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"Those who cry the loudest are not always the ones who are hurt the most" – Aesop
Just for once, I didn't have to be personally present to witness or understand the anger at the Women's anti-Trump march recently held in London. I have suffered with frustration and anger, I have seen the damage it can cause, and I also recognise it in others. It is an ugly spirit. It is usually loud, indignant and demanding; sometimes it hides behind a quiet demeanour, victim hood, tears, or a painted smile. There is a lot of it about.
However, with barely one foot through the front door of The White House, it still came as a bit of a surprise that an exaggerated 100,000 angry women's voices would be on him like a ton of bricks from this side of the Atlantic, and that the event would be heavily covered through all of our mainstream media. The new president of the United States, is suddenly not only responsible for offending the minority of voters in the USA, and creating world division; but he is now apparently responsible for every woman's anguish here in the UK and across the world as well. I hope he has broad shoulders.
Jumping on the bandwagon of what some call group solidarity for all those people who think they are marginalized or feel deeply offended by laws being implemented on the other side of the Atlantic; there were plenty of others across the nation, from the comfort of their own home, who were being empowered by joining in with the criticism, the hatred, and the disbelief directed towards the new president of the United States who they consider to be against women and also very racist towards immigrants. I heard it in the workplace, in shops, at friend's homes, and witnessed the sudden outage of indignation verbalizing itself at every conceivable moment. It was quite astonishing to hear that once more, especially after the Brexit result, and to see it displayed amidst the quiet acceptance and respect that many others felt towards the majority of voters in the USA.
Yet my observations came not only from watching the display of female anguish marching through the streets of London, believing they spoke for the nation, but from asking why this very large group of protestors, if they were concerned about women, were not directing their energy against the real perpetrators of abuse in our society today? There are plenty of them about. What has Donald Trump had to do with it?
Sometimes, it's not those women who cry loudest who are the ones who are most hurt…….They are usually the ones who are most wrong.
Was Donald Trump acting as a catalyst for something else; an unhealed anguish deeply forgotten and buried? Why haven't we witnessed such hatred for male leaders; home and abroad before?
Why did this anger turn itself against one man, without looking at its own guilt, and the wrong compromises it has already made with evil within its own home?
Silent Witness – The Missing Women
If demonstrators were upset about the unfair way that women are treated, I wondered why they were not around when just one British woman bought out a private prosecution against 2 male doctors who were discovered carrying out abortions on unborn baby girls in the UK, based purely on their gender. With an estimated 100,000,000 missing women based solely on the practice of gendercide across the world, it should surely be something worth speaking out against.
What a wonderful platform some of those speakers in that demonstration could have had to highlight that abuse in our own country. [Link]
Silent Witness – The Invisible Mother
I wondered if 100,000 demonstrators will march or speak out on the removal of the name 'mothers' which is now being called for by the BMA, (The British Medical Association), who have issued official internal guidelines to all of its members to implement and refer to a new mother as a 'pregnant person', thus removing the unique gift, joy and privilege of being called a mother; in order to not offend others.
The guidelines also promote the new title of Mx which can be used instead of Miss, Ms, Mrs or Mr. It will not be a Happy Mx Day when that suggestion finally takes a hold.
The road to genderless, non descript, non identifiable 'nobodies' is upon us. Will we question or blindly comply with these instructions?
You can read A Guide to Effective Communication, Inclusive Language in the Workplace issued by The British Medical Association.
Silent Witness – The Invisible Child
I wondered why 100,000 demonstrators have not vocally objected in the streets to the sexualizing of children through the promotion of soft porn through music videos, where a little girls ambition in life has now become demoted to using the power of her assets to become a sex symbol like Rhianna, Beyonce or Britney and little boy's are trained early to see girls as pure objects for their desire?
Passing their antics off as powerful and liberating is an insult to women, but more alarmingly it is feeding a more sinister and abusive agenda to make sex and provocative behaviour in children, especially little girls, much more acceptable.
It was interesting to see some of the more provocative female celebrities being the ones to shout the loudest in some of the organized marches across the world.
Silent Witness – Human Chattel
However, most of all I have wondered why those 100,000 demonstrators have not focused their energy into something which would be helpful and expose the evil of human trafficking in the UK, the rising number of rapes across Europe, child slavery, child brides, forced marriage, honour based violence, and FGM, (female genital mutilation) which is highlighted as a cultural problem and where it is estimated that the number of girls and women who have undergone FGM in the UK is estimated to vary from anything from 66,000 to 280,000 with between 7,000 to 24,000 girls under 17 years of age at risk?
The slogan currently being used to highlight FGM is No Voice – No Choice.
As the Women's anti-Trump movement in the UK now takes a stance against his restrictions on immigration and travel to the USA, with demonstrations up and down the country in many of the major cities, I refer to two of the many signs that I have witnessed in these rallies which reads:
'Kindness is Everything'
'Your cannot unify with Hate'
Promoting humanism in a country which is already divided, not through the efforts of Donald Trump, but by another system which has purposefully overcrowded one culture with another culture, people are already aware that their kindness has been mis-used.
Apart from genuine immigrants and refugees who have integrated over many years into the UK, who are friends to the UK, and consider themselves British; unfortunately there are many legal and illegal immigrants who are not so friendly now living within our society.
Many places in Europe have fallen backwards and become unrecognisable; there are many places where people, especially women, are very afraid to visit. There is no kindness or unity there.
An area known as Tower Hamlets is known to be one of the most dangerous places for women and girls in the east end of London.
You can read the 45 page document on the abuse against women and girls in Tower Hamlets.
Tower Hamlets is also known as one of the 'no-go' areas which are reportedly existing throughout the United Kingdom where people do not feel safe or protected anymore.
In an article by Soeren Khan from the Gatestone Institute in relation to European 'no-go' zones, fact or fiction; here are some of the comments from people who speak out against some of the areas which now populate the British Isles.
The article also speaks about how many people are desperately leaving some areas in which they feel that the British law, culture and values are being dominantly displaced by cultures which want to police themselves and others, rather than follow the law of the land. [Link]
• "There are some communities born under other skies who will not involve the police at all… there are communities from other cultures who would prefer to police themselves." — Sir Tom Winsor, chief inspector of the police forces in England and Wales.
