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For many years now we've been studying 2 Corinthians. And we did have a few interruptions, one whole year of interruptions when we were dealing with the anatomy of the church. And we have finally come to what is my favorite section in this whole epistle, chapter 12 verses 5 to 10. I've been waiting for a long, long time to get to this passage and I'm so thrilled at what is here. I actually am struggling in my heart to say it all. I feel like I have far too much to say than I can say and I'm afraid it might just come rambling out in some random fashion without enough structure for you to be able to grasp it, so I'm going to go slowly and hope we can stay contained in this wonderful text.
Now having said that I will admit we're not going to get very far into it this morning because I want to lay some ground work. Some of the things I say will be repetitious but I want you to understand that I really believe in the future the messages that I give on this portion here will be a self-contained unit that will go far and wide. You know that what I preach here winds up going out on radio all across the world and winds up on tapes in various places, but I'm quite sure this is going to have a very important place in the future in regard to our ministry of teaching God's Word because it deals with something that is absolutely universal. It isn't because the oratory is at all notable, it isn't because of anything particular that I might say, it is because of the nature of this text that addresses the universality of human trouble. As it says in the Bible, "Man is born unto trouble," as Jesus said, "In the world you will have trouble." It just goes with life. Whether you're rich or poor, you have trouble. That's just the way it is. We are fallen creatures and we live in a fallen world. Sin has dealt us a near-fatal blow. Personally it is dealt our universe a near-fatal blow. We are personally unable to extract ourselves from a universe of trouble, fallen people in a fallen world. Emotional trouble, marital trouble, domestic trouble, physical trouble, economic trouble, it just goes on and on. And it's...it's a part of life. We're usually in or just emerging from or anticipating trouble. That's how it is in this world.
Now there are a lot of ways that we can talk about trouble and how we deal with it and what God intends to accomplish in our lives through it. But I don't think there's any better passage than this. And we're going to see that as we go through it. And the reason this is such a formidable passage dealing with trouble is because in it we meet a man, namely the apostle Paul, who is, I believe, experiencing the deepest pain of his life. Apart from the remorse over his own sin, apart from that trouble which we inflict upon ourselves because of our own iniquities, apart from personal shame, personal guilt, personal anguish over personal sin which he had already dealt with by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, this is, I believe, Paul at the depth of human pain. And so this is where you're going to learn the most about how to handle the severest trouble. I don't think there's any passage in Scripture better able to teach us the purposes of God that unfold in our trials.
Now this, I believe, was Paul's deepest pain because I believe the deepest pain we ever feel is inflicted on us by other people. You can talk about physical problems. You can talk about economic problems. You can talk about the problems of life that come and go in just the normal circumstantial difficulties and they bring us a certain measure of trouble, a certain measure of pain, a certain measure of suffering and anxiety and things like that, but nothing is as painful as the suffering that we endure at the hands of people. And the closer we are to them, the more intimately involved with them, the more we arm them with an arsenal to inflict pain on us. We all know that.
A few summers ago I was reading the biography of Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was probably the greatest theologian America has ever known. Some would say he's one of the three greatest writers America has ever known in any field of endeavor in writing. He was a genius. He had an immense mind. He had a vast grasp of theology, brilliant in his ability to articulate that both with pen and voice. Jonathan Edwards is known in American history as the great theologian of the Great Awakening, the Great American Revival. It was he that God used to preach those years of the Great Awakening to turn the hearts of thousands from sin to the Savior. His sermons are so profound that they're still read for their profundity. His books are still read because of their theological value.
But Jonathan Edwards though known as a great theologian and a great mind and a great writer and a great, great preacher was by definition a pastor. And he pastored a church in North Hampton, Massachusetts for 22 years. And it was during those 22 years that the Great Awakening occurred so he was pastoring right through the Great Awakening and basically preaching to his own people week in and week out these profound messages, powerful messages, life changing, nation changing messages. Twenty-two years those people came Sunday after Sunday and sat at the feet of Jonathan Edwards.
At the end of the 22 years the church voted to remove him as pastor, kick him out of the church. And they did it. They took the greatest preacher in American history, certainly one of the godliest men the world knew at the time, and they threw him out of the church. And they did it not because he deviated in any pattern in his life and became less than a model of Christian virtue, not because he somehow fell off into some heretical viewpoint, not because he became cantankerous and bitter and maybe hostile toward his people. No. They put him out of the church because he insisted that before a person could join the church and take the Lord's table, he should have made a public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Pretty basic, and for that the people who had sat at his feet for 22 years threw him out of the church.
You conclude from that that some of them hadn't been listening for a long time. Sin can be very obstinate. Here was this great preacher without a pulpit and they wanted to make sure he didn't get one so they destroyed his reputation everywhere so that no other church would take him. And they lied about him. The people to whom he had given most of his life, 22 years of intense study, 22 years of passionate preaching and pastoral care did everything to destroy him that in the end no church would take him and he was given an assignment to be a missionary to about fifteen Indians, to which he spent the rest of his life communicating the gospel in about second-grade terms.
Eventually there was a school in New Jersey called, "The College of New Jersey," which later became Princeton University. The College of New Jersey remembering the greatness of the man in the past invited him to be the president and he refused. Such a humble and broken man he felt himself utterly inadequate and unqualified for such a responsibility. He had become so meek in his mission work that he didn't feel himself worthy. He repeatedly refused and finally they almost forced him to take it. He took the responsibility, became that president. Within six months was in heaven.
It was just, to me, unthinkable that a congregation of people could do what they did to that man. He was a broken and humbled man for the remaining years of his life. It reminded me of one day when I was in London and a friend said, "I want to take you to the tomb of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, it's kind of hard to find but I think you'd enjoy seeing it." So we wandered through the typical London traffic and went through some little neighborhood streets and finally found our way to a cemetery and went into the cemetery and started hunting around for Charles Haddon Spurgeon's tomb. We finally found it in an obscure place, basically in the back of some warehouse, just sort of stuck there. And I was reminded that Charles Spurgeon is a forgotten man in England but there was a time when he was the greatest preacher in the world and some would say he still is because the best preachers are still preaching his stuff.
He was a great man, a great mind. He built the largest Baptist church in the world in London. Every ship that left London for the years of his ministry, they said, took his sermons and dispersed them worldwide. God used him in an incredible way. It was said that his church was to packed and could seat 4,000 people, it was so packed that sometimes he would just ask all the people inside to go out, all the four thousand inside could go out so that the four thousand outside could come in and sit for a change. And he preached and he preached and God blessed him.
The Baptist Union had a meeting and they decided to vote him out of the union. They wanted to get rid of him because he stood so truly for the Word of God. They took a vote and it was hundreds and hundreds of votes against him, and a handful for him. It's amazing the pain that friends can inflict. He was crushed, Spurgeon was. Went to the south of France, lost his health, never was the same again.
The potential to devastate people is great when you're close to them. I remember years ago I think I had been at the church six or seven years, I walked into a staff meeting, maybe more, maybe ten years, I walked into a staff meeting...it's good that I can't remember, isn't it?...and I said...I said, "I just want to tell you guys," these are the pastoral guys that I discipled and nurtured and kind of brought up to serve along with me, I said, "I just want you to know how much I love you guys and how grateful I am that you're my friends." And immediately one of them said, "If you think we're your friends, you've got another think coming, buddy." And a mutiny occurred at that moment and they basically attacked me and all left. I was stunned, to put it mildly. I didn't know if I could recover. I didn't understand it. I was devastated. I was shaken.
Each one of those men in the years since has come back and sought restoration and forgiveness and every one of them to a man has confessed they didn't even know why that ever happened. There was no reason.
I speak many times in many places. One of the places I speak often is the great Moody Church of Chicago, right in the middle of downtown Chicago is the Moody Church, seats about forty-five hundred. It's always packed for the great founders week and I had the opportunity to go there on many occasions and speak and it's a joy to do that in that great city. I had been sick this occasion, a few years back, in fact I had gotten stuck in one of those really old motels. And I was sick for three days and I know it was old because it had orange shag carpet, so you know it hadn't been refurbished...it hadn't been refurbished in a long, long time. I'm sitting in this...this dank old place somewhere in Indiana sick as I can be and I have to prepare this message to give at the Moody thing. And I'm feeling weak and I'm not feeling well and I'm just asking the Lord to help me and just give me the strength to do this. And I finally get...somebody drives me up to Chicago and I get there and I approach the great auditorium in the evening to preach and it's in the middle of winter that founders week occurs, and so it's February and it's very cold and all these people are hurrying into this great church to fill it up. And I come in, and as I go toward the door a gentleman hands me a piece of paper, and I notice every one is getting them that goes in. And I took it and said, "Thank you." And I looked at it and it said, "The heresies of John MacArthur." And I immediately thought, "Well I certainly ought to know what they are," I mean, the heresies of John MacArthur. I got in and I looked around the audience and I realized every single person in there had them. There was...it was an all-out attack on me by a man whom I knew to whom I had given a very special gift and consideration in providing the opportunity for his son to go to the Master's College, provided a scholarship for him.
