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Cost Plus World Markets Holiday Getaway Sweepstakes
Cost Plus World Markets wants you to see the famed Christmas Market Festival in Germany. In September, visit worldmarketsweepstakes.com and enter the Holiday Getaway Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for 2 to Munich, Germany plus a $1,000 World Market Gift Card.
Sweepstakes Entry Form
Official Rules
Who Can Enter
The Cost Plus World Markets Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry (excluding residents of Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. territories and possessions). Void in Puerto Rico and all other U.S. territories and possessions and where prohibited.
When To Enter
The Sweepstakes Period begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on September 4, 2017 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2017.
How To Enter
During the Promotion Period, visit www.worldmarketsweepstakes.com and follow the provided instructions to complete and submit the online entry form to receive one entry. Limit one entry per person per day.
How Sweepstakes Winners Are Chosen
Potential winners will be selected in a random drawing on or about October 6, 2017 from among all eligible entries received throughout the Promotion Period.
What Are The Sweepstakes Prizes
- GRAND PRIZE (1): A trip for winner and one (1) guest to Munich, Germany. Trip consists of round-trip coach class air transportation from a major U.S. international airport nearest winner's residence to Munich, Germany, five (5) days and four (4) nights hotel accommodations, ground transportation to/from airport and hotel, a local Munich city tour for winner and guest, a dinner for winner and guest, a Bahlsen gift baske, and a $1,000 World Market Gift Card for winner only. ARV of Grand Prize package is $7,620.00.
- FIRST PRIZES (3): A $500 World Market Gift Card. ARV of the First Prize is $500.00 each.
Total Approximate Retail Value of all prizes is $9,120.00.
Who Are The Winners
For the names of the winners, available after 10/10/17, mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Holiday Getaway Sweepstakes, 8654 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. Requests must be received by 11/10/17.
Tags: Cost Plus World Market Sweepstakes 2017, worldmarketsweepstakes.comComments (2 Messages)
We need a Cost Plus here
I entered my email address and then it took me to the next page which I guess autofilled and it said thanks for entering so I hope it has the correct info about me. I tried to go back and check it but it says you have already entered? I love World Market. I can spend hours in there and way to much money!! It's my guilty pleasure ????????????
So many Sweepstakes to enter! Keep up with the SweepstakesLovers daily email.
Over 58K people just like you 'Like' us. Join them and join the fun!


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If you think that someone may be feeling suicidal, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling.
You may feel uncomfortable talking about suicidal feelings. You may not know what to say. This is entirely normal and understandable.
It might help to:
- let them know that you care about them and that they are not alone,
- empathise with them. You could say something like, 'I can't imagine how painful this is for you, but I would like to try to understand,'
- be non-judgemental. Don't criticise or blame them,
- repeat their words back to them in your own words. This shows that you are listening. Repeating information can also make sure that you have understood them properly,
- ask about their reasons for living and dying and listen to their answers. Try to explore their reasons for living in more detail,
- ask if they have felt like this before. If so, ask how their feelings changed last time,
- reassure them that they will not feel this way forever,
- encourage them to focus on getting through the day rather than focusing on the future,
- ask them if they have a plan for ending their life. Ask what the plan is,
- encourage them to seek help that they are comfortable with. Such as help from a doctor or counsellor, or support through a charity such as the Samaritans,
- follow up any commitments that you agree to,
- make sure someone is with them if they are in immediate danger,
- try to get professional help for the person feeling suicidal, and
- get support for yourself.
Remember that you don't need to find an answer, or even to completely understand why they feel the way they do. Listening to what they have to say will at least let them know you care.
If you are not sure that someone is feeling suicidal, ask:
- "Are you thinking about suicide?" or
- "Are you having thoughts of ending your life?"
These questions are direct. It is better to address the person's feelings directly rather than avoiding the issue. Asking about suicide won't make it more likely to happen.

subset: commoncrawl


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Here we are in the heart of cotton country and also the romantic coal seam gas drilling industry. Cobar was/is a vibrant community no doubt benefiting from the various mining projects under way in the region, likewise it seems Moree is allthego. Its been a big year for cotton and the paddocks are planted out for the next crop. Little bit of rain out here tonight but nothing like what the coastal regions have got it seems. An error in yesterday's blog entry has been brought to my attention by the lady of the van. It seems the pink cockatoos I mentioned are actually galahs, the cockatoos are apparently rare and an endangered species. You can't believe everything you read in a blog.
