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I remember having a conversation with...Chuck Swindoll one time here at our church. We...we're getting together and just talking about ministry and things, and...we got to talking about the need to be alone. The need to have that quiet place, that quiet time away from everyone and everything. And he asked me the question. It was kind of an interesting question. He said, "Are you ever lonely?" and I...thought about it for a minute. I said, "I...not that I can really recall...Have a lot of people in my life and certainly a lot of loving people in my life. I've never, I...I can't really say I...I've been lonely." Then he asked the question..."Do you mind being alone?"...And I said, "No, how about you?" He said, "No."
We began to discuss the fact that...being alone is absolutely essential to be able to produce what we do. You can't...study deeply the things of God. You can't pursue the mind of God. You can't commune with God in a group. That quiet place, that place of intense...devotion to the truth of the Word of God, intense communion with God around His Word, is probably the most treasured thing in the life of a...a man who is responsible for the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.
In fact, we both agreed that, while we...enjoy the fellowship with people, we crave the quiet place. Because only in that place can we generate and create and...and study and...commune with God so that we can be effective in proclaiming His truth. It's in the quiet place that we come to grips with the realities of the Word of God. We come to grips with the power of God in our own lives, and that is such an important part of life. Fortunately, for some of us who have to do this, we're forced into the quiet place. We...we desperately require that quiet place. And for others, who perhaps aren't responsible for such intense study of the Word of God, they may not realize how important it is...to have that time with God, that quiet time in the Word. That is very, very important for all of us, where we can read the Word of God, meditate on the Word of God, come to grips with its truths and spend time in communion with the Lord about them. So I...I trust that you'll take that exhortation as we think about the matter of prayer today.
And moving from that transition to the topic for our message tonight, I wanna talk about praying always from Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 18. "Praying always..." This morning, we tried to lay the foundation for prayer, which is an understanding of prayer as worship. I wanna move beyond that to prayer as petition...and I want you to see in Ephesians 6...God's design for prayer in its fullness...Verse 18 Ephesians 6, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Now, there are a lot of alls in there. All prayer, all times, all perseverance, and all the saints. And...you get the idea here that he's talking about something that is comprehensive...and that is precisely it.
He's telling us, in effect, that prayer's a way of life...You're praying with all different kinds of prayer at all different times, through all different trials, persevering and on behalf of all the saints. The...the consummate character of prayer becomes a dominant force in your life if you are obedient to this verse...This verse is set in a context that I think is very, very important...It comes at the very climatic time in this epistle.
In fact, starting in verse 19, there are some specific statements by Paul about praying for him, some of his own particular...situations in life, such as being in chains at the time he wrote. Talks about Tychicus, some other things, and a final greeting. But verse 18 is really the capstone on this magnificent...epistle. There are great heights of theological understanding throughout the epistle to the Ephesians. And this is where it all ends, "With all prayer, at all times, with all perseverance, for all saints." And I think Paul's timing here and his...his location of this injunction is very, very instructive.
Let me tell you why. If we were to go back, and we'll do it very briefly, and review the...the whole epistle of Ephesians. Lemme just run you through very rapidly. In chapter 1 verse 3, we would note that, "We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." A very, very comprehensive statement. "We are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." In chapter 1 verse 4, 5, and 6, we are identified as the "objects of the love of God by which He predestined us to adoption as sons according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. We have been chosen before the foundation of the world. We will be made holy and blameless. In love, the Lord predestined us to become His children in order that He might kindly dispense to us freely all the blessings of His grace.
In verse 7 we have been given "The forgiveness of sin or trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." In verse 8 "He has lavished upon us this grace. And, in addition, given us all wisdom and insight...and verse 9...made known to us the mystery of His will...again...according to the kind intention which He purposed in Him." Again, God's kindness toward us is to dispense to us wisdom, insight, the knowledge of the mystery of His will. That's part of what it means to be a Christian. In verse 11 "We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose, and to the end...at verse 12...we were to be the first to hope in Christ, and we would be to the praise of His glory." Again, tremendous blessing, having to do with our eternal inheritance. In verse 13, we have been granted, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, which is our eternal security, so that no one can ever take us apart from God. No one can ever undo our salvation or cancel our redemption.
Over in chapter 2 and verse 4, "God's rich mercy and great love" have caused Him, "Even when we were dead in sins, to make us alive and raise us up, and seat us...verse 6...in heavenly places." In verse 7 it says, "That we are the recipients of the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness extended toward us in Christ Jesus." In verse 10 we are identified as "His workmanship, or better His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus." In verse 13 and following, "We who were formerly far off have been brought near to God. Christ has become our peace. The wall between Jew and Gentile is broken down. The enmity has been abolished, and we have been reconciled in one body to God through the cross and put to death the enmity between us."
These are just profound blessings. Verse 18, "We have access in one Spirit now to God." Verse 19, "We are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And Jesus being the chief cornerstone." Verse 22, "We are the dwelling place of the Spirit of God."
And then in chapter 3 down in verse 15, there's this amazing prayer that...Paul prays that we would have the fullest understanding of "the riches of His glory, be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man." All the way down, to come to verse 20, "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us already." Now, these are monumental things. Super blessed, super loved, forgiven, redeemed, given wisdom, riches, made secure, alive with new live, objects of eternal grace. We are God's masterpiece, created to do good. One with another in the one body of Christ, all having access to God. We are in God's family. We are the Holy Spirit's habitation, and we are powerful enough in the energy of the Spirit to do things that are beyond our comprehension.
The first three chapters really sort of unpack all of those immense blessings of what it means to be in Christ. That's sort of our positional privilege.
Now, when we come to chapter 4, we hear more, even though it becomes a more practical...exhortative section built upon the foundation of the doctrine of one to three. Chapter 4 verse 3 reminds us that we possess the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of unity and who provides for us the bond of peace. Chapter 4 verses 4 to 6 indicate that we are in the body of Christ. That we have a...a hope. That we have a...a Lord and a faith and a God who is over us all and in us all, and...and we've been given grace, according to the measure of the gifts of Christ. We've been given gifts and gifted men to perfect and do the word in the ministry, chapter 4 verses 11 to 13.
Down in verse 20 of chapter 4, we have Christ to teach us how to walk. We've learned Christ, so that we can be different, and we don't live the way we used to live, according to verse 22, "In our former manner of life, which not has been laid aside the old self, having been set aside." And so, continually, we are seeing these tremendous benefits of salvation. Chapter 5 starts out by reminding us that we are beloved children of God, and we are to walk because Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. In chapter 5 verse 8, we dwell in light, so we ought to walk in light. In chapter 5 verses 15 to 17, wisdom is available to us, so we need to walk in wisdom, not as unwise, but as wise. The Holy Spirit is available to us, verse 18, so we ought to be filled with the Spirit...causing us to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and sing and make melody with our hearts to the Lord, fullness of joy and giving of thanks in verse 20, and on and on it goes.
We have the resources for fulfillment in every area of human relationships. In marriage, in the family, and the...among those who are in the workforce in their areas of employment. As chapter 6 unfolds, talks about slaves and masters or employees and employers. You come down in chapter 6 to verse 10, and we're called to be strong in the matter of spiritual warfare and to put on the full armor of God, which is at our disposal. We have the sword of the Spirit, which is the most powerful weapon, so that we can live victoriously in the battle against Satan.
Now, all of that to say that when you've gone through the book of Ephesians, you are really overwhelmed with a presentation of Christian adequacy. Or Christian sufficiency. It's just really mind-boggling to go down through all of that, more slowly, perhaps, and a little more thoughtfully than I've rushed it by you, and to recognize the richness of what we have in Christ. We lack nothing. As Colossians 2:10 says, "We are complete in Him." And as 2 Peter 1:3 says, "We have all things that pertain to life and godliness."...
And after sweeping through all of that, you really would think there was nothing left. What in the world could you possibly add to this? If we have all of this, if God has dispensed all of this to us, it is all ours. It is all at our disposal. We get a presentation of sufficiency that is just monumental. That all...that exalted position and understanding of those great resources could lead to, I suppose, what we could call...spiritual egotism. And it's precisely at that point that Paul says, verse 18, "Pray at all times. Pray at all times."