And you ask yourself...why...why do people do that? You ...you expect the best and so you pour your life into people and you get as close as you can to them and your love is genuine and they have the potential to inflict on you deep pain...deep pain.
I would remind you as married couples, you have the potential to inflict the deepest pain on your partner because your partner loves you. And typically it's true that married couples talk to each other worse than other people talk to each other. I guess you think it doesn't hurt, but it does. Your children have an immense capability to inflict pain on you, don't you...don't they, because you have invested so much love in them as well as to bring you such joy and exhilaration.
The deepest pain in life is inflicted by those for whom we care the most and that is exactly what Paul was going through when he wrote 2 Corinthians. He loved that church greatly. He had an immense capacity to love people and he had loved them into the Kingdom. He'd love to them with the gospel, he'd love them right into salvation, as it were, and then he had nurtured them and taught them. And then the false teachers came into the Corinthian church, as you know, and started lying about him and discrediting him. And they passed out their little papers that said the heresies of Paul, and the people all bought it. They all believed it. And he was just devastated. He was depressed.
It was in that very pain that we really find out how to deal with trouble. And that's why this passage is so critical. We resent the suffering and we resent the pain and it isn't pleasant until we understand what God is accomplishing by it. I might be so bold as to say this, but I have learned in my life that the greatest time of spiritual development for me are in the greatest times of pain. I've learned to embrace the pain because I can see in it the hand of God. No text of Scripture more powerfully unfolds the purpose of God in our pain than this text before us. That's why it's so important for me to take my time going through this because I want it to be so helpful to you and to many others.
Now this is one of the most powerful texts in the Bible and it is set like a diamond in a setting that is also very special. The setting is 2 Corinthians 10 to 13, that passage may be the most emotionally charged passage Paul ever wrote. And we've been going through it so you know that. So here in this emotionally-charged passage is set the jewel of this tremendous text that shows us what God is endeavoring to accomplish in our suffering. Here Paul lays his heart wide open. His integrity, his character, his virtue, his honesty have been called into question by his enemies. His love and loyalty have been assaulted. His leadership, his wisdom have been questioned and undermined. His motives misrepresented as wicked and selfish. And it hurts.
Paul knew about suffering. You remember back in chapter 11, he knew about what it was to be shipwrecked and to spend 24 hours floating around in the deep hanging on to some piece of wreckage. He knew what it was to be whipped five times with 39 lashes. He knew what it was to be three times beaten with rods. He knew what it was to be in jail. He knew what it was to be stoned and left for dead. He knew all about physical suffering.
But this was worse because, you see, even beyond the physical suffering, chapter 11 he says, "There's the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches." What concerned him more than his physical pain was the emotional pain that was inflicted upon him when things didn't go well in the church because he was so devoted to them. He says in verse 29 of chapter 11, "When they're weak, I'm weak. When they're led into sin, it becomes my...it becomes a fire in my heart, it burns me." He was so involved with his people. I mean, he knew what it was to be in a stinking filthy jail. He knew what it was to eat the putrid food of people who are incarcerated in that time. He knew what it was to be put into stocks and stocks in those days you didn't just hang your hands through and your feet like this, they were stretched to the extremity and put in the farthest possible position and held there with the muscles taut and the legs in the same position and left for days like that. He knew what it was to suffer physically.
But no suffering was as severe to him as the care of the churches. When the church was weak, he felt the weakness in his own heart. He empathized so deeply with them. And when they were led into sin, he burned inside. People inflict the greatest pain. They can disappoint. They can reject. They can abuse. They can fail. They can wound. They can betray. They can turn on the one who loves them the most. And the deepest griefs in life they will inflict. No disease is as painful as false accusation or rejection or misrepresentation or hated or betrayal.
So here is Paul then in the midst of this deep trauma of betrayal. And we would expect in the deepest pain that we would learn the greatest lessons that could apply to any lesser pain. And that is exactly the case. Here is a man in the agony of being unloved, unappreciated, untrusted, his affection is called hypocrisy, his love is unrequited. It is a very, very painful time. And he focuses on it starting in chapter 12 verse 5. "On behalf of such a man will I boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast except in regard to my weaknesses, for if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish for I shall be speaking the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may credit me with more than he sees in me or hears in me. And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason to keep me from exalting myself there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me to keep me from exalting myself. Concerning this, I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me and He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me, therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties for Christ's sake for when I am weak, then I am strong."
Obviously Paul found his strength in the midst of his deepest pain. That's what we're going to learn about in this text. There's so much here. This is so rich. I wish we had three hours in a row to just go right through it. I'm going to have to ask you to try to file these things in your mind so that you have them captive as we'll have to pick this up next week, and maybe even one more time.
When a faithful man, a faithful woman, invests a whole life and all energy and love and affection and everything they have sacrificially into someone else and they turn on them, that's a crushing experience. And that's exactly what Paul was going through.
Now he defines his trouble in verse 7, and we're going to look at this and this is probably about as far as we're going to go, but let's look at it. Let's look at how he defines his trouble. Verse 7, in the middle of the text, and the rest of the text we'll talk about and how it expands on this. But starting in verse 7 he says, "There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me." Now this is very, very important.
Now there has been an awful lot of discussion about this passage of Scripture because it's kind of a unique one. Paul says, "There was given me a thorn in the flesh," and people say..."Wow, that's...that's an interesting metaphor, but what is he talking about here?" And you can read, I'm telling you, you can read ad infinitum ad nauseam and you will get endless viewpoints of what this is. It amazes me. In fact, I guess I had forgotten how many viewpoints there are so I spent some time this week just looking up what everybody says about this. What was bothering Paul? What was his thorn in the flesh?
Here are those things that have been suggested. This is a compiled list. That the thorn was headaches, carnal lusts...these are various options from various writers. Carnal lust, that is he was battling with some...some lust that he couldn't control, ophthalmia, eye problem, epilepsy, malaria, malta-fever, loss of hair...it's a problem, but I don't think it reaches quite these proportions...hysteria, hypochondria, gallstones, gout, rheumatism, sciatica, gastritis, leprosy, lice in the head, which is not a problem if loss of hair is the problem, deafness, dental infection, neurasthenia, stuttering, etc. Wow. And you know as well as I do that if speculation about this is that wide, they're all wrong.
I mean, if there's not information in the text to nail it down and you can go from that range...from one end of that range to the other end, you know they're all just grabbing air. The list alone cancels itself out.
What is he talking about here? What is this thing called a thorn in the flesh? Well...well, let's break it down a little bit. The word "thorn" for example, the word thorn is not confined to the meaning of a thorn on a rose bush. When you think of a thorn you immediately think of a little thorn on a rose bush. You're out there cutting the roses, or you're putting them in the little jar, or whatever, with the water, and one of them pricks you...look, Paul is not saying that the deepest pain of his life, the greatest agony of his life, this tremendous thing that he's going through is like sticking his finger with a thorn on a rose. That's trivial. That isn't what he's talking about. He's not saying, "I had so many revelations, so many visions and the Lord had to humble me and the Lord had to make me weak and I prayed that...so the Lord stuck me with a little thing right here on my hand. I don't think so. Whatever this is, it's a lot bigger than that. In fact, the word literally means a stake...s-t-a-k-e. It's talking about a long shaft of wood sharpened at the end like a pencil, used for the express purpose of either making a fence or impaling someone. Such stakes were used literally to drive right through someone's chest. That's what he's talking about...a sharpened wooden shaft to impale someone. He said, "I'm going through some right now that is like having a stake driven right through me."
Now he defines exactly where this thing is going, a thorn in the flesh, it says in the NAS, but the Greek says, not "in" but "for" the flesh...a thorn for the flesh. Now if you study the writings of the apostle Paul you know that he gives a very clear meaning to the word "flesh." He talks about it in Romans 7, "Flesh is his unredeemed humanness. Flesh is his sinful tendency." Even though he is a new creature in Christ, even though he's a new inner man, that new inner man recreated in Christ, that new life is incarcerated in unredeemed humanness and therein lies the spiritual struggle. And you know what happens? The flesh rises up and demands its moment in the sun and demands its way and so the flesh then, that unredeemed humanness, not just your physical body, but all your impulses that are sinful, all the propensities that are sinful, that becomes the beachhead where temptation lands. He had natural human impulses and propensities. And the Lord was using this tremendous suffering literally to impale his otherwise proud flesh.
In fact, it says, "There was given me," and I think it's only fair to conclude, "There was given me," has to mean God allowed this. After all, verse 8 it says, "Concerning this I entreated the Lord." He went immediately to the Lord to ask the Lord to remove it so it was pretty obvious that the Lord had allowed it. I don't think he's talking about anything physical here. All the physical things were over back there in chapter 11 verse 27 and then he moved beyond those to talk about his care for the church. I don't think he's talking about some physical pain, some disease, some illness whether it would be a serious illness or a rather trivial one, or some have suggested, or anything in between. I don't think that the idea is physical, I think it makes it very clear something is by the purposes of God literally being rammed right through his sinful tendencies.