Today we completed a loop of the Darling River Run passing through Bourke on the way to Moree. Nothing much seemed to have changed in Bourke since our stop there two weeks ago. Bourke & Wills though have set up a new motel in Moree, these guys get around, where we are staying tonight.
Tomorrow morning at about 6.30 we are off to the thermal springs here in Moree for an early morning dip, water temperature will be about 37d unfortunately on the edge of the pool it will be about 3d. The things you have to do whilst on tour. We will report on the ambience of the pool and water quality in tomorrow's entry.
Posted on June 21, 2011, in Darling RIver Run. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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No Racism?
No racism means also:
No Judaism too!
No Christianism!
No Islamism!
No Paganism!
No Democratism!
No Republicanism!
No Liberalism!
Just Simple and Pure Inter State, National or Zsion Socialism or Communism in stead?!
The only possible communites and parties for all gods, goddesses and believers!
Pantheon! Pantheon!
In a worse case these communities and parties will become
- anti judaist
- anti christianist
- anti islamist
- anti paganist
- anti democratist
- anti republicanist
- anti liberalist
or even worst case
- anti Jehovah
- anti Zsion
- anti Christ
- anti Israel


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Late Victorian Bird Cage
My husband's mother was an Irish immigrant, and she worked as a governess in the homes of many wealthy families in New York City. Our best bet is that she was given this as a gift from one of those families. And it's lived in basements for decades. We don't know a lot about its history at all. We think perhaps it was a hand-crafted birdcage-- that was pretty much all my husband remembers her ever saying about it.
Well, clearly hand-crafted. Someone had a lot of time on their hands and put a lot of effort into this. I would date this to the 19th century.
Oh, w ow.
High Victorian style. This almost weird combination of architectural styles. You have Greek classical, you have this mansard roof, you have a widow's walk. It's also a penthouse, so it has a lot going on architecturally. The other thing that's interesting to me is the number of metals that are used. There's tin, there's copper, there's aluminum, this is brass at the corners. It probably had a little bit more paint on it originally, and you can see some remnants of it in the grating on top and in some of the window and wire work. We don't know who made it.
We do know the time period, and we have an idea of what it's made out of. Bird keeping is not all the rage that it was, but these are highly decorative and highly sought after. I think we'd be looking at about a $5,000 value retail.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.


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****October 16th update: All spots for all walks are now filled. Only those preregistered will be able to join us, thank you for your interest!
Our annual Cemetery Walk returns for its sixth run in October 2020, featuring new stories of past Smithers residents.
The walk will run:
- October 17th at 11am
- October 17th at 2pm
- October 18th at 11am
Our walk will be a little different in 2020. We are restricting each walk to a maximum of 15 people. This is to ensure all participants can be physically distanced, but still hear our speaker. To guarantee your spot, pre-register with the Museum by 4pm on Friday October 16th, by email (firstname.lastname@example.com) or by phone (250-847-5322). First come, first served on the day of the event for remaining spots.
Masks are strongly encouraged at the event. We will be asking attendees to answer a few Covid-screening questions on the day. As per the September 18th Health Order on Gatherings and Events, we will be collecting names and phone numbers for all attendees for contract tracing. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
This is a free event. Donations in support of Museum events and activities are greatly appreciated. Please remember to dress for the weather, and be prepared for uneven or wet ground. Cemetery address is 1958 Dominion Street, Smithers.


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There are some misconceptions and mistakes that come up time and time again. Last week I set a lovely Don Steward quadratics homework for my Year 11s and was dismayed to see a number of them do this:
(x + 2)2 = x2 + 4When I returned the homeworks I talked to the whole class about this common mistake. I told them that it makes me cry every time I see it so they must never ever do it again! When I asked them why it was wrong, they were able to explain what had happened and tell me the correct way to do it (phew!).
When I next spot common misconceptions in my students' work, I'm going to tell the perpetrators that they've committed one of the deadly sins of maths, and point them in the direction of a classroom display. Making a big deal about these mistakes (in a half-jokey way that will stick in their heads) is a good way to lower the risk of students repeating the same mistake in an exam!
here (there are 20 posters to pick from - you may not agree with all my choices). I've also made a US-friendly version (using the word math instead of maths) which you can download here.
