text:
This weekend we went to Cape Girardeau so Daddy could preach in view of a call. We got in Thursday night and crashed. Friday morning we went and visited two districts of schools for Will Bill and Punky, and it was really impressive to see all of the new developments between the two schools. All things considered, it looks like they'll be going to Cape district schools. By the way: The Jackson/Cape rivalry is FIERCE, and if I just offended some Jackson fans, don't quote me! Nothing is 100% certain, but that's what it looks like right now.
Anyway, as my siblings were checking out their potential dating pools, Mom and I were talking back and forth to our realtor, figuring out which homes to go see. We went and saw several, and to put it simply, the market is just very different from Mississippi. Oddly, I think there's more new construction going up down here, and you end up getting more house for your money. We thought the market would be a little better in the Midwest, but I think every market is struggling in its own way.
Friday evening we had a reception at the church for the members who have joined since Dad left back in 2000. Some older members snuck in to say hello, and it was so fun to catch up. Dad had a question and answer time so people could get to know him. We were so tired, but it was a good evening.
Saturday we had another reception in the morning to see more church members. The four of us kids actually left a little early because Andrea somehow didn't have any jeans in her suitcase and she needed some. So I proudly drove us (I knew my way around perfectly) to the mall and we had total deja vu. Although what used to be Famous Barr department store is now Macy's, I recognized everything. We ran into some friends of ours, the Johnsons, and Andrea got to see one of her friends perform in a jump-rope group. We were all so impressed, and it was neat that we happened to be at the mall at just the right time.
We saw a few more houses on Saturday, still just getting our "feet wet" and seeing what everything looks like. Saturday evening, we all separated because Mom and Dad had plans. I ended up spending some great time with Josh and Katie, my two friends who recently got engaged, and our friend Jordan. We ate, drove around some cool old neighborhoods of Cape, and they took me to the church to see some new things I hadn't seen before. It was a great time of fun together!
Sunday was the big day! I'm biased, but I honestly think my dad did an incredible job. He kept the message simple, but it was compelling and timely. That's all I'll say----he would be embarrassed if I bragged!!! :o) The vote strongly affirmed Dad's call, and so my family will officially be moving to Cape.
We're all tired after the weekend, but it was such an affirmation that this is where God wants my family. I really didn't feel sad for myself at all. I could only think about the ministry they will have here, and how I'll be able to visit my home so much more often.
I also found out that many people read my blog from Cape---I had NO idea!!! And I think they should step up and let me know they read....don't be anonymous little readers anymore! :o)
Thank you to everyone who was praying for my family this weekend. We were socially "on" at almost every moment, and that can be tiring, but we had a great time. Of course it was bittersweet for Dad to resign last night (officially), but God has great things in store for both churches. Thank you always for your encouragement and support!


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Recent Nolin Lake Reviews
A Kentucky cabin....
We throughouly enjoyed our stay at the cabin. The owners were extremely accomodating to our group. The description was completely accurate along with other information. The cabin was a perfect fit for our group and truly was a home away from home. It was spacious and provided enough room for our large group. I would recommend this cabin to others if they are planning a trip to Kentucky. I enjoyed staying in a home (rather than hotel) and the attractions (Mammoth Cave, Kentucky Down Under, and Dinosaur World) were all within less than an hour drive. If you are looking for peace and quiet and don't care that "the city" (sores, restaurants) is about a 35 minute drive, then this cabin is for you. Thanks again!!
Relaxing vacation
This place was wonderful, peaceful and secluded. My husband did alot of hiking which he loves. I could just relax out on the porch or by the lake with the beautiful scenery. We did all the cooking out in the cabana, which was very nice. All the kids kept busy with the many different possibilities on the property. It was our ideal vacation. We loved it!

subset: commoncrawl


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- .25 caliber
- 27.8 grains
- Domed
- 200 pellets
Read More
- ManufacturerBenjamin
- Caliber0.25 cal
- ConditionNew
- Ammo TypePellets
- Ammo Weight27.8 gr
- Pellet ShapeDomed
- Pellet Quantity200
Read More
memphis, TN
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
deadly pellets
February 6, 2015
I have kill small to mediun game with this pellet it is very accurate and very deadly out of my benjamin marauder and just as good as the jsb pellets at a lower price. My last kill shot was a 110 poind hog it dropped instantly at 40 yards. I love this pellet and it hits harder than the jsb pellet
Pros:Accurate and deadly
Cons:None i have found
Honolulu, HI
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Great in my rifles
April 9, 2014
These Benjamin pellets shoot great in all three of my .25 pcp rifles. A Talon SS 18" barrel, A custom disco with a LW barrel, and my At44W long. Consistently able to hit a 1" spinner target out to 50 yards. Shoots great for me.
Pros:All good!
North Carolina
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Great for shooting
April 2, 2014
I'm not a pro at determining the difference in ammo and these where my first to be bought for my first 25cal gun
Mount Sterling, KY
3 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Average accuracy
March 19, 2014
My Hatsan 95 does not hold a tight group with these.
St Petersbirg, FL
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Benjamin Premier .25 Cal Domed Pellets
March 9, 2014
So far, I've found these pellets to shoot accurately and consistently with my .24 Benjamin Marauder. My results with these are very much like those I achieve with my vintage rimfire target rifle at 25 yards.
Pros:They come in a handy screw-lid tin.
Arlington, TX
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
My personal choice
December 5, 2013
I have chosen this domed pellet as my personal favorite for all the shooting I do with pellets. The domed shape gives me great and consistent accuracy while losing nothing in power since my .25 Benjamin Trail NP XL shoots hard enough to flatten the pellet every time no matter the pellets shape.
Pros:Accurate, consistent and lethal Best pellet choice for me
Cons:The .25 caliber is a little harder to find in a pinch so you may need to stock up
Allen, TX
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Hard Hitter
November 26, 2013
The pellet looks as good as the Crosman brown box premiers. Out of my Hatsan 125 and Marauder these shoot as good as the JSB exact kings.
Pros:Penetration! The first one I shot went through my pellet trap, back stop, and my fence.
Cons:Not really a con but I had to build a new bullet trap to shoot these.
Baltimore, Maryland
3 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Very Accurate, NOT deadly
December 14, 2012
These pellets are extremely accurate and group very tightly. I'm able to hit baseball sized targets consistently at 60 yards. However, I highly recommend that you not use them for hunting, even on small game like doves. I've hit several doves with shots that went clean through the chest and didn't kill them. A few minuted ago, I shot a squirrel with a double lung shot and it didn't die. I hit it a second time in the chest and it was still moving slowly. I finally made a point blank head shot to put it out. I hate having to make an animal suffer like that, so DO NOT use these for hunting, they just don't do enough internal damage. I'm switching to the Benjamin hunting pellets. Overall, great accuracy and consistency for target practice only.
Pros:Accurate and consistent
Cons:Not deadly
Kyle H.
Walhalla, South Carolina
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Love these pellets!
November 13, 2012
These are the only pellets I use in my .25 Marauder. Plenty of punch and all of them are accurate.
Pros:Great Pellets!! Change nothing!
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
bone breaker
July 3, 2012
Very powerful and accurate. I can drive through 3/4 inch plywood at 40 yards with my hatsan 125.
Pros:I like everything about this pellets
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
June 17, 2012
I brought these and a tin of JSB's ( which are my favorite brand pellet in any caliber) but I must say that these benjis are more accurate then the JSB's They are very uniform and I value to boot,
Pros:Price,quantity and consistency. Screw cap on the tin.
Cons:Nothing at all.
Read More
How accurate are these pellets compared to say jsb match diablo 25.4 grain and do they group well like the jsb exact diablo? I am new to air gunning and so far the only two pellets I found to shoot good from my hatsan bt 65 sb in .25 cal is the 25.4 jsb diablo and the preditor pollymags.
By David from mobile,al on June 11, 2012
Read More


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Constructing the new Peoples' Stadium
Hallelujah! The great occasion of the beginning of construction preparedness and building of the Peoples' Stadium arrived: December 2, 2013. "Mission accomplished" or another December day in infamy? "Success" is to be measured by the language of promises and guarantees in the stadium legislation and by the pronouncements of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA). Promised: full participation of all Minnesota's citizens:
• Nothing but Minnesota workers on the stadium
• All steel produced in the United States, preferably from Northern MN's Iron Range
• No cost overruns
• Equity Plan and Diversity Plan for Minnesota's minorities and communities of color. Continue Reading →


text:
SAN DIEGO - Two Mexican brothers wanted in their native country for a murder three years ago were turned over to Mexican law enforcement officials at the San Ysidro border crossing here Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, four days after their capture in Monterey County.
Miguel Mendoza-Sarabia, 33, and Alonso Mendoza-Sarabia, 25, were transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Attorney General's Office by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers. Mexican authorities allege the brothers gunned down Heraclio Soto Felix in the streets of the Sinaloan community of Nuevo Mundo on May 11, 2008, as he walked home from a Mother's Day gathering.
Several witnesses observed the shooting. The motive for the killing is still unknown.
The brothers' repatriation to Mexico follows their arrest April 18 on a ranch south of King City, Calif. The men were taken into custody on administrative immigration violations by special agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service and detectives with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. The brothers' capture came after Mexican authorities alerted the U.S. Marshals Service about the fugitives' possible whereabouts. The brothers, who entered the United States illegally, agreed to accept a voluntary return to Mexico, paving the way for their repatriation Friday morning.
"Today's repatriation is a direct result of the outstanding collaboration between local and federal law enforcement working closely with our counterparts in Mexico," said Joseph Vincent, assistant special agent in charge for the San Jose Office of ICE HSI. "These men are suspected of a cold blooded slaying and there's a real risk they could kill again. ICE will continue to use its unique immigration enforcement authorities to protect our communities from aliens who pose a threat to public safety."
Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller acknowledged the hard work and perseverance by members of his office who, aided by new technology and databases, were able to identify and locate these suspects, and to ultimately work collaboratively with ICE HSI and the U.S. Marshals Service to bring them to justice.
Friday's return of the two Mexican murder suspects comes less than two weeks after ICE's repatriation of another high-profile Mexican fugitive captured in northern California. Fausto Perez-Rafael, 42, a former Mexican federal police officer wanted for cocaine trafficking, was turned over to Mexican authorities April 13. Perez-Rafael was arrested in the East Bay community of Pittsburg, Calif.
Since April 2009, ICE ERO officers nationwide have coordinated the removal of more than 175 foreign nationals being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder.