• "We are sleepwalking our way to segregation. We are becoming strangers to each other and leaving communities to be marooned outside the mainstream." — Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.
• "One of the results of [multiculturalism] has been to further alienate the young from the nation in which they were growing up and also to turn already separate communities into 'no-go' areas where adherence to this ideology [of Islamic extremism] has become a mark of acceptability." Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester.
• "There are things that I see when I'm driving around Birmingham that shouldn't be happening. I only drive into these areas, never actually walk into these areas, I just wouldn't. Just in case I did do something that…because of their culture or their religion it was a threat or it was an insult or something." — Resident of Birmingham.
Who will fill the Void?
The protestors in the Women's anti-Trump march I fear are being used in varying ways. An out-of-control reaction, an anger, by the protesters is creating an irrational and biased attack upon a president who may be initially daring to prioritize the safety of his own fellow citizens first, and it is also acting as a distraction against some of the real issues that we should all be talking about and not be shouted down upon in our own country. It is not racist to highlight such problems.
The real anguish which some women feel is that they do not feel safe, or protected in society. They feel badly let down by men, even the good ones. It was all very well to march in large numbers through a relatively safe street in London. It is not so nice to walk alone in places of society where no one cares for you.
When we no longer identify or respect the specific and special roles that each of the sexes possess, society becomes demoralized so low that it loses all respect for itself and each other, and becomes very weak. It does not recognise genuine strength, love or grace.
You can sense and see the growing weakness and lack of character and identity all around. Who is it that is orchestrating the demise of mankind and why do we have to be considered unkind to object to it?
Will men and women unite together and value their role in society, protect their children and stand up to evil in a rational way without falling prey to the political correctness and humanism which is destroying people?
Out of control anger, like over the top kindness, can kill people. The women's anti-trump demonstration was a weak attempt at the countries collective failure to show true strength and kindness in the correct proportion when it should have done a long long time ago. Leaders have let us down.
Is it to late to turn back to a dignity now lost….?
Sources and Links
1 – European 'No-Go' Zones: Fact or Fiction? Part 2: Britain.
2 – 'Time to take a stand': thousands across UK protest at Trump policy.
3 – Women's March: UK protesters join anti-Donald Trump marches.
4 – European 'No-Go' Zones: Fact or Fiction? Part 2: Britain.
5 – A Guide to Effective Communication, Inclusive Language in the Workplace.
6 – Violence against Women and Girls Consultation Report 2013.
7 – Woman's £47,000 bill over sex-selective abortions: Christian pro-life campaigner fails in bid to prosecute doctors who were filmed offering to terminate female foetuses.
[These are my views as a woman living in England, on how the culture and spirit of my country has changed over 50 years. Why the country does not feel protected or strong any more, how it has lost, and is losing it values and decency, and how we are daily losing our free speech.]
© 2017 Shirley Edwards – All Rights ReservedClick Here for mass emailing


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Harajuku girls in colorful outfits, wearing matching ice-cream print sweatshirts with animal-shaped bags, printed leggings, hair accessories and heart rings.
Amoyamo Japanese Street FashionBrowsing
Harajuku girl wearing a cross dress with hoodie, tote bag and sneakers vs. girl wearing lace top and suspenders skirt, heart shaped bag and low heels.
Harajuku sisters wearing oversized Mickey Mouse t-shirt with flatforms, tiger head backpack and cap vs. t-shirt and shorts, slip-ons, tiger head backpack, beanie and neck purse.
Harajuku with lace top and suspender skirt, choker and spike necklace, retro backpack, over the knee socks and lace-up buckle boots.
Harajuku sisters with cute twintails hairstyles, headbands, colorful fashion, and tiger head backpacks.
Harajuku sisters in twin tails, bandanas and tiger head backpacks, wearing cherry print dress & lollipop print skirt.
Harajuku kawaii model with pastel hair wearing denim shorts and jacket, platforms, and a cute plushie muffler.
Colorfully dressed sisters in Harajuku with tiger head backpacks, a cupcake hoodie dress and neon pink creepers.
Harajuku girl with a kawaii style featuring a Milklim sweatshirt, SPANK! accessories and CO&LU creepers.
Colorfully dressed sisters on the street in Harajuku with tie dye, cutoffs, creepers and fun accessories.

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Paul Hood is an avid snow skier and has enjoyed the slopes in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, California, and Canada for many years. Due to the enthusiasm for snow skiing and the mountains, his cousin Jim Hood and wife Karen invited him to go on a Sierra Club hiking trip to Yosemite National Park in July of 2003. Paul was immediately addicted to this new activity of hiking in the back country and the High Sierra's. Before that trip Mr. Hood had purchased his first digital camera, a Canon S400 ELPH, and was amazed at both the picture quality and the ability to take all the pictures he wanted and see the results instantly. That trip reintroduced him to the world of photography. Upon his return from Yosemite, his friends and family were enthusiastic about the photos he had taken and his desire and passion for photography was growing. It took several years for him to realize that many people enjoyed his photography and considered his pictures of high quality needing to hang in someone's home or office. At the encouragement of his co-workers, he was persuaded to do a local arts festival over Labor Day weekend of 2009. It was an enjoyable weekend and a humbling experience, but also one he learned from that helped him grow as a photographer. Another of Mr. Hood's passions is computers, so with that in mind, technology meets photography and a website was born to view his works. Being a flatlander from Oklahoma, he greatly enjoys visiting and hiking in our wonderful national parks and capturing the breath taking beauty of God's landscape which he loves to share and hopes that you will enjoy as well.
Photography of the Creators World


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I'm currently looking for inspiration for a fruit and cheese recipe… it will definitely be added to September's Four Seasons Food when (if?) inspiration strikes!
September's Four Seasons Food event gets FRUITY
September 6, 2014
For our September challenge and our first month of Autumn we're 'Getting Fruity' with you, celebrating the wonderful fruits that abound at this time of the year. Namely apples, pears, blackberries, figs if you're lucky, plums, raspberries, damsons, sloes, elderberries and quinces and maybe a good deal more if you live in other parts of the world. Link up your jam, chutney or pickle recipes, fruity cakes, makes or puds, drinks, sauces, stews, pies or curries. Absolutely anything goes as long as your recipe uses a seasonal fruit, or two or ten.