In our teaching we should try to preempt common misconceptions - this is where clever questioning and well-written resources come into play. But sometimes we can't see mistakes coming - this is why effective marking and feedback are essential.
- Classic Mistake Posters
- Sarah Carter's 'Killing Cats' poster
- Curmudgeon's 'Do this and the bunny dies'
- For A level students, the constant character
- Mathsbox Big Mistake activity (I always use this in a GCSE revision lesson).
- M4ths.com misconception activity
I have a misconceptions page here that links to various websites and resources relating to common misconceptions.
If you use the 'deadly sins' idea, I'd love to hear how it goes!
Two days after creating this display, it was up on @jase_jwanner's classroom wall. He has also suggested creating a students' display called 'Maths Heaven', where they write down the correct versions eg (-5)2=25.


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My Top
10 5 TV Shows of 2017
I'm not up to date on most of the latest season of shows, some I've stockpiled a few episodes ready to get me through the winter months, but here are my top picks of the shows that I have really enjoyed this year. I wanted to do a top ten list but then realised I've not watched as much TV this year and only a few shows really stand out in my mind as being deserving of praise. What would be much longer is the list of shows that have disappointed me and lost my interest, but that's so negative and I'd rather make a positive list today, that other one might come later.
Unusually, these should be considered as in no particular order, in fact, reverse the order below and it's much closer to where I might have assigned a ranking:
- Big Bang Theory – After a really unimpressive tenth season, the latest season has been a lot better and I'm really pleased to say that it's gone back to being something I look forward to watching each week, rather than as it was last season, a show I would leave a few episodes of until I was bored or had nothing else to watch. I do think they're running out of steam with it a bit but maybe that's why things have improved in quality, the writers don't want to let the biggest sitcom go out in shame.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine – With a major romance progression, some shows lose their way and spark, this hasn't, they have kept the characters true to themselves and don't put all the narrative focus on one key couple. All I ask for with a sit-com is that it's consistently funny and this is, I can sit down to watch each episode with confidence that it will make me laugh a good few times and the storylines are always entertaining.
- Rick and Morty – I was late to the party on this one, now I'm totally on board. Some episodes I don't enjoy very much but a couple of the latest season were particularly good. There are certain ideas and plotlines starting to emerge as strong threads through what seems on the surface to be a very random and unconnected show. I hope a few of these do actually pay off in the next season and give it a compelling arc to make it even more rewarding.
- The Orville – Billed as a sci-fi comedy, this has turned out to be so much more than it was advertised as. It's quality science fiction with a little extra comedy rather than the other way round. I'll write a fuller review very soon.
- Legion – this shocked me with how different it is, it feels like a series of connected arthouse films. My full review of the first season is here and I'm now looking forward to the second season in 2018 to see if it can continue to surprise me.
Honourable Mentions: Gilmore Girls – Yes I know, it's old and ended years ago but there's this little online service called Netflix. I've not yet seen the revived short 'Year in the Life' series but I loved watching Gilmore Girls steadily over the past year and it holds up well even though some references are now a bit old. Writer Amy Sherman-Palladino is getting some attention now for her new show 'The Marvelous Mrs Maisel' which has been nominated for Golden Globes, so I don't know if Netflix will get another short season out of her anytime soon.
I'm yet to binge watch some others, the second season of 'Stranger Things' being one I have set aside for this week, as well as catching up on the whole CW set of DC shows which I usually really enjoy, though I've seen the first half dozen episodes of the latest season of 'Supergirl' and it's struggling to hold my attention and the first handful of episodes of 'Legends of Tomorrow' prove it's stuck in a rut. 'The Flash' so far has been really very good but I'm only up to the crossover episode and will have to wait to see if the season can stick the landing on it's second half.
There are a few shows that are recently returned to screens or that are relatively new that I need to see more of before they can be reviewed, such as 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' and 'The Good Doctor', but I expect I'll write more about them towards the middle of the year as the main TV season wraps.


text: Categories camp Divine Drag travel Videos Insane Films: Divine Sings Native Love in 1983 in Machester Post author By Administrator Post date April 15, 2008 No Comments on Insane Films: Divine Sings Native Love in 1983 in Machester http://insanefilms.com/video/DivingSingeNativeLove1983.m4vPodcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed More Divine Share this:Tweet Tags 1983, concert, Divine, divine manchester hacienda johnwaters native love natei, hacienda, manchester, native love By Administrator see richard bluestein on wikipedia View Archive → ← Insane Films: Dog Party → Insane Films: X Rated Cartoons: Schwantzel and Gretel Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ


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JND eSolutions , LLC, A leader in HealthCare Management Consulting, has been recognized and certified as a WOSB, or WOMAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS.