text:
Review of the Industry 2011 -- Outlook and Trends
WBM 30 Executives Ride Recovery to Success
• In-depth Product Reviews
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by Cyril Penn
Feb 2012 Issue of Wine Business Monthly
Each year, as part of our Review of the Industry, we talk with wine industry executives about where their companies are heading and the challenges they face going forward. It's an insider's look into what these leaders think about current industry trends. Last year we reported the wine market was slowly improving—that there was a sense of cautious optimism. We reported that there was a feeling that a new "normal" had arrived and may be here for a wh...
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Mcclinton Amusement Ctr Inc, listed under "Services" category, is located at 15513 Windbreak Ln Abingdon VA, 24210 and can be reached by 2766763034 phone number. Mcclinton Amusement Ctr Inc has currently 0 reviews.This business profile is not yet claimed, and if you are the owner, claim your business profile for free. If you are not the owner you can invite this business to join by email or by phone.Browse all Services in Abingdon VA. If you would like to see census data for this geographical location click here.
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text:
Game of Thrones
Is Margaery Tyrell Still a Virgin? Natalie Dormer says…
On Game of Thrones, Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Renly Baratheon, who preferred the company of Margaery's brother, Loras. Her second marriage was to Joffrey Baratheon, who died at their wedding reception. To the best of our knowledge, Margaery never consummated either marriage. Yet having said that, her character still seems far from innocent, so is she still a virgin?
"My interpretation is that nothing ever happened [romantically]," Natalie tells Vulture regarding Margaery's chastity. "I think she tried to get Renly into bed, and offered a threesome or whatever to get him moving, but nothing ever happened. It wasn't consummated in any capacity, at all ... But whether Margaery is a virgin or not is not synonymous with whether she slept with one of her two husbands. I mean, officially, Margaery is a virgin. Even Loras is ambiguous about whether Margaery is a virgin or not, but it's definite that she didn't sleep with either of her husbands."
It sounds to us like Natalie is leaving open the possibility that Margaery has slept with someone, just not one of her husbands. If she has and it becomes known, will that affect her position politically? "It's not so much about promiscuous behavior — it's about keeping the bloodline pure," Natalie says. "You want whoever is sitting on the throne to be of the heritage, of the genealogy of the family. So it's not just saying, 'She's a whore.' It's not a comfortable or pretty scenario for Margaery to be in at all."
It sounds like there could be more to this story than we know! We'll have to wait and see if any of Margaery's theoretical romantic flings come to light in the future.
Source: Vulture