You say, "What's he talking about?" Well he tells you right there in verse 7, we'll say about this less time...next time, to keep me from...what?...exalting myself. The man had been to heaven, folks, the man had been to heaven and back. That's enough to exalt anybody. The man had planted churches all over everywhere. His success was beyond imagination. Everywhere he went two things started, a church and a riot. He was beloved by everybody. He was the spiritual father, grandfather, or uncle of everybody that was converted in the Gentile world. I mean, the man's influence was staggering and he was still human. And there were tendencies in his humanness to be proud. And God had just taken a stake and just rammed it through his otherwise proud flesh. He was going through a crushing, devastating blow.
You say, "Well that still doesn't tell me what the thorn in the flesh is?" Well it says what it is. I don't know how people can miss this. "A thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan." There it is, that is...that is the defining phrase, "A messenger of Satan."
Now the word "messenger" in the Greek is the word angelos, from which we get the word "angel" in English. So you have to do here with an angel. It refers...it always refers to a personal being. It could refer to a human being if so interpreted in Revelation 2 and 3, or it might always refer to an angelic being. In this case it is an angel not from God but from Satan. Now you give me another name for an angel from Satan. A demon...a demon is what he's talking about.
You say, "You mean the demon was the thorn?" Yeah. By the way, the Old Testament uses the term "thorn" in the Septuagint four times, three times it refers to a person. So Paul may have been borrowing on a rather traditional use of the term "thorn" to refer to a person. It's not far fetched to say that today. Don't we say that in English? You know, that person is a real thorn in my side? Well there was a person who was a...who was driving this stake right through Paul's heart.
Well, you say, "Who was the person?" Well it was a...it was a demon...it was a demon. You say, "You mean to tell me Paul had a demon?" There's nothing in the context to indicate Paul had a demon...nothing. In fact, a demon, listen carefully, a demon would not seek to humble Paul, right? A demon would seek to...what?...exalt him. A demon would not seek to drive a stake through his unredeemed flesh, a demon would seek to drive a stake through his spiritual life. No, this is not a demon in Paul, Paul was a godly man, a virtuous man. There's no physical illness mentioned here and there's no indication that Paul had a demon. What you have here, I believe, very clearly is this, the whole context is about the false teachers. And I think what Paul is saying is...Look, the whole enterprise of the false teachers who come into Corinth is basically under the influence of one of Satan's angels. And that demon, ripping and tearing up the church, God was using to drive a stake through Paul's otherwise proud flesh.
So if you have had many visions and revelations, you may have to expect some stakes to be driven through your flesh. We'll say more about that next time.
You see, what Scripture is saying is that the whole deceptive infiltration into Corinth with all its lies about Paul and with its false gospel was the work of a demon, probably a demon who had taken over the ring leader of the Corinthians conspiracy. Just to show you, go back to chapter 11 for a moment, verses 13 to 15, and this kind of sets the ground for this. Second Corinthians 11:13, "For such men are false apostles," he's talking about the false teachers who have come into Corinth, "They're false apostles, they are deceitful workers, they are disguising themselves as apostles of Christ and we shouldn't be surprised, no wonder even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." So that's what you have, some demon masquerading as an angel of light. In other words, bringing the light of truth, supposedly. Verse 15 adds, "They are disguised as servants of righteousness." They come in, they say they have the truth, the light of the truth of God. They say they are the truly righteous servants of God. And the fact is, they are false and deceitful and they are just following the path that their father, the devil, has set for them, they are disguised but they are demonic. He's simply talking here...and go back to the text...he's simply talking about the demon who was leading the whole Corinthian escapade. That's what was in his heart. Satan's demon was behind it all.
Shouldn't be surprised. You remember 1 Timothy 4? Paul writing to Timothy says, "When people fall away from the faith, it's because they pay attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." And then in verse 2, "Propagated through hypocritical liars," so you've got that sequence, as you know, doctrines of demons are basically the concoction of Satan and his kingdom of darkness to lie. You have the truth of God and you have all the lies that Satan propagates in order to confuse people, deceive them and damn them. Those demonic lies come through seducing spirits that work on hypocritical false teachers who propagate them and lead people astray. That's exactly what happened in Corinth. They were assaulting the gospel and to do that they had to assault Paul because they had to destroy his credibility so they could teach error and be accepted. It was all a hellish, demonic, satanic enterprise, as all false teaching is. This was the assault from hell.
And you know, he says this, "This thing happens," back to verse 7, "to buffet me." Buffet me...that word means torment. You say, "You mean to tell me...you mean to tell me God is tormenting Paul? God is allowing Paul to be tormented by a demon?" Exactly. We have a lot of foolish people running around today talking to demons, supposedly casting demons out, telling demons where to go and what to do and all this. And even if they could command them, and they can't, they might be trying to chase away the very ones that God had brought. Better stay out of that realm. There are times when the Lord not only uses demons to achieve His purpose in the life of a believer, but He'll even use Satan himself. You say, "You're kidding!" No I'm not. I'm not kidding at all.
You remember Job? One day Satan came into heaven, according to the book of Job, comes before God. He says, "God, You have a lot of fair weather friends, the only reason all those people are faithful to You and worship You and give You honor is because You boss them all the time, they're all rich and happy and that's why they are faithful to You. And if they weren't, they would turn on You so fast, You just hold them because You bless them."
Satan was trying to say that saving faith was fickle. Satan was an Arminian. Satan was saying, "Look...not an Armenian, for those of you who don't know what I'm saying here, it's not an Armenian, it's a brand of theology...but Satan was saying...I can break saving faith, I can destroy saving faith. Saving faith is not permanent, it doesn't last, it's...it's only good as long as You're blessing them." And God wanted to prove to Satan that saving faith was permanent, right? That those who believe are granted a faith that cannot be destroyed, no matter what we suffer, so God says, "Okay, I'll make My point, I'll show you that saving faith is permanent. See Job, My faithful, godly servant down there, go do whatever you want to him and let's see if he turns on Me."
So Satan, you can just see him licking his chops and rubbing his hands together as he exists God's presence and starts to move toward Job. He goes down and, I mean, literally all hell broke loose, devastation beyond belief. He kills all of Job's family, except his wife...and I know there were days when...well, I don't need to finish the sentence, you understand it already, I can tell...because she always had the wrong answer for everything and that was part of the suffering, you know. But anyway, then he...he kills all the...all the crops and then he kills all the animals and the guy's lost everything, absolutely everything in his whole world is gone and then he gets these terrible kind of cancerous open sores and he sitting in a pile of dirt scraping scabs off him with a broken piece of pottery. And this wealthy, prosperous, middle-eastern mogul is reduced to rubble and his faith never wavers. And he says, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
Wow, that's the stuff of real faith. And then at the end of the book after he's gone through all of this, remember some...four of his friends came to help him? Really, no help at all. As I told you some months ago, they came and they sat with him in just empathy and didn't say anything for seven days. And that was...that was the wisest thing they did. As soon as they opened their mouth, all wisdom left and they gave him bad advice for the rest of the book. So he not only had the pain of all his suffering, but he had the pain of people giving him solutions that were inaccurate. He didn't know why he was suffering, they kept telling him it was this and it was this and it was this, there's something wrong in his life, something rotten, some sin. And he knew there wasn't any sin in his life and he didn't know the reason why and all their counsel was folly. He still in the midst of all of that never wavered in his faith. And in the end when it was all over, God never told him why He did it, God never told him about the conversation with Satan, he never knew anything about the reason...he never could figure it out and in the end this is what he said, "Before all this happened I heard of You with the hearing of my ear, now my eyes seeth You and I repent in dust and ashes." "God, I've never seen You as clearly as I've seen You in my suffering and I'm sorry if I ever uttered anything that displeased You."
It was the spiritual highlight of his life. But God released Satan to prove a point. In Luke 22 our beloved apostle Peter, Jesus goes to Peter and said, "Satan desires to have you." Satan came to Jesus...and I want Peter, I'll devastate Peter. And Peter would look like a good prospect, wouldn't he? Because he...he waffled so much. So Satan said, "I want Peter." And Jesus says to Satan...to Peter, He says, "Satan desires to have you." If I were Peter I would have said, "Well You told him no, right?" And Jesus said, "Actually I told him yes. So I've turned loose Satan on you that he may sift you. You still need some refining, Peter and it's the kind of refining that only some deep suffering will produce." Satan was turned loose on him. You know the sad story of his denial, don't you? But Jesus said, "When it's over, you're going to be able to strengthen the brethren, strength will come out of this."