Online PR News – 13-October-2020 – GRAND RAPIDS, MI. – JND eSolutions , LLC, A leader in HealthCare Management Consulting, has been recognized and certified as a WOSB, or WOMAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS. As of October 12, 2020, the company is joining a collective of nearly 15,000 other women-owned businesses across the United States. The organization overseeing certification for WBE membership is the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.
After completing, meeting, and passing the review and rigorous requirements to mitigate fraud in the WOSB certification process, this certification award demonstrates that JND eSolutions , LLC meets the requirements to do business with large corporations, local, state, and federal government departments as a minority business entity.
A WOSB is defined as a business that is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by women / a woman. This certification grants these women-owned businesses access to additional networking, training opportunities, mentoring, and a support system of hundreds of other WOSB.
"We're honored to participate in the rigorous WOSB certification program, and plan to remain a member until diversity in business ownership is more normalized." said Founder, Joanne Rizzo. "Our organization has been a woman owned business since opening its doors in 2010, and it is exciting to have the official WOSB certification behind our name. Being recognized as a minority business entity will allow JND eSolutions , LLC to grow in more ways than one." "Women-owned businesses employ over 9 million people across the U.S. and generate over $1.7 trillion in sales. As gender equality and other social issues related to women continue to dominate the national stage, these numbers are certain to grow exponentially in the time to come."
JND eSolutions , LLC is a leader in Software Development/ HealthCare Management Consulting geared toward mental health and substance abuse. JND eSolutions , LLC is committed to Improving the businesses of their customers and the lives of their patients across the US since 2010.


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Editor's note:
This ignores the whole point of having a Swiss in the first place: namely, to ensure that you play against people of approximately equal ability as yourself all day long, while still allowing you to earn the chance to play up if you distinguish yourself.
A 'bloodbath Swiss' is an Anti-Swiss. I am not sure whether or not to buy the argument that giving all the A players a first-round win makes the rest of the day work better or not. I certainly don't think it makes the rest of the day so much fairer as to toss the first round out the window.
In ACBLand where almost all events are stratified, current practice is either to pair up adjacent starting tables to save time, or to have a random draw among teams of the same stratum. An organized entry-seller can arrange his entry forms in such an order as to make the latter happen automatically when he does the former.
Compiling and sorting the masterpoint holdings of each team, only to use these for one or two rounds, is a real waste of time. In bracketed KOs the bracketing takes an extra 15 minutes that we usually don't have to spare in always-slow-anyway swisses.
Further comments re seeding of games in general:
Sometime maybe 3 or 4 years ago common practice in Regional knockout teams changed from "best vs. worst" pairing within each bracket, to random draw on the first round. I don't know if this change has spread throughout ACBL or is just a Northwest thing.
The practice of seeding and awarding byes, as used in many of the big name events, is perceived by the rank and file as so grossly unfair that awarding byes is gone - and has been for some time - from essentially all events except the Spingold Vanderbilt and the International Trials. (In the latter it makes some sense to retain it, since the purpose is to choose a team with a consistent record, not merely to find the team playing best on a given week.)
Do not confuse this with seeding of pairs games, which has exactly the opposite purpose: to ensure all sections face opposition of equal strength, not to award the experts more than their fair share of fish to beat up on.
Editor's note:
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Life is asking us to evolve.
Let the wave wash over you.
Crises, in one form or another, is sign that you are evolving…..sometimes we need to lay low for a bit while our system is being upgraded….much like a Computer.
Go with it.flow with it.
Walk in faith knowing you are loved,therefor you shall grow! Grow! grow! Into the Masterpiece you have always been, you just hadn't recognized it yet!:)
– Lauren Lauren
The Ancient Avatar


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On this week's show, Chad and Marcus talk;
– The XFL's team descriptions suck.
– Why "performance artists" are hurting the PRO WRESTLING business.
– The Shibata Conundrum.
– NJPW's Royal Quest predictions
and More!