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is heaven? Is it up in the sky somewhere? From the beginning
of recorded history, humans have expressed in various
ways their desire to attain heaven - as a paradise on
Earth and after death. But history shows how searching
for a heaven on Earth is like searching for an illusion.
Religions have been created to help people find heaven
after death. The overall consensus of the major religions
is that heaven as a society cannot be found on Earth;
but rather, heaven is a state of mind and condition
of the heart. Skeptics unknowingly agree with this when
they claim heaven to be merely a figment of the human
mind and imagination. By focusing within ourselves through
meditation, dreams, prayer, and even quiet reflection,
we connect with the heaven we seek within us. When we
are in love, we say were are "in heaven." When we are
separated from love, it may feel like "hell." Religious
figures such as Jesus and Buddha have helped humanity
understand how
loving others is the way to
heaven and that
heaven can be found within
us. Near-death
experiences (NDEs) describe a hierarchy of afterlife
realms of which the physical realm is just one of them.
This article presents revelations about heaven from
the perspective of NDE testimony and research.
The following is a summary of the insights gleaned from
the NDErs profiled on this web page concerning heaven:
The consensus among
the mystical traditions of the major religions
is a
cosmology consisting of a hierarchy of
10 afterlife realms
plus 1 top-level divine realm.
This agrees with a leading interpretation of
quantum mechanics called Superstring theory
which calculates the universe is comprised of
10 dimensions plus a top-level "brane" dimension.
Scientists say these dimensions exist in the
same space as the physical universe much like
boxes within a box. Near-death experiences confirm
the existence of a multi-dimensional afterlife
of which our physical universe is but one of
them. NDEs also reveal how humans are "working
their way up the ladder of success" with the
goal of attaining the highest heaven.
Near-death experiencers
have a lot to say about heaven. Concerning the
relationship between life on Earth and life
in heaven, our life on Earth is but a preparation
for our life in heaven. We come to Earth from
heaven for the purpose of obtain spiritual development
and to bring the heaven we came from to Earth.
It is also here on Earth that God and ourselves
can really know what level of spiritual development
we desire and have earned. After death, the
level of our spiritual development determines
the spiritual realm we inhabit after death.
Free will is a divine gift from God to humanity
and God does not force anyone to heaven. The
level of heaven we develop within us on Earth
is the level of heaven we enter after death.
When the physical body is removed, we step into
the spiritual condition we have been building
within us throughout our entire life. Since
God is love, the greater spiritual love we build
within us, the closer we are to God. This holds
true for the spirit world as well. It is a life
of love that leads to heaven. Love is God's
paradise for humanity and we can create this
paradise from heaven on Earth and within us
if we learn to love one another.
is a matter of vibration and the various realms
after death is based on the various levels of
spiritual energy that exists. As quantum physicists
state, the 10 dimensions of reality exist within
the same space as our universe and are based
on the varying energy levels that exist. The
reason we cannot see these multi-dimensional
energy levels is the same reason we cannot see
radio or television waves because they exist
beyond the frequency on the light spectrum that
we can see. For this reason, the realms of spiritual
energy that exists after death, which is the
same energy levels described by quantum physicists,
is based on different frequencies of vibration.
Love can be compared to heat that has vibrations
that are finer that colder temperatures. The
greater the love - the finer the vibration -
and the closer we are to heaven. Heavier vibrations
represent coldness and the heavier the vibrations
the nearer we are to hell. When
we manifest unconditional love, our soul vibration
are so high that the only place we can fit into
is heaven. People don't go to heaven because
of their good deeds, but because their soul
vibration of spiritual love fits in and belongs
there. After death, people gravitate into groups
according to the rate of their soul's vibration.
Birds of a feather flock together. This connection
between the level of soul vibration we have
in determining the level of heavenly vibration
we realize after death is the same principle
as putting a coin into the slot of a coin counter.
The coin just naturally fits to its proper location.
So it is with the soul. After death, our soul
naturally fits in the level of heaven we have
developed within us. In fact, while we live
on Earth our soul actually dwells, not only
within us, but also in the spiritual realm we
will find ourselves in after death.
We all
have some level of discord or negative vibes
within us after death because of our Earth experience.
In heaven, all these unwanted soul vibrations
are removed by God - who can be thought of as
the Master Vibration. The first stage after
death is a condition of still being involved
with and acting according to our outward personality
which we had on Earth. From this initial stage
after death, we slowing begin to lose this outward
personality consciousness and begin to become
more of the person and inner nature we actually
are. My own
personal opinion is that this removal of our
outward elements occurs in the void where there
is nothing else to focus on but our true inner
As our outward earthly
personality is removed, our thought process
begins to change. Our thought process becomes
more and more based on our true intentions -
our impulses. In the realm of mind and imagination,
impulses are the same as actions. In other words,
thoughts and impulses become united. Thoughts
are impulses and impulses are actions. The farther
into the afterlife experience we get, the more
we are acting on the basis of who we really
are. The final stage of adjusting to the spirit
world is a stage of instruction. As it is with
children in the Earth realm, we must be instructed
once again in the ways of the realm we have
just entered - with the exception that our instruction
on the Other Side is not based on time. Higher
spirit beings educate us and bring us into heaven.
More information on this will be described later.
As mentioned earlier,
negative vibes cannot be expressed in heaven.
As we enter into heaven, these negative vibes
are removed by God. This creates a level of
happiness that cannot be imagined on Earth.
Heaven truly becomes a spiritual state of living
as who we really are. In heaven, we remember
our real identity. In heaven, only the best
in each person survives. It is a joyous condition
and a state of expanded awareness. There is
a perfect freedom of spirit and no one gets
tired. It is a new lease on life. It is a lively
hilarious place and our true home. We then begin to realize
how we were merely visitors on Earth and heaven
is our real home. We begin to realize that we
have been here in heaven before. Knowledge beyond
our deepest dreams exists all around us like
the heavenly all-pervading music that can be
heard. God's presence is so obvious here that
it cannot be denied. The love of God in heaven
is like the air we breathe. The Golden Rule
is the only law in heaven. The beauty of the
environment in heaven is beyond words and they
reflect the spiritual nature of those who dwell
there. Multi-colored cities of crystal light
created by God can be seen. There exists exquisite
heavenly structures such as spires, domes, amphitheaters,
Grecian looking buildings, libraries of wisdom,
halls of spiritual learning, temples, and communities.
Waterfalls, mountains, valleys, lakes and other
realms of recreation exists in a way that makes
their earthly equivalents merely a empty shadow.
Because there is no
time in the spirit world, we enjoy eternities
in heaven. A soul can choose to remain in heaven
for as long as desired and can choose to operate
on that level of spiritual development forever.
Generally, however, we stay in heaven for as
long as it serves our spiritual development.
This is because one of our main goals for existence
is to attain a level of spiritual growth that
will bring us back to a complete merger with
God in the highest heaven. However, spiritual
development is much more difficult in the spirit
world compared to developing spiritually in
the physical realm. The full range of love (child's
love, martial love, and parental love) is ideally
available on Earth for which we can become more
spiritually developed.
Although our goal
is to remain forever in heaven, our greatest
goal is to bring heaven to Earth. If we don't
help those in the lower realms to develop a
higher level of spiritual development, we cannot
truly enjoy heaven. This is because our family
and friends may exist at these lower levels.
Mellen-Thomas Benedict
so eloquently described it, "We are going
to link up, hold hands, and walk out of hell
together." For this reason, we leave paradise
not just for the sake of our own spiritual development,
but for those we love. By doing so, we are also
doing this for God's sake. We are assured by
God that when we leave paradise for another
incarnation at a lower spiritual level, we will
be brought home safely again. Ultimately, everyone
will merge with God at the highest level as
it was in the beginning. Ultimate paradise lost
will truly become ultimate paradise found again.
following information concerns the relationship between
our lives on Earth with our lives in heaven.
"God doesn't force anyone to
heaven, hell, or anywhere. We are free to choose and
build our destiny. Nevertheless, all destinies eventually
lead back to God." (Edgar
"If I lived a billion years
more, in my body or yours, there's not a single experience
on Earth that could ever be as good as being dead. Nothing."
Dianne Morrissey)
"Life on Earth is a preparation
for a fuller, freer and richer eternal existence in
heaven; much like a baby in a womb preparing to be born."
"The Earth is the only place
where God can determine if you want to go to heaven
or hell." (Mihbond)
"We mustn't wait to find our
heaven in the clouds. We must find it here because it
exists here and will be whatever we make it and whatever
we are willing to accept of it." (Tina)
"Love is a sign from the heavens that you are here for
a reason." (J.
"There may be a good reason why relatively few people
have NDEs. Perhaps too many glimpses of heaven might
destroy our freedom. Forcing people into heaven would
be like turning them into robots. And nobody loves a
robot because they are incapable of love." (Kevin
Sandra Rogers asked the light,
whom she identified as Jesus, how people from other
religions get to heaven. She was shown that the group,
or organization, that people profess alliance to is
inconsequential. What is important is how we show our
love for God by the way we treat each other. (Sandra
"Doctrine, creed and race mean
nothing in heaven. No matter what we believed we were
all God's children. The only rule is to do unto others
as you would have them do unto you." (May
"Heaven is about deeds, not
creeds. Therefore, persons of many cultures and religions
form the societies of heaven." (Emanuel
"Heaven is not sitting down
and casting down your golden crowns and singing
Hallelujah. However, there is a tendency among certain
religious people in heaven to congregate in their little
groups and have their little sessions of what they feel
are "heaven." Eventually, they become very bored with
this narrowness, and then their own helpers and teachers
will try to give them another thought and another idea
and help them to break away from this narrow approach."
"I saw the Christian heaven. We expect it to be a beautiful
place, and you stand in front of the throne, worshipping
forever. I tried it. It is boring! This is all we are
going to do? It is childlike. I do not mean to offend
anyone. Some heavens are very interesting, and some
are very boring. I found the ancient ones to be more
interesting, like the Native American ones, the Happy
Hunting Grounds. The Egyptians have fantastic ones.
It goes on and on. There are so many of them." (Mellen-Thomas
"The most difficult thing for
a person who has been deeply steeped in a particular
religious tradition is to realize that the form alone
is not what elevates a person; it is the heart. Still,
those who cling to an external form of religion will
be most comfortable with others who practice the same
rituals, whatever they may be. In this sense, congregations
may continue centered around the particular religious
traditions they practiced while on Earth." (Nora
"In heaven, Buddhists can experience
their own path and Christians can experience their own
pate. Same with Hindus, Muslims, and any religious group.
All have their own paradise, goals, aims, and objectives
until they suddenly have a tremendous experience of
knowing that all is one under God and that there is
no division in purpose. There is one God of us all."
"It is said that the Golden
Rule is the governing principle in the spirit world:
do unto others as you would have them do unto you. People
who truly practice the religion of love will find themselves
in a universal sphere where everyone understands that
true religion is to love others as ourselves." (Nora
"It is within the simple principles
of the gospel that the mysteries of heaven are found."
"Genesis is the symbolic account
of the soul's journey from heaven. Revelation is the
symbolic story of the soul's return to heaven. It is
the story of paradise lost and paradise found." (Edgar
"The purpose of religion is not so much to get us into
heaven, or to keep us out of hell, but to put a little
bit of heaven into us, and take the hell out of us."
(E. Stanley Jones)
Near-death accounts can provide
a general overview of the cosmology of the afterlife.
The following is the journey to heaven as I see it from
the near-death experiences I have read:
Once a person
is in the incredible light of God, they
are overwhelmed by the
and the wonder of it all.
"Children who have NDEs sometimes
report having to visit an animal heaven before they
can go to the adult heaven. (P.M.H. Atwater)
"From the light we have come
and to the light we all shall return." (Josiane
"Paths are visible in the spirit
realm. Some lead to heaven and some to hell. Good people
travel only along paths that lead to heaven according
to their own desire. They do not see paths leading in
other directions. Evil people follow only paths that
lead to hell according to their own desire. They do
not see paths leading in other directions; and even
if they do, they do not want to follow them." (Emanuel
"In heaven you feel much more
alive than you will ever feel here. Our lives on Earth
are for just a short time, like a vacation. You visit,
try to find your way around, and just when you think
you've got it down, it's time to go home. When you go
home to heaven, you know exactly where you are, what
you're doing. It's just a wonderful place. There's no
hatred, just love, kindness, and mercy. It's one huge
family there." (Roy
"Some experiencers meet people
in heaven who are yet to be born or preparing to be
born into the world." (Kevin
"To appreciate heaven well
it is good for a man to have some fifteen minutes of
hell." (Will
"From an endless dream we have come. In an endless dream
we are living. To an endless dream we shall return."
"As the two beings approached
us, I could also feel the love flowing from them toward
us. The complete joy they showed at seeing the Christ
was unmistakable. Seeing these beings and feeling the
joy, peace and happiness which swelled up from them
made me feel that here was the place of all places,
the top realm of all realms. The beings who inhabited
it were full of love. This, I was and am convinced,
is heaven." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
Herr Pettersson was also permitted to visit the spirit
world and discovered, much to his surprise, that even
the worst in heaven exceeded the best on Earth. To Herr
Pettersson the world of spirits resembled the material
world. There were many countries, or "Kingdoms." There
were cities and villages, temples and palaces, flowers
and animals of great beauty and variety. The people
were very busy. Some were preaching on street corners
and in assembly halls, and all had great congregations.
are they?" Herr Pettersson asked (referring
to the preachers)?
his guide answered, "belong to the church
of the First born, and they have been sent
here to be ministering spirits to those
who shall yet becoming heirs of salvation."
am afraid," stammered Herr Pettersson, "that
I do not comprehend you. Are we not in heaven?
How can the world of salvation be preached
"No brother!"
the guide replied, "We are not in what mortals
call heaven! This is Hades."
and Widdison)
"Turning back to the interior
of the temple, I saw that creative activities were taking
place in different areas. There were a number of individuals
sitting at easels painting, and I saw one man playing
a flutelike instrument that emitted the sweetest of
sounds. Farther on, dancers moved with ethereal grace,
performing with a lightness impossible to the physical
human form. As I watched in utter delight, I became
aware that the musical background for this visual feast
came from what I would call a celestial choir - an orchestra
of voices creating heavenly music for the dance. This
Music of the Spheres was indeed singing the praises
of the Creator." (Jan
"Instead of allowing me to
enter, the angel stationed me before the gates, slightly
to one side. He instructed me to stay there and watch
as the saints were permitted to enter into heaven. As
the saints were allowed into heaven, I noticed a strange
thing. They were permitted to enter only one at a time.
No two were permitted to enter those gates at the same
time. I wondered about this but it was never explained
to me." (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
"The experience of merging
with the light of God is like having your body explode
in a pleasant way and becoming a million different atoms.
Each atom can think its own thoughts and have its own
feelings. You feel all at once what it feels like to
be everything and everybody." (Nora
"Jesus said that I would never
quite be the same as I was before I visited heaven.
He said that some of the power of the light would remain
within me. And he told me to let the love that I would
feel in my heart express itself to all people. He said
that I should never worry if people doubted my story
or could not understand what I was telling them. 'One
day,' Jesus said, 'everyone will come to see
for themselves what you have seen.'" (Randy
"A little girl who died in
a swimming pool said to Dr. Melvin Morse, 'Don't worry,
Dr. Morse, heaven is fun!'" (Dr.
Melvin Morse)
"It seemed like the dawn of
a new day; day was just breaking! It was a beautiful
experience. I heard little birds singing, tiny birds,
and they got louder and louder. People have said there
are no birds in heaven, but I heard them." (Lorraine
"Then, as if I had eyes all
around my head, I saw saints, souls that were in heaven
- multitudes. There was no way to count them. Whether
there were millions or billions, I have no idea. As
far as I could see in every direction were people of
all sizes dressed in white robes. The people were transparent;
I could see through them. They were behind me, across
from me, all around me. They were floating on what appeared
to be a crystal mirror or cloud or smoke. It is hard
to describe these things in earthly terms, but I am
trying to show you what my spirit saw. Each person was
holding a crown in his or her hand. The saints were
saying, 'We were waiting for you.'" (Dr.
Gerard Landry)
"The angels told me that all
who enter the third heaven must remain there until brought
back to this physical world by Christ himself." (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
Apostle Paul's view
of heaven:
"I know a person
in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught
up to the third heaven. Whether it was in
the body or out of the body I do not know
- God knows. And I know that this person
- whether in the body or apart from the
body I do not know, but God knows - was
caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible
things, things that humans are not permitted
to tell." (2
Corinthians 12:1-4)
Stephen's view of heaven:
"But Stephen, full
of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing
at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said,
'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing
at the right hand of God.'" (Acts
Jacob's view of heaven:
"He [Jacob] had
a dream in which he saw a stairway resting
on the Earth, with its top reaching to heaven,
and the angels of God were ascending and
descending on it. There above it stood the
Lord, and he said: 'I am the Lord, the God
of your father Abraham' ... When Jacob awoke
from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the
Lord is in this place, and I was not aware
of it.' He was afraid and said, 'How awesome
is this place! This is none other than the
house of God; this is the gate of heaven.'"
Apostle John's view of
"After this I looked,
and there before me was a door standing
open in heaven. And the voice I had first
heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,
"Come up here, and I will show you what
must take place after this." At once I was
in the Spirit, and there before me was a
throne in heaven with someone sitting on
it. And the one who sat there had the appearance
of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling
an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding
the throne were twenty-four other thrones,
and seated on them were twenty-four elders.
They were dressed in white and had crowns
of gold on their heads. From the throne
came flashes of lightning, rumblings and
peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven
lamps were blazing. These are the seven
spirits of God. Also before the throne there
was what looked like a sea of glass, clear
as crystal." (Revelation
"Because in heaven only the
best in each person survives and good is all anyone
wants to do there, this allows a freedom and happiness
that people on Earth can not imagine. On Earth we need
thousands of laws to keep order, but in heaven restrictions
are not needed." (Arthur
"Negative thoughts cannot be
expressed in the heavenly realms - only positive ones."
"Humans are educated at a higher
level by spirit beings who bring us into heaven. We
grow and increase, and grow and increase, and shed the
concerns, desires, and base animal stuff that we have
been fighting much of our life. Earthly appetites melt
away. It is no longer a struggle to fight them. We become
who we truly are, which is part of the divine." (Rev.
Howard Storm)
"In heaven, we can remember
our real identity and know what possibilities exist
for soul growth. We do not move forward until we choose
to do so." (P.M.H. Atwater)
"Heaven is a joyous condition
and a state of expanded awareness, of perceiving more
and more of the grand plan of creation." (Emanuel
"Knowledge beyond our deepest
dreams exists in heaven and in the hearts of those who
dwell there." (Betty
"What people call heaven is
really our true home and destination. It is where we
go for recess or to be rewarded by assessing our progress
as a soul, evaluating our lives, and to remember all
truths, including our real identity. We stay there for
however long best serves our development." (Nora
"Everyone in the realms of
light knows that there is a Creator. It is said that
this presence is so obvious it cannot be denied." (Nora
"Once in heaven, a person may
feel as if they had been there before. They may remember
that heaven is their real home. They may remember that
on Earth, people are visitors and homesick strangers."
"We tend to feel that when
we die, heaven is as we thought it-and it certainly
is. We can be received exactly the same way we always
thought we would be received. People can remain in narrowness
if they want -they don't need to change unless they
wish. There is perfect freedom of spirit in heaven."
"Some people have high hopes
that everything is going to be different for them in
heaven. However, nothing can be different for them because
they have brought with them what they are. There is
so much harmony in heaven that if anyone brings a disharmonious
personality with them, they will find it very difficult
to link in with the harmonious existence that exists." (Margaret
"In heaven there is no way to get ahead of others. This
is because there is no place in heaven for discontent
or personal ambition." (Arthur
"Heaven is a world much like
our own except there is no time nor space as we think
of them here. Heaven exists in a higher dimension of
energy. The higher realms are a world of inexpressible
beauty. They are realms where it is possible to be fully
alive, where, for example, the whole body perceives.
They are realms of endless possibilities for creativity
and full realization of self; and they are where the
love of God is like the air we breathe. As air is the
atmosphere on Earth, God's love is the atmosphere in
the spirit world." (Nora
"Heaven is very hard to describe
because words are inadequate to describe it. Heaven
is a place of imagination. Heaven is exactly what our
imagination needs it to be. It is a lively hilarious
place that's unbelievably sweet, serene and melodious.
It is characterized by its vivid greenness, its crystalline
cleanliness, its newness, its all-pervading music and
its overall beauty - all of which are maintained by
God. It's a vigorous, lively place with an outflowing
happiness that's uncontainable. It's not a place of
rest because no one there gets tired. It's more like
a new lease on life. Everything in heaven is pure. The
elements don't mix or break down as they do on Earth.
Everything is kept in place by God's all pervading Master-Vibration
which prevents aging. That's why things don't get dirty,
or wear out, and why everything looks so bright and
new." (Arthur
"Heaven and hell are spiritual
states of being. They are not static states but are
states in which there can be growth and progress toward
ultimate wholeness of being." (Margaret
"Think of stepping on the shore and finding it heaven,
of touching a hand and finding it God's, of breathing
new air and finding it celestial, of waking up in glory
and finding it home." (Don Wyrtzen)
"To me, the valley appeared
to be Heaven, but at the same time I knew that James
and Rashad were seeing it differently. James saw it
as the Gulf of Souls. Rashad saw it as Nirvana, and
somehow we knew all this without speaking." (May
"All of heaven is divided into
communities based on the different levels of goodness
that comes from the desires of those in them. Everyone
who enters into heaven is taken to the community where
their desires are expressed and where they belong. They
enter the community as though they were at home and
where they were born. People sense which community they
belong to and then develop close relationship with others
like themselves." (Emanuel
"If one is in the highest realms,
love reigns. And where there is love, there is happiness.
Where there is happiness, there is no awareness of time.
Therefore, there is no time as we know it here. However,
in the lower realms, because one is very unhappy, time
seem interminable. There is space, but the whole spirit
world is a reflection of the qualities of the people
who live there. Where love reigns, there is no distance
between people. The spirit world is thus not like our
three-dimensional world, but is more like a symbolic
reflection of the inner quality of the people." (Nora
"As there are degrees of heaven
and hell on Earth, so there are degrees of heaven and
hell in the spiritual world." (Margaret
An experience from a subject
of Dr. Lundahl and Dr. Widdison's research:
"There were spheres above, whose occupants could and
did visit us, and we could always recognize these higher
natures by the virtues which possessed them, and were
apparent to us as they passed beside us. But we could
not visit their spheres until we had perfectly qualified
for it. And there were of course spheres below us, where
those who had not repented of their evil ways still
had to work out their redemption. Those in the lower
spheres could not have been happy in this higher kingdom
until they qualified themselves by a change of heart
and mind. This individual went on to
observe that although individuals in each sphere are
aware of the others' existence, they cannot see, let
alone visit, without significant preparation. Those
living on the higher realms of the city radiate the
brightest light, being so resplendent that their glory
must be cloaked so others of lower degree can look upon
them (Note: This phenomenon can be found in
Howard Storm's
NDE). Visiting the higher levels is possible, but
the spirits of lower realms must be prepared or covered
so they can stand in the presence of greater glory.
In addition to the placement of individuals at judgment,
the next world is efficiently organized to help individuals
adapt to their new home. Infants are taken to a place
where they are nurtured and taught and where they mature.
Some new arrivals are taken to a place of orientation
where they rest, adjust to their new condition, and
prepare to take their place in the City of Light. (Lundahl
and Widdison)
A person's dreams, visions,
and meditations are reflections of the soul's experience
in the spirit world. The conscious mind is the product
of the evolution of the stars and planets. The soul
mind (subconsciousness) is conditioned by its previous
incarnations within the physical world and the spirit
world. The conscious mind becomes dimmed or brightened
by its recent experiences in these worlds. (Edgar
"But no matter what level or
city a person qualifies for, each city is so superior
to any on Earth that it is indescribable, and each succeeding
realm is indescribably better than that immediately
below it." (Lundahl
and Widdison)
"All of the various
heavenly realms of consciousness have different frequencies
of vibration. Matter on Earth is composed of atoms and
these atoms are composed of energy which vibrates. Earth
matter is denser than the matter of the higher realms.
We can see Earth matter because of light waves which
vibrate at a visual observing rate. But the same reason
that we cannot see radio or television waves, which
vibrate at too fast a rate to be seen, is the same reason
we cannot see the matter of higher realms, unless you
happen to be clairvoyant." (Margaret
"There is strong scientific
and religious evidence that there are
10 dimensions
(heavens) to the afterlife." (Kevin
One near-death experiencer
saw everybody in the spirit realm organized into several
different grades. Another individual discovered that:
"The reports of
many individuals who have been permitted
to see or visit the next world tell us that
it is located right here on our physical
Earth. If our spirit eyes were to open,
we would discover we are surrounded by those
who have preceded us in death. But not everyone
goes to the same location in the next world.
We will be acutely aware of everything we
have done or failed to do in our lives.
We will also know the lives of those around
us and they will know ours. Therefore we
will seek out those who think the same way
we do, who value the same things we do.
We will gravitate toward those we feel at
ease with, who are like us. Judgment is
more a process of self-evaluation than the
product of a heavenly tribunal. The next
world is segmented into spheres organized
around qualities of love, service, and personal
preparedness." (Lundahl
and Widdison)
"There are many realms that
take up the same space as the physical realm much like
boxes within boxes. The physical realm is but one of
the boxes in the hierarchy of boxes. This means we are
actually already in the so-called afterlife right now
because the physical realm is a part of the afterlife.
Each realm corresponds to a particular level of spiritual
development and proximity to God - the ultimate level
of spirituality. For example, when we are deeply in
love and very happy, we are in heaven. When we are without
love and miserable, we are in hell. This becomes fully
apparent after death when there is no physical body
to restrict it." (Kevin
"On Earth we are all aware
of the various kinds of lifestyles of various individuals.
Some seem to have a very desirable lifestyle, others
less so. The same may be said about life in the spirit
world. In terms of externals, some persons there live
in more attractive and comfortable environments, others
in less appealing conditions. At the extremes there
are beautiful and uplifting settings which are truly
heavenly and, on the other hand, there are very unattractive,
even repugnant, environments which are without a doubt
hellish. One's outward environment in the spirit world
depends upon one's internal nature. If, during our lifetime
on Earth, we matured in a spiritually rich and beautiful
way, we will come to dwell in an environment that corresponds
with these qualities. Indeed, such environments are
said by those who have experienced them to possess a
beauty that is beyond anything seen on Earth." (Nora
"Heaven is a matter of vibration.
The finer the vibration we have, the nearer we are to
heaven. Heaven is a state of being joyous, light, loving,
harmonious, vibrant, God-centered and others-centered.
The heavier the vibration, the nearer we are to hell.
Hell is a state of being heavy, dull, dismal, gray,
and glum-as when you are heavily depressed and self-centered."
"We are likely to seek out our relatives, loved ones
and ancestors with whom we have a bond. However, if
there is a vast difference in spiritual development,
a person of lesser development will be unable to enter
the higher realm to which those of greater development
have advanced. In this case, the more highly developed
loved one may choose to visit the realm of lower spiritual
development to help the person in need of spiritual
development." (Nora
"If you loved someone who is on a lower vibration than
you are, you are allowed to visit anytime you choose
by simply lowering your rate of vibration. This may
help the entity greatly by encouraging self-love and
growth. However, the entity will need to incarnate again
on the Earth plane to test out these new lessons, because
it is the Earth experience that determines your stage
of evolution." (Betty
"All of heaven is divided into
communities which are based on different spiritual desires.
Everyone is taken to the community where their desires
fit in." (Emanuel
"After death each person lives
in the kind of a heaven or hell that they have prepared
for themselves while on Earth. It is the same principle
as putting a coin into the slot of a coin counter. The
coin goes into the slot and ends up in the right container,
not because it was good or bad, but because it is the
proper size for where it belongs. No one sends us anywhere
after death. We are sorted by the vibration of your
soul. Everyone goes where they fit in! High vibrations
indicate love and spiritual development. Low vibrations
indicate debasement and evil." (Arthur
"Taken all together, our desires
and love make up a kind of kingdom within us while on
Earth. This kingdom is made known to us after death
when our thoughts and feelings reach out into a particular
heavenly or hellish community. Heavenly communities
are reached if our strongest love matches the love of
a particular heavenly community. Hellish communities
are reached if our strongest love matches the love of
hell." (Emanuel
"While in heaven, Pettersson
discovered that heaven also has multiple levels, and
inhabitation of each level is contingent on one's diligence
on Earth and in heaven. It seems that the assignment
to a specific city is contingent on the actions and
attitudes of the individual while on Earth. The key
that opens the gate to a specific city of light is the
ability to dwell in the light of that city, and this
evidently depends on behaviors during Earth life." (Lundahl
and Widdison)
After death, each soul has
to rise as best it can through a hierarchy of heavens
and face the increasingly difficult challenges posed
by the guardian angels of each level of heaven. (Apocalypse
of Paul)
"In the spirit world God's
truth is represented by light and God's love by warmth.
Those people in the spirit world who live in harmony
with God live in light and warmth. Conversely, if a
person living on Earth has stunted their spiritual growth
through an undeveloped or misdirected lifestyle, or
has led a totally self-centered life, or has hurt other
people, that person's spiritual environment will reflect
these realities. A self-centered life places a person
in an area of the spiritual world with like-minded people
who have yet to learn how unselfishness advances the
soul. Locations that are distant from God are said to
be dark, cold and inhospitable. They reflect the spirits
of those dwelling therein. In between these two extremes
are many levels representing different stages of spiritual
growth. The central factor determining our particular
level is the degree to which we have lived for the sake
of others, and the extent to which we have helped others
on the path of love. In this respect, the actions of
loving, serving and teaching others carry the highest
spiritual value." (Nora
"People who are thinking about
divine matters while they are active on Earth are in
touch with the angels of heaven ...
People who are motivated mostly
by physical desires cannot breathe in heaven. If such
a person is taken there, they would draw each breath
like someone hard pressed in a struggle. But people
who are involved in heavenly desires breathe more freely
and live more fully the farther into heaven they are."
"People on the Other Side who
have an orientation of hate will find themselves unable
to appreciate a realm of love and harmony. Therefore,
they continue in their state of bitterness and are closed
to the glory which exists around them. Such people will
have to wait until they gradually appreciate the fact
that it is very destructive to hate like that. When
they have had real hates and have been emotionally upset
like that, or have had a real bitterness toward someone,
then it takes them quite a period of time to get the
light and the power around them again, to be able to
appreciate this place or that, or go to the Valley of
Praise, or go and hear beautiful music. They just hear
discords, and eventually they come to the realization
that "this isn't much of a life, is it?" And the moment
that happens, those who are dedicated to work with this
sort of person come and they have their methods of easing
them away from the state they are in. It is like taking
a skin off an onion. They will gently peel off this
layer that is formed by hate." (Margaret
"Married couples will be reunited after death, and may
choose to stay together if they want to, provided they
are on the same level of vibration. You will be with
those you love, and there is a total merger which is
a much higher experience and a deeper love bond than
anything you can know on the Earth plane. This total
merger is like stepping inside one another's auras,
a total blending of energies. It's a way of expressing
love and sharing. What you know on Earth as a sexual
relationship takes the form of a higher merger of souls.
There is no need for sexual organs on the other side
unless you choose to have them. For this merger of energies
is far superior to the physical mechanics of the sexual
experience. This merger is not limited to husbands and
wives, but may be experienced by any two souls who are
loving and caring." (Betty
Golden cities
with towers and domes - cities of crystal
cathedrals - beautiful unearthly cities
- beautiful fairy tale cities - a city that
represents an entire world - multi-colored
crystal cities - an endless, brilliant,
city of light and love - a heavenly city
in the clouds where souls leave to come
to Earth and where souls go for after death
for rejuvenation - a multi-dimensional city
of increasing glory - heavenly cities of
increasing glory - traveling through a tunnel
of cities of increasing glory - cities of
light with beautiful music - cities of colorful
light - cities built of light - cities built
by God - the eternal city - galaxy-like
cities of lights - galaxies of light beings
- New Jerusalem - the city of God - a crystal
city of light - a city where the light is
God. (Kevin
"Many experiencers visit a
heavenly structure that resembles a temple or a library.
This structure has several names, such as: the Temple
of Knowledge, the Temple of Wisdom, or the Hall of Records.
It is a vast, old, pure white, somewhat Grecian, structure
of supernal beauty that contains all of the wisdom of
the ages, everything ever said or written. Everyone's
Book of Life is there. It is a library of the mind and
a repository of all knowledge. By simply reflecting
on a topic, all the knowledge concerning that topic
will come to you. Inside, people can be observed painting,
playing music, dancing, and doing many other activities."
"An experiencer in Dr. Allen
Kellehear's research described seeing a heavenly computer
in heaven that is very complex and very beautiful and
designed to guide the path of a person's destiny. It
works by waving a hand in a pattern over its large keyboard
as if playing a piano without touching the keys. When
this is done, something of great benefit happens to
someone on Earth.
Dr. George
Ritchie saw a similar heavenly computer while on
a guided tour with Jesus through enormous rooms filled
with complex equipment and people bent over intricate
charts and diagrams, and people sitting at the controls
of elaborate consoles flickering with lights. Years
later, Ritchie was reading a magazine and saw a photo
of the instruments in a nuclear submarine and realized
that it was the same computer he saw in heaven.
Betty Eadie
described seeing a similar heavenly computer and realized
that all important things on Earth first originate in
heaven. Other experiencers have described watching their
life review on computer-like screens." (Kevin
"Some heaven-bound people first
enter a heavenly receiving station where family and
friends can be met and where life reviews can occur.
From there people travel on to other locations in heaven.
Other structures seen in heaven include heavenly temples,
a heavenly library containing great wisdom, cities of
light, crystal cathedrals and cities." (Kevin
"There are heavenly hospitals
full of injured and crippled souls - the result of their
hard faring on Earth - who are nursed back to health
so that they can begin their work in heaven." (Dr.
Craig Lundahl)
"Once the decision has been
made to come to Earth, we are directed to the place
of life selection. We then consider when and where we
want to go on Earth before making a decision on who
they will be in life. We then enter a heavenly building
which resembles a movie theater to allow us to see ourselves
in the future, playing different roles in various settings.
In this place of life selection, our souls preview the
life span of more than one human being within the same
time cycle. When we leave this area, most souls are
inclined toward one leading candidate presented to us
for soul occupation. However, our spiritual advisors
give us ample opportunity to reflect upon all we have
seen in the future before making a final decision. After
we complete our consultations with guides and peers
about the many physical and psychological ramifications
of entering the physical realm, the decision to come
is made. Afterward, we undergo a significant amount
of preparation in a place called the recognition class.
This heavenly class is where we prepare ourselves for
entry into the physical realm in a manner that is similar
to cramming for a final exam.
One of the last requirements
before being born is that we go before the Council of
Elders. The Elders reinforce the significance of our
goals for life. Once we are ready for entering the physical
realm, we are like battle-hardened veterans girding
ourselves for combat. This is our last chance for us
to enjoy the omniscience of knowing just who we are
before we adapt to a physical body." (Dr.
Michael Newton)
"After death,
people return home to the place they came from on the
other side. There is a reunion with family and friends
who have departed before them. After the reunion, most
of people are lead by their spirit guide to a building
on the other side called the Hall of Wisdom. In a sacred
room, they see their lives flash before them on a scanning
machine. This device is a domed screen where life reviews
are played out in three-dimensional holographic form.
Once a person's life has been fully evaluated, they
are debriefed in an orientation process. This is when
a person's life is discussed and reviewed in the scanning
machine. People then meet with guides who are trained
orientators who discuss ways of amending previous mistakes.
People then receive help if they were unprepared for
crossing over into the spirit world. For
those whose transition is especially difficult, the
orientation process is preceded by another process called
cocooning. This is when the person is put into a restful,
healing sleep for as long as it takes for them to feel
healthy. In extreme cases, people are taken to a structure
called the Towers where extremely confused people undergo
a deprogramming process. Once
a person has adjusted to the transition, they can visit
a place called the Hall of Records where historical
data is stored such as the records of everyone's past
lives. Another beautiful structure is the Hall of Justice
where people go before a Council of Elders who are highly
advanced spokespersons of God who help us decide how
we are to progress further into the spirit realm.
At some point, people recognize
the need for even further advancement and therefore
choose to return to Earth to gain this spiritual advancement.
With the help of a spirit guide, they decide on an incarnation
which will meet their goals. They then proceed to the
Hall of Justice where they meet once again with the
Council of Elders. The Council prepares them for their
next incarnation. When they are ready to incarnate,
their family and friends are gathered together to bid
farewell. Once they have said their goodbyes, they can
meet with a spiritual teacher, such as Buddha or Jesus,
to embrace them in their divine light. People are then
taken to the Towers and are eased into a deep sleep.
The descent into the womb begins and a new life is born
on Earth. (Sylvia
Swedenborg described three stages that people pass through
after death before arriving in heaven or hell. The first
stage involves a person's more outward nature according
to Swedenborg. His descriptions of this stage are a
good description of the earthbound realm, in my opinion.
The second stage involves a person's more inward nature
according to Swedenborg. His description of this stage
is a good description of the void, in my opinion. The
third stage is a stage of preparation according to Swedenborg.
His description of this stage is a good description
of transcending the void and arriving at the so-called
third heaven. According
to Swedenborg, all souls arrive in the type of community
where their spirits dwelled in the physical world. In
fact every person is bonded to a particular heavenly
or hellish community-an evil person to a hellish one,
a good person to a heavenly one. A person is guided
there step-by-step and eventually gains entrance. The
following is Swedenborg's description of these three
stages after death.
The first stage after death:
Thoughts are how people communicate in heaven and there
are no distances between people. Whenever a person thinks
about someone else in the spirit world, their face appears
before them in their thought along with many other things
that characterized the person's life. When this happens,
the other person becomes present as though they have
been summoned. This is why everyone arriving in heaven
is recognized by family and friends.
people arrive in heaven, they are taught by their friends
about the state of eternal life, and are taken around
to different places, into different communities. Some
are taken to cities, some to gardens and parks; but
most are taken to splendid places because these kind
of places delights the outward earthly nature they are
still involved in and are beginning to lose. Eventually,
they are then led into thoughts they had in life about
the soul's state after death, heaven, and hell. At this
point, people begin to resent their former ignorance
of these things, and resent the Church's ignorance of
these things as well.
note: In the
people can travel anywhere on Earth and see places they
have never seen before. Also, the powers of the spirit
mind can be first realized in the earthbound realm.
Others can also arrive to guide the person. Swedenborg's
description of the first stage is also similar to accounts
of near-death experiences in the earthbound realm.]
The second stage after
death: At this
stage, a person's thought process is based on their
impulses. Thoughts and impulses become united. With
such a unity, a person hardly seems to be thinking at
all - simply intending. It is almost the same when communicating
with others; except that people at this stage communicate
with a certain fear that their secret impulses will
be made known to everyone. This fear originates as a
part of a person's impulses in the physical world due
to the demands of normal life.
everyone enters the second stage because it is the actual
condition of the spirit. During the first stage, the
condition of our spirit depends on our association with
others in that stage, which is not our proper condition.
But once we enter the second stage, the stage of our
more inward concerns, it becomes very obvious what kind
of person we were in the physical world. At this point,
we are acting on the basis of who we really are. If
we were inwardly involved with good things while in
the physical world, they we will behave rationally and
wisely -more wisely, in fact, than we did in the physical
world because we are released from our bodily ties and
therefore from the things that darken the spirit. On
the other hand, if a person was involved with evilness
while in the physical world, then they will behave senselessly
and crazily after death - more crazily, in fact, than
they did in the physical world, because they are now
in perfect freedom and are not repressed. When they
lived in the world, they were sane in outward matters
because they were using them to fabricate a rational
person. So once these outward matters are taken away
from them, their madness is unveiled. Once the second
stage is completed, they hurl themselves into the hell
where there are people like themselves.
note: This is a
very good description of the
experience. In the void,
there is nothing there but our own true inward nature.
The purpose for this is to reflect and understand who
we have become from the physical life just lived. Seeing
ourselves as we really are can be a paradise if love
is there. Then the love within you draws you out of
the void and toward the light. But if there exists within
us mostly unspirituality, then may remain in the void
temporarily or return to the earthbound realm which
is hell for those who are bound there until they eventually
have a change of heart.]
The third stage after death:
This stage is a state of instruction for people who
are entering heaven and in the process of becoming like
an angel. This stage is not for people who are entering
hell, since they cannot be taught. As a result, the
second stage is also the third stage for those entering
hell, concluding with their complete turning toward
their strongest desire, and therefore toward a hellish
community others are involved in similar desires.
only way people can be prepared for heaven is by being
instructed in the insights concerning what is spiritually
true and good. This is because people cannot know what
is spiritually good and true unless they are taught.
In the physical world, it is possible to know what is
good and true on a civil and moral level, and what is
called fair and honest because there are civil laws
which teach what is false. There are also social norms
in which a person learns to live by moral laws, all
of which deal with what is honest and right. But what
is spiritually good and true is not learned in the physical
world, but in heaven. However, people who have been
taught what is spiritually good and true in the physical
world have already been prepared for heaven and are
brought into heaven by another route. Some are brought
in immediately after death.
I believe Swedenborg is referring to those death experiences
that involve the person to bypass the
(First Stage) and
realms (Second Stage) and
go straight into the light.]
Once people in the spirit
world have been prepared for heaven through instruction,
they are dressed in angelic clothes, most of which are
white, as though made of linen. So dressed, they are
brought to a path that heads up toward heaven and are
committed to angel guardians there. Then they are accepted
by some other angels and introduced into communities,
and there into many forms of happiness. (Emanuel
note: This description
of the third stage agrees with those who leave the tunnel
and enter the light where they may be met by Jesus,
loved ones, the Council of Elders, temples, libraries,
note: This is a
very general summary of these truths. A more in depth
understanding of these can be found at
this Buddhist website.]
The Four Noble
the true nature of life. Life is about suffering.
originates from clinging to transient things
such as desires, objects, ideas, and even
our perceptions.
way to end this suffering is to free ourselves
from clinging to these attachments.
Liberation is
attained by following the path of self-improvement
called the "middle way" (living between
the extremes of self-indulgence and excessive
restriction) and this leads to liberation
from the cycle of birth and rebirth - and
Nirvana. (Siddhartha
"Once, having been asked by
the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus
replied, 'The kingdom of God does not come with your
careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,'
or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within
you.'" (Luke
"And he said, 'I tell you the
truth, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,
whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little
child like this in my name welcomes me.'" (Matthew
"I tell you the truth, no one
can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those
who mourn, for they will be comforted ... Blessed are
those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." (Matthew
"If you wish to be perfect,
go sell your possessions, and give the money to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." (Matthew
"But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
you treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew
"But seek first his Kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well." (Matthew
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for
fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went
away and sold everything he had and bought it." (Matthew
Jesus affirms that
love is the way to eternal life:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood
up to test Jesus.
"Teacher," he
asked, "what must I do to
inherit eternal
"What is written in the Law?" he replied.
"How do you read it?"
He answered: "Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength
and with all your mind and,
your neighbor as yourself."
"You have answered
correctly," Jesus replied. "Do
this and you will live."
"Eternal life means no more death. Attaining
unconditional love is the way to overcome the cycle
of birth and death." (Kevin
"The best
way to get to heaven is to take it with
- Henry Drummond
Return to NDE Research
Conclusions Main Page |