There are times when God releases Satan to do his own work in the life of His people. There are times when God allows demons to go in and tear up the things that we're endeavoring to do because He has a purpose that can only be accomplished by that, and that's exactly what you have here. "There was given me," and it's important to understand that the giver was God. The assault from this demon through these false teachers was from God. God had opened the way to the demonic assault. God had allowed Paul to be hit right where it hurt most. Today people think the only thing God does is send good angels and good experiences and comfortable things and prosperity and that's just not true. God will even use the kingdom of darkness, He'll use demons, He'll even use Satan himself if He needs to to accomplish His purpose.
Now God allowed Paul to have this pain of this terrible, terrible mess in the Corinthian church. Why? Because God was teaching Paul some lessons that only this could teach. Wow. In his deepest pain he learned the profoundest truths. There are five profound, life-changing lessons to be learned from the deepest suffering. And if you want to know what they are, you have to come back next week. I thought we might get to the first one, but we didn't make it. But I needed to set that ground work. Now you're going to have to remember this because I'm not gong to take the time to make a long introduction, I want to keep moving through this text. You're going to find in this what is most helpful in dealing with any suffering, any difficulty, any pain in your life. Five great lessons that God teaches us in our pain. And we'll start next week right in verse 5 to the unfolding of these lessons. Join me in prayer.
Lord, we feel like we fell short of being able to really open up this text and yet we trust that in Your providence and grace You'll overcome our shortcomings and minister to our hearts. Lord, just in what we've learned this morning we are already encouraged. You use not only Your own power and the power of Your Spirit and the power of Your Word, the accountability of other believers, the gifts of the Spirit, the ministries of the church to do Your work in us, but if You need to You'll use Satan and demons. And sometimes, Lord, what we want to avoid most, the deepest pain of life is the very point at which we learn the greatest lessons. It is in those times of great despair and confusion, pain and sorrow and suffering, questioning and anxiety that Your face becomes most clear to us. Lord, we know even as looking back at our conversion we came to Christ because we were destitute, we had nowhere else to turn. And it's still true, Lord, that we need our proud flesh humbled, we need the sufferings and the pain of life because of what it accomplishes in us, what it allows You to do. It drives us to You, it breaks our sense of self-confidence and makes us weak and then You can make us strong in Your strength. So many good things that come when we go through difficulty. We don't cherish that difficulty but we embrace it because we want to be what You would want us to be. We want to be like Job, if need be, at the end of everything You poured out more blessing than he ever had in the first place. You gave him a family and land and blessing and crops and animals. And Peter, You used him mightily at Pentecost to be the messenger to found the church and, Lord, You used Paul and You're still using him in our lives through his great epistles. You used him to plant many churches after he wrote this letter. So, Lord, we know that You unfold a purpose in our pain that we at the time maybe can't see, but so many good things happen. Prepare us for what lies ahead in this wonderful text and we'll thank You in Christ's name. Amen.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The biobed was the standard diagnostic facility available in a sickbay. Physicals, surgeries, and other medical procedures were all performed on biobeds.
Biobed types Edit
Surgical Edit
|Main surgical bed in the Galaxy-class sickbay
|Galaxy-class intensive care biobeds
The primary biobed in sickbay was designed for surgical purposes, although it was also the default bed for examinations conducted by the chief medical officer. It had various hookups for surgical equipment, and was typically covered by a large sensor cluster. Surgical beds usually had a large display for vital signs and other information adjacent to the bed. Serious surgeries usually required a larger biobed with more specialized sensors and surgical equipment. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Ethics") The biobeds were also equipped with restraining force fields. (TNG: "Time Squared")
Intensive care Edit
Other biobeds lined the perimeter of sickbay. These beds were generally used for patients under intensive care or in recovery. Information on a patients' medical status was typically displayed on a biofunction monitor at the head of the bed.
Stasis units Edit
A biobed could be modified for stasis purposes. A patient too critically injured for a starship crew to care for at present could be placed in suspended animation. They could then be revived once help arrived or a crisis situation was resolved. (TNG: "Genesis") Stasis beds could be used for other purposes as well, such as supporting a holographic chamber or a bio-temporal chamber. (VOY: "Phage", "Before and After")
OB/GYN Edit
Another type of biobed was designed for OB/GYN purposes. It was reclined and styled like a chair. It was generally used for deliveries. (TNG: "The Child") Not all starships had this type of bed available, however. The USS Voyager used a standard biobed for both children born aboard that vessel (Naomi Wildman and Miral Paris). (VOY: "Deadlock", "Endgame")
Cardassian biobed Edit
After the Kobliad Security officer Ty Kajada fell from the third level of Quark's in 2369, she was stabilized and treated on a Cardassian biobed in Deep Space 9's infirmary. (DS9: "The Passenger")


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Here are two really adorable houses for sale in River Oaks. Although the houses themselves are typical for the neighborhood, their fabulous decor is what caught my eye. As you all know, well decorated houses are a true rarity on real estate web sites, so anything that looks half-way decent is a plus. These two houses are extra plus, IMO. Their decor just speaks to me: casual, warm, linen, antiques, seagrass, slips, lanterns, mirrors – all the design elements I love. The first one has been for sale for a while so if you are from Houston and you stalk HAR, you've no doubt seen it. Why is it still for sale? Myself, I would buy it in a minute (furnished, of course!) and have trouble figuring out why no one has. I guess it's the economy, stupid. When looking at the two houses, try to imagine which one you would prefer to buy. The first one is twice the size of the second and it's kitchen is nicer. The second one's backyard is a knockout. Both are great family homes, though the second house would be a great empty-nester home too. Both have great locations, inside one of Houston's best neighborhoods.
House #1
The first house was built in 1937 and has 4700+ sq. ft. There's a downstairs gameroom, along with formals, family room, and 4-5 bedrooms, 4 full and 2 half baths. There are full living quarters with a kitchenette. The ONLY drawback I can see is no garage, but still…come on, someone – buy this!!!! It's beautiful! Look how cute the front is with the striped awning, iron Juliet balconies and great landscaping.
The real estate brochure says the house is "like a page out of Veranda Magazine" and it really is. I love the textured, patterned runner on the stairs and the painted foyer floor. There are antiques everywhere, like the gray painted trumeau on the left wall and the Mora clock further down the hall. I apologize about the pictures, but the owner didn't ask me to come take my own pictures – though I would LOVE to, hint..hint. HAR needs to post better photographs.
Totally updated – I really like the front door, how bright and open it is.
The foyer divides the dining room and the living room. I love the gray walls here – I would probably repaint the banister a little lighter, maybe a pewter color, but that's just me.
Love the way this is decorated with the soft blue and white stripe fabric on the chairs and the silky striped curtains. Love it! Love the custom cut seagrass. Love all the dainty French chairs. Does anyone know who the decorator was - I'm dying to know.
Another view of the living room. I love the animal print on the accent chair. Love the blue walls – you don't see that much true blue lately, but it's so fresh and calming and feminine. The whole house has a wonderful feminine vibe to it which is why I like it, I'm sure. You can glimpse the family room through here.
Oooh. gorgeous! I love the soft silky check curtains and the architectural plaque. Love the crystal chandelier. Love the chairs! To die for! This is my favorite room in the house, crazy for it.
One more time. Of course the seagrass is perfect throughout – 2 inches, custom cut, the only way it ever really looks right. Apologies for the quality of the photos! HAR – let the realtors put larger and better photos on your site!!!
The dining room connects to the kitchen through the bar (seen next to the range). Love the range hood and the lighting fixtures. Love the painted cabinets. The back splash is from Chateau Domingue in Houston.
Looking towards the breakfast area and the family room. I would probably put white marble on the counter instead of wood if I moved here. Of course, there's a farm sink. Not sure what the shades are made of, but I really like the style. And I would love to see the gray painted cabinet on the left. It looks fabulous.
The family room – love, love, love! I really like the fabric colors here – its a bluish aqua. I love the metal side table and the washed wood sofa table. But that clock! That clock!! What a focal point!!! I want that!!!! Tonight!!! The lamps, with their square shades, are great too. OK, for everyone who hates white slipcovers – here is a great alternative to slips. I wish I could tell if the sofa is a velvet or a twill. Even without the slipcovers, this house definitely has that Houston look.
Looking from the family room and kitchen into the foyer. Love the way the arches are continued through the hall to soften the look and add an interesting architectural touch.
I wish we could see the chairs flanking the fireplace – it looks like they might be covered in a Colefax and Fowler linen, hard to tell. Love the check on the wing chair – that actually does look like a slipcover. Oh well…I would have taken pictures of the chairs if they would have only asked me!!
I THINK this is the game room which might be in the converted garage space, overlooking the courtyard, though I'm not positive. I love the color scheme here – raspberry. And I love the Brunschwig and Fils toile on the chairs. Great lantern. What a nice, large space.
The brick courtyard. The family room is to the right. I believe the pink room is to the left. Another great lantern. What a nice outdoor space. Who needs a big backyard when you can have something so pretty?
Another great shade of gray-blue in the master bedroom. More French furniture, Leontine linens, of course. Layered needlepoint rug over the seagrass. Very pretty.