Download the show on Android devices here;
To listen to shows on Twitch here
Twitter @NerdCorp
Website – RealNerdCorp.com
Tuesday @ 9 – WrestleCorp
Wednesday @ 9 – WrestleCorp
Thursday @ 9 – ComicCorp
Friday @ 11:30 (usually) – Oh, Hi! Oh, Guys…Podcast
Saturday – GameCorp (Around 9 PM PST)
All shows are uploaded to the website after they air live.
– All shows are now available for download via the website! Go to RealNerdCorp.com and find the podcast you wan to download (or go to our page on Podbean!) — Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/realnerdcorp — Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/realnerdcorp


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The Dreaded Question
Meeting new people can be stressful, especially when you are an introvert. It's not the new people that bother me. What bothers me is that almost every time I meet someone new, I get asked the dreaded question – "What do you do for a living?" Since I am still unemployed, I loathe being asked this question. I don't want to be seen as Debbie Downer and bring everyone down. How do you respond to this question without being seen as "that guy" and have everyone avoid you?
For men, we often associate our identity with what we do for a career. We want to be the provider (whether you are single or married with a family) and without a job we feel like a part of us is missing. There is a great article on Relevant magazine's website that talks about not letting our occupation (or lack there of) determine our worth. Unfortunately it's easier said than done not to go down the path of doubt and depression when it comes being unemployed.
In a recent conversation with a friend, he reminded me that I am so much more than any job. When people ask me this question, his suggested response was to tell people the truth – that I am serving through world missions, leading others in discipleship, and using this time to grow spiritually. I know that I will eventually have a job title as an answer to this question, but lately it's been all about what to do or say in the mean time. At times like these, I wish life had a fast forward button so you could move on to the next stage of your life (while still attaining the lessons you learned or unlearned during the "fast forward period").
If you have been without a job, how did you answer the dreaded question?
Photo Credit: By Shannon Yeh
Conversations of a Life Unexpected
I will be celebrating (okay, maybe "celebrating" isn't quite the right word…more like "dreading" right now) a milestone birthday in less than six months. Last night I was talking with my roommate about all of these things that I had hoped to have accomplished or done by this upcoming birthday. We all have our "bucket list" of things we want to do by a certain age and my list was more out of feeling a sense of entitlement (like I deserved these things) – "Why am I not married by now?" or "Why do I not have a house of my own now?" These ideas brought more questions, but no answers.
Donald Miller's blog Storyline has a great post by Jeff Goins on this very topic – "When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way You Expect" and I felt like it was written specifically to me. Goins compares our life to that of a story where we are an important character, but not the MAIN character. God is the MAIN character in our story. Things happen in our life that we don't plan – job loss, death of a friend or family member, car problems…and the list continues. We get frustrated because more often than not, we have no control over these situations.
One thing we are quick to forget – when we are on the other side of our respective situations, we will be stronger and a better person because of them.
How has your life turned out differently than you planned?
Photo Credit: By Wes Peck
52 Days And Counting…
It's hard to believe all that has happened in the past few weeks. As of today, it is only 52 days and counting until I leave for my Brazil mission trip. Currently I have raised $1540 of my $3000 in support for the trip (thanks to some AMAZING contributors). I have to raise the remaining $1460 by August 17. If you are interested in contributing, there is still time.
I ran (more like walked) the Peachtree Road Race on Wednesday, July 4. This was my fourth time participating in the race. I was not really pleased with my time this year (1:52:52), but I finished it and got my t-shirt (and the t-shirts keep getting uglier and uglier every year – geez who creates these things?!). I keep telling myself that I'm going to start training earlier and earlier each year, but I always end up waiting until the absolute last minute. Hopefully I will change this in 2013.
My job search continues to be a daily source of frustration and stress right now. I recently found out that a job I interviewed for (that would have been my "dream job") ended up going to someone else with absolutely no explanation of why. At the end of this month it will be 13 months since I lost my job and looking doesn't get any easier. They keep saying that the economy is getting better and the unemployment rate is getting lower – I will believe all of this when I finally get a job! I started this blog as a means to help me keep up with my writing skills and to have something to show potential employers as an example of my work, but lately it has become a place to vent my frustration.
Something has GOT to happen on the job front soon! I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take.
Have you been through a "longer than expected" job hunt? If so, what kept you encouraged during the difficult time?
Photo Credit: By Shelby H.