text:
Ready for a quirky admission: I read Gawker, the slightly tawdry, pseudo-news site with the subtitle, "Today's Gossip is Tomorrow's News," almost every night.
I know. I know. Gawker is nothing more than reality TV for the Web, and I'm probably frying brain cells every time that I waste my time there.
But a few weeks back, I stumbled across an article that actually has me thinking about our nation's efforts to recruit and retain teachers.
Titled "Texas Kindergarten Teacher Ruins Christmas," it tells the story of a teacher who outed Santa as a fraud to her 5-year-olds after one of her students drew Santa in the "real" section of an assignment that asked kids to sort objects into real and imaginary columns.
Now don't get me wrong: I can't BELIEVE that a kindergarten teacher would ever out Santa Claus. Sure, he's not real. Sure, kids will eventually figure that out. (read more…)
As part of my work this year, I'm trying to unpack and illustrate the idea of the needs-fulfilling classroom.
The needs-fulfilling classroom is a place in which both the teacher and students feel empowered to learn together and from one another. It is an inquiry-driven place. Students follow their own curiosities into content, and teachers follow their students into learning. Insomuch as the teacher "teaches," she does so by observing students at mental play. By doing so, she learns how her students self-organize intellectually as well as socially.
How students behave — and what they create — when given the freedom to learn provides much more useful information to the teacher about her students and their learning than any set of monocultural, text-based assessments ever can.
Because the teacher in the needs-fulfilling classroom doesn't deny students the opportunity to play with, remix, and/or — at times — ignore class content, she is better able to meet students other needs than a teacher in a traditional, needs-denying classroom can. (read more…)
SmartBlog on Education has explored a wide range of topics since its launch in June — the standardized testing debate, technology innovation, professional development for teachers and much more.
We are privileged to work with great writers who bring you reliable, educator-focused content. We also are thankful for our readers who regularly read our blogs, share their thoughts and pass along posts they value to other professionals.
Here's a look at our ten most-tweeted education posts of 2012.
1. Are kids really motivated by technology?
As a guy who delivers two-day #edtech workshops during my breaks from full-time classroom teaching, I'm often asked the same questions again and again: How can teachers use technology to motivate students? What digital tools do kids like best? (read more…)
2. What is a 21st-century teacher?
People toss around terms in education and attach the words "21st century" to appear cutting edge or on the front end of trending ideas. (read more…)
Scene: 1950s & 60s. UC Berkley. Laboratory of Dr. Mark Rosenzweig
Study: Environmental therapy and its effects on brain development and plasticity
Subjects: Rats
Environment: Mark Rosenzweig and his colleagues raised one group of rats in a sensory-limited environment. (Read as: Extreme deprivation. The human equivalent? Raising a child by leaving them under the stairwell.) Another group was raised in an "enriched environment." (Read as: Caged with tunnels, ladders, wheels and other such "toys." The human equivalent? Raising kids inside with stuff from the store.)
Findings: Rats in the "enriched environment" were more successful at navigating mazes than the rats in the "impoverished" environment. Essentially, they dominated at the rat equivalent of the IQ test.
Legacy: Because of his research, Dr. Rosenzweig is considered among the pioneers of modern neuroscience. More importantly though, he is considered practically a saint by people who want you to buy heaps of their products for your kids' brains. (read more…)
I was extremely fortunate to be hired as a third-grade teacher fresh out of Penn State University in 2000 by principal Maureen Cheever at Hubbard Woods School in Winnetka, Ill. Before I met her, I had never envisioned myself as a school principal. From the moment I joined the Hubbard Woods team, her leadership both inspired and pushed me to demand more of myself and those around me. I knew she had high expectations for me from the moment I walked into my role as a new and inexperienced teacher.
Cheever continues to be my living definition of a servant leader. Every day and above everything else, she found ways to put me in a position to be the best teacher I could be. She was invested in me and groomed me as an educator and leader. I vividly recall her spending her days visiting classrooms, giving credit to students, staff and parents and encouraging the best progressive education for our children. (read more…)