I guess it reminds me of 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." We could actually get to a sort of a kind of a Christian atheism where we know God and we believe God, but we really don't need anything from Him. It's already all there, we think. We're so adequate, we have no need for Him. And, consequently, we stay just beneath the fullness of His power and just beneath the fullness of His blessing. So quickly and with mighty force, Paul says, "Pray at all times."...
Again, you might assume that this is an unnecessary activity based upon everything else that he said...but it is not. None of this is mechanical. All of it is dependent upon a constant submission to God that is absolutely essential. It is a...a latent danger that Christians who have a knowledge of doctrine and a fairly effective grip on practical spiritual principles can become self-satisfied...and that heart...of passionate, constant concern for prayer has no place. As far as Paul is concerned, that is a grave mistake. So as he closes this great letter in a final crescendo, the music peaks out and a call to prayer, and that, frankly, is the key to everything. Because all those spiritual blessings in the heavenlies are basically brought to us as we come before the Father to seek the riches...
There are a number of ways to approach prayer. Prayer is the breath of the Christian's new life. The air which your body requires is all around you, and it exerts what's called air pressure. Air pressure makes it more difficult for you not to breathe than to breathe. Have you noticed? It's very difficult not to breathe. The pressure builds and builds and builds until you finally explode and gasp for air. So it is with prayer.
I think the presence of God all around us exerts a pressure on us, and it's harder not to pray than to pray...it's harder to hold your breath spiritually than to just rel...release and relax and commune, as it were, with the presence of God that's all around you...In fact, if...if you don't live a life of prayer, constant communication with God, you're really fighting against your own spiritual nature as a person would be physically who tried to hold his breath all the time. Because God's presence exerts a certain divine pressure, and God's truth sort of exacerbates that pressure and forces us to draw God's presence and God's truth in...
The Christian is...like a certain class of...of animal that I read about called the cetaceous. It inhabits the deep places of parts of the ocean, and...it sort of defies...categories. the sea is its home. It never leaves the sea. Swims at dark depths, but, at intervals, is compelled to rise to the surface to breath air or die, and then dive back down to the bottom. And it's the same for us. A Christian only by ever ascending to God, rising to breath and constant prayer maintains the fullness of spiritual life. It's all dependence. It's all about recognition. It's all about communion. Prayer is really our breath.
And if you know the Lord, it's difficult not to pray, because your soul moves in the presence of God who exerts a pressure. The easiest thing for you to do is to embrace God and include His presence, include His power, include His truth in your life...
And with that sort of an introduction, I want you to look at verse 18 and just kind of...take a look at the components here. Very simple. Very straightforward. But I trust they'll be helpful for you...There's general instruction, basically, in verse 18. Just general instruction...In fact, there's nothing very specific there. It's all general, and that's why the word all is used so many times. But let's start with four...four alls here. Let's take them one at a time.
Let's start with the frequency of prayer...and that's pretty obvious. Praying always or praying at all times. Prayer is to be at all times. That's what it says. That's what it means. It means on all the occasions in life. Not just the crises. Jesus said in Luke 21:36, "What, therefore, and pray always." The early apostles said in Acts 6:4, "We must give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word." It was said about Cornelius that he was a devout man and prayed to God always, according to Acts 10. Paul said, "Continue diligently in prayer...Romans 12:12, and in Colossians 4:2...Continue in prayer...and in Philippians 4:6...Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."
Of course, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 sums it up best, "Pray without ceasing." Now that is precisely how Paul prayed. In 2 Timothy, for example, chapter 1, he says in verse 3 writing to Timothy, "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did...as I constantly remember You in my prayers night and day." What you see here is a pattern of life. It's like breathing. You...you don't do it once in the morning, once at noon, and once at night. You do it all the time. Without ceasing. "I remember You in my prayers night and day," he says...
In the 12th chapter of Acts, just driving the point home a little...more strongly, in Acts chapter 12 verse 5, Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was made for him fervently by the church to God. The church was continuing in prayer. Verse 13, Peter showed up at the prayer meeting. Remember, God released him from prison. He knocked at the door of the gate. A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. And when she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy, she didn't open the gate. She was so excited, she forgot to let him in. She just ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. And they said to her, "You're outta your mind." This was a really group of prayer warriors, wasn't it? Their prayer got answered, and they didn't believe it.
But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying it's His angel. But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. That's good, isn't it? Sometimes I think we assume that God only answers the prayers of great faith. He also answers the prayers of very little faith. As He did in the case of Peter...God heard that constant prayer, even though it was weak in faith. And you might conclude that prayer is so potent, that even in its weakness, it's powerful...
The idea here in this pray at all times is constancy. As I have grown in...in my own Christian life, I found that it really becomes a way of life. It is that consciousness of God's presence...at all times that just opens your life to Him...so that...a silent prayer goes up to God time and time and time and time and time again through the day...
I find myself pillowing my head at night to sleep and running before the Lord the things that are on my mind. I wake up in the morning with the same thoughts. As I begin the day, the things that are in my mind I bring before the Lord, quietly in a conversation with Him. Conversation sort of flows along as the day goes on. It...it's really a kind of God consciousness...where everything you see in your world, you...you see in light of Him. When you see good and you see righteousness and you see salvation and you see sanctification, you praise and you thank Him. When you see evil...you...you ask Him to make it right...to cleanse it...to deal with it. When you see trouble, you experience difficulty, you ask His deliverance...When you're confused and trying to figure out something, maybe a truth in the Scripture that's not coming clear, you plead with Him to give you guidance and direction...
You see, they only way that we could ever understand the Bible is if we were led by the Holy Spirit, because it's only the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2, who understands the mind of God, isn't it? Just the cold, hard reading of Scripture doesn't yield the great realities. It's the work of the Spirit as we yield to His movement in our minds, so that all your life and all your words and all your thoughts and everything you do and everywhere you go, and every responsibility you fulfill, somehow carry on this running communion. There's really no waking moment when you can't be praying. You don't have to go to a place. You don't have to get into a position...God is there all the time...
And it's a way of life. It's...it's just a way of life. It's just a constant conversation. And sometimes it gets more intense than others...sometimes it's full of joy, and sometimes it's full of sadness...When it says in Colossians 4:2, "Continue in prayer," it's from the root karterao, which means to be steadfast or constant. It is used in Hebrews 11:27 of Moses..."He endured." It actually refers to being strong...to sustaining something...to hang in there with real strength is the idea. In fact, it's the compound form of karterao in Colossians, which means just that. To endure with real persistent strength. I say that to say this...this God-consciousness is not some kind of easy-going God-consciousness. It's not some...some kind of laissez-faire approach, some lazy, sort of come see, come saw. But rather a strong, persevering, intense consciousness of God...
I guess as we grow as Christians...when you read the pattern of growth in 1 John 2, the pinnacle of spiritual growth has become a spiritual father, spiritual children, spiritual young man, spiritual father. There's three levels of spiritual growth. And a spiritual father is identified as one who knows Him who is from the beginning. I don't wanna get mystical here, but...for someone who is a mature Christian...they may be more conscious of God as they live their life than anybody else...As you become deeper and deeper in the knowledge of God, as you come to grips with God's reality and His presence and His power and His truth, and it begins to dominate your life, you tend to be more conscious of what is God's role and what do you desire God's response to be in every given situation, than you are dealing with the people in that situation. 'Cause you begin to see things through God's eyes, and in His perspective.
There's a certain earnestness in this...that stems from this God-consciousness. There's a certain persistence and certain strength in it. Turn to Luke 18 for a moment. Lemme illustrate that. Luke 18:1, and you're very familiar with this, but I only remind you of it. "He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray." So here we are. We're gonna illustrate that you should pray all the time. "He was telling 'em a parable to show that at all times they oughta pray and not lose heart." You just keep praying and you keep praying and you keep praying and you...you don't lose heart. You don't...stop praying.