Janet's in Control While Jesus Takes the Wheel
A great philosopher once said "I've got my own mind, I want to make my own decisions. When it has to do with my life, I'm gonna be the one who's in control!" Okay, calling Janet Jackson a great philosopher is more than a little messed up, but she shares the same mindset as a good portion of the American people. We have the ability to make our own decisions, so therefore we should be the one in control. We're constantly saying "Jesus take the wheel" but it's like we're the passenger in one of those driver's education cars that has a steering wheel and brake pedal on the passenger side. We immediately grab the wheel and start turning the other way when we are taken in a direction we don't want to go.
Why do we feel the need to be in control? Is it the fear of the unknown? Do we really think we know what's best? We can't make time go any faster and forcing the hand of others (including God) to do what we want just isn't going to happen. More often than not, when I try to take control one of two things happens – I either stress myself out over the situation because I can't actually control anything or things fall apart due to my feeble attempt to do things my way.
The Bible has some great advice regarding control.
1) God is the one who is in control, not us.
Jeremiah 29:11 states –
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
2) Worrying over something of which you have no control doesn't benefit anyone.
Matthew 6:25-34 tells us –
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I know it's much easier said then done, but sometimes we just have to learn to let go. We're not in charge and pretending we are is only going to get us no where fast.
Enjoy Janet Jackson's "Control" video below and ask yourself, "How can I relinquish control of my life today?"
Photo Credit: By Emilian Robert Vicol
Prayer and Bruce Almighty
The subject of prayer has been on my mind today. We don't truly understand the concept of prayer in today's society. How can talking with someone we don't see be of benefit to us? One of the biggest misconceptions about prayer is that we do it for God's benefit. If I pray "Lord, I need a job. Please provide me with a job as soon as possible. Amen." God's reaction isn't going to be "Wait…you need a job? I had no clue – thank you for letting Me know this!" Prayer isn't for God's benefit, it's really for our benefit. One of my favorite quotes about prayer is by C.S. Lewis – "I don't pray to change God's mind. I pray for God to change my mind!"
Through prayer, we realize how much we really need to depend on God. Praying makes us aware of our limitations and reminds us of God's greatness. Prayer does not obligate God to give us what we want – He is not a supernatural vending machine dispensing our desires at the push of a button. When you are in a relationship with someone you spend time communicating with that individual, otherwise the relationship will suffer. Prayer is about communicating with our Creator and developing our relationship with Him. Sometimes even the church struggles with the concept of prayer (Andy Stanley did a great sermon on this very topic – Big Church (Part 2): Big Prayers (NOTE – The video will automatically start on Part 1, so you will need to select Part 2 for this particular sermon)).
A great illustration of our misconception regarding prayer can be found in the 2003 Jim Carrey movie Bruce Almighty. It's the tale of Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey), a down on his luck news reporter who gets frustrated with God. Bruce accuses God of being cruel and not doing His job, so God (Morgan Freeman) gives Bruce His powers for one week to show him that he can't do it any better. In one particular scene Bruce tries to figure out how to answer the prayers of the world (see the video below) and decides to create a computerized system. He realizes that the more prayers he answers, the more prayers come in. Frustrated, he decides to answer "yes" to all prayers. The results of Bruce's action cause extreme chaos in the world (you'll have to watch the movie to see what happens).
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about prayer?
Photo Credit: By Leland Francisco
Discipline Equals Love
Yesterday I was able to spend some time with my younger brother and his kids. He has three kids that are under the age of seven, so things can get very interesting at times. One thing I noticed was if my brother told one of them to do something (or not to do something), depending on their mood, the response often would be something negative like "No!" or "I don't want to do that!" At times they may even think their father is mean because he won't let them do whatever they want. What they don't understand is my brother has a reason behind why he is telling them these things – he loves them and is looking out for their best interest.
As believers we often find ourselves questioning why God wants us to do something or why he hasn't allowed something to happen for us. We get mad at Him, stomp our foot, and say "No God, I don't want to do that!" or "Why did this person get to do that and I don't?!" Sometimes we go to the extreme of being so mad at God that we try to run from Him. Quite frequently God will just let us have our temper tantrum and then look at us and say "Are you finished yet? I know what I'm doing." Other times God will just let us have what we think we want at that time and when we realize we were wrong He asks "When will you learn? I know what's best for you!"