House #2
The second cute house is also in River Oaks and is about $500,000 less than House #1, but, it's 1/2 the size with only 2300 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and again, no garage – just a carport. BUT, add an additional 580 sq. ft. for a pool house with kitchen AND a pool. Built, again, in 1937, this house actually is option-pending.
Nice curb appeal with landscaping and a slate porch.
The living room is all shades of gray. Slipcovers, French chairs, and custom cut seagrass.
Another view, facing the back family room. Very pretty wall color – a grayish blue color. This decor has a more eclectic feel – with less antiques than house #1.
Dining Room: Great curtains – full and luscious. Perfection!
The eat-in kitchen is off the dining room. I like the antique iron and marble table with the lucite chairs. The kitchen is smaller than House #1, but it has wonderful marble counters and great appliances!
The cozy family room is all white slip covers, baskets, seagrass, and bamboo shades = love it!!! It's perfect!
This must be the master bedroom with white linens and light blue curtains and walls. Again, a very pretty and soothing color.
Love this room with the light blue slips and the zebra pillows. Love the khaki colored curtains.
The screened porch off the dining room and family room overlooking the fabulous back yard.
Fabulous back yard! I love the landscaping and the pergola.
There is a covered carport here and a wonderful pool house that was once probably the garage space.
Inside the pool house – more white slips, linen curtains, seagrass. I would probably let this be Elisabeth's room. It even has a bath and a kitchen. She could live her when she got married, too! Her father would love that. ;)
OK – here's the question: would you buy house #1 or house #2? House #1 has twice the space, but no pool. House #2 is smaller, with just 3 bedrooms, but it has the fabulous backyard and pool. Hmmmm. This is a tough one. I might go for #2 since it's so much cheaper, plus I would then get the great pool. But, house #1 has a better kitchen and so much space inside – you could always add a little pool or fountain in the courtyard!!! OK, here's my choice: money no object: #1, money an object: #2.
Reminder: New Skirted Roundtable with Scot Meacham Wood HERE.


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Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are food and nutrition experts who have met the following criteria to earn the RDN credential:
Download Current Routes to RDN Registration Eligibility (Graphic)
Download Routes to RDN Registration Eligibility after January 1, 2024 (Graphic)
Some RDNs hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice. These are awarded through CDR, the credentialing agency for the Academy, and/or other medical and nutrition organizations and are recognized within the profession, but are not required. Some of the certifications include pediatric or renal nutrition, sports dietetics, nutrition support and diabetes education.
In addition to RDN credentialing, many states have regulatory laws for dietitians and nutrition practitioners. Frequently these state requirements are met through the same education and training required to become an RDN.
Dietitians study a variety of subjects, ranging from food and nutrition sciences, foodservice systems management, business, economics, computer science, culinary arts, sociology and communication to science courses such as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy and chemistry.
Individuals who completed their education and training outside of the US, or received credentials in another country, may be eligible to become credentialed RDNs in the US. Individuals who have completed the education and credentialing requirements in one country may be eligible for another country's credentialing examination if the two countries have entered into a "reciprocity" agreement to allow this. If reciprocity does not apply, you must have your academic degree validated as equivalent to the bachelor's or master's degree conferred by a US regionally-accredited college or university and complete an ACEND-approved supervised practice requirement to establish your eligibility to sit for the exam. It is important to note that all individuals who establish registration eligibility — whether under the provisions of a reciprocity agreement or through the combination of a validated academic degree and supervised practice program — must successfully write the Registration Examination for Dietitians to earn the RDN credential.
More Information for International Students
If you already have a bachelor's degree that is not in dietetics and are interested in becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, you should have your college transcript evaluated by a director of a dietetics program accredited or approved by ACEND. Because the policies, procedures and costs for the transcript evaluation may vary from one institution to another, you may want to contact more than one dietetics program for further information.
The program director will evaluate your previous academic preparation and identify the courses that you will need to complete at that school to meet the educational requirements for dietetic registration. It may be possible to complete the required dietetics coursework while enrolled in a graduate program. The dietetics program director can advise you of your options.
Once the required coursework is completed, you are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program.
Registered dietitian nutritionists work in a wide variety of employment settings, including health care, business and industry, community/public health, education, research, government agencies and private practice.
Many work environments, particularly those in medical and health-care settings, require that an individual be credentialed as an RDN. RDNs work in:
According to the Academy's 2009 Dietetics Compensation and Benefits survey, half of all RDNs in the US who have been working in the field for five years or less earn $51,100 to $62,200 per year. As with any profession, salaries and fees vary by region of the country, employment settings, scope of responsibility and supply of RDNs. Salaries increase with years of experience and RDNs, in management and business, earn incomes of $85,000 to $88,000.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014 because of the increased emphasis on disease prevention, a growing and aging population and public interest in nutrition. Employment in hospitals is expected to show little change because of anticipated slow growth and reduced lengths of hospital stay. Faster growth, however is anticipated in nursing homes, residential care facilities and physician clinics.
There are many resources to help students in need pay for college. You may be able to obtain a grant or scholarship from a corporation, community or civic group, philanthropic or religious organization or directly from the school or college you are interested in attending. Federal grants and low-interest loans may also be available.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation offers scholarships to encourage eligible students to enter the field of dietetics. Student members of the Academy enrolled in their junior year in an ACEND-accredited or approved program may apply for a Foundation scholarship. Scholarships are also available for student members in ACEND-accredited dietetic internships and graduate studies. Contact the Academy's Accreditation and Education Programs Team (800/877-1600, ext. 5400 or firstname.lastname@example.com) for Foundation scholarship information.
For other career guidance information, contact Academy's Accreditation and Education Programs Team:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Accreditation and Education Programs Team
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
Fax: 312/899-4817
E-mail: email@example.com


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The SKECHERS Foundation today announced that more than $750,000 was raised for children with special needs and education through Sunday's Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. The 2012 donations were significantly higher than last year's total of $580,000 thank to the record number of walkers, more than 8,500 people, and the many donations by local and national businesses, including presenting sponsor Nickelodeon.
"Four years ago when the SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk began we had 2,200 people come out; now we've surpassed 8,500 walkers in 2012, which is a testament to the compassion and dedication of our community," said SKECHERS president Michael Greenberg. "The $750,000 we raised through this year's walk will help many children with special needs continue to thrive through the Friendship Circle programs; it's inspiring to see what a big impact small gestures can make. Many education foundations that are in dire need of funding will also benefit from the money we've raised through this year's walk."
The 3.4 mile walk from the Manhattan Beach Pier to the Hermosa Beach Pier and back was hosted by fitness expert Denise Austin, who rallied the crowd before the walk. Legendary Hall of Fame baseball manager Tommy Lasorda also spoke about the importance of giving back to make a positive impact in the community, and Dancing with the Stars co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet congratulated SKECHERS and all the walkers for making a difference to help children with special needs and for supporting education foundations.


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Wabash Remembers Professor Peeblesby Jim Amidon • January 6, 2012 Share:
Wabash College is saddened by the passing of long-time and beloved Professor of Religion Hall Peebles, who died Thursday at the age of 81. A native of Augusta, Georgia, Hall taught at Wabash from 1958 until his retirement from the College in 1998.
The man students referred to as "Yahweh" because of his dramatic (and precise) Old Testament lectures was graduated from the University of Georgia with a philosophy major. He attended Yale University, where he received his bachelor's of divinity degree, and his master's and Ph.D. in theology.
Read alumnus Adam Pope's biography of Dr. Peebles, written in 2003.
In 1991, the National Association of Wabash Men named him an Honorary Alumnus. He was also the recipient of the McLain-McTurnan-Arnold Excellence in Teaching Award.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Emma, who passed away in 2009. Survivors include their sons, David, John, and Mark.
Dr. Peebles was a frequent Chapel speaker and preached Sunday worship services in the Chapel throughout his career. His lectures on the Old Testament were broadcast on local cable television. He was also an expert on Far-Eastern religions. "His knowledge of Daoism, Confucianism, Legalism, and Buddhism bring Wabash College students closer to a cultural understanding of China and Japan," said Dean of the College Paul McKinney in 1984.
Born January 9, 1930, Hall and his wife, Emma, had three sons, David, John, and Mark. Arriving at the College as an instructor in the religion department, he received tenure in 1964 and was named a full professor in 1977. In 1980, he was named the Edgar Evans Professor of Religion. "In appointing Professor Peebles to the Evans Chair of Religion, the College again recognizes distinguished teaching," said then-Dean Vic Powell. "For over 20 years, the Old Testament and its prophets have come alive through the teaching and particularly the lecturing of Professor Peebles."
"His lectures were absolutely outstanding in their clear organization, minute presentation, ability to engage students, and with a precision that few of us had," said his long-time colleague Raymond B. Williams. "His mannerisms of getting out the handkerchief, the tapping of the watch, and ending the lecture right before the bell rang were legendary. I recall a time when I sat in on one of his lectures, which was brilliant. At the end of the class, I sneaked a peek at a small sheet of paper from which he gave the lecture. There were but five words on it."