text:
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in Fruit & veg
Hi, we have been given 4 different apple trees and 1 pear tree , is it ok to plant them close to each other? do we need to get a second pear tree to aid pollination? thanks Janet
Do you know what varieties you have and what rootstocks they're grafted on to?
We have 3 Braeburn apples trees, 1 conference pear tree, look about 2-3 years old, in pots. came from a house clearance and hopefully will survive being planted out, no other information I'm afraid
We bought apple/pear trees from Ashridge trees a couple of years ago - they have a great website where you can check out which varieties you need to pollinate which.
We have a pear "Beth" to go with our Conference - don't know about Braeburns, but I'm sure this website will help you out.
Just checked out the website (to make sure I hadn't given you duff info!) - and it is still all there. Your Braeburns are from Group E, so you will need to choose another variety that is D,E or F to go with it.
I think the other alternative is to plant a crab apple, which will pollinate anything.
This site has a list of suitable pollinators for Braeburn http://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/pollinationchecker.aspx?v=1008 . Braeburn self fertile and will fruit without cross-pollination but yield will be heavier with a suitable tree nearby.
Conference is also self-fertile - the same website describes it as 'genuinely self fertile' and says that it does not need cross-pollination, and that has been my experience.
As for distance apart, without knowing which rootstock they're grafted onto we can't tell how large they will grow. Have a look here http://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/articles/fruit-tree-spacing-guide - I think I'd assume they're on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks.
If they are on dwarf root stock then you can leave them in pots and just add a good quality feed every few months during the growing season. You can also feet tomato feed once a week when the fruit are starting to swell if you keep them in their pots. I have cherry, apple and plum trees in pots that are approx 5 years old and they gave a good crop last year and as they were in pots I could move them around the garden when we had the hevey wind and rain last year.
Thanks for the comments and advice, has been very useful especially with the web sites suggested.