Deadline for entries 29th September.
Go get fruity folks!
Louisa x
Our normal guidelines apply:
? Any recipe that fits the current month's theme can be entered, new or old.
? A maximum of three entries per blogger. And of course feel free to enter your recipes to any other blogging challenges you like.
? You're very welcome to enter from anywhere in the World, and if there's a prize we'll happily post out to you unless specifically stated to be open to UK addresses only.
? Please give due credit if your recipe is not your own.
? Add your recipe URL to the Linky. Please include the recipe title, the URL and your email address.
? Please include a link to Delicieux & Eat Your Veg on each entry.
? Please add the relevant seasons badge – Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. Please update old posts that you enter to include a badge also.
? If you're on Twitter then do Tweet your entries using the hashtag #FourSeasonsFood and include @Delicieux_fr and @Eat_Your_Veg and we will retweet all that we see.
? All entries will be added to the Pinterest Group Board – Four Seasons Food.
? The winning entry each month will be promoted via Twitter, Delicieux & Eat Your Veg Facebook pages and Google+ by both co-hosts.
Four Seasons Food hosted by Delicieux and Eat Your Veg
[inlinkz_linkup id=443485 mode=1]
6 thoughts on "September's Four Seasons Food event gets FRUITY"
Oh please do Sarah. Fruit and cheese together has to be a winner in my book!↓
Oh yes, it's the perfect time to get fruity and this year everywhere seems to be dripping with fruit. I've already entered one of mine, though it was hard making a choice as virtually everything I'm cooking at the moment has fruit in it.↓
Please let me sneak in my ketchup recipe, apparently tomatoes are really a fruit 😉
Janie x↓
Of course you may lovely!! Tomatoes are very much indeedie a fruit!↓
I've linked up a very autumnal raisin recipe, I hope it's fruity enough! 🙂↓


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By Andrew Kellner, CYF MA graduate and CYF Prize Winner 2012
Have you noticed that young people by and large have immersed themselves into a new understanding of communication, through the use of personal electronic devices and social networking tools. Older generations, with whom youth workers still must communicate, use a very different set of communication tools, and when they do make forays into newer modes of communication, often they utilize these modes, in different ways than their younger …
Tags: scholarship, reading, resource, creativity, Rachel Schwenke
See this resource from the Immerse Journal, which includes a user's guide for Prim in Dystopia.
Written by Clint Schnekloth
Tags: resource, culture, youth, Rachel Schwenke
Tags: Video, resource, culture, Rachel Schwenke
Tags: Video, resource, Rachel Schwenke
As we think about Dr. Hans Wiersma's presentation on catechism, we all feel the need to find creative ways to communicate with young people.
> See video of Dr. Hans Wiersma speaking on 'Post-Modern' Youth and 16th Century Teaching Tracts
This piece on "How to Be Creative" from the Wall Street Journal might spark your imagination. It might give you some ideas if you're stuck in a rut on the sermon. (One of them - think like a child!) The jest of the article is "get out of focus before you want …
Tags: resource, confirmation, Rachel Schwenke
The ELCA World Hunger program has launched a line of Web-based resources, Hunger Education Toolkits. The Hunger Education Toolkits will help you design, host, and lead a learning experience on hunger or hunger-related topics.
This activity will help participants see the stark realities of our world by looking at important characteristics of the world's population. In this activity, the world's population is represented by just 100 people.
Tags: resource, how to, ministry, Rachel Schwenke
See this short video with a simple description of the Church. Use as a discussion starter in your confirmation class, youth minsitry or adult small group.
How do you answer the question: What is the Church?
Tags: Video, resource, church, Rachel Schwenke
by Pastor Nancy Lee Gauche
Check out Tom Langemo's blog on the Art of Possibility!
Here's some background in the form of a blog informing us what drives Coach Tom Langemo around "The Art of Possibility". You had a taste of this "art" at the First Third event on confirmation. My challenge for all of us around the "art of possibility" is to remind us that faith is not ultimately secured by human effort. Tom paints a picture of this process …
Tags: First Third, resource, Video, Rachel Schwenke
See an overview and suggested study guide for The Hunger Games by David Lose.
This is a great resource to talk about the book with teens and youth groups.
Watch this video of the final panel discussion of Monkey Business: A First Third Dialogue on the Confirmation Process.
Tags: First Third, confirmation, Video, resource, Rachel Schwenke
Learn about Children, Youth and Family programs at Luther Seminary.
Find past blog posts from the Center for First Third Ministries. This blog is no longer updated.
Explore research findings from the Extraordinary Youth Ministry study (completed 2003).
© Luther Seminary 2481 Como Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108 651-641-3456


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The Mid-Week Rapture #17
by Karl Kemp
11/17/2011 / Bible Studies
Holy Father, we humble ourselves before you. We thank you for your Word. We are making it a top priority to understand your Word and to live in line with your Word. We want to be fully ready to stand before you at the end of this age. We thank you for full salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray in His mighty, holy name. Amen!
We started a verse-by-verse study of Revelation chapters 4 through 10 in the last article. As I mentioned, I'm building this teaching on my verse-by-verse study of Revelation chapters 1-10 that is located on my internet site. Today we'll start with Rev. 5:6. I'll read the first part of the verse, "And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain." As the margin of the New American Standard Bible shows, a more literal translation of the Greek would be "And I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain." The Lamb of God was on the throne, inside of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. The Lamb of God, with God the Father, was the center of attention.
The Lord Jesus Christ is frequently called a Lamb because of His all-important atoning death. I'll read John 1:29, for an example, "The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' " Revelation 5:9, 12 (along with many other verses) confirm that the Lord Jesus Christ had actually been slain. He had been slain, bearing our sins with the guilt and the penalties, but now He was alive again, being the "first-born from the dead" (see Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5). He was the first man (though He was a whole lot more than just a man) to leave death behind and be born into the fullness of the eternal life of God's new creation. He had overcome, and now He had earned the right to take the scroll from the right hand of God the Father, to break the seven seals and open the scroll, and to bring to pass the things written in the scroll.
