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October event reflects the growth market for sustainable trade in coffee, cocoa, and tea.
By COTECA Press Office
The market for coffee and cocoa has changed enormously since the last COTECA two years ago. Some 159 million bags of coffee were grown in 2017/2018, 1.2% more than the previous year.
While arabica production was down 4.9% to 97.43 million bags, robusta production rose strongly by 12.1% to 62.24 million bags. All in all, eight of the 10 major coffee growing countries increased their coffee production, and only South America was down, delivering 6.1% less coffee than the previous year.
Germany imported some 105,580 metric tonnes of coffee in April 2018 alone, and worldwide coffee exports totaled some 128.9 million bags. The world market price of coffee in this period was lower than expected, despite good supply and demand, hitting its lowest level since 2007. Experts forecast stabilization of the coffee price.
Industry professionals will be discussing these current global market developments when they meet in Hamburg, Germany, on October 10-12, for the COTECA industry expo. Alongside countless product innovations, COTECA exhibitors reflect the growing interest in fair-trade products.
COTECA features 200 exhibitors from 40 nations presenting everything related to coffee, tea, and cocoa.
Quality over quantity
Fairtrade with coffee is changing the global market. 18,367 metric tonnes of fair-trade coffee were sold in Germany in 2017, according to TransFair e.V. That is up 8% year-on-year, with fair-trade accounting for 4.1% of the overall coffee market.
Coffee is the most important consumer good segment in fair trading. And FairTrade is often followed by further certification – some three quarters (77%) of the FairTrade coffee sold in Germany comes from ecological growing.
As noted by Carola Muschke, responsible for trade and investment of the Peru Business and Trade Bureau and an exhibitor at COTECA, "Peru is the second largest grower and exporter of organic coffee worldwide. The trend is towards quality rather than quantity. Certified products and selected specialty coffees are a strength of Peru." Certification such as "UTZ Certified Good Inside", Rainforest Alliance Certified, Fairtrade, Cup of Excellence, or the EU Label are useful identifiers for consumers.
Sustainability on track for success with cocoa
The percentage of sustainably grown cocoa in the German market for chocolates and confectionery has risen dramatically from 3% in 2011 to 55% in 2017. Last year alone, the growth rate was 22%. The description "sustainably produced" applies to products certified on the basis of the existing systems UTZ, Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade, or where sustainable growing is verified within the framework of company programs meeting similar requirements. Total sales of FairTrade raw cocoa were up to 37,000 tonnes for the first time in 2017, that is an 8% share of the total cocoa market.
Organic for tea drinkers
There is a clear positive trend in organic tea – the demand for tea (Camellia sinensis) from controlled organic farming was up significantly, accounting for 9.4% of total consumption. The organic share of herbal and fruit infusions was up by 0.3% year-on-year, to 2,556 tonnes.
Kyra Schaper, PR officer of the German Tea Association and the German Association of Herbal and Fruit Infusions (WKF) notes that "in fact, the share is even higher because conventional blends often contain some organic tea, even though they cannot be labeled as 'organic'."
Direct trade and active assistance for producers in countries of origin
In Germany, smaller traders and roasters, in particular, go for fair-trade and direct-trade raw materials for specialty coffees. Exhibitor PachaMama from Peru goes with this trend – their coffee comes in the shortest and most transparent trade route "straight from the farm," so that coffee farmers receive considerably more than the current market price.
Small direct traders and exporters such as Meambar with green coffee from Honduras are present at COTECA. Green coffee supplier Gollücke & Rothfos sees itself as an interface between coffee farmers in the countries of origin and roasters in Germany. The company uses its farmers' program "VOLCAFE WAY" to show coffee farmers how to analyze their production costs and improve efficiency, highlight the quality of the coffee, and thus get good prices for their product.
Data-based decisions becoming more and more important
Professionalization of individual businesses is the service provided by software house Cropster. Roasters, chocolatiers, traders, and producers are increasingly making their decisions on the basis of structured data points and information, so they need smarter solutions.
Sales Manager Andreas Benedikter from Cropster says: "Data-based decisions are a trend that we can see right across the coffee, tea and cocoa industries. Roasters that keep a central database of all the production-relevant data such as roasting profiles, green coffee information, and tasting results, establish themselves over the years as industry leaders".
All in all, it is evident that the processing industries, as well as consumers, are demanding more and more information on sustainable growing, fair trade, and quality. Trade visitors at COTECA are looking for information on this and other current developments. Alongside the great product diversity, there are various side events such as coffee cuppings, tea tastings, and workshops, making COTECA a unique international industry meeting point in Hamburg, the coffee capital.
About COTECA
COTECA Coffee, Tea and Cocoa Global Industry Expo takes place once every two years at the Hamburg Messe und Congress site. In 2018 it will be held from 10 to 12 October, with opening hours 10:00 to 18:00 hours. It is Europe's only trade show for coffee, tea, and cocoa which brings together all three sectors.
In cooperation with the Kaffee Campus of the German Roasters Guild, the expo also gives insights into all aspects of artisan coffee roasting. The concept supporters of COTECA are the German Coffee Association, the German Tea Association, the German Association of Herbal and Fruit Infusions (WKF), and the German Cocoa Trade Association.
For more information and photos, please visit www.coteca-hamburg.com/en/


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Did you know the chocolate chip cookie was a kitchen fiasco? How can something so amazingly delicious be a mistake? Inventor and owner of Toll House Inn, Ruth Wakefield wanted to make chocolate cookies but ran out of the key ingredient. Substituting chipped sweetened chocolate into the batter, she expected the chocolate to melt. To her surprise and the world's pleasure, she birthed a whole new food group, the chocolate chip cookie. Did you also know cornflakes, the pacemaker, and post-it notes are among the mistaken inventions we enjoy and rely on daily? Obviously, wonderful things can derive from mistakes, including a lesson learned. Yet, many struggle with a fear of failing or making simple mistakes.
No one likes to fail but, "To err is human". Our pride, low self-esteem, external and internal messages of perfection keep us paralyzed or have us chanting mantras of, "I can't", before we even try. Humans are flawed, imperfect and need to embrace this fact, because if we accept this knowledge we can be set free from the bondage of fear. Elbert Hubbard penned eloquently, "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one".
How different would we live our lives if we kicked the fear of failure to the curb. What if we removed the fear, and accepted possible success. What if we said to ourselves, "I will not fail"? I have often heard, we only fail when we fail to try. What if we gained confidence making mistakes, admitted failure and moved on because it was nothing new. These are all self-empowering choices we can explore each day that we breathe. Imagine the wonderful blessings in our homes, work places and classrooms. What mistakes are you willing to make today?
For more information on TURNING STONEchoice and its process, visit http://www.turningstonechoice.com
~Sammy @TURNING STONEchoice

subset: commoncrawl


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The maintenance of law and order in Saskatoon is the responsibility
devolving upon George M. Donald, who is active in the important capacity
of chief of police. A native of Scotland, his birth occurred in Peterhead,
on the 15th of December, 1880, a son of Robert and Jane (Dow) Donald,
natives of that country. For many years Robert Donald followed railroad
work in his native country but he is now living retired, and is a prominent
and highly esteemed member of the community in which he resides.
The public schools of Peterhead, Scotland, afforded George M. Donald
his early education, and he also attended school at New Maud. For five
years he was in the army and then joined the police force in Glasgow,
with which he served for about two years. He was in active service
throughout the South African war, with the Gordon Highlanders, and
received a medal in recognition of his gallant service. He was present at
the peace conference at Veringin. It was after the close of the war that
he became a member of the Govan police force and he served with them
from the fall of 1903 until the spring of 1905, when he came to Canada
and located at Toronto. He became a member of the police force there
and was thus occupied until the spring of 1907. On the 7th of May, 1907,
he came to Saskatoon in connection with the Canadian Northern Railway
and worked for them as special officer until January of the year 1908,
when he started to work for the city of Saskatoon. He was first active as
a patrolman and in April, 1915, was made chief of police, which important
office he has since held. Mr. Donald is a man of integrity and sterling
personal worth. He possesses keen discrimination and sound judgment
and stands foremost among the representative citizens of
On the 18th of August, 1914, Mr. Donald was married to Miss Birdie
Stoddart and to them the following children have been born: Maureen,
Sheila and Oonah. Mrs. Donald is a woman of charming personality and
she maintains an active interest in the club and social circles of Saskatoon.
Fraternally Mr. Donald is identified with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and he is past noble grand of the order. On the 16th of April,
1923, he was elected for his third year as director of the Saskatoon Rotary
Club. Mr. Donald has always been interested in boys and he is a director
in the Young Men's Christian Association and chairman of the Boys
Work committee. Along the line of his official work he holds member-
ship in the Chief Constables Association of Canada. The religious faith
of Mr. Donald is that of the Presbyterian church and he is an
active worker
in its behalf.
Bibliography follows:
By JOHN HAWKES
Legislative Librarian
Volume III
Visitor # [an error occurred while processing this directive]
Web Master: Sask Gen Webmaster,
for Sask Gen Web Project
Re-published ©: Thursday, 13-Sep-2018 09:22:01 MDT
URL: sites.rootsweb.com/~cansk/SaskatchewanAndItsPeople/VolumeIII/DonaldGeorgeM.html
George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,George M. Donald,
We encourage links to this page.
These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format
for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons.
Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed Web
master with proof of this consent.


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Posts filed under 'Bluetooth'
Sending/Receiving pictures from a cellphone using bluetooth on Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn
I recently purchased an aftermarket bluetooth module for my Acer 3680. The only bluetooth device in my house is actually my cellphone. I figure I'll try to send pictures to and from my cellphone. After a few hours of playing around, I got really frustrated.
The problem is that bluetooth have changed rapidly over the years in both architecture and interface. The documentation on the net tend to be a chaotic collection of old and new stuff. Most of the instructions are severely outdated. I even read an article recently on one of the Linux magazine on the newsstand which suggested that you enter gnome-bluetooth-admin to enable the gnome bluetooth integration. This feature has been implemented differently for quite some time even though the magazine just came out this month. Here's a summary of what seemed to have worked.
What Needs to be installed
Ubuntu 7.04 seems to come with bluez integration built-in. BlueZ is the bluetooth protocol stack. The Gnome applet appears to be installed as well because as soon as I press the bluetooth button in front, the gnome-applet appeared. If I select the applet preference, I can see bluetooth connection options and my computer's name. However, I can't seemed to send and receive files. On the computer side, there seemed to be no program to send the file to the phone. The phone can see the computer, but when I send a picture, I get a "service not supported" message.
The package you need to install is gnome-bluetooth. There are two ways you can install this package:
- Method 1: Select the menu item System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager. Now, press the search button and enter "gnome-bluetooth" and press search. In the list return is "gnome-bluetooth". Click on it and select "Mark for Installation" and then press the Apply button.
- Method 2: Open a terminal window and type: sudo apt-get install gnome-bluetooth
If the software is install properly, you should see a "Bluetooth File Sharing" under the accessories menu.
Sending a picture from the phone to the computer
To receive a file from the phone, you need to turn on the Bluetooth File Sharing. Bluetooth must be working on both the phone and the computer.
- On the computer, select the menu Accessories->Bluetooth File Sharing. You should see a Bluetooth File Sharing applet on the menu.
- Send the picture from your phone. On the Motorola Razr, press the center button and select "Fun and Apps" icon. Go to the pictures icon and press OK. Select a picture and press the middle button. In the list of menu, there should be a copy option. Select the copy option. Your computer should be in the list. Press Select.
- On the computer, you will receive an option to accept the file. Press OK. The file is copied to your computer.
Sending a picture to the phone
This is actually easier since you don't even need Bluetooth File sharing running. What you do need is to have bluetooth running on your phone and computer.
- On the computer, right-click on the picture you want to send and select "Send to…".
- Set the Send as option as "Bluetooth (Obex Push)". The send to should list your cell phone. If it does not, check to make sure that its bluetooth is active on the phone.
- Press the Send button.
- On the cellphone, you'll be prompted if you want to accept the picture. Press Accept.
Keep in mind that these instructions are for the standard Gnome on Ubuntu 7.04. Users on KDE will probably have an entirely different set of tools.
Installing an Aftermarket Internal Bluetooth Module on Acer 3680
All Acer 3680 have a bluetooth button on the front, but only some models of Acer 3680 actually have the internal bluetooth module. This has led people to spend hours trying to get bluetooth to work, only to discover that they don't have bluetooth. This does mean that all or most model of Acer 3680 probably have a connector for the internal bluetooth module and an internal antenna. All we need to do is to find a compatible module to connect to the connector.
Acer does not sell the bluetooth module as a part. Since the connector is essentially a USB connector, I could have rewire a USB dongle if I can figure out the pin outs. However, I am not a hardware person and don't really have the time to mess with solder and wires. I managed to acquired an aftermarket bluetooth module from a ebay vendor OldEgg Wireless. OldEgg mentioned that the part was not an original Acer part, but it was only about $34 with shipping. If it worked, the it was a much better option than USB dongle or PCMCIA cards. There are a few other vendors offering the part, but OldEgg at least was offering reasonable prices (one vendor wanted $150, why would I spend that much money for an accessory for a $400 laptop?)
The module arrived in a few days. The module is a tiny box size of a fingertip with a cable terminating in a 6-pin connector. There's some double sided tape in the back of the box. I have no idea who the vendor is since the label on the box is in Chinese.
Installation is actually pretty easy for the Acer 3680. All you need to do is to remove the memory door panel, exposing a white 6 pin socket. All you need to do is plug the connector into the socket (it only goes in one way). You can remove the backing of the double-sided tape and stick it on some part of the motherboard. In my case, I just tucked into a crevice of the case.
To test it, I boot the laptop up and press the bluetooth button and the blue light lit up, indicating that it was working. After installing gnome-bluetooth under Ubuntu, I was able to scan and connect to my Motorola Razr from across the room. I assume that it probably works under XP and Vista, but I don't have either OS on the machine to try it.
I assume that this trick will work on all models of Acer 3680, but you should open up your memory panel to make sure there is a 6-pin connector. I did notice that there seemed to be several models of Acer 3680, so there's a small chance that this may not work with every model.


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There's a moment in every drifter's life when he realises he has stumbled onto the right path. For Roy Choi, a Korean-American serial gambler obsessed with the pick'n'mix nature of Los Angeles food culture, it was assembling a short rib taco with fall-apart Korean BBQ beef crowned with soy-spiked slaw stuffed into a tortilla. Then he took to the streets in a food truck to feed the waiting hordes.
"For me there was something magical about pulling up to corners and seeing thousands of people waiting there," says Choi of Kogi BBQ – the food truck responsible for schooling an entire city in the pleasures of Korean-Mexican fusion. "We were using Twitter to announce our location, but full-on lines were forming without us even being there. I knew we'd tapped into something. I knew I'd never be the same again."
That was in 2008. Since then Choi's empire has rewritten street food's status as an afterthought and placed it firmly on the culinary map. He now runs his original six-strong fleet of food trucks; A-Frame, a fine diner that dishes up beer-can fried chicken; and Sunny Spot, a Venice Beach eatery famous for dangerously addictive shrimp and grits. But it's Choi's role as food director of Chef (Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Junior, Bobby Cannavale and Scarlett Johansson) – a film about a disillusioned chef who trades in haute cuisine to drive a food truck – that hints at where this left-field culinary hero might take his career next.
"Jon Favreau called me out of the blue and it happened really quickly," says Choi. "He cared so much and paid the same attention to the food as he did to the cinematography. As chefs, we feel like if we're not in the kitchen we're not working. But working on the film opened my mind up." Choi has also written a book, LA Son, which is an offbeat tribute to Los Angeles, thanks to its knack for blending family recipes (piquant kimchi, braised short-rib stew) with tales of his hedonistic past.
Chef's narrative centers on Favreau's character's cross-country voyage and the way in which it helps him realise his creative ambitions and mend his relationship with his son. It is also the film's food scenes – which capture the electricity of working in a kitchen as well as the high-voltage rush that comes with feeding hungry street-food addicts from a food truck – that bring the movie to life.
"I don't know how to cook fake food and I came in a little naive. That's why Chef feels real," says Choi, who oversaw the cooking scenes to ensure they steered clear of clichés. "I wanted to make sure it captured the direct connection you feel when you feed people on the street," he says. "Food trucks allow you to travel to people –there's something quite vanguard about that. It's a visceral connection that just can't be duplicated in a restaurant."
Chef is showing in cinemas now.


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Solder Wick / Braid
MG Chemicals Solder Braid / Solder Wick sold by Howard Electronics
M.G. Chemicals Super Solder Wick and Solder Braid desoldering braids are made of clean, oxide-free copper wire and tight weave. They are specially designed to ease the replacement of electronic components by removing the solder without damaging the board or component(s). MG Chemicals Solder Wick is ideal for rework and repair of printed circuit boards found in a variety of electronics devices. MG Chemicals braids are available in Type 'R', Lead-Free, and No Clean flux systems and offered in a wide variety of lengths and widths . All 5' braids are housed in a static free bobbins and can be purchased in singles or packs of 10.


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Constitution & Structure of the Postgraduate School of Medicine
The Board consists of:
Day to Day Management of the Postgraduate School
This is through a Postgraduate School Management Committee consisting of the school head and deputy, the CMT director, the RCP regional advisors, the Deanery HST managers and the RCP regional office administrator.
STC Chairs
The STC chairs continue to manage their speciality training programmes, to which trainees will be recruited following successful completion of CMT training. The Chair of the Speciality Training Committee for GIM (acute), will liaise closely with STC chairs in specialities delivering training in GIM, to ensure proper delivery of this within speciality programmes after CMT.
The CMT Committee
The CMT Committee is lead by an appointed CMT director and consists of consultants with responsibility for CMT training within each of the six geographical zones of the Postgraduate School, which is parallel to the Foundation School areas (Birmingham North, Birmingham South, Black Country, Shropshire and Staffordshire, Coventry and Warwickshire and Hereford and Worcester). These are usually the RCP College tutors elected from among the College Tutors within their geographical area, and they provide the essential link between the Postgraduate school of medicine and the hospital Trusts. Trust Postgraduate Clinical Tutors continue to support run through training in all specialties at the Trust level.
The CMT Programme is dominated by the main acute specialties but the non acute specialties need some representation in CMT to enable the trainees to make career choices based on experience when it comes to allocation into post CMT training.
Here at Health Education England (West Midlands) we aim to offer our medical and dental trainees the highest quality training, supervision and support. This is because we believe excellence in education and training is at the heart of delivering excellent patient care. We hope you will spend many enjoyable and rewarding years with us developing your medical or dental career.


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One of the key reasons for the success of the Star Wars films is George Lucas' ability to tell a compelling story in a way the masses can understand. The experts often don't think these stories are that sophisticated. But what really matters is that people can grasp and even identify with the story. This is what I call "understandability."
understandability—the degree to which information is easily understood by the intended audience.
We are going somewhere with this post. First we'll look at why understandability matters, then what the pointer scene is, and finally how we apply it to information architecture.
Why understandability mattersSo what does it really mean to be "sophisticated"?
In antiquity, a sophist was a teacher (the term comes from the Greek word sophia, meaning "wisdom"). Over time, the sophists became more interested in how cleverly expert they sounded than in the soundness of their teachings (or whether they believed their own arguments). They were the world's first lawyers, after all.
sophist—a teacher or lawyer in ancient times.
The authors of the books that constitute the Christian New Testament penned their writings in common language. They used Koine ("common") Greek, the lingua franca of the first century, instead of the more "sophisticated" Attic Greek. The Bible was later translated into Latin, and the widely used version was the Vulgate (which also means "common"). Unfortunately, the Bible was frozen in that form for centuries after its language became "uncommon" for the vast majority of people who sought to live by it.
accessibility—the degree to which information is accessible by as many people as possible.One of the major issues of the Protestant Reformation was the desire to translate the Bible into the common languages of the people (German, for example). This could allow them to read the story for themselves rather than relying on the sophists of their day to interpret it for them. This dream was made a reality by a major innovation in technology known as the printing press, which allowed mass distribution of the Bible and other books for the first time in history. The Bible's content suddenly became accessible and usable by common people everywhere. Again. While theological understandability is the subject of much debate, the fact remains that the authors intended their content to be understood by their audiences.
usability—the degree to which information and information formats are easily usable and learnable.
usability—the degree to which information and information formats are easily usable and learnable.
The Bible itself addresses the issue of sophists that complicate things with their "wisdom":
ποῦ σοφός; ποῦ γραμματεύς; ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου; οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου;You're probably saying to yourself "That's all Greek to me!" And you'd be right, of course. It is Greek. But that's often how our "sophisticated" information architectures look to our audiences. So let me translate the passage to make it more understandable:
Where is the sophist? Where is the scholar? Where is the great debater of this generation? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of this world?This text is 1 Corinthians 1:20. (Read this passage in context at YouVersion, which does an outstanding job of bringing the ancient text to common people via modern technology innovation and information architecture best practices.)
The sophists of today still use their insider terminology and clever rhetoric to keep unsophisticated people out. But often it is more desirable to be understood than to be sophisticated. Mark Twain penned a pertinent statement about his own choice to be understood by the masses:
My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine. Everybody drinks water.
So books and movies that are both engaging and not too difficult to follow generally enjoy wider audience acceptance. The same is often true of popular songs. Compare the success of songs with simple choruses, four chords, and a bridge to those that are very cerebral and complex. If you can't dance to it, it's probably only playing in a niche coffee haus in the arts district, where the sophists who hate Star Wars hang out.
George Lucas employs what he calls "the pointer scene" in the Star Wars films as one of his techniques for helping his audience connect to the story. In the Director's Commentary on Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (the "Digitally Remastered" edition), Lucas gives this explanation of the briefing room scene that is about 1/3 of the way through the movie:
The Pointer Scene
|Pointer Scene from Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
This briefing room scene is what we call 'the pointer scene.' The pointer scene is where you sit down and tell the audience all the things that have to happen or are going to happen in the rest of the movie so they can follow the plot. You know, 'We have to go to the castle. This is the way we get to the castle. These are the dangers that we have to overcome, and then there's the prize at the end.' And there is in almost every movie a pointer scene where everybody sits down and says 'This is what's going to happen.' And in some scenes it's just very blatant. You know, they have a chalk board and a pointer and they draw a diagram and say 'This is what we have to do.'
Applying the principle to Information ArchitectureSo what does the pointer scene have to do with Information Architecture? The answer is the title of Steve Krug's popular usability book: Don't Make Me Think. And it applies to more than the user experience on the interface side—it applies to your entire enterprise information architecture from the organization of repositories to metadata management to business processes to faceted search. Along the way, your audience needs to have a clear picture of where they are going and how to get there.
findability—the degree to which information can be easily found.Contrary to what sophists practice, information can be both highly understandable and very artfully presented. Let's face it: busy user interfaces, poor readability, too many unclear choices, and lack of findability really suck. But a clear path to victory is very rewarding.
- Don't make me think about how clever you think you are. Information architecture should help your audience connect to content in ways that are clearly understandable.
- Don't make me think about where to go next. Information architecture should offer "pointers" or signs along the way to help your audience get where they are supposed to be headed.
- Don't make me think about your information architecture. Information architecture should be so natural that the audience is not aware of it at all.
- Don't make me think about your lack of information architecture. If there is no information architecture guiding people to the right information, your audience will be painfully aware of its absence.
- Don't make me think about what I should remember from page to page. Don't be afraid of well-placed repetition in your information architecture. Movie refrains like "I've got a bad feeling about this" and "Use the force, Luke" are very memorable, yet repeated to give the audience context. Likewise, repeat clear statements throughout your information environment to give your audience context. Unlike those sophisticated writing courses, you gain points for repeating the same simple phrases the exact same ways over and over.


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"Picking a millionaire at random to participate in a training program for low skilled workers, or making an idiot into a PhD may be intriguing thought experiments but are usually neither policy relevant nor feasible" Heckman maintains in this paper.
Until fairly recently, I did not think too much about why someone would estimate and ATT and not ATE and what would that mean. Continuing with Heckman's example, estimating ATE for a training programme for low skilled workers is unlikely to be meaningful. In essence, one would be comparing training participants (the treated) with those who did not participate — a control group which may include the millionaire and the idiot with a PhD. In other words, estimating the average effect of the treatment for the average — say — American, is not informative if one really aims to assess the benefits of the training programme.
By contrast, the ATT estimation becomes more meaningful I think in such a context, as this point estimate would speak about programme participants rather than the larger population.


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Occupational Therapist Ashmore
Occupational Therapist Ashmore & Schools
Occupational Therapist Ashmore & Coomera
Senior Occupational Therapist Ashmore & Coomera
Engage your 8-12 year old in a journey of discovery as they learn how to navigate the complex world of social interactions. Give them the tools to understand how to make friends and keep them as well as understand their emotions and how to manage them. An award winning course used all over the world because of its demonstrated effectiveness.
Help your child prepare for school by allowing them to experience a fun and engaging program specifically written to help them develop the foundational physical and behavioural skills that are necessary for starting school strongly. Delivered in a group but customised for each child this program uses our unique home program system to provide parent education and specific activities for each child during and after the program as they prepare for prep.
The Incredible Flexible you is specifically designed for children in prep and grade 1, who have difficulties learning and playing as part of group. The group will consist of your child and a maximum of 3 other children, and will be run by an Occupational Therapist.
When your child is not able to eat a well balanced diet it can be extremely frustrating and worrying. Children who are picky eaters CAN learn to eat a good variety and volume of food. Over time they can learn to tolerate, try, and enjoy food. These feeding therapy groups use the evidence based Sequential Oral Sensory (S.O.S.) approach and our therapists have advanced training on helping children with Autism with feeding difficulties.


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Gary Peters announces US Senate bid
Gary Peters made his announcement to run for US Senate on Wednesday at the Chomp restaurant in Rochester.
DETROIT, MI - The Detroit Regional Chamber's political action committee has thrown its weight behind Gary Peters in the state's race for a U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Carl Levin, who is retiring.
Peters, a Bloomfield Hills Democrat who is currently the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 14th district, faces Republican challenger Terri Lynn Land in the November election. Land, of Grandville, was most recently Michigan's Secretary of State.
"Congressman Peters has a proven track record of bipartisan leadership that is focused on solutions instead of partisan bickering. His support for immigration reform, increased infrastructure investment and his work with Governor Snyder on the New International Trade Crossing will translate well as he moves from the House to the Senate," Brad Williams, vice president of government relations for the Detroit Regional Chamber, said in a statement.
The decision to endorse Peters was made after the DRC's political action committee board of directors surveyed and gathered input from Chamber members, as well as after personal interviews with candidates, the DRC said.
The DRC has already thrown its support behind Gov. Rick Snyder in the gubernatorial race against Democratic opponent Mark Schauer.
Recent polls have put Peters ahead of Land in the Senate race, but Land has also led in earlier polls. There will be no primary in the election.
David Muller is the business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter


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Neymar to sign new five-year deal on Friday
Neymar joined Barca in 2013 and his terms at Camp Nou were due to expire in 2018, but the fresh agreement will see him tied to the Spanish champions for the next five seasons.
The 24-year-old has won two LaLiga titles, two Copas del Rey, the Champions League, Club World Cup and Supercopa de Espana in his first three campaigns.
He was heavily linked with Paris Saint-Germain prior to agreeing the new contract ahead of a 2016-17 season that has seen him score five goals in eight appearances.
"Neymar will make his contract extension official on Friday 21 October at 3.00pm CET at the club offices," read Barca's statement on Monday."As the club has already announced, the striker's contract extension with FC Barcelona will tie him to the blaugranes until 30 June 2021."
Prior to the contract becoming official, Neymar is expected to be involved as Barca host former head coach Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side in the Champions League on Wednesday.
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A stand-alone workshop or second of a two-part series on relationships
The Enneagram is a powerful method for increasing our EQ – emotional intelligence – and there is no better system in the world today for learning how to create more successful relationships at home and at work. By recognizing the different points of view and the basic needs of each personality type, we can improve our communication and rapport with others. With increased empathy for the other people in our lives we are able to respond to their emotional issues and security needs in ways that support friendship, cooperation and intimacy.
Subtype is at least as important as personality type in understanding our issues and patterns in relationship. We'll explore the six subtype combinations and talk about: What do we expect from our significant others for care and attention? How does this match with their expectations? Who initiates contact? How do we manage the rhythms of contact and withdrawal? How do security needs get met? Who takes care of the home or the finances? How are friends or family included? What happens when the emotional habit of the type is expressed through subtype activity?
The format will include presentations, inner practices and discussion. Peter's recently updated handbook will be provided in advance, with 70 pages on instinctual subtypes in relationship.
Location: East Bay, Richmond hills
Cost: $135 per day. $250 for both workshops. Lunch included.
CEUs available.
Registration: Pat O'Hanrahan or 510-234-1600


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Quick move-in homes at Estancia by Frontier Communities is attracting qualified buyers with a chance to save up to $10,000 on cutting-edge designs. This unbeatable opportunity starts with affordably priced homes from the high $300,000s, highlighted by pool-sized lots with up to seven bedrooms. A great place to live, residents will enjoy abundant space for comfort and luxury living with amazing features. Visit soon and ask a sales representative for details before they are gone.
Much more than a home, this is your place to relax and unwind, or take advantage of the many choices for adventure. Beautiful mountain views set the stage for a world of outdoor fun with many nearby parks and hiking trails. The Lake Perris State Recreation Area is a great place for boating, camping, trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, plus day-use activities such as picnicking, swimming and viewing the wildlife. The Moreno Valley Ranch Golf Club is a short drive away or indulge in shopping and dining at the Moreno Valley Mall and Moreno Beach Plaza. Estancia is just about an hour to the mountains, desert and beaches.
This wonderful collection of 55 well-appointed homes is sure to exceed your expectations. Exciting and spacious designs provide flexible room options that will enhance your lifestyle, such as downstairs bedrooms, lofts, super great rooms and master retreats. The energy-efficient two story homes offer a choice of four floor plans with three to seven bedrooms, 2.5 to 4.5 baths and expansive great rooms in approximately 2,811 to 3,524 square feet.
Gourmet entertainment kitchens offer granite countertops, stainless steel quality appliances, a large island and a walk-in pantry. Designed for privacy, luxurious master suites present a separate soaking tub and shower, spacious walk-in closets and designer Moen fixtures. Convenience is added by a covered porch entry, a spacious interior laundry room and a 2 or 3 car garage.
To reach Estancia, exit the 60 Freeway at Moreno Beach Drive and go south, located at Moreno Beach Drive and Bay Avenue on 27994 Aidan Circle, Moreno Valley, CA. For more information please call the sales team 909-261-8089, visit the website at Frontierhomes.com, or take a tour of the furnished model homes, open daily from 9:30 am to 6pm, Wednesday from 1 pm to 6pm.
Neighborhoods by Frontier Communities span over 10 cities throughout the Inland Empire, including Chino, Ontario, Jurupa Valley, North Fontana, Montclair, Menifee, Rosamond, Moreno Valley, San Jacinto and Riverside. A local neighborhood builder with deep roots in the Inland Empire, the company has continually helped it achieve some of its many goals and high aspirations working for a rich quality of life. Their course is set so that people may realize the American Dream of home ownership with a fresh vision of a proud future, translating vision into attainable neighborhoods. People of all ages and life stages have entrusted Frontier Communities to fulfill the promise they have made to themselves – ownership of a beautiful new home in vibrant surroundings, and one they are proud to call home. Visit FrontierHomes.com for additional information.


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The Incredibles
This is the episode where Arthur sings the Ghostbusters theme song!
It's great, it's the best, it's real. The rest of the episode is me failing to remember a movie I saw last week.
Tweet at us @ArthurMommyMT to tell us what you thought of this movie and his song.


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Red Hat, Inc. (Nasdaq:RHAT), a leader in training and certification on Linux and open source technologies, today announced an expanded catalog of eLearning courses. These courses add to Red Hat's already popular classroom and eLearning programs for the RHCE track and for developers.
The new Red Hat eLearning schedule includes courses on Internet infrastructure, networking fundamentals, eCommerce architecture and planning, database design and skills, and web development skills including XML, HTML, JDBC and JSP. Many of the new courses provide pre-requisite or co-requisite skills for Red Hat's RHCE Program or other classroom-based hands-on training offerings for Linux programmers, eCommerce developers, embedded systems engineers and security skills.
Each Red Hat eLearning course offers results-oriented, interactive learning at the student's own pace. Tutors are available to guide students and answer questions via email. Command-line simulations of actual tasks together with other interactive capabilities assure rapid skills acquisition. Students can also access fellow classmates via discussion groups and chat.
"These new courses provide the perfect complement to our classroom-based training courses by enabling students to rapidly develop the skills necessary for the pre-requisite networking fundamentals of RHCE, as well as for Web and eCommerce-related scripting and programming languages," said Peter Childers, vice president, Red Hat Global Learning Services. "By combining eLearning with classroom based training, our corporate and individual customers can get the ultimate in flexibility and value for professional development."
Details on the eLearning courses can be found at http://www.redhat.com/training/elearning/.
About Red Hat
Red Hat is the world's leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As the connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to delays or reductions in information technology spending; the effects of industry consolidation; the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.


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Artifact Details
TitleComposer & Cellist Philip Sheppard in Conversation with Sid Lee's Will Travis
Catalog Number102740098
TypeMoving image
DescriptionPhilip Sheppard has gathered international acclaim for his diverse career as a composer, conductor, an arranger, and innovative performer. His work reinvents perceptions of classical music and succeeds in engaging a huge range of audiences from different musical backgrounds. Musical collaborator for both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and the opening ceremony of the 2014 Tour de France, Sheppard has also worked with such musical legends as David Bowie and Jeff Buckley and frequently speaks and plays at technology and creative conferences. A cellist and graduate of London's Royal Academy of Music, where he is now a professor and a fellow, he lives happily in both the classical and rock music worlds. He has also forged a highly successful career as a film music composer and recently wrote the score for the new BBC Two Human Universe series, featuring English physicist Professor Brian Cox.
Will Travis of Sid Lee returns to the Museum's stage to moderate a conversation with Sheppard about the intersection of music and technology. They'll discuss the impact technology has had on Sheppard's work, from composing to teaching to performing, while also addressing how he bridges the new and old worlds, including what exactly it means to "smash" new and old technologies. Other topics of conversation will include Sheppard's views on today's changing music industry—the impact on musicians and how the world finds and experiences music.
Sheppard says that, for him, creativity is like oxygen. The Museum has invited him to bring his cello to help illustrate exactly why that is so. Please join us for an inspiring and illuminating evening.
We are very pleased that KQED Radio will record this program for future broadcast.
This event is part of the Museum's acclaimed Revolutionaries speaker series, featuring renowned innovators, business and technology leaders, and authors in enthralling conversations often with leading journalists. Our audiences learn about the process of innovation, its risks and rewards, and failure that led to ultimate success.
Members, please note that there is no member reception before the program. The Cloud Café will be open, come grab a quick bite, a glass of wine and connect with fellow CHM friends!
|Sheppard, Philip, Speaker
|Travis, Will, Moderator


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She splits her cunt lips open for a thick cock, and then gasps as it enters. Then, she gobbles it down, trying to suck every drop of cum from our stud's balls. Who knew a family girl could be so freaky?
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PMI Level 3 Award in Pension Trusteeship (Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit Schemes)
The Awards in Pension Trusteeship (APT) is for trustees, or those interested in trusteeship, based on the Pensions Regulator's indicative syllabus. It provides formal recognition of a trustee's knowledge and understanding (TKU) in line with the requirements of the Pensions Act 2004.
What does the syllabus cover?
The syllabus can be found here in the Qualification Speciciation.
Examiner report
Click on this link to view the APT examiners report from Autum (September 2019)
How is it assessed?
The qualification is assessed by a 90 minute examination in the form of a 60 question multiple choice exam paper, designed to test knowledge right across the syllabus.
The examination is marked as PASS or FAil (and an indiction willl be given if you were within 5 marks of a PASS). We, as with other awarding bodies, do not offer a breakdown of marks, or individual feedback on scores.
Where and when are examinations held?
Public Examination Sittings
There are two public examinations per year; March and September. Public examinations will be at exam venues in the following locations:
|Edinburgh (September only)
|Glasgow (March only)
Private Examination Sittings
It is possible to arrange a private examination sitting.
Before taking the qualification
Those planning to enter for the examinations are recommended to work through the e-learning programme at The Trustee toolkit, which has been developed by The Pensions Regulator to meet their Trustee Knowledge and Understanding (TKU) requirements.
PMI Trustee Group Membership
Any person undertaking the APT examinations receives free Trustee Group membership until the end of the calendar year in which they apply.
This means that you will qualify to receive PMI News, Pensions Age and PMI Technical News. As a member of the PMI Trustee Group you will be able to attend some specific PMI Trustee events free of charge.
Customer service
The PMI is committed to providing a customer focused and professional service to all its approved assessment centres, students and candidates taking any of our qualifications. Please click on the attached links for details of all of our commitments to you.
Further information
Contact the MCQ Coordinator James Cumine at firstname.lastname@example.com or on 020 7392 7400.
We will shortly be introducing a new qualification, the Certificate in Pension Trusteeship, and the Syllabus can be found here.
Award in Pension Trusteeship Qualification Specification
Further details on the qualification including a full syllabus outline.
Qualification Fees 2020
A summary of qualification fees for 2020.


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Dillon Powers' "dead fish" goal celebration, close-up, in Rapids' victory over Galaxy
Dillon Powers' goal in the 47th minute Saturday put the Rapids out of reach in a 2-0 victory over the visiting L.A. Galaxy.
It was an important win for Colorado — in part because it moved them to second place in the MLS Western Conference; and in part because it marked the return of Pablo Mastroeni.
But really, let's get to the top crucial question following the game: What was that dead fish thing Powers' did after his goal? Was he waiting for someone to lure him in?
Here, a close-up investigation in photos, with a string of pics after Powers' put-away courtesy of photog Marko Babiak (also a U13 Rapids Academy player), who sent these to the Terrace.


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Whether you are Hypothyroid or Hyperthyroid, this list of 10 top foods for thyroid health has got you covered!
In my clinic, we like to focus on what you CAN eat, rather than all the foods you should be avoiding. And while there are certainly plenty of foods you should be avoiding if you have hypothyroidism, I want to encourage you to change your mindset to focus on what you can eat.
10 Top Foods for Thyroid Health
#1 Organic Swiss Chard
Chlorophyll helps increase energy and supports healthy detox. The thyroid is easily affected by toxins, which is why foods that support detox are so important.
Try these leafy greens sautéed lightly with a avocado and coconut oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
They also make an excellent addition to a smoothie, especially one that aims to support detox.
#2 Wild Sardines
Rich in selenium and iodine, these little fish give you two of the major minerals that ensure healthy thyroid function.
#3 Organic Spinach
This leafy green is loaded with minerals, including iron and magnesium, which are necessary for thyroid function.
#4 Chicken with the Skin On!
Yes, eat your chicken with the skin on and enjoy a healthy dose of thyroid loving fat soluble Vitamins! But make sure your chicken is being fed only the best diet and is organic.
My family and I use Butcher Box to source our meat. I'm a bit of a snob about the quality of meat that my family, my patients and myself eat. After all, an animal that isn't cared for isn't the type of meat that will support your health.
If you're interested in trying Butcher Box, please use my special coupon to receive $10 off your order + FREE Bacon!
#5 Coconut Oil
Coconut oil helps with proper blood sugar balance, which indirectly improves the health of the thyroid and the adrenals (bonus!). Try a tablespoon with each meal for better hormone and blood sugar balance.
#6 Sweet Potatoes
These spuds are loaded with Vitamin A, which helps you use your thyroid hormone within the cell. I enjoy sweet potatoes with a healthy fat like ghee or olive oil and a little salt and pepper.
#7 Wild Caught Salmon
Essential fatty acids balance the immune system and decrease inflammation so your cells can use your thyroid hormone. Salmon also supplies you with important thyroid minerals selenium and iodine.
We prefer wild caught salmon because farm raised do not have the same benefits.
#8 Bone Broth
You've probably heard that organ meat is an amazing superfood. It's true. It is. But not many of my patients can get down with a hunk of liver or kidney pie…at least, not right away.
To get similar benefits with out having to eat all the organs, I recommend bone broth. Bone broth is excellent for gut healing, which many thyroid patients need. It also provides minerals and vitamins, like magnesium and Vitamin A, that your thyroid needs to function.
If you're not up for making bone broth, but still want to try it out, you may be interested in Kettle & Fire's offer. Fans of Dr. Brighten receive $10 off their first bone broth order from Kettle & Fire.
#9 Grass Fed Buffalo
High quality animal protein is essential for delivering amino acids, bioavailable minerals, and essential fatty acids. While you can find some of the same minerals in meat in foods like brown rice and leafy greens, these foods are not readily available to the body. Because people with hypothyroidism already have compromised digestion and absorption (this is why iron deficiency is common with hypothyroidism), it is important to consume foods with the most bioavailable forms of nutrients.
#10 Organic Strawberries
Rich in Vitamin C, pairing your strawberries with iron containing foods will enhance your absorption. Plus, Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that protects you from free radical damage.
Your adrenals also depend on Vitamin C. And if you've got a thyroid condition, then you definitely need to support your adrenals!
Looking for Help Beyond the 10 Top Foods for Thyroid Health?
In my clinic I have nutritionists available to support my patients in creating the diet that suits them best.
If you're looking for more great ways to improve your health with nutrition and lifestyle interventions I invite you to consider booking a session with Erica Favela, Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Consultant. She is one of the holisitc nutritionists at my women's medicine practice, Rubus Health.
Rubus Health Nutrition Packages
Learn More Here.
Curious what people who work with Erica have to say? Here's what a few of her clients have shared:
"After working with Erica for four weeks, I feel so much better and lighter. Before, I wasn't sleeping well, felt clogged and acidic, and was worried about my health. Now, I can sleep, I have energy when I go to the gym, and I have a newfound love for avocados! Overall, my bodily function is better, and I feel BETTER!" – Peggy L.
"My digestion is no longer an issue and my energy is way up! I'm more motivated than I've been in years and it is all thanks to Erica!" – Alex V.
"I started with Erica because I was having a lot of issues with acne. Not only is my skin looking way better, but my mood is no longer crashing right before my period. This is the best I've felt in years!" – Donna G.


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Many people who are facing criminal charges have misconceptions about what they will be facing. They may think they know what they will be facing because of information they have heard from relatives or what they have seen on television or in movies.
The reality of fighting criminal charges is nothing like what most people think.
Even for those who have been through the process of defending against criminal charges in the past, each new case is unique.
If you want to secure a positive outcome, the best step you can take is to secure the representation of an attorney with the skills and experience necessary to truly help you.
Here are some simple facts that can make it more understandable:
- You are going into a world where you are up against trained lawyers. Any mistakes can damage your life for years to come.
- Attorneys understand the process and what the court is looking for to help it determine your guilt or innocence. Even an innocent person needs their story told in a way that the court will understand and accept.
- Attorneys understand how the case is going to progress and can prepare for challenging elements.
- Attorneys can help reduce the impact of your case on your life. Prosecutors are used to trying to secure very high penalties because defense attorneys fight them to a more reasonable consequence when acquittal or the dropping of charges cannot be obtained.
A Former Prosecutor With More Than 30 Years Of Experience
I am attorney David S. Kestenbaum. I understand the confusion and stress people face when they have been charged with a crime. I have more than 30 years of experience working as a criminal defense attorney and as a prosecutor for Van Nuys. I know what people go through, and I understand how important it is that I communicate openly and clearly with them so that they understand what is happening and how I can help them.
Criminal Defense Lawyer Serving Van Nuys And Throughout Southern California
For representation that can help you secure the best possible resolution to your case, turn to Kestenbaum Law Group. To schedule a free initial consultation, call 818-616-4312, or contact me online.


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Hello and thank you for visiting our church website.
Upper Clonaneese Presbyterian Church is an evangelical church based between Dungannon and Ballygawley in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
We want to tell you about the amazing Gospel where God created the world, and although we failed Him, He loved us so much He sent His son, Jesus, to die for our sins and rise again to overcome death so that if we believe in Him, we shall not perish but have everlasting life in Heaven.
In Upper Clonaneese, we have various organisations for people of all ages - Sunday School, Children's church and Junior/Junior High CE for Primary and Secondary school ages, Young People's CE for 13-21 year olds, Young Adults CE for 21-39 year olds and Senior CE for those who are 40+. We also have events for all of the church and community such as our Sunday Night Guest Service and Echo events.
Join Us
Every Sunday Morning at 11am (Come as you are)
Photo Gallery
CE Car Wash 2018
CE Weekend 2017
'PCI Moderator' - The Moderator of PCI has requested a Call to Prayer for all congregations
'The Twelve Chosen Disciples by Ian Fleck' - The Rev Fleck has written a new book. Find out more by clicking the link below.
Prayer Letters
At Upper Clonaneese, we are passionate about the power of prayer. We receive a number of prayer letters from missionaries all over the world informing us how they are getting on and providing us with points that they would like us to pray for.
Contact Us
E : email@example.com
E : firstname.lastname@example.com
Find Us
4 Clontyclevin Road
Co. Tyrone
Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
Charity Name: Upper Clonaneese Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Charity No. NIC105597


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It seems I am posting after a long time, the madening busy schedule since January end is what kept me away from the blog for so long. Also, the laptop was off to service center and they promised me to get it fixed within a week but prolonged the issue for 10 days or so. That explains the prolonged silence on the blog. And we are making up to it with delicious, decadent Eggless Chocolate Brownie Recipe.
Though we lagged behind this month in sharing recipes with the readers of the blog but lot exciting was happening behind the scene. all this while when I was not blogging, the food events, reviews, recipe testing and packing for a good long holiday to my hometown kept me busy.
From time to time my readers keep on requesting for eggless baking recipes which are not so frequent at my place until and unless I am baking for somebody who does not eat eggs. Few days back one of my husband's colleague came for dinner, she is a true eggless dessert lover so I baked these eggless brownies for her. The brownies were so decadent that she not only asked for the recipe but got the leftover brownie packed for herself.
Eggless Chocolate Brownie RecipePrint Pin Rate
- 100 g dark chocolate chopped
- 130 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 ⅓ Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Milk at room temperature
- 1 Cup Caster Sugar
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp instant coffee powder
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
- 1 Tsp Chocolate Essence
- ⅓ Cup chopped walnuts
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Once the chocolate and butter melted set aside and stir nicely with a spatula to make sure the mixture is smooth and lump free.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and coffee powder together in a separate bowl.
- In the melted chocolate beat in sugar, vanilla, chocolate essence for 3 – 4 minutes at low speed.
- Alternatively mix in sifted flour, walnuts and milk until all moistened and combined well. Do not mix the batter for too long.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree celcius. Grease an 8 inch square tin and line with a parchment paper.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares and serve hot with vanilla ice cream.


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Monthly Favourites | November
So it's that time of month again where i share with you some products that I've been loving for the month of November, I've actually got quite a few products this month as Ive been trying out more things as well as just rediscovering products that i already own.
Enrapture Encode Totem Styler
I'm going to be doing a full review on this soon as I'm so impressed with it. I love curling my hair and with this it literally takes me 15-20mins to do, its so versatile thanks to the changeable temperature, it determines how tight or loose your curls will be. Its so easy to use and i love it so much. These are normally around the £59.99 mark, i did get this for £17.99 thanks to Home Bargains but i would genuinely pay the £59.99 for it as it's an incredible hair product.
John Frieda Full Repair Sheer Ends Mist*
This is one of those products that isn't a necessity to have but it is a nice product all the same. The ends of my hair often look bitty and just not very nice (especially when i curl it) and a spritz of this helps disguise them a little bit and adds a hint of shine to the hair too.
L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil
Im kind of a lazy girl when it comes to removing my make-up; its boring and it takes too long but with this cleansing oil it takes a matter of seconds to remove it, even the really stubborns bits like mascara its so easy. I honestly don't know what i did without this in my routine because its so quick and easy and it really does remove every last bit of make up.
Q Awe The Fine Fragrance Body Spray*
I love using body sprays as they are really quick and easy to take with you on the go, i use them mostly for work as i like to spray myself multiple times throughout the day and i don't want to waste my perfumes for it. This has a really nice mature scent, its not like the usual girly fruit scents i go for, this is more floral and musky but its a really nice scent. This is not a product i probably would have picked up myself but I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to try it as i really like it.
Benefit They're Real Mascara
I've fallen back in love with this mascara; i had a little dabble with some others but i couldn't stay away from this one. It just lengthens my lashes so much and the little ball on the end is great for separating them so there are no clumps, i just love how this mascara makes my eyelashes look and even though its a little pricey at £18 its worth every penny.
Rose & Co Apothecary Rose Salve
This is one of those all round products that you can use on your lips, dry patches, brows, lashes etc... i use it mostly on my lips and I've really been enjoying using it, it's got quite a strong rose scent which isn't normally a scent id opt for but its actually growing on me. It's really nice to wear and it leaves my lips smooth and soft.
Shaka Blush in Scarlett
This is the perfect autumnal blush; it's a lovely dark pink and it gives a really nice flush of colour in the cheeks. I like to build this colour up to avoid looking like a ragdoll but for quite a cheap blush it does have good colour pay off and it lasts on me most of the day.
MUA 'Ever After' Matte Eyeshadow Palette
This is a bit of a funny one because in my review of this i said that i thought this is one of MUA weaker palettes and i still agree with that but i do actually like this palette all the same. Even though pigmentation is quite weak the colours are quite buildable and I've been able to create a number of make up looks with this palette and I've really been enjoying using it, its practical for work because the colours are very neutral but the you can build up the colours and use the darker ones to create more intense eye looks too.
I've been loving trying some new products this month as well as rediscovering old ones!
What are some of your favourite products?
Natalie xx
*This item was either gifted to me or sent for review
6 comments:
The Totem Styler was such a find! I thought I was seeing things when I saw it was only £17.99, definitely a bargain. Do you think it helps curls stay in longer? Whenever I curl my hair it seems to straighten out after half hour :/ReplyDelete
Laura x
The curls stay in pretty well in my hair - i still have curls in the day after, but i use sea salt spray or hair spray which i think helps them stay in!Delete
Natalie xx
The Shaka Blush in Scarlett looks lovely - I have never heard of this brand before. I need to get to Home Bargain & see if they have any of the Enrapture Encode Totem Styler left. What a bargainReplyDelete
Its an Italian brand, i picked it up when i was in Italy early this year and you can order the totem styler online id definitely recommend it, its amazing!Delete
Natalie xx
I love monthly favourites posts! I also love the Benefit They're Real Mascara too!ReplyDelete
Madeline - Wonderland In A WardrobeReplies
Brilliant mascara isnt it? I always seem to go back to it!Delete
Natalie xx
Thank you so much for leaving a comment, i read each and everyone and try to reply as soon as i can - any questions feel free to tweet me directly at @youralmostalice or email email@example.com
You are more than welcome to leave your blog link in the comments for myself and others to see but do not comment with 'follow for follows' as they will be deleted.


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The department of Urology deals with all surgical conditions with Kidneys, Ureters, urinary bladder, urethra in males and females and also prostate glands in the male. The Department also works in tandem with Oncologist and Onco Surgeons. The Department covers the whole spectrum of patients who complain of
Urology, also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the male and female urinary tract system and the male reproductive organs. The organs under the domain of urology include the kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra, and the male reproductive organs (testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate, and penis).
As a medical discipline that involves the care of many organs and physiological systems, urology can be broken down into several subdisciplines. At many larger academic centers and university hospitals that excel in patient care and clinical research, urologists often specialize in a particular subdisciplines like:
Reconstructive Urology


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Archimandrite Zacharias
In paradise man was in communion with God, and God was life and security for Him. Disobedience and the fall into sin disrupted this life-giving unity with God, and death entered man's life with all its devastating consequences. Thus, man lost the security and support he had from God, the Giver of life, and out of fear and the struggle for survival, he conceived his own way of life, based thenceforward on his natural, created powers. Previously, he had kept the commandments of God and enjoyed every good thing, and lived in incorruption. After the transgression, though, seeking protection from the threat of death, he took refuge in the following three substitutes or pseudo-supports, which were to alienate him from the life of God (cf. Eph. 4:18). The first pseudo-support is his self-will and the persuasiveness of his logical reasoning. The second is the pleasure (hedoné) of the senses and the desires naturally associated with reproduction; and the third pseudo-support is the possession of material goods. These are the three substitutes that man turned to for survival, having lost the true security and life of God.
By relying on the persuasiveness of his own logical judgment and will, man undergoes the first alienation and falls into the Luciferian delusion of self-deification, raising a wall between himself and God. In succumbing to the lure of progeny and the pleasure of the senses, he puts on the "garments of skin" (Gen. 3:21), and undergoes the second alienation. The first alienation occurred through the arrogance of his mind, the second took place by putting his trust in the pleasure of the senses, and in the desire for progeny. His life is thus preserved, but it is changed into a "living death," that is, into a life of self-love combined with spiritual death – a prolongation of life in death. Finally, so as to feel secure he makes efforts to acquire "much goods for many years" (cf. Lk. 12:19), as "the fool hath said in his heart" (Ps. 14:1), and so he brings upon himself the third alienation, which completely darkens his intellect and hardens his heart. He is now given over to the vanities of this world and the folly of idolatry.
The fall into the whirlpool of these three alienations disposes the conscience of man negatively with regard to God, to his neighbor, and to the world. In his relationship with God, he gives preference to himself; in his relationship with his neighbour, he is led by the passionate desire to dominate – lust for power; in his relationship to the material world, he is given over to the frenzy of acquisitiveness.
Monasticism aims to remove these three annihilations, and to restore man to a genuine hypostatic form of existence. Aside: To the true universality, which is the fulfillment of the purpose of man's creation. End of aside. The aim is realized by the accomplishment of the three monastic vows: obedience, virginity or chastity, and poverty or non-acquisitiveness. Obedience, however, is of particular importance, because the other two vows draw their power from it, as a natural corollary.
The Vow of Obedience
Obedience (Gk. Hypakoë) is the first condition of the monastic life and its basis. Obedience is cultivated by human ascetic effort, but also, and primarily, it is a gift of God.1 According to Fr. Sophrony, our father founder, obedience is a "sacred mystery" in two senses: it is a "secret" revealed only by the energy of the Holy Spirit, and it is a "sacrament" of the Church. For the life to which it elevates man is indescribable and incomprehensible.2
It is Christ who first showed us the model and example of perfect obedience. He came into the world "in the Father's name" and not "in His own name" (cf. John 12:50), which would have betrayed a Luciferian tendency to self-divinization.3 He taught us that His Father's commandment is eternal life. He voluntarily (cf. Heb. 10:7, John 5:30) accepted this commandment and fulfilled it without sin (cf. John 14:30-31). In addition, as the only-begotten Son, He was unceasingly and constantly the bearer of the good pleasure of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, in order to save us He demonstrated perfect and exact obedience to the will of His Father, even unto death and the shame of the Cross (cf. Phil. 2:8, Heb. 12:2). But the righteous God did not let His child Jesus "see corruption" in the tomb (cf. Ps. 16:10, Acts 2:27; 13:35). He raised Him up and exalted Him to be a Prince and Saviour of the world (cf. Acts 3;15; 5:31; Heb. 2:10). By His obedience Christ, the New Adam, initiated a new law of life, becoming the healthy root of the "new humanity" (Eph. 2:15; 4:24).
In fulfilling his obedience, the monk imitates Christ, setting himself on the path of the Lord's will. Only a psychologically healthy soul can undertake obedience. Psychological health is manifested by the monk's consciousness that he himself is insufficient for immediate knowledge of the great and perfect will of God. He follows the wise exhortation of Holy Scripture: "Ask thy father and he will show thee; thine elders and they will tell thee" (Deut. 32:7). He holds to the general rule of monastic ascesis: "Do not trust in yourself." He thus has recourse to his spiritual father, confident that to him it has been given to know God's will more clearly. In this way, he recognizes that the true God is the "God of our Fathers" (Exod. 3:15-16), and thus overcomes the disorder of double-minded fallen man, who cannot discover the sure path of life. "A double-minded man," says the Apostle James, "is unstable in all his ways" (Jas. 1:8); it is through obedience that he finds stability. Having this humble predisposition, the monk becomes fit to put his hand to the salutary plough of obedience (cf. Lk. 9:62).
When the monk seeks the will of God with this disposition, as a lowly disciple, he is prepared to accept the first word of his spiritual father as coming from the mouth of the Lord, in whose name, too, he had asked advice. Aside: This is a matter of faith. End of aside. He gradually obtains knowledge of the divine will, and becomes capable of discerning the machinations of the enemy. "We are not ignorant of his devices," says St. Paul (2 Cor. 2:11). This discernment is necessary so as to refute every delusory suggestion, because the will of God in this world is manifested in the same relative outward forms in which the natural will and the demonic will present themselves to the human mind. Aside: We have to learn to discern the thoughts (logismoi), of which there are three kinds: thoughts from God, natural thoughts, and demonic thoughts. End of aside.
It is worth emphasizing at this point that obedience, like every other Christian virtue, must be a free and voluntary act in order to have eternal value before God. Aside: "If any man serve me, let him follow me," says the Lord (John 12:26). Whatever we do without freedom has no eternal value before God. End of aside.Obedience means free denial of a man's will and opinion, a giving over of his logical judgment to the authority of another person, his elder or father confessor. Notwithstanding man's creation as a free being in God's likeness, when sin intervened in his life his will was distorted and his intellect was darkened. Instead of desiring to think on things Above, he wants to set his mind on things here below, and is attached to objects and values of this world, which are "unprofitable" for the soul (Heb. 13:17).
The free will of man, together with his reason, are the most precious of his natural gifts; and when obedience is at work, it offers these two faculties, the will and the reason, as the most pleasing sacrifice to God. Aside: When man becomes a "fool" for the commandment of the Lord, and cuts off his will for the sake of the Lord, it is the most pleasing sacrifice to God, because he has offered to God that which he holds most precious in himself. End of aside. Then, as recompense from God, the monk receives the supernatural gift of the knowledge of the good and perfect divine will.
Aside: In the Church an exchange takes place between man and God. We present and offer our life to God, as far as we are able, and in return, God offers His life to us. This exchange of lives takes place in the Church, and even more so in the Liturgy. There is an exchange of life in the bread and wine we offer to God when we say, "Thine own, of thine own, we offer unto thee in all and for all"; and God says to us, "The holy things unto the holy." We put all our life in that bread and wine, all our prayers, all our expectations, everything that our conscience embraces, and we offer it to God. He accepts it, and puts His life into the bread and wine – the Holy Spirit. He infuses them with His life, and returns them to us in order that we may eat and live, saying to us, "The holy things unto the holy." This takes place par excellence in the Divine Liturgy, but it happens also every time we fulfill a commandment. We make a little effort and, in return, we receive an incorruptible gift from God. The exchange is unequal, because our God is bountiful and kind-loving. We offer a corruptible and sinful life to God, and he offers back to us His limitless, incorruptible and eternal Life. And the monk, by becoming a fool for the sake of the Lord (cf. I Cor. 4:10), and sacrificing his natural and corrupted mind, his natural and distorted will, receives the knowledge of the good and perfect divine will, through his father in the Spirit – to begin with. And this is only to begin with, because after he is initiated, God becomes his guide and his teacher directly. We must not forget that the Lord said, "one is your Master, even Christ" (Matt. 23:8, 10). Our fathers dare to give us birth, and we become their sons. Then we, in our turn, in due time, become fathers as well. God has not created masters and servants; He has created fathers and sons in a relationship of love: the fathers give birth to sons, and the sons, in their turn, become fathers. This is the good pleasure of God. End of aside.
By the free exercise of obedience, the monk makes himself a servant after the example of the Son of God (cf. Phil. 2:5-7),4 and for this voluntary enslavement he is given the freedom of the children of God. The schooling of obedience aims at introducing man into the life-giving and saving will of God.5 This initiation makes him like Christ6 and leads him to the perfection of Christian life, to the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.7 Aside: To that enlargement about which we spoke earlier, which makes him a universal person, in the image and likeness of the New Adam. End of aside.
When the monk accepts the word or the decision of his spiritual father, he learns to accept within him the life and the will, firstly of God, and then of his brethren. By these means, the shell of his isolated individuality is shattered, broken, and his being is expanded. He is perfected in love, and finds harmony and perfection in his relationships both towards God and his brothers. At first, he has to struggle to bear within himself the will of his confessor and his fellow monks. However, as he progresses in the knowledge of the divine will, his hypostasis – his person – becomes enlarged, and contains in himself the life of the entire world, which he embraces in his prayer.8 His small, individual will is denied. He sets aside his broken earthly reasoning, and receives as a gift the wisdom and the divine universality of Christ. From this point of view, obedience is a sacrament of the Church which creates true persons in the image of the truly personal God, hypostases having true universality. The spiritual father becomes a "labourer together with God" (cf. I Cor. 3-9), a co-worker of God, in the sacred and everlasting creation of gods "for eternity in the uncreated Light."9 Aside: It is a wonderful service, brimming with inspiration. End of aside.
By the practice of obedience, the monk crucifies his intellect and his will, and thus removes from his life the supports and the security by means of which previously he had hoped to oppose death. Aside: Do not forget that it is because we are afraid of death that we are sinful. Sin reigns in the world because of the fear of death. The fear of death makes us selfish, and we would do anything to survive; and because of that we remain selfishly in our own "closed circuit," and all we succeed in doing is to increase death and sin. Therefore, the fear of death made sin reign in the world, and when we try to survive at all costs, we create false supports in order to resist death, but we become more and more entangled in its teeth. End of aside.
By obedience accomplished in God's name, the monk concentrates his spirit on the advice or commandment given him, and thus, freed from every care over transient matters, he directs his mind uninterruptedly to prayer. Because he does not rely on himself, but places all his trust in God "who raises the dead," as St. Paul says (2 Cor. 1:9), he is freed from bondage to all created things, and attains to purity of intellect. Aside: This is the goal of obedience: to help us become free from cares and thus acquire purity of mind, which is the necessary precondition for pure prayer. End of aside. Purity of intellect is the most precious fruit of obedience. This purity is also an essential precondition for pure prayer, which will re-establish the primordial communion of the creature with the Creator, bringing his person face to face with the unoriginate God.
It becomes very clear from the above that obedience is radically different from discipline, surpassing it as heaven surpasses earth. Discipline means submission to a superior human will, for the sake of earthly benefit. Discipline subjects man to an impersonal "Rule," to the "Law," the "Typicon," the "Institution," the "Administration." Discipline favours the general over the particular, or the majority over the individual. In complete contrast to this, obedience is a free act of faith in God and is always accomplished in His name. Aside: Strictly speaking, full obedience is only possible in a monastery, because only in a monastery are all things organized in such a way as to function for the glory of God (cf. I Cor. 10:31), and to contribute to the performance of the Liturgy. End of aside.
The most perfect form of obedience, which bestows on man the fullness of the hypostatic principle, making him truly an image of God, is shown, as Fr. Sophrony observes, when his spirit
is led by the "greater love" of Christ (John 15:13). Then man attains to the grace of theology as a spiritual state, and becomes a receiver of revelations. Aside: Fr. Sophrony saw monasticism as "a gift of God," and as an "urgency" of the spirit of man to respond to the "greater love" of Christ that had touched him. Monasticism is also an act of thanksgiving. End of aside. This obedience fulfills all the commandments and becomes the means by which the living Tradition of Christianity is assimilated.10 Aside: Without obedience, the thread of Tradition is broken, as it is precisely through obedience that we imbibe the spirit of Tradition. End of aside.
By cutting off his own will and denying his own reasoning the monk does not lose his personality, nor does he come to self-annihilation, as it may seem to people in the world. On the contrary, he rises above the limits of his created nature, and becomes manifestly a true person-hypostasis. He becomes the bearer of divine life and of all humanity.
The Vow of Virginity or Chastity
Aside: I say the vow of virginity or chastity (Gk. Parthenía or sôphrosynë), because it sometimes happens that people who are married and living in the world, after a mutual agreement, decide to separate in order to become monks and nuns. They do not comprise a large proportion of monastics, but there are not a few, especially in Greece. I say virginity or chastity because, strictly speaking, what matters before God is not celibacy or married life but the fulfillment of the commandments. Monastic life is created "artificially," in such a way as to give the greatest possibility of fulfilling the commandments of God. And again, I say virginity or chastity, because what Christ desires is more especially the virginity of the heart. He says in the Gospel that what counts before Him is what the heart does. There is "adultery in the heart" (cf. Matt. 5:28), when we give our heart over to a passionate, carnal thought; there is also virginity of the heart, when the heart is totally given to Christ. That is why I am talking about virginity or chastity, because what we target is the virginity of the heart. End of aside.
Virginity or chastity constitutes the second vow of monasticism. Aside: Of course, if one already has virginity of heart, then he is protected from every fall of that kind of passion. End of aside. The dogmatic basis for virginity is the life of Christ. Christ is indeed the prototype for the monk's ascetic effort. Aside: Virginity is an imitation of Christ's life. End of aside. In its highest form, virginity is spiritual. This virginity requires the fullest possible following of the first commandment of love for God, and purity of intellect. For this reason, the state of spiritual virginity presupposes obedience, and it is unattainable without it. Aside: We know that monks who are obedient are always rich with prayer and dead to sin. End of aside.
Christ was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. His birth did not involve sensual pleasure which, according to the ancient law of life after the Fall, is followed by the just sentence of death. Neither did Christ ever base His conduct on kinship "according to the flesh," but was consumed by zeal for His Father's House (cf. John 2:17). He offered the bonds of physical kinship as a sacrifice for the sake of His heavenly patrimony. Aside: Remember when Christ was at the wedding in Cana, and the Holy Virgin came to Him and said, "They have no wine." Despite the love He had for His Mother, He told her, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" That is to say, He was not there to fulfill the will of His Mother but the will of His Heavenly Father. The Holy Virgin humbly accepted His wish, denying her own will; and Christ accepted this sacrifice of His Mother, and "His hour" came immediately, although He had said, "Mine hour is not yet come" (John 2:3-5). So the obedience of the Mother of God, cutting off her will when Christ was sharp with her, accelerated the coming of His hour; and he performed the first miracle at the wedding of Cana. End of aside.
The monk, following Christ's example in unwavering obedience, attains to humility and attracts the grace of God, which purifies the intellect. Aside: Because God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud (cf. Prov. 3:34 Lxx, Jas. 4:6, I Pet. 5:5). End of aside. This purification is a necessary precondition of spiritual virginity, as is indicated by Christ's word mentioned above (John 2:3-5). Furthermore, grace brings the sweetness of love for Christ. These two effects of grace: the purification of the intellect and the sweetness of love for Christ instill in the monk's spirit the exigency to strive for spiritual virginity.
In no sense do these sweetening effects of grace descend to the level of fleshly satisfactions or pleasures. Aside: That is to say, he who finds the grace of God has more than pleasure, he has "ineffable joy";11 and so, having found such a treasure of life, he will not look down to earth for substitutes. End of aside. These sweetening effects inspire unmitigated temperance, and they distance the monk's soul as if instinctively from every thought or act that does not conform to divine love. They bring forth an unrestrained attraction towards God, and an unquenchable thirst for Him. In such a state, the monk desires to respond to the Lord's love by gratitude. Aside: That is why the monastery becomes a place of thanksgiving. End of aside. Just as He lived His earthly life in virginity, so does the monk follow His example, and imitates Him (cf. John 13:15). He breaks every natural bond, and freed from every care, seeks only the presence of the loving and living God.
According to the great Apostle Paul, our only concern in this life is to please the Lord perfectly, either by death or by life. Aside: He says that it is not important whether we are in the body or are apart from the body; what is important is to be pleasing to Him (cf. 2 Cor. 5:9). Or in another place, he says that whether we live or die is not important, what is important is that we are the Lord's (cf. Rom. 14:8). End of aside. This goal is feasible for the monk who is without earthly cares and has "presented his body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God" (cf. Rom. 12:1). Living in this way the monk is not reconciled to the law of corruption and death, which came into the world through the pleasure originating in disobedience. He transforms every energy into a spiritual force, so as to keep his spirit unceasingly abiding with the Spirit of God. Aside: He transforms psychological energy into spiritual energy in order to keep his spirit unceasingly united to the Spirit of God, that is to say, in prayer. End of aside. A life of spiritual virginity is an exalted art and culture, whose fundamental value lies in the "guarding of the mind." The most important rule of this contest is not to surrender the mind to passionate images and thoughts. Aside: Our Father Founder, Fr. Sophrony, used to give us a slogan from time to time: "Do not surrender the mind," that is to say, do not give the mind up to any thought, to any kind of passion. "Do not surrender the mind." In this is the beginning of everything. End of aside.
The living presence of God gradually dissolves the "garments of skin" and vouchsafes the monk to be born anew in the "kingdom which cannot be moved" (Heb. 12:28), where dwell "the spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb. 12:23), the spirits that have become "hypostatic." The divine presence destroys the fraudulent security of fleshly kinship, and brings death to an end in the monk's person. Aside: Death is destroyed in the person of the monk. In ordinary life, death is prolonged, but in the person of the monk death is destroyed. End of aside. The monk remains in the presence of God and thus crosses over into eternal life, becoming a temple of the Godhead.
The Vow of Poverty
The vow of poverty (Gk. aktemosynë) heals the madness of idolatry, the frenzy of the desire for possessions. This third condition of monastic life – non-acquisitiveness – is a natural consequence of observing obedience and chastity. Aside: You can see the links: obedience helps chastity; now obedience and chastity help non-acquisition. End of aside. The observance of these three vows has as its aim the attainment of pure prayer and the perfect likeness to Christ, the Son of God. During His earthly life, Christ denied Himself any security from material things. He had "not where to lay His head" (Matt. 8:20, Lk. 9:58). He taught people by deeds and words to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matt 6:33, Luke 12:31), and to "have no anxiety for the morrow" (Matt. 6:34). He pointed out to us that where our treasure is, there our heart is also (Matt. 6:21). Aside: Always we look at the Person of Christ and at the life of Christ on earth in order to find our bearings. End of aside.
Monastic poverty derives its power from obedience. Practicing obedience, the monk is trained to disregard, for the sake of pleasing God, both his own soul and body and anything else in his life that is precious to him. In this way, his spirit is liberated in this way from the very desire for material possessions.12 He attains spiritual poverty, that is, he is freed from making any "provision for the flesh" (Rom. 13:14) and the kingdom of heaven becomes his sole desire. He is thus healed of the alienation brought about by greed for possessions, and vanquishes the temptation of its sham security. He becomes "rich towards God" (Luke 12:21), and keeps his soul "unto life eternal" (John 12:25). He becomes one who, "having nothing, yet possesses all things," as St. Paul says (cf. 2 Cor. 6:10).
Thus, monasticism offers man the possibility of imitating Christ in humility, in crucifixion, without being destroyed. The more deeply he goes downward by the practice of obedience and repentance – and we have already explained at length how important and how precious it is to learn to go downwards – the higher he ascends, by the grace of Christ who exemplified this path.
All Christ's disciples, led by the Spirit of God, make their way downwards, towards the apex of the inverted pyramid, in order to be united with Him.13 Monastic life has its aim precisely in this downward progress and union with Christ. The monk submits to "every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Pet. 2:13), and united with the Head of the inverted pyramid, he receives as a gift the same state as that of Christ Himself, that is to say, he takes within himself the whole human race, and prays for it. This grace, the gift of man's "dilation" to the point of infinity, is the prize of the monastic vocation for those who fulfill it with exactitude. It transforms man into a true hypostasis, like the hypostasis of the New Adam, Christ.
This path could seem to be self-centered and, in a certain sense, such a claim is justified because, at first, man is in need of healing. Furthermore, being in a fallen state, he cannot have Christ with him, because Christ is not a "minister of sin" (Gal. 2:17). Whereas, when man struggles legitimately and persuades God that he is not a "dog" (cf. Matt. 7:6), God then accepts him as His son, and entrusts him with His "holy things," that is, with all the riches of His eternal life.
In man, Christ condescends and becomes a minister to the world, in the work of salvation. This is the most precious service offered by the monk to the world. The monk does not have a specific, liturgical priesthood, but through his humble life of repentance he becomes the priest of his own salvation, and through his prayer for the world, he becomes a partaker in the royal priesthood of Christ, the Saviour of the whole Adam. He becomes a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet. 2:9).
The alienations or pseudo-supports created by the Fall of Adam became laws which determine how people relate to one another. They are recognized in terms of morality, and even considered valuable in people's eyes. Even so, it is obvious that they do not witness to anything except love for this world and for the flesh. Scripture says that this love is "enmity against God" (Rom. 8:7, cf. Jas. 4:4), and its tenets are an "abomination in the sight of God" (cf. Luke 16:15).
Aside: Often we see people suffering terrible persecutions from their own family when they decide to become monks and nuns. It is easy to understand why, if the Fall of man created universal laws, you have to become super-universal, supra-cosmic, in order to overcome these laws, like Christ who said, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). End of aside. It is also easy to understand why the foundations of the world are shaken when someone shows monastic leanings. He collides with laws, states and ideologies of cosmic dimensions. But when, with the grace of God, he makes the leap of faith – taking the decision to become a monk – and follows the Lord on the road of monasticism, he too, like Christ, overcomes the world. The unutterable gifts of the Holy Spirit make him supra-cosmic, and proclaim him an immortal hypostasis in the bosom of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.