Now days it's the norm to see parents out in public telling their kids "I'm going to count to three and if you don't do (or stop doing) <insert whatever random act here>, then you are going to be in trouble!" A couple of weeks ago, our pastor started a series called Age of Kings. One of the main points he mentioned in the first week was "God doesn't count to three." He doesn't say to us "If you don't do this (or stop doing this) I'm going to count to three and there will be consequences!" He just lets us do our thing and suffer the results. He doesn't do this to be cruel, on the contrary as Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Discipline is what helps us grow and what teaches us right from wrong. Dictionary.com has three different definitions for discipline:
- To train by instruction and exercise
- To bring a state of order and obedience by training and control
- To punish or penalize in order to train and control; correct or chastise
Which of these three definitions do you think of when you view how God disciplines you as His child?
Photo Credit: By Stephen Nakatani
Sinner – A Great Ending to Paradise
Ted Dekker's Sinner is the third and final book in the Paradise novel series. This story picks up 13 years after Showdown with Darcy and Billy (two of the children who lived in the monastery during the first book). Billy is now a lawyer and Darcy works at an assembly plant. The two are brought back together by the government as someone has discovered their special abilities (Darcy can persuade people to do things with her words and Billy can read a person's mind) and wants them dead. They are brought to Washington, DC for "safe keeping" but numerous lynchings begin to happen and Darcy and Billy are asked to help solve the mystery behind the occurrences.
The duo convinces the government that the lynchings are racially driven and that it is the work of religious fanatics. Darcy motivates congress to create "The Tolerance Act" which deems anything spoken against another person based on race or religion a federal offense. They begin to hear rumblings from Paradise and discover that Johnny is back in the city preaching the truth of Jesus Christ and how he is the only way to heaven. Under the new act, Johnny's actions are considered intolerant as by saying Jesus it the only way he is by default saying that other ways are wrong. Darcy and Billy agree to meet with Johnny in hopes of making him see things their way. Three thousand people end up coming to Paradise as a result of Johnny's message and the government is faced with decision of how to punish Johnny and the others for breaking the new law.
Unlike Saint, Sinner was an enjoyable and intriguing read from start to finish. The book deals with topics like power (asking "When you have the ultimate power, will you let it go to your head and use it for personal gain?") and being able to forgive yourself for sins of the past. Dekker has done a great job with the Paradise novels and I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.
Photo Credit: By http://www.teddekker.com
Remember Me?
There was an old Saturday Night Live skit with Eddie Murphy as a grown up version of Buckwheat from the Little Rascals. His catch phrase was "I'm Buckwheat! Uh member me?!" It was like that familiar friend from our childhood (okay, some of us saw the show in reruns) was back just as we remembered him. It was like he had never left.
Sometimes I feel like God says to us "Hey, I'm God. Remember Me?!" We get so caught up in our daily routine that we neglect the most important person in our life. Circumstances may come (be it a death in the family, loss of a job, divorce, etc.) and though it might not seem like it at the time, they will also pass. The comforting thing is the reminder that Deuteronomy 31:6 gives us –
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
The end of this month will mark eleven months that I have been without a job. It's been a tough and trying time, but there have been many instances where God will orchestrate something in my life (like an unexpected interview) and it feels like He is gently whispering "Hey, remember Me?! I've got this!" I know that I will eventually find a job and I'll be able to look back on this time in my life as something that was well worth the wait.
How has God been telling you "Remember Me?!" lately?
Photo Credit: By Michael Lehet
Introverts Unite (Or Not)…
What do Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, J.K. Rowling, Steven Spielberg, Sir Isaac Newton, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harrison Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and Matt Lauer all have in common? They are celebrities or people from history who are introverts. Add one more "not so famous" person to this list…me. Hi, my name is Scott and I'm an introvert! To be technical, I am what's called an "extroverted introvert" (which means I am an introvert by nature, but I can "turn on" and "turn off" characteristics of an extrovert as needed, but in the end I need down time alone to "recover" from these times).
I borrowed some great links from my friend Kelly, who is also an introvert. One of the main problems is that those who are not introverted do not know how to really interact with those of us who are. They feel like something is wrong with us, when in actuality it is just how we process things. A few misconceptions of introverts are that we are oppressed or arrogant, when it is quite the contrary. Others tend to think introverts are shy, rude, loners who don't like people and don't enjoy going out in public. Introverts are just like everyone else, but we must have down time in order to function and take in the things around us.
One of my favorite blogs is called Introverted Church and it talks about the challenges that introverts have when they are in leadership positions. Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like also did a humorous post on introverts.
Are there any other introverts out there?
Photo Credit: By Joe Wolf
Maxwell's Winning With People Is A Winner!
Former pastor turned leadership guru, John C. Maxwell is known for his insight and experience when it comes to the business industry. What I find helpful is Maxwell's teachings are applicable to other environments such as church, small groups, and relationships. His 2004 release Winning With People specifically deals with relationships. Quite frequently the mindset of the business world is "What can I do to get ahead?" or "How can I succeed?" Maxwell challenges the reader to think outside of the box and change his or her thoughts to "How can I help others succeed?"
The book is broken down into five sections that ask the following questions: Are we prepared for relationships? Are we willing to focus on others? Can we build mutual trust? Are we willing to invest in others? Can we create a win-win relationship? Each section has 5-6 different principles that will help the reader refocus to help answer the respective question in a positive way.
I found so many takeaways within this book including:
- "You can't control another person's response to you. All you can do is make yourself the kind of person others want to know and with whom they can build a relationship."
- "People respond to what they are prepared to believe. And what prepares them for what they believe is their experience."
- "It takes four positive statements to negate the effect of one negative statement."
- "You may be able to impress people with your successes, but if you want to influence them, share your failures."
This book is an easy read and is one from which almost anyone can gain something – especially those in a leadership position (be it professionally, church, or in relationships). I highly recommend this book and if you are also interested in more leadership principles, make sure to read Developing The Leaders Around You, Becoming A Person of Influence, and Developing The Leader Within You (all by Maxwell). You can also follow John Maxwell's Leadership Blog.
Photo Credit: By The John Maxwell Co.


text:
The Master students of the CS&D programme are represented by a committee called the "StuCom". They organize regular events, such as scientific seminars, meals, pub quizzes and Sinterklaas evenings. They also organize the annual 2-day retreat in June. This retreat is a mix between science (everybody presents the research of their internship) and social activities.
The StuCom can be reached by email, maintains a Facebook page, an Instagram account and takes care of newsletters.
The students also have a representation in the Life Sciences Representatives (LSR).
The coordinator maintains and moderates a LinkedIn group for master students and alumni. Please sign up for this group if you are a Master student in the programme Cancer, Stem Cells & Developmental Biology of the Graduate School of Life Sciences at the Utrecht University. If you are an alumnus of this programme, or otherwise feel a connection with us, please do so as well. This way, we hope to trace you after your graduation. Maybe someday we will invite you for a Career Day at the University, or a speed date with undergraduate students looking for a suitable Master's programme.
Retreat in Utrecht, June 10-11, 2021
StuCom 2020-2021
Again a CSDB winner for the U/Select Honors Program! August 26, 2020
StuCom 2019-2020
3D lecture in the introduction course!
Starters September 2019
U/SELECT group 2018-2019, final day Aug. 28, 2019. Spot the winner, from our Master's program! (back row, fourth from the left)
Retreat Heidelberg, June 12-14, 2019
U/Select 2019 (again with 5 CSDB students)
StuCom 2018-2019
3D lecture!
First day of introduction, Sept 3, 2018
Retreat June 2018 to Antwerp, Ghent and Mechelen
Introduction of the 2018 U/SELECT students. Spot the 5 CS&D students!
Introduction of February starters, Febr 5, 2018
StuCom 2017-18
First day of introduction, Sept 4, 2017
U/SELECT group 2016-2017, final day Sept. 5, 2017. Spot the winner, from our Master's program!
Retreat to Bonn/Cologne, June 2017
Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne
Introduction of February starters, Febr 3, 2017 (1 person is missing from the picture).
StuCom 2016-2017
Introduction of new students, September 5, 2016
The retreat in Brussels, 8-10 June, 2016
Introduction of the 2016 U/SELECT students. Spot the 4 CS&D students!
Introduction of CS&D February-starters, 1-2-2016
StuCom 2015-2016
Introduction of new students, August 31, 2015
Heidelberg retreat, May 2015
Poster session at Heidelberg retreat, May 2015
Introduction of CS&D February-starters, 2-2-2015
Introduction of the 2015 U/SELECT students, Academiegebouw, January 9, 2015. Spot the 6 CS&D students! For further information, look here.
StuCom 2014-2015
Picture taken during introduction for new CS&D students, September 1, 2014
Picture taken during excursion to AB InBev brewery, as part of the scientific retreat to Leuven, June 2014
Poster session