And here's his story. "There was in a certain city a judge who didn't fear God and didn't respect man."...He would suit the American culture, I think. The way things are going, no fear of God and little regard for man. "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.'" Here's a poor beleaguered widow who is being taken advantage of and has no one to defend her, so she goes to the judge, and she says, "You've gotta protect me." I'm...I'm'm, you know, you remember that the...one of the condemnation of...of the prophets with regard to Israel was that they devoured widow's houses, took advantage of...of people who were without protection. So she goes to the judge, and she pleads. "For a while, he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man...I don't care about God. I don't have any particular religious thing in...in...in...in view here. I don't have any moral law that I have to live up to, and I could care less about her. Yet, because this widow bothers me, I'll give her legal protection, lest by continually coming, she wear me out.'"
I say that is a strange story...Is that supposed to illustrate God? Is God like that? Saying, "I don't care about you. I just...I get sick of you coming, so I'm gonna do what you ask."...No. Look at verse 6, "The Lord said, 'Hear what the unrighteous judge said.'" Here's...He simply means by that lemme tell you what the story means. "Now, shall not God bring about justice for His elect...who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?"...What is He saying here? He's saying, "Listen, if an unjust judge...if an unrighteous judge who had no moral standards and who couldn't care less about people would finally do for a woman what she begged him to do just because he was tired of her coming, what will a just God, a righteous God who loves His children do in response to their requests?
It is a parable of contrasts, not a parable of comparison...When you come to God, you're not coming to an unjust judge who has got no moral standard to live up to and no promises to keep. You're not coming to a judge who doesn't care about you. You're coming to a God who is righteous, who has made promises, and who loves you supremely. And if an unjust judge will respond for someone who comes very often, what will your God do when you come to Him and continue in prayer and don't lose heart?...
Go back to chapter 11 of Luke verse 5, "Then He said to them...He's just finished giving them the disciples prayer, which we studied this morning in verses 2 through 4...then He said to them, 'Suppose one of you shall have a friend...and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves.'"
Now, first of all, you...you really...it's a little late to be going there. It's midnight, and you show up and you want three loaves, three biscuits for breakfast. "For a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him." And hospitality was a major necessity. This would be a serious embarrassment. "Well, from inside he will answer and say, 'Do not bother me.'"You're there at midnight asking him for bread. "The door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed." Now there's a novel idea. We could talk about that as a parenting methodology. You say, "What in the world are they all doing in bed?" Well, you know, in those days, they usually all slept together when it was cold, 'cause that's how they stayed warm...
"I can't get up and give you anything." You know what it means if I'm in there, and my wife's in there, and all the kids are in there, and I get up, we got chaos. Everybody's awake. The whole family's upset. Hah. "So I just...I can't get up and get you anything. I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet, because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs." If the guy just stays there and keeps bugging him, he will eventually get up. Not because he's his friend, but because he's tired of the guy. He can't take it anymore.
Now if it's the same scenario. It's a...it's a parable by contrast rather than comparison. If...if your...if your friend, who is hostile at first and indifferent and doesn't wanna help you, will help you because you just won't stop asking. And you won't go away. What will the God who loves you and never sleeps do? That's the point. But in either case, the message is to keep praying, is to keep asking. Verse 9, "I say to you, ask, and it'll be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened." And then we see that same passage from Matthew 7 is, of course, repeated here. "Suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of fish, will he? Or if he's asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
The point is that it's what the Old English word importunity, which means perseverance or persistence...constant prayer, constant prayer...persistent prayer.
Well, let's go back to Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 18, the first aspect of prayer is the frequency of prayer, and it's all the time. Praying at all times. Constant God-consciousness. Constant petition. Constant pleading with the Lord. As the thoughts run through your mind, they transform into prayers that brought before Him...It's a great way to live your Christian life. Every...every thought that...becomes a worry could become a prayer...
Secondly, is the variety of prayer. Not only the frequency of prayer, but the variety of prayer. This is quite interesting. Verse 18 begins, "With all prayer and...literally...petition"... or supplication...
What he means by all prayer is all kinds of prayer. There...there are lots of kinds of prayer. Public, private, verbal, silent, loud cries, quiet whispers, deliberate prayer, planned prayer, spontaneous prayer...there is corporate prayer...there is prayer that directs itself at God in thanksgiving. There's prayer that directs itself in confession of sin. There is prayer that is humiliation before God and a bowing down, exalting Him. There's prayer that is pure praise, and prayer can be offered kneeling, standing, sitting, lifting up holy hands, lying on your face, lying on your back. All kinds of prayer in all kinds of fashions.
As you study the Old Testament, I won't take time to do that tonight, but you find people praying in all postures about all kinds of things. I remember reading a book one time about the fact that we oughta pray in the morning and in the evening, and it quoted a few little verses about so and so praying in the morning and praying in the evening. And I went to my Concordance and began to find that people prayed all the time, all day long, morning, evening, noon, middle of the day, in the middle of the night...Then I...I went on in this book and it...it...it advocated that we should always pray in a kneeling position. And as I went through the...the ca...the Concordance again and looking through all of the position so prayer, I found out that people prayed with every conceivable kind of posture...
All kinds of prayer, all kinds of postures. Now, take the word prayer to begin with here. Let's just mention what it means in the Greek. It's prosuka, and it means...it's basically prayer in general, and it suits very well this ti...this kind of spiritual conversation that we've been talking about. Because it refers to a sort of a general conversation of prayer. It doesn't focus on petition necessarily, or confession, or even praise. It's just a...it's just general conversation with God. And all of the aspects of prayer sort of fit well into that broad term.
The second word is supplication, or as it's translated in the NAS here, petition. Theasis...and this is opposed to a prosuka, which means prayer in general, refers to prayer in specific. It is a word that has to do with a definite prayer...and I think that the Holy Spirit chose those two words, because you cover the ground. Prayer in general, in all of its forms and possibilities, and in general terms. And prayer in very specific requests...
Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:8, "I...I want that men pray everywhere, everywhere, lifting up holy hands," a...a posture of offering prayer to God and receiving from God that the Jews often expressed themselves with. But there is prayer that is very general, such as praising God and honoring God and worshipping God and praying generally for...for the...the church, the family, friends, the work of God in the world, missionaries. All of that. And then there is that very specific request with regard to an issue of life that is a burden on our hearts...so we see here that prayer is...is wide as encompassing all the general requests on our heart and as narrow as the very specific things that burden us.
We should be like a...thinking the...the motif here of a soldier. We should be like that soldier who's got the full armor on, sort of ready at every moment to commit everything to God. Wherever we are in any kind of battle, with every kind of prayer, every general prayer, every specific prayer. I don't know about you, but I find myself praying in those ways. Praying generally for you as a church. Praying specifically for individuals within the church. Praying generally for the well-being of missionaries. Praying specifically for a...a very pointed request with regard to them. And that's how it is the life of prayer. It's general, and, yet, it's very specific. And God answers prayers generally and specifically, as well. It's as varied as the need...as varied as the passion of our heart.
Now, when we talk about this, we're not talking about prayer books, vain repletion. We're not necessarily even talking about prescribed prayer times. The Jews had these...these traditional prayer times that they engaged in that had been developed through the years, where at a certain hour, every day, everybody had to go somewhere and pray. We see the Muslims doing that today. Bowing down, facing toward Mecca. The Jews do it. I remember flying to Israel one time on a 747 full of orthodox Jews, and it was a really wild trip. Because...every time we came to a prayer time, they all got up and got in the aisles and started facing Jerusalem and genuflecting. And the crew was becoming more and more contentious, because they couldn't serve the meals, because they wouldn't sit down. And it was interesting, because we had a landing in Brussels, and the whole flight service crew walked. And so we flew from Brussels to Tel Aviv with only pilots, I think. I guess. Maybe they put it on automatic, I don't know.
But I mean they would just...wherever they are, what...at the prescribed time, they just went into that mode and engaged in that particular prayer, as if the prescription itself had some spiritual meaning...
A speaker took every Old Testament passage one time where people rose up early in the morning and prayed, and concluded that that's the time that Christians oughta pray and try to start a sort of a morning tradition. Psalm 55:17 says, "Evening and morning and noon will I pray." Daniel prayed five times a day. Luke 6:12 says of Jesus that, "He continued all night in prayer to God." First Timothy 5:5 says, "Godly widows are those who pray night and day." And, again, you're back to all times, all prayer, and it's a general way of life.
Martin Lloyd Jones points out that, in a sense, this is quite an interesting statement, "Prayer is more important than knowledge." This is what he writes, "Our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life. It is more important than knowledge and understanding." As theology is ultimately the knowledge of God, the more theology I know, the more it should drive me to seek to know God. Not to know about Him, but to know Him. The whole...whole object of salvation is to bring me to a knowledge of God. I may talk learnedly about regeneration, but what is eternal life It is that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." John 17:3.
"In...if...if all my knowledge," he writes, "does not lead me to prayer, there is something wrong somewhere." It is meant to do that. The value of the knowledge is that it gives me such an understanding of the value of prayer, that I devote time to prayer and delight in prayer. If it doesn't produce these results in my life, there's something wrong and spurious about it, or else I'm handling it in a wrong manner.
The trouble, I'm convinced, is that we tend to stop at putting the whole armor of God on, and that's it. The devil puffs us up with our knowledge, and thereby defeats us. If you really do know the truth about God, then the thing that would be the most natural response to that would be to seek communion with Him, would it not?...
You know, one of the great...one of the great comforts in life, no matter what happens in life, is this God-conscious living. No matter how stressed out things get, no matter how difficult they become, no matter how dire the circumstances are, no matter how troubled your heart may be, when you really know your God, and you really believe your God to be faithful to His Word, you're content to take everything to Him. Everything.
Lemme give you a third point. The manner of prayer. The manner of prayer..."With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance." This is translated in the authorized version, watching. "Be on the alert, watching." Mark 14:38, Jesus said, "Watch and pray." First Peter 4:7, Peter said, "Watch under prayer, sleepless, incessant, persevering prayer demands concentration. It demands attentiveness. It demands vigilance." You need to really assess what's going on. Lack of prayer, frankly, is related to a failure to understand what the issues are. Most people don't pray perseveringly. They don't pray with importunity, supplicating...because they're just not that involved in the needs or the issues.
It's really a sad commentary on all of us that we don't get as concerned about the needs of others as we do about our own needs. We don't have much trouble praying passionately when it strikes us, but, on behalf of others, we find that a little hard to do. But we're to be watchful. We're to be looking around us, assessing the enemy, his attacks, his assaults. What we need to be guarded about. We need to be looking at the friends and the family around us and understanding their strengths and weaknesses, understanding their temptations and struggles so that with watchfulness, we can pray with perseverance. Again, here is this same idea of consistency, enduring prayer, steadfast, continual prayer. This becomes a pattern of life for the one who is watchful. Be on the alert with all perseverance, and petition, Paul said.
The disciples made themselves vulnerable to Satan, because they weren't alert to his approaches. Part of being watchful is understanding the schemes of the devil, and that means understanding the Word of God. Part of watchfulness is...is having discernment. I spent all day yesterday teaching a seminar on discernment to Biblical counselors in Chicago, and it just brought back into my mind the urgency of being a discerning Christian...The...the Christian church today is just filled with people who have no clue what's really going on. They can't see the subtleties of Satan. They can't see the takeovers that Satan is...is managing to pull off all over the place in evangelical Christianity. They're sort of witless to the real things that are going on. And the reason is primarily not because they wouldn't like to know, but because they don't have the criteria to know, and that means they do not understand the Word of God well enough to be able to measure things that are happening against sound doctrine.
So part of watchfulness, and I...I need to emphasize this, part of watchfulness is...is knowing the truth of God, so that you can rightly discern what's happening. When I...I mentioned some weeks ago that the number one problem in the church is deception, that was no big revelation. The number one problem in the church is deception. Frankly, the number one problem in the world is deception. And the number one deceiver in the world is Satan, who works his deception through his host of demons, and his false teachers, and all the false ideologies raised up against the knowledge of God. Deception is the issue. Therefore, it is incumbent upon believers to be able to discern truth from error. You can...you can say, "Well, I'm...I'm really looking around, and I...I...I'm...I'm really watching. But if you don't have a criteria by which to evaluate what's going on, you don't understand the schemes of Satan. You don't understand sound doctrine. Your watchfulness is only marginally beneficial...
That's why it's so important to...to teach the Word of God and to have a sound foundation of truth. The frequency of prayer at all times, the variety of prayer, all kinds of prayer, both in the general sense and the specific sense, the manner of prayer watching with perseverance, being discerning, so that you can assess what is going on. And you can pray in regard to the real attacks of the enemy in their subtlety.
Lemme give you a, lastly, the indirect objects of prayer. We'll call it the indirect objects of prayer. It's at the end of verse 18. "For all saints." You say, "What do I mean the indirect objects?" Well, the direct objects of all of our prayers is God. We pray to God. The indirect object, we pray to God about all saints. I want you to note this, 'cause it's very important...We make our petitions, our supplications with perseverance, with alertness, at all times, in all forms, on behalf of all saints. As Samuel said in 1 Samuel 12:23, "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."
Lemme tell you something...The more mature you are as a Christian, the more preoccupied you are with praying for somebody else...rather than yourself. This is part of the ministry of the body. When the apostles gave themselves to the...to the...to the ministry of prayer and the Word, they were focusing those prayers on the people of God. It's the...it's the wonderful reality of the New Testament that, as you unfold the prayers of Paul, he was always praying for somebody else. And when he needed prayer, he asked somebody else to pray for him, such as in verse 19, "Pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains." He was praying for them, and he asked them to pray for him, and that's how love works, and that's how the body is unified, and that's how we bear one another's burdens. That's part of the body of Christ. That's...that's part of the way the muscles in the body work. We pray for each other. I pray for you. You pray for me...
When a member has a need, the other members pray for that one. We constantly are asking God on behalf of one another. I don't know how it is with you, but...apart from confession of sin and apart from submission to God and the pursuit of wisdom...most of our prayer life should be made up of praying for other people, shouldn't it?...I...I...I find that...that's the mark of spiritual maturity. In fact, nowhere does Scripture put the emphasis on praying for ourselves...Obviously, you have to confess your own sin, submit yourself to God. Obviously, you have to praise God, obviously, thank God. That's...that's obvious. But what I'm talking about is in sense...in the sense of petition or supplication. You look at the prayer of Jeremiah, he's praying for his people. You look at the prayer of Daniel, he's praying for his people. Now, Jonah, he was praying for himself. We understand that. There is a time and a place to do that, and that was the time and that was the place, and so are other times and places. We understand that.
But the general thrust of prayer is on behalf of others, and isn't that the way it works? People got together yesterday and had 1200 prayer requests, many of whom were from people they didn't even know, and they were praying for the people they didn't know. That's the ministry of prayer for all the saints...It's based on same selfless, humble love that is the key to Christian unity. So we wanna focus on each other...and pray for each other...
Martin Lloyd Jones has a...an interesting couple of illustrations. He writes, "Before the outbreak of the Spanish civil war in Barcelona, Madrid, and other places, there were psychological clinics with large numbers of neurotics undergoing drug treatment, and others attending regularly for psychoanalysis and such like. They had their personal problems, their worries, their anxieties, their temptations. Having to go back week after week, month after month to the clinic in order to...to be kept going. Then came the civil war, and one of the first and most striking effects of the Spanish civil war was that it virtually emptied the psychological and psychiatric clinics. The neurotic people were suddenly cured by a greater anxiety...The anxiety about their whole life, whether their homes would still be there, whether their husbands would still be alive, whether their children would be killed. The greater anxieties got rid of the lesser ones. In having to give attention to the bigger problem, they forgot their own personal and somewhat petty problems. That is a fact. And a measure...he writes...that also happened in Britain during the second World War. A greater fear drives out lesser fears."
When you feel that you are in a kind of vortex and can't forget yourself, when you are sorry for yourself and feeling that you are having an unusually hard time with everything against you, almost enough to drive you to despair, one of the best remedies is to sit down and say, "What about so and so? What about this person? What about that person? What about Christians in other countries? What about...?" What I mentioned to you this morning, what about the family that lost six children? I said to that pastor, "That's a real problem...not an artificial one."