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Life & Style
UNITED STATES—Every New Year so many of us make promises to tackle resolutions that we'd like to conquer. Rather it's to lose weight, to stop smoking, drinking, swearing, getting finances intact or some other goal. Why is it so difficult to keep those resolutions that we set? Its pressure, we're constantly fighting to resist that temptation. It's something we have to constantly think about each day. Can we fight that urge to grab that bag of potato chips? Do we have the energy to get on that treadmill and run for an hour? Someone is smoking around me and I've just gone cold turkey, however will I resist?
The plan with any resolution is to look at it as a lifestyle change. Don't look at it as something temporary, because if it's short-lived it's likely to stay that way. Another approach to ensure that you keep your resolution intact is to keep a journal. Sometimes writing your thoughts down can be therapeutic for some. Use something as a motivator to keep yourself striving towards accomplishing your goal. You can choose to do rewards daily, weekly or monthly. Whatever choice you make, ensure that you treat yourself for a job well done.
If you happen to slip off the wagon do not completely give up. There is still an opportunity for you to get back on the wagon and strive to complete your resolution. People have relapses, its apart of life, so push through it, never just cave in and give up. Keep your distance from people who may be entertaining a habit that you are attempting to kick. If you're attempting to stop smoking it's not good to socialize around those that are smoking or if you're not drinking alcohol this year, visiting the nightclub or places where alcohol is readily available is never a good idea.
I've recently kicked the habit of not drinking any carbonated drinks, particularly soda or pop depending on the region that you live in. I'll be the first to admit it; it's been a daunting task. Particularly because those cravings pop up every so often, especially when I have an arduous work day. A glass of soda relaxes me, but also re-energizes me to finish my work. So my new best friend has become water. Yes, water. As much as I hate water, it's so refreshing for the body and my mindset. I feel good knowing that I'm putting something into my body that is good for me versus something that is quite harmful. As long as I keep this habit going, I shouldn't have any trouble not having pop the rest of the year.
Another tactic to ensure that your resolution stays in tact is to surround yourself around positive energy. Dismiss those negative people who are making jokes about your resolution and how difficult it's going to be to keep that resolution in tact.
The key to accomplishing any resolution or resolutions that you set is to remind yourself of what it is you want to accomplish, but set realistic goals for yourself. Never set goals so high that they're unattainable to accomplish. Things should be done in baby steps. Slowly, but surely those baby steps help to push you that much closer to your goal. If it's something you truly want, nothing will stop you from conquering it.
© Copyright 2007 by canyon-news.com