He was celebrated and even legendary for the grace in which he served as Secretary of the Faculty. He also served as chairman of the religion department and was a co-chair of Cultures and Traditions. In 1988, Dr. Peebles presented the Ninth Annual LaFollette Lecture in the Humanities: "Heaven, Hell, and Holy War." But perhaps his most beloved remarks were his spirited Monon Bell pep talks, and in particular, his "Tribe of Dan" speech, which did more to inspire 800 men to laugh like children than to take to the gridiron with appropriate intensity.
"He had a remarkable mind, a remarkable generosity of spirit, and a remarkable example of a style of gentlemanly behavior," added Dr. Williams. "No one could copy it, but we all could recognize it. He was beloved because he was so special, unique. As the Scripture says, 'As wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.'"
He was a prolific scholar, authoring scores of book reviews and journal articles. In 2005, he published The Last Judgment and World Religions (Polyglot). "Two generations of students have known Hall Peebles as the best lecturer at Wabash College, a master at presenting vast ranges of material in clear and fascinating form," said the late William C. Placher '70. "Readers of [The Last Judgment] will find what his students recognized—here is a writer who combines the fruits of a lifetime of study of the world's religions with a marvelously accessible style. This is not only an important book, it's a delight to read."
Williams said that Peebles had as "close to a photographic memory as anyone I've ever known." He said Peebles' large library was always close to mind, and that he could locate specific passages in texts after a brief pause for recollection. "I never knew if that pause was because he was thinking things through or if it was to downplay the greatness of his memory."
Dr. Peebles traveled throughout the world later in his career, trekking the Pilgrim's Road from Bordeaux, France to Santiago, Spain, the Silk Road in China, and the Killing Fields of Cambodia. Among the first Americans to visit Cambodia after the genocide, Dr. Peebles said, "I wanted to see how Buddhism had fared under the Khmer Rouge, but I was not prepared for the impact that the Killing Fields and museum of genocide were going to have on me. It was very raw, you had the feeling that the wounds had not healed."
In 1998 on the occasion of his retirement, the Indianapolis Association of Wabash Men honored Dr. Peebles with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In presenting the award, alumnus Mike Shaver said, "As we stand here today, the miracle of Wabash lies in her ability to inspire greatness in successive generations, and the role of each is to move the bar higher. You have shared yourself with four generations of us, from saint to sinner… And we send you from here this night, with the sum of the wishes of all our hearts, that you and Emmy enjoy another hundred years together on this earth, and to thank you deeply for what you have given us for the last 40."
"Students are, I think, in the long run never wrong about the quality of teachers," said Placher. "So I have to take the students' nickname for Hall—Yahweh—seriously. And he does have much in common with the Lord of the Hebrew Scriptures. He is, in the words of the first chapter of the book of the prophet Joel, gracious, merciful, and slow to anger."
Dr. Peebles was a member of the American Theological Association, the Society of Biblical Literature, and served as president of the Indiana Academy of Religion. He received a Ford Foundation Faculty Fellowship to conduct research at Yale University and later did research in Switzerland.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Read this Wabash Magazine tribute to Dr. Peebles at the time of his retirement.


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"I Am a Pole (And So Can You!)" (Grand Central: $15.99), Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert's bestselling satirical jab at the I'm-a-celebrity-so-that-qualifies-me-to-write-a-children's-book fad began as a joke during his memorable interview with the late children's book author Maurice Sendak in January.
While discussing the current state of children's books, Colbert asked Sendak what makes a successful celebrity children's book. "You've started already by being an idiot," replied Sendak. The author of"Where the Wild Things Are"then went on to give Colbert a tutorial on how to draw a pole. That improvised illustration inspired Colbert's tale, which debuted on the top of national fiction, nonfiction and advice bestsellers lists.
The story follows the tall, resolute, steely protagonist on a quest of self-discovery to find his purpose in life. Just what type of pole is he destined to be? Along the way he experiments with the usual (telephone pole, ski pole), the unusual (Gallup pole, poleax) and risqué (stripper pole). But like Goldilocks, initially nothing seemed to fit just right.
It seems that there's no place for me.
Forget I ever spoke.
I guess I'm just a punch line,
to some awful pole-ish joke.
Although it fits into the category of not-for-kids picture books such as "Go the F— to Sleep," one 8-year-old boy accidentally got his hands on a copy. He thought it was really good. When asked if he liked it because there's a talking pole that wants to be a flagpole, he replied, "No, mom. It's because he becomes an American flagpole!"
Turns out, "I am a Pole" is a patriotic story. Just in time for the Fourth of July.
—Liesl Bradner


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ALEXANDRIA CATHRYNThursday, October 24, 2019 6:23:59 PM
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Thinking of going there next spring, april or may and may not be able to fly to Marsa Alam, probably have to fly to Hurghada (just because the airport closest to me just don't fly there )and make our way down, so I'm thinking why not rent a car and explore some spots on the way down.
So has anybody done something similar?
I'm also very thankful on any info about Hamata!
I've been to egypt kitesurfing about 15 times, mostly Kitejunkies in Sharm, Nabq Bay and I really like the conditions down there (having about 90% wind on my visits!!), but now I want to try something slightly different.


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|Fresno, Calif.
|High School:
|Edison HS
2011 (Junior):
Started all 53 of the Tigers' games, including 51 in right field and two at the DH spot. Hit .290 on the season and tied for the team lead in home runs with four, which was tied for sixth in the Big West. Drove in 38 on the season, which ranked sixth in the Big West, with 14 doubles (10th in BWC) and three triples (eighth in Big West). Placed eighth in the conference with 94 total bases. Tallied 19 runs scored and posted 19 multi-hit games. Collected three hits in a ballgame six times. Drove in multiple runs in nine games on the year. Hit his first career home run on the series finale against Kansas State on Feb. 20. Turned in two doubles against NC State on Feb. 25, and was 3-for-3 with two RBI in the Tigers' win over Western Kentucky on Feb. 26. Went 2-for-6 in the Tigers' 13-inning win over San Jose State, including a double and a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 13th inning. Drove in three with a double and a triple as part of a three-hit day against USC on Mar. 19. Went 3-for-5 with three RBI in a win at Sacramento State on March 29. Doubled and tripled in a 2-for-4 day against Long Beach State on April 2. Posted a pair of doubles against UC Riverside on April 10. Went 3-for-5 with three RBI at CS Northridge (April 21) and added a 3-for-6 day with an RBI in game three of the series (April 23). Drove in three runs in the Tigers' win over No. 10 Cal State Fullerton, posting two hits and a run scored. Went 2-for-4 with a walk and home run against Cal on May 24. Posted a 2-for-3 day with a home run and two RBI in the season finale at UC Santa Barbara (May 29).
2010 (Sophomore):
Allen started 11 contests for the Tigers in 2010, serving as the designated hitter in six of those games, and an outfielder the other five. Riley closed out the season with 14 hits in 59 at bats, finishing up with six RBI his sophomore season. Against one of the Big West Conference's top teams, No. 13 Cal State Fullerton, Allen delivered when asked of him as a pinch hitter. Against both Cal State Fullerton (May 1) and Santa Clara (April 28), Riley went 1-for-1 at the plate as a pinch hitter. Riley tallied four multiple hit games in 2010, with two hits, one double and one RBI on two separate occasions against San Francisco (Feb. 20) and Seattle (Mar. 4).
2009 (Freshman):
In his first year with the Tigers, Allen provided a power bat and an arm in the outfield as he notched seven starts in the field or as Pacific's designated hitter. He finished his freshman campaign hitting just below .300, as Riley recorded a .289 season batting average. In Big West play, Riley led the team for the beginning of the season and then finished hitting .471 in conference. His best outing of the year came against No. 16 Cal Poly on April 9 and 10 when he went 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter in both contests. In the second game against the Mustangs, Riley came off the bench and immediately contributed, notching the game-winning RBI as Pacific went on to upset Cal Poly 5-4. Allen finished the year with seven RBI and 11 hits in 18 games for the Tigers.
High School:
Riley was a four-year letter winner of the Edison HS baseball team and graduated in 2008. His first two years with the Tigers, Allen received Second Team All-League honors in the County/Metro Athletic Conference. As an upperclassmen, he repeated First Team All-C/MAC in 2007 and 2008. His senior season, Allen went an impressive .425 at the plate with eight home runs, 10 doubles, three triples and 27 RBI. Academically, he was named a scholastic athlete his junior and senior seasons.
Allen Riley was born in Fresno, Calif., and is the son of Sheila Dickson and Albert Riley. He has five older siblings, Alberta, Albert, Akida Williams, Mya Chambers and James Williams. He is a Sports Management major with career aspirations of becoming an athletic director or a baseball agent.


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Brands are big news. Or, as success guru Tom Peters explains, "Today, brands are everything, and all kinds of products and services — from accounting firms to sneakers to restaurants — are figuring out how to transcend the narrow boundaries of their categories and become a brand surrounded by a Tommy Hilfiger-like buzz."
We all experience the buzz of great brands every day, from the wake-up call of our first triple shot, non-fat, gingersnap latte at Star-bucks to setting the sleep timer on our iPod at night. And now spas have caught the brand buzz in a big way. Canyon Ranch, Breathe, Greenbrier and Deepak Chopra are a few of the big names that are either considering or already have branched out into branding.
Critics say that it is a move in the wrong direction for an industry that is founded on highly individualized, intimate, one-on-one therapies that focus on the spiritual more than the commercial. Branding spas, they say, is like trying to replicate the relationship you have with your shrink or duplicating a transcendent natural experience like viewing the Northern Lights.
That concern might be valid if branding was all about the bottom line, but it's not. Branding is about developing trust and making an emotional connection with consumers. The spa branding buzz actually began with the boom in spa popularity as hotel and resort developers struggled to meet the expectations of increasingly spa-savvy consumers. In response, hotel and resort corporations began developing in-house brands that assured spa goers a consistency of quality in all of their spas.
"Treatments in programs and series allow the guest to commit to their well being and capture the guest as a repeat and dedicated customer. Relationships are built between the spa and the guests," says Karen Korpi, vice president Spa Division, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. "Even a resort spa can accomplish the series program for a guest staying at the hotel for two or more days. As a network of spas, we can offer the series to be redeemed at any of our locations as the guest travels."
For spas that have spent years carefully developing programs based on singular philosophies, branding has provided an opportunity to spread the gospel, not dilute it.
Canyon Ranch, the legendary Tucson, AZ, retreat, was one of the first gold-standard destination spas to expand its brand by opening a satellite SpaClub at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas (since then others have opened at The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, FL; and on board the Queen Mary II).
Canyon Ranch satellites lease space from property owners and then install and operate the spa according to the philosophy of its destination resorts.
"It's not about the marble on the floor or taking a fitness class," says Laurie Marini, Canyon Ranch chief operating officer. "We're not trendy. Our treatments and products are consistent across all of our venues and emphasize therapeutic value. Every member of our staff is trained to send our message through their work with clients."
This branding collaboration has been a win-win for the resort and spa. In 2004 and 2005, The SpaClubs at the Venetian and the Gaylord Palms received prestigious four-star ratings from Mobile Travel Guide's America's Best Hotel & Resort Spa.
"There is now opportunity for many more people to taste the Canyon Ranch experience — 300,000 annually in Vegas compared to 30,000 visitors to our destination spas," Marini says. "If even one percent of them visit a destination, we'll have accomplished a lot."
Following Canyon Ranch's trend-free example, Deepak Chopra's signature program based on esoteric Ayvurvedic Therapies and the wellness philosophies in his numerous books will soon be expanding from the Deepak Chopra Center at La Costa Resort and Spa in Southern California. Under the careful direction of Chopra's organization, an East Coast flagship spa at New York's Dream Hotel will open this summer as well as at least 12 satellite spas across the country.
Creating a spa experience isn't analogous to selling soda pop, nor is successful branding the same as mass market success. Indeed, I'd argue that the expansion of ultra-premium spas through branding is the high tide lifting all boats. Top notch branding is raising industry standards, increasing consumer satisfaction all the while giving proof to the maxims, "A good reputation is more valuable than money. A good name is worth more than its weight in gold."
Polly Johnson is vice president for SpaEquip Corporate Accounts Division. SpaEquip offers technical spa consultations during the design phase and are a FF&E and OS&E procurement company for many of the world's finest destination and resort spas.


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Prove that you can make any type of logic gate using just NAND gates.
Learn about the link between logical arguments and electronic circuits. Investigate the logical connectives by making and testing your own circuits and fill in the blanks in truth tables to record. . . .
Learn about the link between logical arguments and electronic circuits. Investigate the logical connectives by making and testing your own circuits and record your findings in truth tables.
Investigate circuits and record your findings in this simple introduction to truth tables and logic.
Can you set the logic gates so that this machine can decide how many bulbs have been switched on?
What will happen when you switch on these circular circuits?
This article explains the concepts involved in scientific mathematical computing. It will be very useful and interesting to anyone interested in computer programming or mathematics.
Can you think like a computer and work out what this flow diagram does?
Can you invert this confusing sentence from Lewis Carrol?
Creating a schedule to cook a meal consisting of two different recipes, plus rice.
Providing opportunities for children to participate in group narrative in our classrooms is vital. Their contrasting views lead to a high level of revision and improvement, and through this process. . . .
Can you set the logic gates so that the number of bulbs which are on is the same as the number of switches which are on?
Investigate how logic gates work in circuits.
Sort these mathematical propositions into a series of 8 correct statements.
Have a go at being mathematically negative, by negating these statements.


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Micro Wasp
Lady wasp lays eggs in a gall on the stem of a gum tree. She is adding to the multitude of scars on the surface of the gall. Her ovipositor is thinner than a human hair. Woodgate, Qld.
Micro Gall Wasp II
Lady wasp looks for a spot to lay eggs in a gum tree gall. The job must be harder with part of her antenna missing. Woodgate, Qld.
Micro Gall Wasp
Micro wasp cleans herself after laying eggs in a gall. She is resting on a stem which has been forced into a curl by the growth of the gall. Woodgate, Qld.
Velvet Ant Hiding
Shy velvet ant (Mutillidae) hides under a leaf on the sand. Woodgate, Qld.
Female Flower Wasp
Portrait of a female flower wasp. Woodgate, Qld.
Flower Wasp
Female flower wasp poses on the photographer's finger. Woodgate, Qld.
Moth Parasite
Wasp lays her eggs inside tiny moth eggs. Woodgate, Qld.
Cuckoo Wasp
Also known as an Emerald Wasp, these beautiful wasps lay their eggs in other wasps nests. Woodgate, Qld.
Mating Flower Wasps
The rather undignified mating between two flower wasps. Woodgate, Qld.
Locust Parasite
Scelio wasp hunts through sand to find locust eggs to parasitise. Woodgate, Qld.
Sand Explorer
Very small wasp (~3mm) flits around in a bare patch of sandy soil. She is part of the Scelionidae family of wasps and is looking for grasshopper eggs to parasitise. Woodgate, Qld.
Brachymeria Wasp Ovipositing
Black chalcid wasp lays her eggs into a cocoon inside a curled leaf. The caterpillar's shed skin with head attached is under the coccoon on the left. Kyogle, NSW.
Brachymeria Wasp
A solid little chalcid wasp (Brachymeria sp.) parasitises caterpillar cocoons on a hibiscus shrub. Kyogle, NSW.
Black And White Wasp II
Tiny black and white wasp looks for something. Kyogle, NSW.
Black And White Wasp I
Tiny black and white wasp looks for something while an even smaller wasp photobombs. Kyogle, NSW.
BrachymeriaChalcidinaeaustralianchalcidhymenopterainsectinvertebratelaying eggsmacroovipositingphotowasp


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Colorado public schools receive funding from a variety of sources. However, most revenues to Colorado's 178 school districts are provided through the Public School Finance Act of 1994 (as amended).
In budget year 2018-19, this legislation provides for over $7.0 billion of funding to Colorado school districts via state taxes ($4.5 billion), local specific ownership (vehicle registration) taxes ($183.8 million), and local property taxes ($2.36 billion). Moneys provided via the Public School Finance Act of 1994 are available to each school district to fund the costs of providing public education.
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It is the final Sunday before American Thanksgiving. Your revered Prince will be at a local stadium cheering on his favorite American football team. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. Please come to chat. Here are the times when the fun gets started: at 4 p.m. Eastern Time; 3 p.m. Central Time; 2 p.m. Mountain Time; 1 p.m. Pacific Time; 9 p.m. in the UK; 10 p.m. in Italy, France, Germany, and Sweden; 11 p.m. in Finland and Israel; 8 a.m. Monday in Sydney and environs; and 10 a.m. Monday in New Zealand. I believe these are all corrected for standard time changes. If I am off, let me know. Please let me know when the time changes in your neck of the woods so I remember to make the appropriate changes.
The fun starts HERE!!!!!!


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Simon joined the Philharmonia as a member of the bass section in late 1992 and has always felt privileged to be working with such amazing musicians, conductors and behind the scenes people that make up this Orchestra. As well as playing the Double Bass, Simon has a keen interest in singing and has performed recitals in music club venues in the UK and overseas. He has also sung in education concerts with the Philharmonia and once had the extraordinary experience of dressing up as the laughing policeman in order to do so.
In December 2010 Simon became Deputy Chairman of the Philharmonia Orchestra and in December 2011 he was appointed Chairman.


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- Company Lunch - June 2019 | Dunking Engineers!
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Skip to Content
Air leakage is one of the biggest sources of heating and cooling loss in a home. Air sealing is the only way to resolve this issue, and no other product seals like EnergyComplete® Sealant.