Now I'll read all of verse 6, and we'll further discuss this verse. "And I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth." Sometimes horns (the horns of animals) serve as a symbol for reigning, power, and dominion (see, for example, 1 Sam. 2:10; Psalm 89:17, 24; Dan. 7:7, 8, 20, 24; Rev. 17:12). The number seven is used here (and often in the book of Revelation) as a symbolic number for perfection. For the resurrected Lamb to have seven horns is a symbolic way of saying that he has all authority, power, and dominion. After His resurrection Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18; and I listed some other verses), but in the plan of God, this authority, power, and dominion won't be manifested in a full sense until the end of this age, when Jesus returns to save His people and judge the world. His unlimited authority, power, and dominion, which is symbolized by the seven horns, will be manifested as He brings to pass all the things prophesied in the book of Revelation.
What is the time setting for the scene pictured in Revelation chapters 4 and 5? The revelation that God the Father gave to the Lord Jesus Christ to show to His bond-servants (see Rev. 1:1) wasn't given to the apostle John until about AD 95, but the scene pictured here in chapter 5 fits best at a time shortly after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we'll discuss the last words of this verse, "and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth." For the Son of God, who is deity with God the Father (and God the Holy Spirit), to have seven eyes is a symbolic way of saying that He sees (accurately sees and fully sees) everything everywhere. And we are informed that He does this by "the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth," which is a symbolic way to say that He does this by the Holy Spirit (see Rev. 1:4).
I'll read Rev. 5:7, "And He came and took the book [or, scroll] out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne." As we have discussed, the Lord Jesus Christ came and took the scroll out of the right hand of God the Father.
Revelation 5:8. "When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." It would be quite improper for anyone to fall down before the Lamb to worship if the Lamb were not deity with God the Father - He is deity! Most agree that it was only the twenty-four elders (the four living creatures were not included) who were holding the harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The fact that our prayers are being kept in golden bowls and are presented before God as incense is interesting and important information. Our prayers that haven't been answered yet, that have been prayed in the will of God and in faith, don't just vanish - they will be answered! Especially relevant in this context are prayers like, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:9). For God's will to be done, including His will being done in our lives, is all that really matters.
We must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and our great high priest who intercedes for us (see Rom. 8:34, for example), is the One who makes our prayers acceptable before the Father, not the twenty-four elders. Also, we pray in His name. It's true, however, that God does give significant authority and responsibility to others, both angelic beings and men. We're not talking about angelic beings or men competing with God or trying to take some of the glory due to Him (the triune God). We're talking about the fact that God chooses to give important assignments to those under Him, to angelic beings and to men, which they carry out by His grace and for His glory. He didn't create us to be unimportant and to do unimportant things. When we are doing what He wants us to do, it's important. On the relationship between prayer and incense, see Rev. 8:3, 4, and I listed some other verses.
I'll read Rev. 5:9, "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." The fact that we have been purchased for God by the blood of the Lamb is a dominant theme of the New Testament. Every person who has a place in God's new heaven and new earth with its new Jerusalem will have that place through the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death (see Rev. 21:27, for example).
I'll read Rev. 5:10, "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." I'll also read the first part of Rev. 1:6, "And He [the Lord Jesus Christ] has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father." In a preliminary sense we Christians are in the kingdom now (see, for example, Luke 17:21; Rom. 14:17), and in one sense we are priests now (see Exod. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9). Many verses, however, show that the kingdom will not be here in its full sense until the King returns to establish His kingdom. As we have discussed, many verses show that we will begin to reign with the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns and we are glorified. Revelation 20:6, which speaks of the millennial kingdom, says we will be "priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years." Revelation 22:5 shows that our reign will continue in the eternal state that follows the millennial kingdom. I assume our priesthood will also continue in the eternal state (see Rev. 22:3-5).
I'll comment briefly on the translations of the King James Version and the New King James Version here in verse 10. They have "us" instead of "them" and "we shall reign" instead of "they shall reign." Also, in verse 9 they have "redeemed us" instead of "purchased men." With the translation of the KJV and NKJV, the twenty-four elders would be singing this song about themselves. Those who accept that translation typically believe that the twenty-four elders are human representatives of the church; they don't believe that they are high level angelic beings. I'm confident that the translation of the NASB is correct here. Every other translation I have looked at is in agreement with the NASB here, including the NIV, the Amplified Bible, the New English Bible, the New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips, the New Living Translation, the Contemporary English Version, the RSV, the NRSV, the New American Bible, and the Jerusalem Bible. Also, the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament (1993 edition) has the Greek text followed by the NASB, and they indicate that, from their point of view, that Greek text "is certain."
I'll read Rev. 5:11, "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands." The NKJV has, "the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." The word myriads comes from the Greek murias, muriados, which was sometimes used of a literal ten thousand, but also was used of a very large number, not limited to a literal ten thousand.
I'll read verse 12, "saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches [or, wealth] and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." The BAGD Greek Lexicon and the NIV have "praise" here and in verse 13 instead of "blessing." Note that Rev. 4:11 says that God the Father is worthy to receive "glory and honor and power." Also see Rev. 5:13; 7:12. As I commented under Rev. 4:11, things like "glory, honor, and power" already belong to God by virtue of who He is and what He has done, and that certainly includes the "wisdom" mentioned in Rev. 7:12. It's rather obvious that men cannot give wisdom to God. He receives these things from His worshippers in the sense that they are ascribed to Him. The "blessing (or, praise)" of Rev. 5:12, 13; 7:12 and the "thanksgiving" of Rev. 7:12 are in a different category; such things can truly be given to God by men and angels in worship.
I'll read Rev. 5:13, "And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne [God the Father], and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.' " The praise and worship of heaven pictured in Revelation chapters 4 and 5 expands here to include the entire universe. There is some uncertainty whether the devil and his followers are included here. Some say yes, and some say no. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm sure that whichever way this question is answered, it must not be allowed to obscure the fact that the emphasis of this verse is on genuine praise and worship of God the Father and God the Son. The wording of this verse seems to include all creatures, including the enemies of God. On the other hand, the devil isn't going to worship God in the way His angelic beings and His people worship Him, but the devil will be forced to bow his knee before the Father and the Son and to admit their glory, honor, dominion, etc. I'll read Phil. 2:9-11, "For this reason also, God [God the Father] highly exalted Him [the Lord Jesus Christ], and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name [excluding, of course, the name of God the Father], so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Now I'll read the last verse of chapter 5, verse 14. "And the four living creatures kept saying 'Amen.' And the elders fell down and worshiped." The twenty-four elders falling down to worship the Lord Jesus Christ with the Father would be totally inappropriate if He were not deity with the Father and the Spirit - He is! The book of Revelation emphasizes the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we're ready for Revelation chapter 6. In this chapter the Lord Jesus Christ breaks the first six of the seven seals on the all-important scroll that He took from the right hand of God the Father in chapter 5. We don't receive much in the way of new revelation in this chapter, but this chapter is quite important. I'll read verse 1, "Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come' " The KJV and NKJV, following a different Greek reading, have "come and see." There is widespread agreement that the Greek reading followed by the NASB (and every other translation I have looked at) is the original reading. The living creature was calling forth the rider on the first horse, the white horse, even as the other three living creatures call forth the next three riders in the following verses. We learn of the famous four horsemen of the Apocalypse from these verses (Rev. 6:1-8). In the Greek, the book of Revelation is called the Apocalypse [the unveiling, the revelation] of John.
I agree with the widespread viewpoint that the four horsemen all ride forth throughout this entire Christian age, up until about the time of the sounding of the sixth trumpet of the book of Revelation and Antichrist's abomination of desolation. The primary cross-reference that convinces me of this interpretation is the teaching of Jesus in the Olivet discourse of Matthew chapter 24; Mark chapter 13, and Luke chapter 21. As we will discuss when we study the opening of the first three seals, the rider on the first horse correlates (at least to some significant extent) with what Jesus said in Matt. 24:14 (about the gospel being preached in the whole world before the end comes); and the riders on the second and third horses correlate with what Jesus said in Matt. 24:6-8 (regarding warfare and famine). The warfare and famine associated with the second and third seals are part of what Jesus called "the beginning of birth pangs" in Matt. 24:8. As we discussed when we studied Matthew chapter 24, the transition beyond "the beginning of birth pangs" will take place with Antichrist's abomination of desolation (see Matt. 24:9, 15).
I'll read Rev. 6:2, "I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer." I believe the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Word of the gospel of Christ, is the rider on the white horse. Some Christians believe the rider on the white horse in Antichrist. That's quite a difference isn't it? For one thing, the Greek adjective "leukos," which is translated "white" here, is used fifteen other times in the book of Revelation. In each of the fifteen uses, white is used of things associated with God (purity and victory, for example). Revelation 19:11 is an important example. In that verse the Lord Jesus Christ is pictured riding on a white horse as He goes forth conquering in His end-time judgment of the world.
Henry Alford, who was a Christian scholar in the 1800s (in his "New Testament for English Readers," under this verse) commented that the viewpoint I am presenting "was taken, with divergences of separate detail, by all expositors from the earliest times down to the year 1500." Even if Alford missed an expositor or two, it is quite significant that very few, if any, questioned this interpretation before 1500. I'll read a sentence Alford quotes from Victorinus, a bishop and exegete, who died as a martyr about 304. "The white horse is the preaching with the aid of the Holy Spirit sent forth into the world; for the Lord saith, 'This gospel shall be preached through all the world for a testimony before the nations, and then shall the end come.' "
I'll read Rev. 6:3, 4, "When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, 'Come.' (4) And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him." The color red undoubtedly goes with the shedding of blood; these verses inform us that various wars will be taking place throughout this present age. I'll quote what Jesus said in Matt. 24:6 and the first part of verse 7, "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. (7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom...." (Also see Mark 13:7, 8; and Luke 21:10.) Alford quotes Victorinus again here, "The red horse, and he that sat upon him having a sword, are future wars, as we read in the gospel, for nation shall rise against nation...(referring to Matt. 24:7)."
I'll read Rev. 6:5, 6, "When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, 'Come.' I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. (6) And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.' " I agree with the widespread viewpoint that these verses prophesy of famine, limited famine. The fact that the oil and the wine are not damaged helps show that the famine is limited. A denarius can be considered the daily wages for a laborer. Based on the information cited in the commentaries, the prices given here for wheat and barley are some eight to fifteen times higher than the normal prices in the Roman Empire of John's day.
I'll read what Jesus said in Matt. 24:7, "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes." We should undoubtedly expect to see things like warfare, famines, and earthquakes increase in frequency and magnitude at the end of this age.
We'll go on to Rev. 6:7, 8, "When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, 'Come.' (8) I looked, and behold, an ashen horse [In the margin the NASB has, "or, sickly pale," which can be considered the color of death.]; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. [[Death and Hades are personified here. It is not surprising that Hades would follow Death; Hades is the abode for the dead (see Rev. 20:13, 14, for example). But true Christians do not go to hades at death; they go to be with the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21, 23; and 1 Thess. 4:14).]] Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence [or, plague] and by the wild beasts of the earth." Note the correlation between being killed by the sword here and the warfare of the second seal, and the correlation between being killed by famine here and the famine of the third seal. I understand verses 7, 8 to teach that throughout this age, up until about the time of the sounding of the sixth trumpet, the total number of premature deaths from all possible causes will be limited to a maximum of a fourth of the population. Ezekiel 14:21 speaks of God's judgments against Jerusalem as "sword, famine, wild beasts and plague."
Much of the popular end-time teaching of our day understands this verse to teach that at some time during the first half of Daniel's 70th week, within a short period of time, one quarter of the entire population of the earth will be killed. I don't believe that viewpoint is correct. That would be more than one and one-half billion people being killed in a short period of time. For that many people to be killed within a short period of time would, to say the least, be a very big deal. During World War II, which lasted more than five years, the total number of deaths, including civilian deaths, was something like fifty million. Fifty million people are only some 3.3% of one and one-half billion people.
I don't believe we should expect a gigantic number of deaths in the last days until the time of the transition beyond "the beginning of birth pangs" at the abomination of desolation (see Matt. 24:8, 9, and 15). As we have discussed, the sixth trumpet of the book of Revelation will sound about the time of Antichrist's abomination of desolation. Even under the very intense warfare of the sixth trumpet, which equals the very intense warfare of the short great tribulation, I don't expect the loss of life to be close to one and one-half billion people. And the loss of life under the sounding of the first five trumpets, which will probably all sound during the first half of Daniel's 70th week, will apparently be quite limited. No lives will be lost under the fourth and fifth trumpets. We'll discuss the trumpets when we come to Revelation chapters 8, 9.
Now we come to Rev. 6:9-11 and the fifth seal. I'll read verse 9 for a start, "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained." The "altar" here is God's sacrificial altar. We can say that their blood had been poured out at God's sacrificial altar. The time setting here is the middle of Daniel's 70th week. It is now time for the Lord Jesus Christ to return, for the resurrection and glorification of the believers to take place, and for the day of judgment to begin. It is important to keep in mind that the scroll hasn't been opened yet. After the scroll is opened, we receive many very important details regarding things that will take place just before He returns. We learn, for example, that the two witnesses will be warning mankind of His imminent return, and of their need to repent and submit to God. And we learn of the seven trumpets that will announce His return. He will return right in the middle of Daniel's 70th week, at the time of the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet.
Apparently John saw the souls of all the believers of Old Testament days who had been martyred, starting with Abel, and of all the Christians who will have been martyred up until the time of Christ's return.
I'll read Rev. 6:10, "and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' " First I listed quite a few verses from the Old and New Testaments that speak of God's avenging the blood of His people that has been shed (Rev. 17:1, 6; 18:20, 24; 19:2; Gen. 4:10; Deut. 32:43; Luke 18:7, 8; Rom. 12:19; and 2 Thess. 1:4-10). He must eventually judge the world and make things right, in accordance with His character as a righteous Judge, and in accordance with His Word (both Old and New Testaments). He cannot allow the persecution and murder of His people to continue forever; neither can He allow chaos and rebellion to continue forever. He is patient and certainly is generous in giving people time to repent, but His ultimate day of judgment is coming.
I'll read Rev. 6:11, "And there was given to each of them [to each of the martyrs] a white robe; and they were told that they should rest [or, wait] for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also." First we'll discuss the words "And there was given to each of them a white robe." I believe this is way of saying that these martyrs are resurrected and receive their glorified bodies. It isn't that the white robe equals the glorified body, but it doesn't seem that the saints will wear these white robes until after they have received their glorified bodies (see Rev. 3:4, 5; 7:9, 13, 14; and 19:8, 14). In Rev. 7:9, for example, the just-raptured saints are pictured wearing white robes.
These martyrs will be resurrected, glorified, and raptured right in the middle of Daniel's 70th week. They will be resurrected, glorified, and raptured along with all the saints who will have died before the Lord returns. All the glorified saints will wear white robes. The verses I just cited from the book of Revelation show, for one thing, that the white robes of Christians go with the fact that they lived righteous lives through the grace that came to them through the shed blood of God's Lamb.
Now we'll discuss the rest of the words of Rev. 6:11, "and they were told that they should rest [or, wait] for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been would be completed also." I strongly prefer the translation "wait" of the NIV, instead of "rest." These words fit perfectly with the mid-week rapture. These saints will not have to wait any longer for their resurrection, glorification, and their white robes, or for the time when they will begin to reign with the Lord Jesus Christ. They are informed, however, that much more innocent blood of Christians will yet be shed, during the super-evil reign of Antichrist.
This will all work together for good for God's people. For one thing, as we have discussed, those who become Christians after the rapture will be purged, purified, and refined during those very difficult years. And God will use Antichrist to judge and destroy Babylon the great harlot during those years, which is a major feature of His end-time judgment of the world. As I mentioned, God devoted some three chapters of the book of Revelation to His judgment of Babylon the great harlot. Significantly, Rev. 18:20, 24; 19:2 show that Babylon the great harlot is behind all the shed blood of God's people throughout the ages. I'll read Rev. 19:2, "because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her." God's judgment of Babylon the great harlot will be completed by the end of Daniel's 70th week.
Here in Rev. 6:9-11 John saw the souls of all the people martyred for God from the beginning up until the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, right in the middle of Daniel's 70th week. In Rev. 20:4 John saw the souls of the Christian martyrs who will be converted after the rapture; they will be martyred during the super-evil reign of Antichrist, throughout the second half of Daniel's 70th week. He also saw them come to life in Rev. 20:4, which includes their receiving glorified bodies. They will then begin to reign along with all the glorified saints who began to reign with the Lord Jesus Christ in the middle of Daniel's 70th week. It's time to stop for today. God bless you!
Copyright by Karl Kemp
http://www.karlkempteachingministries.com Karl Kemp worked as an engineer in the space field throughout the 60s. He became a born-again Christian in 1964. He received an MA in Biblical Studies in 1972. He has been a Bible teacher for 45 years. See the website for more info on his books, papers, etc.
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Horne and Corden play Isle Of Wight Festival
James Corden and Matt Horne have formed a band and are set to play this year's Isle Of Wight Festival.
According to the News Of The World, the in vogue double act will be filming an ITV2 documentary of them rehearsing for the first time just five days before playing live at the legendary festival. (As long as they don't perform any comedy it should go fine.)
The ITV2 show will be called 'We Are Rock Stars.' The Isle Of Wight Festival will be happening on 12-14th June.


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Fighting Cockpits
In the Pilot's Seat of Great Military Aircraft from World War I to Today
What was it like to sit in the pilot's seat and take control of a P-51 Mustang in World War II? What about an F-14 Tomcat at the height of the Cold War? Or a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor today? The cockpits of these fighter and bomber aircraft are revealed in Fighting Cockpits.
Showcasing more than 50 of the world's most famous combat cockpits from early World War I aircraft to present-day fighters, this book includes more than 200 rich color photos from photographer Dan Patterson, as well as detailed history about combat cockpit development from aviation expert and historian Donald Nijboer.
Presented in large-format, you'll be blown away by studio shot spreads of views from the cockpits, vintage photographs of the aircrafts in action, and modern photography of surviving crafts. This book will complete any history buff or aviation enthusiast's library.
Aircraft include:
Wind in the Wires: Nieuport 28, Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, Bristol F.2, Fokker Dr.I, Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Triplane, AEG G.IV, SPAD VII, Halberstadt CL.IV, Fokker D.VII
The Rise of the Monoplane: Martin MB-2, Hawker Hind, Fiat CR.32, Boeing P-26 Peashooter, Curtiss F9C, Sparrowhawk, Vought SB2U Vindicator, Westland Lysander, PZL P.11
World War II: Supermarine Spitfire, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang, Handley Page Halifax, Vickers Wellington, Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Wurger, Fairey Firefly, Fiat CR.42, Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, Heinkel He 219 Uhu, Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu, Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Northrop P-61 Black Widow, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Dornier Do 335 Pfeil, Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe, Arado Ar 234 Blitz
Cold War to the Present: North American F-86 Sabre, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Grumman A-6 Intruder, General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, Hawker Siddeley Harrier, McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15 Eagle, Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Mikoyan MiG-29, Rockwell B-1 Lancer, Lockheed Martin F-117 Nighthawk, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
Praise For Fighting Cockpits: In the Pilot's Seat of Great Military Aircraft from World War I to Today…
"What aviation fan, historian or participant does not wish to sit in cockpits of historical aircraft? To become part of its space? To be ensconced within its environment? Fighting Cockpits delivers this and much more."- Travel for Aircraft (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
"Nijboer's new book offers a fascinating take on the development of such technology. With high-resolution color photos of more than 50 historic cockpits by photographer Dan Patterson , "Fighting Cockpits" successfully gives even a casual reader a real feel for what facing the elements, adversaries and crude technology actually meant for World War I-era pilots. Perhaps "Fighting Cockpits" is most impressive for reminding us that the continuing development of military aircraft technology may have paradoxically kept us out of a third world war."- Forbes.com
"Fighting Cockpits... places the reader inside the cockpit of these incredible machines."- Business Insider
"...his amazing book, Fighting Cockpits, is packed with wonderful photos, amazing details, and insightful comments from pilots who've flown everything from the Sopwith Camel to the B-17 to the long-awaited F-35."- WIRED.com
Zenith Press, 9780760349564, 224pp.
Publication Date: June 1, 2016
About the Author
Donald Nijboer is an aviation author, historian, a documentary writer/producer, as well as a college instructor and Smithsonian speaker. His articles have appeared in Flight Journal, Aviation History, and Aeroplane Monthly. Donald lives in Toronto, Canada.
Dan Patterson is an accomplished photographer who has excelled in the fields of portraiture, architecture, and aviation. His work has been featured in 23 books, and in 2003 he received the first annual Harry B. Combs Award from the National Aviation Hall of Fame for Excellence in the Preservation of Aviation History. The National Portrait Gallery in London selected five of his portraits of British aviators to be included in their permanent collection. In addition, he has served as an aviation lecturer for the Smithsonian Journeys program. Dan lives in Dayton, Ohio.


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So that's that. Back to the real art on Monday, with Sibbick's 1985 thyreophorans (ankylosaurs and stegosaurs)!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
A dinosaur what I gone and drawn
So that's that. Back to the real art on Monday, with Sibbick's 1985 thyreophorans (ankylosaurs and stegosaurs)!
11 comments:
Yes, yes, yes!ReplyDelete
More yesses from me. Love it!ReplyDelete
I think that's a marvelous rendition of this beast.ReplyDelete
My only disappointment is that you shared only one. Your recent Giraffatitan is another especially lovely piece. At this rate, I may persuade David to make a few choice selections and post them instead. *Rubs hands*ReplyDelete
I loved the Deinonychus, too!ReplyDelete
You done drawn a goody. Thanks for posting it, David!ReplyDelete
Marc, it looks fine to me. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Pls feel free to share more after we're all Sibbick'd out.ReplyDelete
Oh, I didn't know you had more on Facebook, so I went and did some creeping there...lovely! I agree with Niroot about only sharing one here. Again, the texture and the color have an appealing and unique feel - I'm guessing some kind of pen for the linework/texture and then maybe colored pencil? I can't really tell, but whatever it is, it's working!ReplyDelete


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February 20, 1920 - October 25, 2019
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin | Age 99
Marcella E. Wimmer, age 99, of Beaver Dam, died Friday, October 25, 2019 at Randolph Health Services.
Visitation for Marcella will be on Saturday, November 16, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. at St. Katharine Drexel Parish – Mission Hall in Beaver Dam. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 a.m. with Fr. Michael Erwin officiating. Burial will be at St. Peter Cemetery in Beaver Dam.
Marcella Emily Meyer was born on February 20, 1920 in Juneau, Wisconsin to the late William and Anne (Zimmerman) Meyer. On July 15, 1943, she was united in marriage with Clarence "Red" Wimmer in Denver, Colorado. Marcella enjoyed her life as a homemaker and was a wonderful cook and baker. For relaxation, Marcella enjoyed shopping and bowling.
Survivors include her son-in-law, Thomas Mallon; two grandchildren, Chris (Heide) Mallon and Ann Pekrul; three great grandchildren, Petra and Renate Mallon, and Wesley Pekrul; other relatives and friends. Marcella was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 2001; and her daughter, Mary Ann Mallon in 2012.
If desired, memorials may be made in Marcella Wimmer's name to her grandson Chris Mallon and will be used for a new home for her cats.
St. Katharine Drexel Parish - Mission Hall
408 S. Spring St.
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
N7199 N. Crystal Lake Road
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Map | Profile


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HFO Board of Directors
Hope for Orphans is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas. We have a couples board that combines the unique and complimentary power of husband and wife teams. Together our board represents one of the greatest assets God has provided Hope for Orphans.
Paul is President of Hope for Orphans and his wife, Robin, is Director of Family Relations. Paul and Robin co-founded Hope for Orphans in 2001, before merging with FamilyLife/CRU in 2003. In 2014 Hope for Orphans became an independent 501(c)3 based in Austin Texas.
Paul and Robin got married in 1978 and came to ministry through the experience of adopting five of their six children. When Paul went to Korea in 1994 to adopt their son Ethan, he had a life changing experience beyond adoption and he realized that God was calling him and Robin to be engaged in serving the Church in Gospel-driven orphan ministry. Paul has been the co-author and host for several sought-after resources in adoption and orphan ministry. He also led the launch and development of The Christian Alliance for Orphans. Paul and Robin are excited about how Orphan Ministry is now a key component globally in completing the Great Commission among unreached people groups.