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121 Public Square, Suite 10
Troy, OH 45373
Phone: (937) 335-1210
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bottleno.121
Exciting new way to purchase craft beer and fine wines! Bottle No. 121 is now open in the Historical Downtown Troy Ohio. Miami Valley's most unique purchasing experience for craft beer and fine wines.
The shop is located at 121 Public Square, Suite 10. It is the brainchild of co-owners Brian Heggs and Mallorie Brinkman of Piqua, who describe Bottle No. 121 as an "upscale retail carry-out" that offers "the finest selection of craft beer, fine wine, gourmet foods, and unique gift ideas in a very cosmopolitan atmosphere," the co-owners said. The beer menu includes a "constantly changing inventory of seasonal brews, currently unavailable in the Miami/Shelby county area," the owners said.
For more information and to keep tabs on the shop's progress & events, check out the Bottle No. 121 Facebook page.


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Low AC battery & DSLR?
Posted 11 March 2013 - 10:29 AM
With what I though was a charged powerpack, I did some solar observing during the day, then set it up for imaging. I polar aligned and got a single good frame, and then my camera started giving me garbled pictures. Then it began shutting down intermittently.
I'm thinking it was a dead/dying battery, but it was suggested that it could also be a bad cable. I did run all of my wires through my mount in the meantime.
Has anyone who had a battery die have the DSLR start giving garbled pictures then shutdown intermittently? This is using an AC adapter & Duracell powerpack. I did test the cable and couldn't reproduce the problem.
Posted 11 March 2013 - 12:18 PM
Posted 11 March 2013 - 12:28 PM
I did order two replacement cables, but I'm just wondering if my power supply isn't going bad. My mount did stop slewing on a goto command the first night. That's usually power I think.
Posted 11 March 2013 - 12:56 PM
I purchased one in the past 6 months, had trouble with it holding a charge and turned out in was manufactured 3 years previous to my purchasing it. Looked at a second brand new one and it was the same date of manufacture... 3 years without being charged will greatly reduce the capacity of the battery...
Add to this the use of it to power an AC adapter and you are putting a heavier load on it than using all DC powered only devices. The process of changing a low(12 Volt) battery voltage to 110 VAC and then back to a low 7-8 VDC for the camera is only about 45%-50% efficient and probably consumes more of your battery capacity than any other single device you might use while imaging with the exception of a Laptop...
Get a 12VDC adapter for your camera, one source is Astronomiser: http://www.astronomi.../canonpower.htm
Posted 11 March 2013 - 01:46 PM
I knew the AC adapter was inefficient, but I figured with 27Ah, I had more then enough power. Now I'm not so sure, and I plan on adding dew heaters, focusers, and other power consumers.
Just by the numbers, I cannot find a better power supply then the Duracell, but I have seen complaints of them dying early. And it appears the battery isn't replaceable.
Posted 11 March 2013 - 02:10 PM
I purchased it in November of 09 and it was manufactured in July of that year. I have kept it plugged in charging when not in use, but maybe I'm hitting the end of it lifetime?
I knew the AC adapter was inefficient, but I figured with 27Ah, I had more then enough power. Now I'm not so sure, and I plan on adding dew heaters, focusers, and other power consumers.
Just by the numbers, I cannot find a better power supply then the Duracell, but I have seen complaints of them dying early. And it appears the battery isn't replaceable.
Posted 11 March 2013 - 03:10 PM
One of my complaints with Duracell is that there was no technical documentation supplied. I have no idea if the internal charger circuit has a float charge feature. If it does, then leaving it plugged in charging is OK, if the built in charger circuit is a continuous output voltage with no foldback, then, yes, you will greatly affect the life of the battery leaving it charged in all the time...
With a proper foldback charger circuit, if you do leave it plugged in charging all the time when you are not using it, tha battery may last many years. I have a diesel tractor battery still in use that was purchased in 2001 however I use a BatteryMINDer(brand) fold back charger on it that gets plugged in when the tractor is not in use. One needs this type of charger when living in New England and the tractor is only used for firewood cutting/hauling on a seasonal basis or snow removal in the winter... In 11 years it has never failed to start however this year the tractor will be getting a new battery as the original is getting pretty tired... I also charge the Duracell Jumpstart units with a BatteryMINDer charger but I only charge them once a month when not being used, and only leave them on charge for two or three days at a time.
I do think a AGM deepcycle battery is a wiser choice. If you shop around you will find them with built in carry straps, I have two Deka AGM deep cycle batteries in my RV trailer that are about 5 years old and still in excellent operating condition... A Deka AGM deep cycle 33 AH will be my next portable mount power source...
Posted 11 March 2013 - 10:37 PM
Now, I'm wondering whether I can replace the battery. I found one online, but the manufacture specs say the battery isn't replaceable.
If it's not, I'll look into building something with a nice battery, a powered USB hub, AC and DC. A cheap toolbox would probably do.
Posted 12 March 2013 - 02:35 AM
More than three years on the battery?
It's the battery going bad.
Just go to Walmart and buy a 75 amp hour deep-cycle marine battery. NOT a starter battery!
Posted 12 March 2013 - 02:45 PM
My 17AH AGM battery will run the astro gear for an evening so I figure that I'll get at least three nights from the deep cycle battery. The bigger marine battery will also let me power my laptop using the 12V DC supply I purchased for it some time ago.


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In the midst of seeing the dark side of man we frequently find those who are moved to help those victimized.
That is what happened when Pro Tech Energy officials of Acton, Mass., read about a West Springfield family with a son fighting leukemia. The family was one of hundreds in Connecticut and Massachusetts who prepaid for wood heating pellets from New England Pellets of Enfield but never got their order.
Kelly Reynolds of the firm emailed me after reading about the family on my blog and asked me to help contact them so the firm could donate some of its supplies.
"As a parent, I feel for every person trying to provide for their family who was taken in by these folks, Reynolds wrote me.
"Could you forward contact info for Joanna and Tom? Our company would like to donate a ton of pellets, delivered, to help them out. We would like to help everyone if we could, but financially cannot - those in need tug at our heartstrings and are harder to refuse."
Last weekend four tons of pellets (they were able to find three other tons), worth in excess of $1,000 was delivered to the grateful Guindons.
Thankfully there are more Reynolds in this world than there are New England Pellet owners.


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Bravo, NPR!
Instead of focusing on reporting the truth, too many news outlets have decided their job is to tell the competing sides of any given story, no matter how unsupported by the facts one side may be.
In a positive move, National Public Radio issued new editorial guidelines rejecting this false balance. Disavowing the worst excesses of "he said, she said" journalism, NPR's new code of ethics states that "if the balance of evidence in a matter of controversy weighs heavily on one side, we acknowledge it in our reports." This is an important step to curing what has become an endemic plague of false fairness in American journalism.
Please, sign the petition below thanking NPR for this decision. We will send them the signatures:
Too many news organizations have decided their job is simply to present two competing viewpoints on any given story. Bravo for rejecting this in principle, and we look forward to you following through in practice.
48677 total signers.
© Kos Media, LLC
"Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC
Privacy Policy


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Sharing the VISION with Digital Photography
Riddle, Johanna, Multimedia & Internet@Schools
SEVERAL years ago, I entered my school media center with the goals of creating an environment that would cultivate lifelong love of learning and include everyone in the process. I wanted to keep students excited about learning, parents encouraged about participating, and teachers feeling supported and appreciated. In AASL's "Information Power," it said it could and should be done, and I believed it! New to the field of media education, I brought with me experience as an art teacher, a museum educator, and gifted and talented enrichment teacher.
Devising Strategies for Active Learning
Because I have always worked and taught in an "active learning" environment, I sought to find ways to continue that philosophy in the areas most commonly addressed in school media centers: literature, research, and technology. I found that most of the teaching strategies, tools, and resources in the media center were directed at the linguistic and auditory learner. In order to involve everyone, I resolved to create ways of experiencing learning that addressed multiple modalities.
Mass media has bred a generation of "image readers" who must quickly interpret and inference a range of images and icons (an increasingly essential skill), and I felt it vital to teach my children to include, to interpret, and to create communicative imagery their work. Digital photography would address the styles of visual and kinesthetic learners, meet an important communicative need for all learners, and involve ordinary learners in extraordinary learning experiences.
Teaching in a rural, public elementary school, I had the advantages of a small and stable student population. The community took deep interest in its school and children. I worked with a technology-friendly administrator (also new to the school) who supported bringing technology usage and curriculum together in meaningful ways. It was up to me to create strategies to accomplish this! On the downside, I worked with a very small annual budget. I had little experience with technology. Outside the use of learning game software and interschool e-mail, technology integration was not a part of the consciousness of my larger learning community.
Now What?
I began to climb a steep learning curve through district-sponsored workshops, independent studies, participation in conferences, tutoring and advising from my techo-sawy teenage son, and much time spent in playful learning. I worked with the tools I had available: six networked computers; a scanner; a digital camera; and software that included Microsoft's PowerPoint, Word, and PhotoEditor, and CorelPaint. (Later, I would add a second camera, an upgraded scanner, a color printer, and a CD burner to my media collection, along with Adobe Photoshop Elements software.)
I decided to become comfortable with the reality of learning alongside students, parents, and teachers. After all, I didn't have to know all, be all, and do all-and who can, in the face of our ever-changing technological world? I just had to be willing to participate in the journey.
From Acrostic Poems ...
We began. One of our first forays integrated thesaurus skills, PowerPoint, and Word software with digital photography. Because time and resources were limited, the activity was broken into several learning sessions. Each student was asked to create an acrostic poem based on his or her first name and bring it to the media center. After a demonstration, half of the grade class buddied up and shot digital portraits. The other half were challenged to use a text or visual thesaurus to find interesting synonyms for the words they had chosen for their acrostic.
During the next session, teams reversed tasks. In small group sessions, students used PowerPoint, typing each word of their edited poem in a different font, typestyle, and color, and, finally, importing their digital image into the finished background of the poem. Slides were linked and looped to form revolving, and very popular, screensavers. …


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The Adventurer's Handbook
30 Crucial Skills, Nifty Tips, and Shameless Shortcuts
How to Predict the Weather
You don't, says mountaineering guide Dave Hahn. A veteran of such weathery places as the Alaska Range, Antarctica's Vinson Massif, and Washington's Mount Rainier, Hahn believes in the empirical school of field meteorology.
"Observations," he says, "are worth billions more than predictions." For example, Hahn says forget the fact that electrical storms are rare on the Seattle side of the Cascades in summer: "Trust the short hairs standing up on the back of your neck and the sparks flying from your ice ax."
In other words, don't let predictions of fair weather lure you into ignoring the storm clouds gathering overhead. Hahn is proud of his ability to notice weather changes "at the instant they occur." Which is a more valuable skill than it may appear, since the importance of assessing conditions is easily forgotten in the heat of battle.
"There is nothing like a view of a summit to make one see silver linings around pure evil storm cells," he says. "Even seasoned climbers will come up to you during perfectly awful, avalanche-inducing, frostbiting, epic-book-writing weather and point up and say, Isn't that blue sky up there?' Yeah, too bad we aren't climbing to 60,000 feet [18,300 meters], or we could use it."
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January/February 2002: