower community members to take charge of their own health.
Their influence on patient recovery is evident. A study of PIH's HIV treatment efforts in Rwanda found that our patients were more likely to remain in care and less likely to die when compared with patients at other facilities.
PIH community health workers—whether called accompagnateurs or "community health representatives," as in the Navajo Nation, or "village health workers," as in Malawi, or acompañantes as in Mexico—are making high-quality health care available to thousands of people every day.


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The Kitchen is today's living room - It's the heart of the home. At AyA we believe that a great kitchen starts with you.
Every AyA kitchen is designed and made just for you. Unlike other kitchen manufacturers we don't assemble from stock, we produce a unique kitchen for each and every customer. With AyA's mass customization approach, you get the best of both worlds - the personalization of a custom kitchen with the value and quality that comes from a 150,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art production facility.
AyA is committed to staying on the cutting edge of design and providing the best customer service experience possible. A lot of things have changed since AyA opened its doors back in 2001: technology, styles, materials, new locations and much more, but the one thing that never changes is our dedication to delivering exceptional value and customer service. By combining old world craftsmanship and attention to detail with high tech manufacturing processes AyA offers innovative, quality cabinetry at competitive prices, incomparable selection of colours, styles and accessories to help you create your ultimate living space.
To provide our customers with a product that is innovative in design, consistent in quality and competitive in value. To develop and maintain a working environment committed to safety, teamwork, advancement and professionalism. To contribute to our community as an environmentally conscious manufacturer, a dependable employer and a leader in our industry.
AyA Kitchens is continually striving to surpass environmental and health standards and help their customers create healthier environments, whether renovating a home or building LEED certified developments.MORE
AyA's state of the art manufacturing process combines the efficiencies of just in time manufacturing with the customization and quality of old-world craftsmanship. Rather than assembling from stock parts, every kitchen is made from scratch to the individual specifications of every customer. The quality of our product comes from design. Good design is not only the look, feel and style of the final product but also the design of the processes which enable it.MORE


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What services are offered at Boston Children's at Martha Eliot?
We will provide care to children, adolescents and young adults at Boston Children's Primary Care at Martha Eliot. Our health care team provides medical, nutritional, mental health care and optometry services. Our team includes doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, nutritionists, social workers, and mental health counselors.
What languages are spoken at the clinic?
We have interpreter services available for all languages including American Sign Language.
What insurance does the clinic accept?
Most of the major insurance plans cover care at Boston Children's Primary Care at Martha Eliot. If you want to check to see if your insurance is accepted, please call us at 617-971-2100.
When is the clinic open?
Monday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Tuesdays 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Where are you located?
Boston Children's Primary Care at Martha Eliot is located at 75 Bickford Street in Jamaica Plain, next to the Stop and Shop on Centre Street.
Where do I park?
Free parking is available in front Boston Children's at Martha Eliot.
What are the public transportation options?
We are conveniently located near the Jackson Square T stop on the Orange Line, as well as bus routes 39, 41, and 14 (14 stops at Jackson Square).
When should I come to my appointment?
Plan to arrive to the appointment 30 minutes early. This will give you time to get to the appointment, register with the front desk and fill out questionnaires as needed.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Please call the main line at 617-971-2100
What if I need to change or cancel my appointment?
Please call us at 617-971-2100 to change your appointment. We ask that you call as far in advance as possible, as we may not be able to reschedule you at the time you want without enough notice.
What should I bring to my appointment?
Please bring the following to your appointment:
- insurance card
- co-payment
- bottles of medications
If it is your first visit, please make every effort to bring a copy of your vaccine record and any other health records from other clinics and hospitals.
How do I get medical records from another hospital?
Please contact the medical clinic or hospital where you received services to request your records.
How do I get prescription refills?
- Try to call one week prior to running out of medication.
- Call 617-971-2100. Please have all medications and pharmacy information available at the time of your call.
- It may take 48-72 hours (3 days) for completion of your medication refill request. In the event of an urgent refill request, ask to speak to a nurse.
What should I do if I get sick or have a medical problem when the clinic is closed?
Call Boston Children's Primary Care at Martha Eliot at 617-971-2100. The best times to call are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., when we are open. For urgent medical problems after hours, weekends and holidays, please call the main line at 617-971-2100. You will be transferred to the answering service. The on-call nurser will respond and address your concerns or let you know if the on-call doctor will need to be contacted.
What if I have a medical emergency?
Go to Boston Children's Emergency Department or the nearest Emergency Department. Tell the staff that you/your child is a patient at Boston Children's Primary Care at Martha Eliot. Remember to bring your insurance card if you have one.


text:
Cowher yanked him with 7 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. I know he wants to see the young guys and all but you know Ben won't play much next week nor will most of the starters and yet we still only play him a quarter and a half ???
Cowher said he feels Ben doesnt need that much work but Im not so sure I agree with that anymore than Thiesman did. He made some good plays but he also overthrew some players and timing still needs work. I guess he wants to take it easy since the accident still and not push too hard???


text:
Popular music was at its peak in both diversity and quality in 1973 . Why was 1973 such a note-worthy year in music? Was it technological, like newly crafted digital Moog synthesizer, used on Stevie Wonder's 1973 classic Innervisions?
Perhaps it that FM radio had emerged from the 60s and become a dominant platform for the rock and roll culture. Or was it the globalization of rock and rock from Britain to its Commonwealth and beyond that brought rock to hundreds of millions of listeners and influenced new styles of music, in turn influencing rock and roll? Reggae is the prime example of cross cultural influence between rock and in this case, jamaican musical styles.
Not only was the early seventies a time of cultural and political upheaval (the Vietnam War, Watergate, Black, Native American, Gay, Chicano rights movements and so on), it was a time of emerging and converging musical styles such as heavy metal, funk, reggae, jazz fusion, and early disco.
While all the political and cultural events of the late 60s and 70s had an impact on the music of 1973, the early seventies was a time when rock, pop, and soul, major musical styles of the day, had matured. Rock and roll began in the 50s with Chuck Berry (among others) and came to white kids through Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, et al. New technology built upon current and older technologies, and new forms of music builds upon older forms. Also, those who had been influence by early rock, pop and soul artists were reaching their creative peak in the 70s, and they themselves were influencing a new crop of artists.
By the late sixties and early seventies, people picking up guitars had a litany of artist to call upon and imitate as well as add to. The same is true in pop and soul. James Brown lead to Parliament Funkadelic and the Brothers Johnson, Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, among others lead to the 60s folk music which lead to folk rock artists of the 70s, and so on. And new communication and recording technology helped spread these new forms of music.
Not only had early rock, pop and soul artists become mainstream enough to sell and make a profit from, they were influencing new forms of music. Rock led to progressive rock and heavy metal, pop lead to singer song-writers like Cat Stevens, Carly Simon, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell and soul music lead to funk, which branched out into rap and disco.
Every year has its classic music, whether it be rap, rock, funk, soul, or other popular form. But the year 1973 stands out for the number of classics by artists that have made an eternal mark on popular music and culture.
First, any year that features Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is a great year for music. So much has been written about this album that spent an amazing 786 weeks on the Billboard album chart that I will leave it for others.
Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin's fifth studio album was also released that year. The album features classics such as D'yer Maker, The Song Remains the Same and The Ocean. The album is strong front to back with some of the best song writing ever by Zeppelin.
The Who, while outdone again by Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, put out one of their best albums in 1973, Quadrophenia. It's a rock concept album, and one of the best. "The Real Me" features some of the finest drumming by Keith Moon on any Who track, and it features hits like "Love Reign O'er Me" and "I'm One".
Alice Cooper's best album, Billion Dollar Babies, was also released in 1973. With hit songs like "Elected" and "No More Mister Nice Guy", Cooper wedged his place into rock stardom. There is not one weak song on the album; I recommend this album to all rock fans. In fact, I argue that this album is one of the best rock albums of all time.
Iggy Pop's Raw Power also came out in 1973, and while not the best of the year, the album was a break from the heavy mental and introduction of power pop that foreshadowed groups such as the The Ramones. Iggy Pop was part of the Detroit grunge scene along with MC5.
For those not into the hard rock scene, 1973 didn't disappoint. The year featured Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Paul McCartney and Wings with Band on the Run, and reggae classics from Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff.
Innervisions was a breakthrough album for soul singer and song writer Stevie Wonder. The album warns us about drugs, talks about racism and the struggles black men face, egomaniacs, love and his faith. Every song is it's own gem that features unique musical influences. "Don't you worry about a thing" is a Latin jazz, soul song featuring Cuban style piano of the day. In "Higher Ground", influence by the philosophy of Dr. King, Wonder brings out the Moog and discusses the need to live a righteous life. In the manner of Dr. King, Wonder doesn't come off as preachy at all; it is more confessional. It also has a little Buddhism in it, "The last time on earth I lived my whole life in sin."
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is Elton John's last masterpiece as a songwriter. While he has written many good songs since, none of his albums can hold a Candle in the Wind to the Harmony on this album. It's hard to argue with the quality songwriting and craftsmanship on this album. And a special Tip of the Hat to Bernie Taupin, John's long time collaborator, who wrote some of the tracks and many of the lyrics and guitar parts on this album.
Bob Marley and Wailer put out Catch a Fire in 1973, which features one of my favorites, "Concrete Jungle", and Burin' with two of Marley's best and more well know songs, "Get up Stand Up" and "I Shot the Sheriff." Jimmy Cliff put out his peon to the Struggling Man that year and his classic The Harder they Come. All in all, it was a great year for two of Reggae's leading artists.
The year also features Queen's first album "Queen". While few would argue that this album was their best work, it was a good start to a seminal rock act. Aerosmith release their self title debut that year as well, featuring the blockbuster "Dream On." The New York Dolls also released their first self titled studio album. While they didn't top the charts, The Dolls are credited with influencing the punk rock movement and bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash in Britain in the late 70s.
Bruce Springsteen also started his stellar career in 1973 with two albums, Greetings from Ashbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocence and the E-Street Shuffle. These albums would be a career for many, but for Mr. Springsteen, a warm up for his classic 1975 Born to Run.
David Bowie release Aladin Sane, his first number one album. It's one of Bowie's best albums with great songs and not as uneven as many of his albums featuring songs such as "Alladin Sane" and "Panic in Detroit."
And prog rockers also had a good year. Nothing says "progressive rock" louder and more pretentiously than Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery. For those old enough, who can forget their enjoyment or revulsion the first time they hear "Karn Evil #9?" Pretensions aside, there is some fantastic composing on this album, and I mean "composing". And what would the early seventies be without prog rock super group Yes. Not only did they release Tales From Topographic Oceans, they released their Yessongs compilation of live recordings that went platinum, as has their third, fourth and fifth albums. That's not bad for a band not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Genesis also released Selling England by the Pound in 1973.
Parliament Funkadelic put out their seminal Cosmic Slop in 1973. Other groups releasing albums include ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, and The Eagles.
So whether you liked soul music, pop, rock, raggae among other styles, 1973 is a year to remember and on that lives on in our mp3 players and FM radio stations.
Read more about the great albums of 1973 here.
Tex Shelters


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Aligning 121,000 global sales associates – and driving social media to reinvigorate an iconic brand
Rick Davidson, CEO of Century 21 Real Estate LLC, is interviewed on the CEO Show by host Robert Reiss, providing glimpses of what is going on in the real estate industry today and looking ahead to the expectations of tomorrow. Davidson describes Century 21's position in the industry as the largest residential real estate force in the world, having over 120,000 sales associates working in 73 countries and territories.
Reiss asks his guest to talk about the real estate market and Davidson mentions some of the primary drivers, namely the microeconomics and the psyche of the American consumer; he starts his discussion with the decline in the residential real estate in mid-2005 , how that was connected to the cyclic nature of the market that has been evident over the past 100 years and is likely to continue to recur. Davidson then answers Reiss's question directed at what he expects will take place in the next several years as we approach 2015: an outlook he describes as uncertain, possibly influenced by the changing way people work: i.e. working from their homes as opposed to the past tradition dominated by most persons laboring in offices and factories.
Next Davidson touches on what delineates a 'good salesperson' from a 'phenomenal' salesperson, giving a nuanced view that is centered on the 'proliferation of technology' in the real estate business which has markedly changed the salespersons role. This role he goes on to say is also being shaped by the new expectations of clients, given the massive information available to each of them. Davidson captures that changed role by explaining, "You [ the client ] are really hiring me as a consultant and I'm trying to guide you through a decision process in what probably be the largest single investment … in your lifetime." It's a whole new world.
The interview continues with Davidson and Reiss discussing sales management, the alignment and motivation of Century 21's huge workforce of associates, and Davidson's approach to making the changes needed to "position Century 21 as the global leader in real estate transactions". The interview concludes with talking about the use of social media and mobile communications technology in the real estate market.
Interview Aired: 07/10/2011


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|*December 17 - 23
|The Christian Armor
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Read for This Week's Study:
|John 14:6; 18:38; Rom. 1:16, 17; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 6:13-18; 1 Thess. 5:8.
Memory Text:
| "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand"
The whole armor of God. "The Christian life is a battle and a march. In this warfare there is no release; the effort must be continuous and persevering. It is by unceasing endeavor that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan."Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 453.
While we cannot escape our warfare with Satan, we are given two assurances. First, Christ has already defeated Satan on the cross, and His victory is ours (Gal. 2:20); second, Christ has provided us a "whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:11, NKJV). Do not miss Paul's point about the "whole" armor. The apostle lists at least six items that make up this armor. We need them all, because all are forged and furnished by God as one unit, and we cannot afford to neglect one part without weakening the entire armor. This week we'll study five of the six, saving the last one for next week.
The Week at a Glance:
|What is the biblical concept of "truth"? What is the "breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14)? How crucial is the "gospel of peace" (vs. 15) to the Christian faith? How does faith protect us from Satan's assaults? What is the "helmet of salvation" (vs. 17)?
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 24.
|December 18
"Gird Your Waist With Truth" (Eph. 6:14, NKJV)
"What is truth?" (John 18:38). Pilate asked Jesus perhaps one of the most important and frequently asked questions in life. Human beings have probed the question throughout history. Consider some of the possible answers: Truth is what's logical; truth is what works; truth is relative; truth is testable observation; truth is what my religion or priest tells me.
Look up the following texts; how do they help us understand the biblical concept of truth?
43: 3
John 4
John 14:17
Ultimately, the Christian view of truth is not merely a concept, not a philosophic position, not a rational and logical statement. To a Christian, truth is a Person: Jesus Christ, in whom "the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19, NKJV) and His truth are revealed. The Truth that is Jesus is a saving, redeeming truth: It calls for a death to sin; it calls for a life of righteousness, moral integrity, spiritual coherence, and a faithfulness to God's expectations in all relationships. Truth involves not only what we believe but also what we do. Only unreserved commitment to Christ can arm each one of us with truth in a world of sin and deception. Hence Paul's admonition elsewhere: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:14, NKJV).
In New Testament times, a Roman soldier tied a belt around his waist to hold up his clothing so he could march without any impediment. The Christian's belt is truth. Jesus, the Truth, must so envelop our entire being that what we are within or what we are without do not become a hindrance in our spiritual warfare. Our talk and our walk, our worship and our work, will reveal we are subject to Him who is the truth and in whom there is no variation.
|How would you answer the questions "What is truth?" and "What does knowing truth do for you?'
|December 19
The Breastplate of Righteousness (Eph. 6:14)
The second part of the Christian armor is the breastplate of righteousness. If God's truth as revealed in Christ forms the foundation of Christian life and integrity, that life needs to be guarded by the breastplate of righteousness. A Roman soldier wore a large metal plate from his neck to thigh to protect his vital organs from enemy attacksomewhat like the bulletproof vests of today. The Christian life is protected not by a breastplate made of metal but by the righteousness that has its source and means in God.
How does Paul describe this righteousness? How is it revealed, how is it received, and what does it do for the one who possesses it? Rom. 1:16, 17; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21.
Righteousness is a distinctive characteristic of God Himself (Isa. 59:17, Rom. 3:26, 2 Tim. 4:8), and this has been revealed through Christ, who has redeemed us from sin (Rom. 1:16, 17). It is through this righteousness revealed in Christ that God has justified us (3:25, 26)that is, He declared us to be righteous and has forgiven our sins. Christ's righteousness thus makes a right relationship with God possible. Surely, then, there is no greater protection against Satan's attacks than being in a right relationship with God.
"Christ our righteousness" is, therefore, our breastplate. To stand with God, to be robed with the righteousness of Christ, to be forever faithful to God's saving grace, is to give notice to the devil: "If God is for us, who can be against us? ... Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?" (Rom. 8:31-34, NKJV).
How will righteousness as a right relationship with God be seen in the Christian's daily life? Rom. 6:10-14.
Righteousness, as a right relationship with God, must lead to right living. It is a call to discipleship, where one's life is consistent with the character of the One who calls, with Christ Himself. To be righteous is to be like Christin obedience to God's law, in moral rectitude, in a life of uprightness and integrity, in extending the love of Christ to all.
|How do we put on, the breastplate of righteousness? How does this "putting on" relate to the "Christ . . . in me" experience described in Galatians 2:20? Does putting on righteousness call for putting off something else? If so, what?
|December 20
For Feet, the Gospel of Peace (Isa. 52:7, Eph. 6:15)
Read Ephesians 6:15. What do you think Paul meant with this verse?
Because he was using military imagery in the other verses, Paul was apparently referring to the shoes, or boots, worn by the Roman army. Roman soldiers wore the kind of footwear that ensured a strong grip on the ground during combat. A soldier cannot afford to slide and fall when locked in battle with the enemy. Likewise, Christians, too, need to stand firm and unshakable in the gospel truth in order to be victorious in the spiritual warfare. The New English Bible translation of Ephesians 6:15 makes a telling point: "Let the shoes on your feet be the gospel of peace, to give you firm footing." If feet are our foundation, and they need to be on firm footing for the whole body to remain stable, it shouldn't be surprising that the "gospel of peace" is the foundation of what we believe. Indeed, no matter how important the other truths we have been given, everything needs to rest upon the foundation of the gospel message of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. It we don't have that as a foundation, everything else will crumble.
Read the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12. What evidence in the texts shows us just how basic the gospel is to our message?
Notice, too, that Paul uses the phrase "the gospel of peace." Peace in the Bible is not so much a negative term as it is a positive one. It stands for a tranquillity that comes as a result of victory over sin and self. It is a relational worda relationship of reconciliation between us and God (Rom. 5:1) and of togetherness between ourselves as the human community, particularly as the community of faith. So, Christians are told to pursue peace at all times (2 Tim. 2:22, 1 Pet. 3:11). An estranged relationship with either God or with one another places our Christian calling at risk and leaves us open to Satan's wiles.
|Have you known the peace of the gospel? If not, what changes might you need to make in order to know this wonderful gift for yourself?
|December 21
The Shield of Faith (Eph. 6:16)
This passage tells us three things about faith as a vital part of the Christian armor:
First, "above ail" take the shield of faith. "Above all" does not mean this item is the most important but that it is indispensable. What Paul says is this: "Besides all these" (Goodspeed) or "with all these" (NIV), make sure to take the "shield of faith."
Second, faith is fundamental to Christian life and victory.
Read Hebrews 11:6. What does it tell us about the role of faith? How does it relate to Ephesians 6:16? How does James 2:18-20 help us understand what biblical faith is, and isn't?
How do we understand the meaning of "faith" in these verses? It's not so much to say "I believe that" but to assert "I believe in." The former is a mental assent to a body of doctrines (Eph. 4:13), whereas the latter is a basic trust in God, a continual trust in His Word and in His promises. Such an abiding trust is absolutely necessary for faith to function as a shield.
"Faith is trusting Godbelieving that He loves us and knows best what is for our good. Thus, instead of our own, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership and accepts its blessing."Ellen G. White, Education, p. 253.
Such a faith empowers us "to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16, NKJV). Those flaming darts of the enemy come in different forms: temptation, doubt, lust, despair, trial, rebellion, guilt, etc.
The Roman shield was four feet high and two feet wide, made of strong wood and leather, with an iron frame. Shield in one hand and sword in another (our study next week), the soldier was equipped for both defense and offense. Faith in an unfailing God provides us absolute confidence to withstand Satan with all courage. God Himself "is a shield to those who put their trust in Him" (Prov. 30:5, NKJV).
|In your own experience, what fiery darts has faith shielded you from? Doubt? Discouragement? Fear? Describe the process of how faith has worked in your behalf. What have you learned that you could share with others who might be getting pierced by those same attacks?
|December 22
The Helmet of Salvation (Eph. 6:17, 1 Thess. 5:8)
Albert was young, handsome, intelligent, and very promising. He was the delight of his parents and a blessing to the small church community with which he shared his love of music, his computer skills, and his knowledge of the Bible. Children sought after him. The older ones knew for sure he would grow to be someone in whom their community could take pride. But on the day he turned 18, disaster struck Albert, plunging his parents into grief and the little Adventist community into unbearable sorrow. Within minutes after leaving home for a nearby store to get something an elderly neighbor needed, a speeding truck dashed Albert's motorcycle from behind, and he landed on his head. "Severe head wounds," the autopsy surgeon said. "If only he had been wearing a helmet. . . ."