Martin Lloyd Jones says, "Get on your knees and pray for somebody else, and you'll soon get up finding you forgot yourself." So apart from all other reasons, it's a wise thing to...to make supplication for all saints. You'll find that in praying for them, you are solving your own self-centered problems. Wisdom, indeed. Wisdom, indeed.
Now, there's one overarching qualification. We'll wrap it up. One overarching qualification in this verse that we haven't noticed yet, and it's that little phrase, "In the Spirit." We've covered praying always, praying at all times. We've covered with all prayer, all petition, being on the alert, persevering, and praying for all saints. But that little phrase, "In the Spirit," is the qualification for prayer. It's a...it's a common New Testament theme, by the way. You...It's repeated in Jude 20. All prayer at all times with all persistence and alertness, for all saints must always be done in the Spirit.
What does that mean? Does that mean speaking in tongues? No. It means praying in harmony with the will of the Spirit. That's all it means. Praying in harmony with the mind and will of God's Holy Spirit. And according to Romans chapter 8 verses 26 to 28, "The Spirit always prays for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The Spirit is always interceding for us, and the Spirit knows the mind of God...it says...the Spirit knows the mind of God...Romans 8:27...The Spirit in perfect harmony within the Trinity knows the mind of God and always prays consistent with the mind of God...It says...He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
God knows the mind of the Spirit. The Spirit knows the mind of God, and the Spirit always prays in perfect harmony with the will of God. So when it says, "Pray in the Spirit," it's not asking you to do something ecstatic. It's not asking you to do something mystical. It is simply saying, "Line up your praying with the Holy Spirit." Which means pray in the will of God. Takes you right back to where were this morning where you say, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."...Spirit-directed prayer...is what we're after here. So, in the end, you're praying in the will of God, consistent with the mind of the Spirit.
Now, having given that basic sort of practical description of prayer, he gives an illustration, and I'll just comment on it briefly. Look at verse 19. He sort of gives us an opportunity to see this in action. "Pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make knows with boldness the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it, I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." I'll tell you one thing. Everything he asked for there is the will of God, isn't it? I mean, clearly, God wanted him to preach. God wanted him to open his mouth and boldly make known the mystery of the Gospel, or God wouldn't have made him an...made him an ambassador. So he was praying in the will of God...He was praying in the Spirit, if you will. He's asking them to pray persistently, faithfully, continually, at all times, in all places, in all manners for him that God might use him to fulfill his calling. He wants courage. He wants boldness. He wants to speak the Gospel powerfully. He wants to proclaim the message of saving love, and he wants his people to hold him up in prayer.
I understand that. Nothing is more gratifying to me than people who tell me they're praying for me, and I...I just continue to be amazed at what a massive amount of people there are in the group of folks who pray for me. If there's...if there's anything that the Lord will honor, it is the faithful prayer of those people, and I'm so grateful. Only eternity will reveal the great reality of the prayers of those people who, in large measure, had probably more to do with God's blessing in my life than anything I did. I'm always rejoicing to go places and meet people who say they're praying regularly for me.
And that's how Paul closes in verse 20, and then there are a few final comments as he wraps up the book. Well, by way of conclusion...a final prayer...a prayer offered by a Puritan long ago. "O God of grace, I bewail my cold, listless, heartless prayers. Their poverty adds sin to sin. If my hope were in them, I should be undone. But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble breathings and wins their acceptance deep in my contrition of heart, O Lord. In prayer, I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean, my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time with its amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as when I'm praying. In prayer, I see myself as nothing. I find my heart going after Thee with intensity and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. In prayer, all things here below vanish. In prayer, all my worldly cares and fears and anxieties disappear and are as of little importance as a puff of wind. In prayer, my soul in inward joy casts its thoughts toward You and Your church, and I long that You should get Yourself a great name from sinners returning to You. In prayer, I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life and taste the heavenly joys and enter the eternal world, and I can give myself to You with all my heart. In prayer, I can place all my concerns in Your hands to be entirely at Your disposal, having no will or interest of my own. In prayer, I can intercede for my friends, my...my ministers, my pastors, sinners, the church, Your Kingdom. With greatest freedom, profoundest hope, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved, help me to always be in prayer and never to cease."
Let's pray. Again, Lord, it's been a wonderful day today as we've contemplated the tremendous blessing of communion with You...We really talked mostly about our part and not Yours. But all the way along, we've certainly implied that You hear and answer prayer consistent with Your will. And that somehow in the wonder of Your sovereignty, You do things in response to prayer that otherwise would not happen. You have ordained that our prayers be the means by which You unfold Your will. What a tremendous privilege it is to come before You and commune with You in all the issues of life...Father, we thank You for that open line of communion. We thank You that we can have a God-consciousness and know that You are conscious of us at every moment, and of all our needs, and of Your will for us. And may we eagerly grasp that privileged communion...and make the greatest use of it by bringing before You those things consistent with Your will, that You may display Yourself and Your glory in the answers...What a resource we have, that whatever we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, You do that You may glorify Yourself. What a promise of resources. May we take advantage of that and trust You for every answer. In Your Son's name, Amen.


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Nutrient management in corn can be a relatively simple process when conditions are ideal. It's when Mother Nature dishes out too much or too little rainfall or temperatures that are too cool or too warm that applying manure or commercial nitrogen gets dicey.
Soil scientists in the Northeast, which has had its share of difficult weather conditions to deal with in recent years, have put together a new computer modeling program aimed at helping farmers get a better handle on when to apply more nitrogen in corn.
Called ADAPT-N, the computer program developed by researchers at Cornell University is designed to remove some of the guesswork from nutrient management and replace it with information that enables producers to more precisely predict corn nitrogen needs. They discussed the tool at the Iowa On-Farm Network Conference in Ames, Iowa.
"In New York, dairy is the primary ag industry. About half the corn production is for silage, and most of that receives manure," said Jeff Melkonian, senior extension associate in Crop and Soil Sciences at Cornell. "It is an important issue in New York as it is in Iowa where I think 20 percent of the corn receives swine manure.
"So it is an important issue in both states, and weather, especially rainfall, is a key factor affecting the availability of applied nitrogen fertilizer and manure N."
The Adapt-N program combines model simulations with high-resolution climate data, says Melkonian. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northeast Regional Climate Center has been a major contributor to the project.
Spring temperatures and soil moisture conditions can have a major impact on soil nitrogen as shown in pre-sidedress nitrogen testing conducted by Cornell researchers. In years with warm temperatures and west conditions, soils typically have intermediate to low PSNTs, according to Melkonian.
"The management implications for fields with high organic N levels; that is, manured fields or fields with a forage crop in previous years, is that fields with intermediate to low pre-sidedress nitrogen tests may require additional nitrogen when temperatures are warm and conditions wet."
Besides climate data, growers can input soil test data, information on soil types, cultivars, drainage, tillage, expected yields and previous nutrient applications. The program allows growers to enter fertilizer application information for the last three years to help determine how much nitrogen is available in their soils.
Iowa farmers attending the On-Farm Network Conference have more than a passing interest in the computer modeling program. The Cornell researchers and On-Farm Network participants plan to expand it to the Midwest this spring.
"We're collaborating with some independent consultants here in Iowa as well as the Iowa Soybean Association to use some of their data and to test our model," said Harold van Es, professor of soil and water management at Cornell. "We're also planning to put out some field plots, some strip trials and demonstrations to test the model in Iowa."
Van Es said researchers will have to make some adjustments to the model because "conditions are different in Iowa than they are in New York. But we're very confident that will work. We will have high-resolution climate data that we use as inputs for the model in this region. We want to use that data and basically do a lot of testing, and we hope that will be successful."
For more information on Melkonian's presentation, go to http://www.isafarmnet.com/2010OFNConfPresentations/pdf/Melkonian_Weather_and_Manure_Management.pdf.
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Fragrant World - SECRETLY CANADIAN
FILTER Grade: 77%
By Nevin Martell on August 20, 2012
The in-your-face hooks powering 2010's unexpectedly poppy Odd Blood turned Yeasayer into bona fide indie-pop darlings. This time, the Brooklynites chose to crank up the weird instead. "Henrietta" begins as a squidgy sci-fi trip-out, but somehow ends as a swooning ballad; "No Bones" sounds like bhangra filtered through a Commodore 64; and "Reagan's Skeleton" is a head-bobbing '80s flashback. This is not your usual carbon-copy victory-lap album—it's an ambitious boundary pusher. Exploring that final frontier can be confounding for listeners expecting more dancefloor fillers. That's OK, because this fantastical freak-out is richly rewarding for those who give it the time it deserves.


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The National Cotton Council said "nice try, but no cigar" after Crawford Falconer, chairman of the WTO Committee on Agriculture, Special Session, issued a new Doha Round draft modalities text July 17.
The Council expressed alarm at the draft modalities text, saying it includes "inequitable, cotton-specific language tabled by the C-4 countries." The C-4 countries are four African nations that say the U.S. cotton program has harmed their producers.
"The NCC made it clear to the administration last month that if the draft modalities to be released by Chairman Falconer contained the C-4 cotton proposal, the cotton industry would have to re-evaluate its position on the Doha negotiations and on a possible extension of trade promotion authority," the Council said in a statement.
Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, also issued a statement saying he thought the Falconer text called for excessive reductions in U.S. farm program payments.
In its statement, the Council noted the U.S. cotton industry has worked with the U.S. government and with the WTO to focus program delivery that met developmental goals and objectives for the West African cotton-producing countries — Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali.
"The NCC clearly demonstrated that eliminating U.S. cotton subsidies will not provide a solution for the economic plight of West African cotton producers," the NCC statement said. "Similar evidence has been presented to the C-4, the WTO and attendees of numerous development conferences by disinterested third parties.
"Chairman Falconer appears to believe that singling out cotton will encourage developing countries to support this package. This targeting of a specific commodity should concern all Doha Round participants. The WTO's handling of cotton seems to demonstrate the organization can be taken hostage by a small, select set of interests that unfairly target a specific sector of another member's economy."
The statement said the new agriculture text makes it clear that if a Doha Round is agreed to, U.S. agricultural policy will be written in Geneva, not in Washington. "The newly-issued text would reach deep into U.S. agricultural policy and dictate to the U.S. Congress how they must write farm programs," it said.
The Council said it is urging the U.S. administration to strongly oppose the cotton-specific language contained in the draft and not to accept any set of modalities or any agreement that contains similar language. "Without this type of assurance, the U.S. cotton industry will undoubtedly oppose any extension of Trade Promotion Authority."
Harkin said he applauded the efforts to move the Doha Round agricultural negotiations forward, but he believes the Falconer document may not achieve that goal.
"Although the majority of the key figures proposed by Mr. Falconer that would establish the level of reductions required in domestic support, agricultural tariffs, and export subsidies appear in the draft text as ranges, those ranges represent greater reductions in U.S. domestic support and lesser gains in market access than were envisioned in the U.S. proposal tabled in October 2005," said Harkin.
"If a final Doha round agreement were to reflect these ranges, it would face a difficult road in being approved by the U.S. Congress."
The Iowa Democrat said U.S. negotiators should use caution in considering changes that might be made to the various categories of programs treated under current WTO rules as non-trade-distorting or green box.
"It is essential that our government be able to maintain flexibility in these programs if we are to transition away from trade-distorting forms of domestic support as is envisioned in the Doha Round of agricultural negotiations," he said.
"The lack of progress in the Doha Round over the last year now means that it is very unlikely that the Round will be completed before Congress finishes work on the 2007 farm bill. As chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I feel obligated to try to ensure that the provisions of the farm bill are consistent with our commitments under existing WTO rules, but not with provisions of a draft text that may or may not be reflected in a final Round agreement, if one is reached at all."


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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
She will get to come on the weekends which is cool. We are going out to a concert at Benaroya hall this sunday. Should be good to get out. Thanks for all the meals this week everyone. The tupperware and dish situation is getting out of control....I need a labelmaker or something to keep it all straight:)
15 comments:
- hatch said...
Scott and Carol it is sooo good to hear how things are going. I am very impressed, but not at all surprised by all that you are doing. Your strong spirit just shines through!
Love you,
- October 1, 2008 at 10:01 PM
- Just me! said...
How is her eye sight doing?
- October 1, 2008 at 10:09 PM
- Ally Van Leuvan said...
So wonderful to hear, Scott! Having some independence will be so healing. We'll give a call over the weekend.
Ally & Pete
- October 2, 2008 at 2:55 AM
- Stephanie said...
Great news! Enjoy your night out this weekend! I'll try to call Carol on her cell soon.
- October 2, 2008 at 3:47 AM
- Laura Solomon said...
How remarkable. What great news to know she is such a motivated powerful woman. FYI---> My best pal is Danny Heumann. He is a motivational speaker. You can find him at www.HeumannlyCapable.com. Listen to his story. Although it differs from your wife's story...the general motivation, persistance and attitude required are the same. I will volunteer him to talk to her (or you) if you like.
xox Laura Solomon
- October 2, 2008 at 7:35 AM
- Lori said...
Sounds like Carol's making great progress. I bet it feels so good to be able to do a few things by herself. Tell her great job. She's amazing! Have fun at your concert.
- October 2, 2008 at 7:41 AM
- Jaina said...
I'm glad things are looking positive, her attitude is going to play such a key role in her healing. I'm glad you're taking her to a concert, that should be lots of fun.
- October 2, 2008 at 7:42 AM
- KariAnne Deines and Benny Clark said...
Such fantastic news! Have a great time at the concert, that will be such a blast for you both and much needed I am sure.
Luv n' Hugs, Kari
- October 2, 2008 at 8:07 AM
- Extraordinary Housewife said...
I do not know Carol, but can't help being touched by her incredible spirit. I am so impressed by her upbeat attitude and die-hard, kick-fanny work ethic. To cut two weeks off of rehab is amazing. She's pushing those therapists to their limits. I love it and am very proud of her. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
- October 2, 2008 at 8:13 AM
- Scott & Carol Decker said...
Laura, please give me a call or email with your information so we can discuss the speaker if possible.
Scott 206714-6284
firstname.lastname@example.com thanks
- October 2, 2008 at 9:11 AM
- Bartel's said...
Not sure if you watched the Oprah show about the woman whom experienced something similar to Carol. Just in case you were interested, here's a link to the story: http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/relationships/parenting/20080910_tows_monica/1
I hope things are going as well as possible. We're praying for you & you're family!
- October 2, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- Bartel's said...
sorry, here's the link again
- October 2, 2008 at 9:51 AM
- erin said...
I will get you the label maker tonight...remind me to actually give it to you though. I always forget that crucial step!! See ya later Scott.
Carol--whoo-hooo!!!! You can't say you don't rock now with all that you are re-learning to do. You go girl. I will be up to visit today or tomorrow. Love ya!
- October 2, 2008 at 11:00 AM
- Tracy Alter said...
Scott and Carol,
I am very excited to hear about the progress!!!! Have fun at the concert! I remember the Boston days when you guys used to frequent fun shows.
- October 2, 2008 at 11:44 AM
- Amy Storch said...
Carol is the bomb! I had a funny dream about her last night. It went along the theme of her accomplishing more, faster.
- October 2, 2008 at 12:46 PM


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Taylor Swift Wins the Inaugural Taste of Country Bowl
Congratulations to Taylor Swift and her fans! Together, Team Swifties topped 15 other country music fanbases to finish on top at the end of the first-ever Taste of Country Bowl. Nearly three quarters of a million fans voted during the month-long competition which had nail-biting finishes in each round.
Swift and her supporters pulled away from Carrie Underwood late in the week-long Finals. The 'Begin Again' hitmaker scored just over 53 percent of the vote to Underwood's 47 percent. It was a well-played match with fans of both women voting -- and voting often. Underwood galvanized her fans twice on Facebook, but in the end, Swifties worldwide would not be denied.
Taylor Swift's road to the finals went through Hunter Hayes, Lady Antebellum, and then Brantley Gilbert and Scotty McCreery in a three-way Semi-Finals matchup. Underwood bested Little Big Town, Brad Paisley and then Eric Church to earn a spot in the ToC Bowl Finals.
Thanks to all who voted, and congratulations to Swift and her dedicated Swifties for battling to the very last minute to ensure victory!


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Ah – December 15th. I wish you were better known as National Cupcake Day, but don't worry…you'll get there.
For those of you that didn't know, December 15th is in fact National Cupcake Day. A few months ago, I gave you all some suggestions on how to celebrate National Coffee Day so I thought it would only be fitting to share some suggestions on how to celebrate National Cupcake Day in Columbus, too! I will say many of these suggestions are based on word of mouth…I personally have not tried a lot of these cupcakes!
I've been hearing a lot about a place called Our Cupcakery (out of Dublin) lately. They specialize in cupcakes and wedding cakes, and I hear they specialize very well. Their website proudly boasts a "Create Your Own Cupcake Bar" which to me, sounds like a ton of fun. Luckily, I'll be checking them out on Monday! I bought a Groupon (actually I think it's a Faveroo…same thing as a Groupon but only focused on Columbus) for a Basic Cupcake Icing class. I'm very excited to check it out! Their cupcakes do look pretty good!
Next up is Pattycake Bakery. Pattycake is conveniently located on High Street, and offers much much more than cupcakes. I've actually never had a cupcake from Pattycake, but the muffins and cookies I've had assure me that their cupcakes would be outstanding. Pattycake is a vegan bakery as well, which makes it really fun to try items off of their menu! If you're not in the mood for a cupcake next time you're there, I suggest the "Marry Me Blueberry Muffin". Seriously, I've considered marrying it. Seriously.
Rob Chabot was highly recommending this next one to me – it's a cupcake food cart called 3 Babes and a Baker. I love the name! Their website makes them seem new to the game, but that makes it even more exciting. However, go check out their menu. Their cupcakes do sound delicious! Also, they've got to be a winner if they come with such a high recommendation from Rob.
Another place that comes highly recommended, yet I haven't tried, is Surly Girl Saloon located in the Short North. Yes, I know, you probably think I'm crazy suggesting a saloon has great cupcakes. I'll admit…I'm skeptical too! But from what I hear, these cupcakes are the bomb. I hear the regular food is really good too. I checked out their website, and it looks like they offer Red Velvet Cupcakes and a Cupcake of the Day – not a huge selection, but I bet that means what they do offer is fantastic. They're definitely on my "Go To" list!
If you're feeling a little less adventurous and just want to pick up some cupcakes at the grocery store, that's okay too. Especially if you're doing your grocery shopping at Giant Eagle. Giant Eagle delivers a solid cupcake (and cake) experience…the cake is always moist and fluffy, and they have a few different frosting options to suit your mood. I love their Aunt Martha's Buttercream frosting. The cream cheese is decent as well, and my mom loves the almond one…sorry, I forget exactly what it's called. Don't write them off just because its a super market – give the cupcakes a try!
I've got a few others places to list, but these are all places I haven't yet tried. Again, I've heard good things about them, but not specifically from friends so I didn't feel I could write an entire paragraph on them. Anywho, other places you can go to satisfy your sweet tooth on National Cupcake Day (or any day) include Bakery Gingham, Sugar Inc. Cupcakes, and the Tremont Goodie Shop.
I'd also like to take this post to shamelessly promote another blog I co-write. I really enjoy baking and cooking, and decided that I'd like to share some of my recipes. Check out my blog, Bake Yourself Happy, and see what you think! Unfortunately I don't have any cupcake recipes up yet, but there are fantastic muffins on there!


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Kyle Shanahan continues to generate interest on the open market.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that the Baltimore Ravens have interviewed Shanahan for their vacant offensive coordinator position, according to a source informed of their plans.
The news comes four days after Shanahan interviewed for the Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator position. Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor was hired to fill that position Wednesday.
Shanahan was among the staff let go after Mike Shanahan was dismissed by the Washington Redskins this month. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Shanahan has made the decision to continue his NFL career unassociated with his father.
The Ravens are looking for an offensive coordinator after Jim Caldwell was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions. The Baltimore Sun reported the team expected to interview several candidates for the job, including wide receivers coach Jim Hostler.
Shanahan was perceived as an assistant on the rise before it all fell apart in D.C. The Ravens would represent a good spot for a career rebound.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" interviews Carolina Panthers star Greg Hardy and looks ahead to the conference title games.


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The wandering lobo known as OR-7 is back in his native Oregon after nearly a year traversing Northern California in search of a new home and a mate.
The GPS-collared gray wolf apparently crossed the California border into western Klamath County sometime Tuesday night, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Originally from Eastern Oregon's Imnaha pack, OR-7 in 2011 became the first documented wolf in Western Oregon in 65 years. Last winter, he toggled between Southern Oregon and Northern California, becoming the Golden State's first documented wolf since 1924.
"This is not a surprise," ODFW wolf program spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said. "He has come back before.
"We're not predicting what he's going to do next," Dennehy said Wednesday. "He might be back in California now for all we know."
For most of the past year, OR-7 has traveled around northeastern California, most recently in the western Modoc County area, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
On March 6, he suddenly made a beeline north, traveling about 60 air miles and reaching Klamath County, said USFWS biologist John Stephenson in Bend.
"It's very different movement than what he's been doing for a while in California," Stephenson said. "He just decided to bust a move."
No one knows why, or whether he's alone, Stephenson said. However, wolves have been known to abruptly leave an area in winter or early spring, he said.
"Even whole packs will go on a walkabout," Stephenson said.
The GPS transmitter was fitted on OR-7 in February 2011, and its life expectancy is three years, Stephenson said.
"That one, obviously, has been a pretty reliable collar," Stephenson said.
OR-7's return puts the number of documented gray wolves in Oregon at 47, and he remains the only one outside of northeastern Oregon, according to the ODFW.
The six known packs are the most recorded in Oregon since the return of wolves, Dennehy said.
Gray wolves are protected here under both the state and federal endangered species laws, making it illegal to harm or harass them.
Unlike other members of the Imnaha pack, OR-7 has never been associated with livestock kills during his time in Oregon and California.
Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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8th Vermont Infantry, Co.F
From the Collections of the Vermont Historical Society (MSA 371:14)
[Transcription by Robert Murphy, May 2005]
See also William P. Calvert letter.
George E. Parker was born in 1843, the son of Lyman and Marcia Parker of Westford, Vermont. He enlisted in Essex, Vermont in Company F, 8th Vermont Infantry Regiment, on December 26, 1863 and mustered in on December 31, 1863. He died of disease on May 24, 1864.
Franklin, Louisana.
Feb. 18. 1864
My Dear sister Eliza.
I now take pen in hand to let you no that I am well and hope you the same and to let you no where I were. I wood like to have you write to me often for I feel very lonely. Tell [Rozinah] tat that if I get a letter from her that I shal keep it in rememberence of [Rozinah] Mars. Tell the girls that I should like to have them all write to me. I should be very pleased to get a letter from home for I feel very lonely. The first day that I got to my regiment I had pesoop for dinner and the next day rice but I did not eat it for I do not like it. I send a few kisses to youre little boy.
I am under the rules and [arthecals] of war and I have got to be tide up three years if I dont get a discharge sooner. You cannot tell what my felings was when I left home. I tell you that any one dont no how to prize home until they leave it tell John that I advise him not to enlist for he runs a risk of his life every day of his life. Folks thought when I enlisted that I would be at home in about a year but I tell you that if I could enlist again if I wanted to if I should live, but you no that I [never] shal be a soldier again if I get out of it this time & tell [Rozinah] that I wrote one letter to her when I was in Brattleboro but I dont no as she got it.
I hope in all mercy that the lord will spare my life and let me go home and see my beloved friends once more. Direct youre letters to George E. Parker 8 Vt regt co. F. neworlean neworleans louisana in care of Capt. D.S. Foster.
I give my best respects to all of my beloved friends
This from George E. Parker to his dear sister Eliza Parker. Write to me as soon as you get this.
March 6 1864
I received youre very kind letter last nite I was very glad to get a letter from you and very glad to here that you are all well. I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I will give you a little discription of what I have seen. I could not see much on the boat. I had a nise time. I was 14 dayes on the boat when we got onto the mississipy river. Then we could see the negroes and [wenches] there plantations. I cant tell you any thing about [?] it dont reckon on my coming home to much for [?] it looks rather dubious now. I write to John now I expect to go onto the potomac prety soon. The 7 8 9 and 10 regiments have binn orded to go onto the potomac for the 2 Vt. brigade. John I expect you are a getting to be a quite a fiddler by this time.
How are you a geting along a farming. Are they a drafting in Vt. much I hope you wont be drafted we have got the largest army this spring that they ever has binn since this war commenced eliza tell youre father that I had rather work for him for 10 dollars a mondth than to be in the army for 50 d. if I could get out of it if a feelow is sick the docters are good for nothing they dont care if a soldier dies here no more than we care about a snake.
I have thought more than once how much comfort youll take together
If I live to come home rodny will get a present from uncle george give my best respects to all of my friends.
I will aclose my long letter by biding you good day.
This from George E. Parker to his brother and sister. good by brother John good by sister Eliza. write as soon as you get this


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What is food irradiation?
Food irradiation is a processing technique that exposes food to electron beams, X-rays or gamma rays. The process produces a similar effect to pasteurisation, cooking or other forms of heat treatment, but with less effect on look and texture. Irradiated food has been exposed to radioactivity but does not become radioactive itself.
Food absorbs energy when it is exposed to ionising radiation. The amount of energy absorbed is called 'absorbed dose', which is measured in units called grays (Gy) or kilograys (kGy), where 1kGy = 1,000Gy. The energy absorbed by the food causes the formation of short-lived molecules known as free radicals, which kill bacteria that cause food poisoning. They can also delay fruit ripening and help stop vegetables, such as potatoes and onions, from sprouting.
Is food irradiation safe?
Decades of research worldwide have shown that irradiation of food is a safe and effective way to kill bacteria in foods and extend its shelf life. Food irradiation has been examined thoroughly by joint committees of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), by the European Community Scientific Committee for Food, the United States Food and Drug Administration and by a House of Lords committee. In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the evidence and reasserted the opinion that food irradiation is safe.
Does food irradiation change the food in any way?
All food preservation techniques cause chemical changes in food – that is how they work. The changes caused by food irradiation (for example the production of free radicals) are similar in nature and extent to those caused by other preservation techniques, such as cooking, canning and pasteurisation. There may be some vitamin loss but this would occur with any other preservation technique or even just long-term storage. There is no evidence that any of the changes caused by food irradiation pose a risk to the health of consumers.
The law covering food irradiation states that irradiation can only be used where it is of benefit to the consumer. A company that wants to irradiate a food product, has to be able to show that the benefits of irradiation (for example reducing the risk of foodborne illness) outweigh any negative aspects (for example the loss of some vitamins). This will vary between different foods and means that the use of food irradiation is more suitable to some foods than others.
Which categories of foods may be irradiated and sold in the UK?
The European Commission has agreed a list of irradiated foods that can be freely traded across the European Union (EU). The list is not complete and at present it has only one food group: dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings. Until this list is complete, EU member states may continue to allow the irradiation of additional categories of foods.
In the UK there are seven categories of food which may be irradiated. For each category of food the 'maximum overall average dose' that can be used is specified in units of kilograys (kGy):
- fruit, 2kGy
- vegetables, 1kGy
- cereals, 1kGy
- bulbs and tubers, 0.2kGy
- dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings, 10kGy
- fish and shellfish, 3kGy
- poultry, 7kGy
These categories of food can also be irradiated and used as ingredients in other food products.
Can irradiated food be imported into the UK?
Certain foods that have been irradiated may be imported into the UK, as long as they comply with certain rules. The Food Irradiation (England) Regulations 2009 set out the requirements for producing, importing and selling irradiated food in the UK. The food must come from an approved facility and must have the correct documentation to accompany it. There is also parallel legislation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
See the link below for more information about the importation of irradiated foods.
What methods of food irradiation are permitted?
The Food Irradiation Regulations allow for four methods of irradiation which are as follows:
- gamma rays from the radionuclide cobalt-60
- gamma rays from the radionuclide caesium-137
- X-rays generated from machine sources operated at or below an energy level of 5MeV
- electrons generated from machine sources operated at or below an energy level of 10MeV
Where are foods irradiated?
Foods are irradiated in authorised irradiation facilities which must be regulated and subjected to strict safety inspections.
There is currently one licensed food irradiation facility in the UK. There are more than 20 facilities in other European Union (EU) member states and ten outside the EU (three in South Africa and India, two in Thailand and one each in Turkey and Switzerland). Only facilities approved by the EU can import these foods to the UK.
How do I know if a food has been irradiated?
All foods which have been irradiated must be labelled as 'irradiated' or 'treated with ionising radiation'. Where an irradiated food is used as an ingredient in another food, the words 'irradiated' or 'treated with ionising radiation' should appear next to the ingredient in the list of ingredients.
When irradiated food is not pre-packed these same words shall appear together with the name of the product on a display or notice above or besides the container in which the products are placed.
What checks are carried out?
There are 10 European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) standard tests validated for the detection of different irradiated foods, including herbs and spices, poultry and meat containing bone and products containing fats.
Local authority trading standards officers carry out checks to ensure any mislabelled products are discovered. These results are provided to the European Commission and the results published in annual reports.
Is it safe to eat food that has been through a x-ray scanner, for example at airports?
Yes, it is. X-ray scanners used at airports for baggage control operate at very much lower energy and give rise to radiation levels very much lower than radiation sources used in food irradiation facilities. The radiation doses used to process food can be as high as 10,000 gray, whilst X-ray scanners operate at less than 0.5 gray. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to detect changes to food once it has been through an X-ray scanner.
In fact many of these X-ray machines (at airports for example) operate at such a low dose that they don't affect photographic film.
How do I store or handle irradiated food?
If you are storing or transporting irradiated food for the purpose of sale, then you must ensure that the correct documentation accompanies the food up until the point it is sold to the ultimate consumer or caterer. This should include information about how and where the food was irradiated, which will be supplied by the irradiation facility.


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From today's Guardian –
You can witness a lot of environmental horrors, but there comes a moment when something snaps. It came for Rebecca Hosking last year when she was filming wildlife in the Pacific. What sounded like a nice job turned into something from a David Cronenberg film.
Hosking was on a beach on Midway island, a remote Hawaiian atoll. But instead of finding some pre-lapsarian wilderness, she and a colleague were confronted with the horror of hundreds of albatrosses lying on the sand.
The great birds' stomachs had been split open by the heat, and bits of plastic were spewing out between the feathers and the bones. All kinds of plastic – toys, shopping bags, asthma inhalers, pens, cigarette lighters, toothbrushes, combs, bottle tops. The birds had swallowed them and choked to death.
It got worse. There were humpback whales, seals and turtles – all dead or dying from the plastic. Wherever they went the sea was full of tiny pieces of plastic and every tide brought more. On the leeward side of Midway they found thousands of albatross chicks dead or fatally weakened. Hosking picked up one still alive. It pecked her and then died too. At that, Hosking broke down in anger and distress. Most people would have left it there, but Hosking proved as tough as the bits of old toothbrush she saw. She went home to Modbury, the south Devon town where she was born and has always lived. She finished the film for the BBC. Then she set about banning plastic bags. Just like that.
In under a month, working with friends and showing her film, she persuaded all 43 Modbury shopkeepers to replace the plastic bag, the symbol of the throwaway society, with reusable cloth bags. What started as a six-month trial period became a permanent voluntary project, and the town's traders now reckon they have avoided 500,000 bags ending up in the environment.
John Sauven, director of Greenpeace UK, said: "She's changed the national perspective about the issue in a few months. She went as far away as she could get from her town and gave what is happening in the Pacific real meaning and relevance here. She should be prime minister."
Tags: albatross, BBC, David Cronenberg, Devon, film, Greenpeace, Hawaii, humpback whale, John Sauven, Midway, Modbury, plastic, plastic bags, prime minister, Rebecca Hosking, sea, seal, toothbrush, toys, turtle, whale