More and more states are adopting the 2012 IECC or other strict energy-efficiency codes. Homebuyers expect a new home to be comfortable and energy efficient. EnergyComplete® Sealant is your advantage now and in the future.
Latest News
How it works
1 The average residential energy use for space heating and cooling is 39%, Buildings Energy Data Book, 2008, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_methodology. Savings vary. Find out why in the seller's fact sheet on R-Values. Higher R-Values mean greater insulating power. Savings estimates are based on comparison to an average new U.S. home. The savings percentages compare the performance of a new home built to meet minimum 2009 insulation code requirements in a particular location to a new home insulated with the EnergyComplete® System that meets or exceeds the DOE recommended insulation levels. The 33% savings on heating and cooling was calculated on a two-story, 3,100-sq.-ft. new home with a basement in Denver, Colorado.
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THE PINK PANTHER™ & ©1964–2017 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Changing Pakistan, dream to reality
Pakistanis are a nation in constant depression; I want to do my bit to get us out of this by proposing practical solutions to our key problems & issues. I don't want money, power or fame, I do this as I really love my country, from the middle class I FEEL the problems this country has faced that the ruling landlords, from whichever party they come from, can never & will never feel, accept or change.
The following is a recipe to change Pakistan and ALL Less Developed Countries in Africa and Asia, Central Americas, Russian states who follow more or less the same problems. All my "teachings" and presentations are online at http://www.ahappyworld.info, while the Change Pakistan in One Year Presentation is online, RIGHT HERE! Click and see it NOW.
If you are with the media, spread the message, have talk shows on it, let there be a debate, let us bring out the good in people of all colors, faiths and races, let us have them accept everyone, and set ground rules for behavior for all of us.
Problems facing Pakistan over the last 60 years since 1947: These problems are listed in order of priority or importance, that is, we should solve each step by step
1 60 years of No real rule of law
2 60 years of Identity crisis, Islamic or Secular? Some call it terrorism…
3 60 years of Foreign policy controlled by foreigners
4 60 years of Messy Economy
5 60 years of Messy Civil Services
6 60 years of blame shifting: Chess between Army, Politicians, Ulema & Bureaucracy
Solutions to Pakistan's key 6 problems: These are practical solutions that WILL change the status quo:
1 Law & order
Why law & order? Law & order is the BASIS of progress in any successful society, its not oil or gold or capitalism alone that makes countries grow, Dubai or US/Europe, it is PROTECTED & NURTURED by a stable law & order system that ensures FAIRNESS & EQUALITY for all, poor or powerful alike.
Our current police & judiciary are full of corrupt people, the world has ranked us as one of the most corrupt in this area, don't try to justify them as the world, let alone me, will not believe you. You CAN'T "correct" the police force or judges, they were hired on the basis of corruption, they work on that basis, and they say "Yes Sir" to the government or powers that be, "No Sir" to justice, right & wrong. Don't expect them to change, don't try to change them, you will waste another 60 years & probably divide Pakistan into 60 parts in that time too! Our army, bureaucracy & politicians are used to ABUSING police & justice as a mere tool in their hands to achieve their objectives. We need a NEW force that does NOT bow down to the rich & powerful, politicians, army or bureaucrats, ONLY to right & wrong. THAT will CHANGE the country.
The answer to law & order is simple, the ONLY organized body in the country that has & can protect the country is the ARMY, unfortunately, for 60 years they have USED us to achieve their objectives, land, power, budgets, influence, NOW ITS OUR, the people's, turn to use them. Divide the army into two parts, internal & external defense, internal defense to control police & justice with their OWN people, NO civilians, reporting to COAS, NOT to a politician (except the COAS him or herself). THEY should ensure RIGHT IS RIGHT & WRONG IS WRONG at all levels of society. This will bring safety, prosperity & investment back on track as there will be someone to listen to the oppressed.
2 Identity Crisis
Pakistan was made, 60 years ago, in the name of ISLAM, there is no question about it, if it wasn't for Islam, Pakistan & the then East Pakistan would have remained a part of secular India. Pakistan was made for Muslims to practice their religion according to their beliefs. Our politicians & army licking the Western powers to prove the opposite is simply shameful. Islam is the fodder for existence of 80% of this country, it's a pity the ruling class despises & demeans Islam, throughout the 60 years of its existence, hence the OBVIOUS tension between the people & the leadership.
The other side of the coin is that SINCE the educated people (read so called Muslims) disowned Islam, the ILLITERATES "hijacked" it, using it as a means to gain power & control of the masses. Now we have to undo the damage, the only way it can be done is the ruling class to be from educated Muslims who understand Islam in letter & spirit & are able to propagate that to the masses, cutting out the illiterate clergy if not educating them.
Being an Islamic nation does NOT mean we force people to live in an Islamic way, it means ADMINSTERING RIGHTS & JUSTICE, hence drinking & even red light areas can be allowed so that tourism & frustration in the nation goes where it deserves, of course giving rights to sex workers as well. Extremism real name is "Jihalatism" change that to Islamic teachings as an educated Muslim like you & me would understand & extremism will be a thing of the past.
3 Foreign Policy
Since we are too selfish a nation, no one in our leadership in 60 years, hopefully not today as well, saw beyond their NOSE, they only cared for "badmashi" (abuse of power), POWER, MONEY, SHARAB (women) & SHABAB (wine, my point, you do anything you like in your personal life, but please be professional when it comes to governance!), hence foreign policy fell easily in the lap of external powers. Now if we have people of some character they will devise their OWN policies to suit Pakistan & negotiate tough deals that suit us than othersl! Also the ISI & the Army used meddling policies in India & Afghanistan, & as the saying goes "every action has an equal & opposite reaction" hence our peace is torn & shall remain.
4 Messy Economy
We fix points 1-3, 50% of economic activity will improve. The other half I have solid ideas to help the country recoup through free zones, IT leadership & more.
5 Messy Civil Services
We fix points 1-3 & civil services will start coming back on track with accountability & national focus.
6 Power tussle
Only the army & politicians can call a truce on this! We can only pray. However history tells us that when politicians become too corrupt the army steps in, & when the generals lose their sanity or their life, whichever comes first! Then the politicians re enter the arena. This merry go round will ONLY end when we establish law & order as in point no 1.
About me
I'm not a talker, I'm a doer, in Mr Shaukat Aziz as Finance Minister time, under Riaz Naqvi, the finest civil servant I ever met, alongside his colleague Riaz Malik, both ex Chairmen CBR, I was able to stop smuggling of mobile phones in Pakistan vide SRO 391 in 2001 that got the Govt USD 1bn in extra taxes. My efforts for all parties to unite to fight corruption & spread real Islam in Pakistan & beyond are well documented, so are my efforts to improve Pakistan economy. I got nothing out of it, not even a "thank you" from the government, but who cares, I love the PEOPLE and for them I do this. Be OPEN and BROADMINDED, stop BLAMING, and start ACTING. Join me, let's change Pakistan as one nation, not Muslim, Hindu, Jew or Christian, Black, Yellow or White, Catholic or Protestant, PPP or PML, Punjabi or Pathan, Shia or Sunni, be ONE for once!
My life mission is to spread love and peace in a borderless world, join me and change the world. Peace, safety and prosperity are a global priority, I have a utopian dream to change the world, which I think world leaders are either not aware of or are too selfish in their approach to give a thought and reason. The world must act and stop rhetoric in the face of the hate and war machine that some foolishly think will solve terrorism or other problems. Let us be ONE as a world, regardless of religion color or caste and come together, our Creator wants to test us, HE made us (you call Him whatever you like, Allah, God, Bhagwan, Yahweh, makes no difference), we are no one to hate ANY ONE who is different than we are, imagine PEOPLE DO NOT CHOOSE THEIR OWN RELIGION, they simply blindly follow what their parents followed, so WHY SHOULD WE HATE SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT EVEN "CHOSEN" THEIR RELIGION???
Please read and forward this site to your friends and let us make this ideal world a reality, without borders, without passports, but WITH rules that we all accept, starting with tolerance and love for those who are unlike us… Think, if God wanted, we would all have been the same shape, size, color etc, if we hate a race, think, He made them too! He cannot hate His own creation so how can we? To judge us is His job, not ours, we are to accept and love each other and defy Satan.
If you don't believe in religion, thats' fine too, believe in humanity at least and preach all to be good human beings starting with yourself and those you love.
Imran Owais Kazmi


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One of my favorite stories is of an old friend. He was Russian Jewish, and his wife Phillipine christian. They forced nothing on their daughter, but told her, "This is what we grew up with, accept either or make your own decision". Unfortunately this is certainly out of the norm. I beleive that what perpetuates the indoctrination on children is that parents are convinced that they are doing a good thing. Basically the parents are brainwashed into believing that one can't be good without god, so we can't expect them to instil secular "goodness" upon their offspring. After all, they don't want them to "grow up bad".
I find forcing religion on children scary at best, but I see no easy way to curb it.
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