A helmet is worn to safeguard the head. In many parts of the world the law requires the wearing of a helmet as a possible protection against varied hazards. In Paul's time, a helmet, made of tough metal just as bronze or iron, was standard gear for soldiers. No sword could cut through it.
So it is in Christian warfare. Believers must put on their helmet to protect the center of their will, for here momentous decisions are made as to where their loyalty and hope shall rest. Paul identifies this "helmet" as the salvation we have been given in Christ.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:8, where Paul also used the image of a "helmet." What does he call it? How does this verse help us understand what the image itself in both verses means?
Thus, though Satan often casts doubts on our salvation experience, we need not fear. As long as we remain in Christ, wearing that helmet of salvation, He is our assurance (John 6:37-39, Rom. 8:31-39, 1 Pet. 1:3-10).
If you were to die today, do you believe you would be saved? If so, why? If not, why not?
|December 23
Further Study:
|The heavenly armor. "If we have on the heavenly armor, we shall
find that the assaults of the enemy will not have power over us. Angels of
God will be round about us to protect us." Ellen G. White, The SDA
Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p.
The girdle of truth. "There is absolutely no safeguard against evil but truth. No man can stand firm for right in whose heart the truth does not abide."Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 179.
The breastplate of righteousness. "All who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of the Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power."Ellen G. White, God's Amazing Grace, p. 31.
The shield of faith. "Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power."Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 347.
Discussion Questions:
| As a class, discuss the question at the end of Thursday's
lesson. What do the various answers tell us about ourselves and our understanding
of salvation?
Many identify truth with a set of doctrines only. Is there a relationship between truth and doctrine? Can one be doctrinally correct yet not have truth? At the same time, can someone have truth but not have correct doctrines? Discuss.
How is the shield of faith strengthened? How is it weakened?
As a class, discuss the crucial difference between the assurance of salvation and the dangerous doctrine of "once saved, always saved?'
|I N S I D E Story
|Maria's Celebration of Joy
by J. H. Zachary
Maria Brozozek was a retired tailor from Poland. She wanted to do something to help people in her hometown. One day she learned that a poor family there could not pay their rent, and the apartment owner was planning to evict them.
Maria appealed to the community to donate used items that she could sell to help pay the family's rent.
With this action, Maria's life took a change she could not have predicted. She found other people that needed help. She decided to plan a special day for her community that she called the Celebration of Joy. She planned a number of activities for people to enjoy and asked the community to come and bring used items to donate. After the children performed a play based on a Bible story, Maria held an auction to sell the donated items. The proceeds of the auction were set aside to help the poor within the community.
On another occasion Maria arranged an art exhibition and invited a local artist to provide several pieces of art to sell. Half of the proceeds were given for the poor. On other occasions actors performed in a benefit show to help the city's poor.
When people ask Maria why she is doing this, she tells them that Jesus went about helping the poor and the sick, and God has asked her to do the same. Radio and television stations in town featured Maria's Celebration of Joy, and the city newspaper now runs a column listing the needs of people and sources for help. People have become more aware of the needs of poor children, and provide clothes for them. Disadvantaged children are taken on excursions and field trips to make their lives richer and more joyful.
Because of Maria's compassion for the poor, the attitude of the people in that city toward the Adventist church has changed. A local priest has encouraged his congregation to support the Celebration of Joy and invited Adventists to present a musical concert in their church to benefit the poor. Many people have shown an interest in knowing more about the teachings of the Adventist Church, and Maria is studying the Bible with ten people as a result of her work.
Maria never dreamed that the needs of one poor family would bring so much joy to her city or so many people to a better knowledge of God's love.
MARIA BROZOZEK shares God's love in Legionowo, Poland. Until his death, J. H. ZACHARY coordinated outreach among the Jews and Muslims in the North American Division.
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