Robin has worked with countless at-risk families experiencing the disruption of their adoptions, along with the families receiving them. She is passionate about working with HFO's local church networks to see how the Body of Christ can come along side both families of at-risk children and families in crisis. She has seen God work miracles to provide families for children in crisis, as well as learned much about those families at-risk for crisis. Robin was the co-presenter of research presented at the National Council for Adoption conference around the topic of why adoptive families disrupt. Robin is confident that her highest calling is to be a faithful follower of Jesus, and a loving wife, mother, and grandmother.
Paul and Robin love their church, the Austin Stone Community Church, and live outside Austin, Texas.
Joe and Melissa have enjoyed being one of God's errand runners. Joe has been a framer, ditch digger, concrete finisher, superintendent, intern stock broker, owner of a commercial and residential construction company, ranch manager, estate manager, and President of diversification, for a company that provides services to hospitals. Joe now has the privilege to serve as Chairman and CEO of HHS. Melissa has worked as nanny, physical therapy assistant, political campaign manager, private school teacher, assistant tour manager, administrative assistant, and event planner. Melissa now has the sacred privilege of caring for Joe and their children.
They are hoping to use their diverse background to see that the body of Christ is equipped so that every child, from every tribe and tongue, has a forever home and knows of their adoption that is available through Christ.
Joe and Melissa have been married since 2006, and have four beautiful children. One happens to be through adoption and unfortunately its easy to spot her because she is more readily claimed than the others. When they aren't changing diapers and wrestling with their kids you will find them outdoors and enjoying their favorite night together: date night!
Brian and Jill Minnix are the International Managers for Hope for Orphans. After meeting in boarding school, they attended Texas A&M University. After graduation, Brian worked in the financial sales industry, while Jill spent 6 years in pharmaceutical sales. After the birth of their son, Carson, Jill left the business arena to stay at home. They began a home church as God began to reveal His heart for the nations to the Minnixs, and they served as missionaries to Latin America, living in Costa Rica and different locations in Mexico. During their time in Mexico, Brian and Jill worked for Bienestar para Las Naciones which is a Mexican missions organization serving the Latin American church to fulfill the Great Commission. The Minnixs were involved also in church planting where Brian pastored a church while living in Mexico. The Minnix's have three children: Carson, Micaiah, and Aleah. Jill homeschools all of them, and assists Brian when and where she can. The Minnix family has a passion for "the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord" and believes that this will be done through missions and orphan care.
Zach and Stephanee Potts both grew up in Texas and first met one another during their freshman year at Texas A&M. They both look back on that season and are grateful for the ways in which the Lord worked in each of their lives and hearts to draw each of them to Himself and to provide them with a godly foundation. They graduated with business degrees, and Zach also received his Masters degree in Finance. He currently is involved in real estate development in central Texas as well as the oil and gas service industry. When their first three children were 9, 5, and 3, they knew that the Lord was calling them to grow their family through adoption, and this leading was soon confirmed at an HFO "If You Were Mine" adoption conference. In 2008 they welcomed two daughters, Katya and Ana, from Ukraine. The girls were 12 and 10 at the time.
For many years after returning from Ukraine, Stephanee helped coordinate hosting trips which brought children from their girls' orphanage to the U.S for a few weeks each summer and Christmas. Most of these children found forever families, and it has been one of their greatest privileges to have the opportunity to witness how the Lord has worked in the journeys of these families and children through adoption. Stephanee also navigated through the educational challenges that come with older child adoption. In more recent years, Zach and Stephanee have become aware of the many challenges that families sometimes face after adoption, and they both desire to offer support and encouragement to those families. Stephanee is especially passionate about helping families navigate the educational challenges that they often encounter.


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It is just too addicting.
I am so the mom who will sit in her pjs all day and look at pinterest or facebook, one of the big reasons why I don't have a personal fb account.
I do have a fb account for my blog though- (plug, plug)
But, I went on pinterest, I went to a (real-life) friend's account and loved a lot of the things she had pinned.
Here are my favorites:
My dream laundry room!
Framed TV
Happy Tuesday!


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Sopwith F.1 Camel
Designed in 1916 as a replacement for the Sopwith Pup and Sopwith Triplane, the Sopwith Biplane F.1 (nicknamed the Camel for the hump in the fuselage in front of the cockpit) became one of the most effective and well-known of the British WWI scout/fighters. It was the first British craft to feature twin machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller. It had good maneuverability, and in the hands of an experienced pilot was a deadly weapon--The Camel downed more German aircraft than any other Allied plane (1,294).
The plane was constructed of a wood skeleton, with an aluminum cowling, plywood around the cockpit, and a fabric tail. The engine, pilot, and fuel were all in the forward 7' of the plane. This placed the plane's center of gravity far to the front. This, coupled with the torque of the engine, made the Camel very tricky to fly. Without additional rudder control, the plane wanted to nose down on right turns, and nose up on left turns. In fact, the right-ward torque of the engine made the plane turn so hard to the right, the some pilots would make a 270-degree right turn instead of a 90-degree left turn! Not only was the turn faster, but it tended to confuse opposing pilots. Unfortunately, all of these quirks made the Camel very difficult to learn to fly. In fact, there were almost as many training casualties in the Camel as there were in combat (385 vs. 413).
The Camel was used extensively in 1917 and 1918. They were supplied to the U.S., Belgium, Canada and Greece. About 5,490 of the craft were built. A naval version (the 2F.1) was operated off of the HMS Furious and HMS Pegasus. A night-fighter version featured exhaust flame dampers and a pair of Lewis MGs on the top wing in Foster mounts in place of the usual guns on the nose.
The Sopwith Camel has an endurance of 2½ hours. A full load of fuel and ammo (excluding bombs) costs $10.20.
Subassemblies: Recon Fighter chassis +2; Recon Fighter wings Biplane option +2; 2 fixed wheels +0.
Powertrain: 97-kW aerial HP gasoline engine with 97-kW old prop and 26-gallon fuel tank [Body].
Occ.: 1 XCS Body
Cargo: 8 Body
Armor F RL B T U
Body: 2/2W 2/2W 2/2W 2/2W 2/2W
Wings: 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C
Wheels: 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3
2xAircraft LMG/.303 Vickers LMG [Body:F] (500 rounds).*
4x25-lb. bombs
Body: 50-lb. hardpoint [Body: L,R]
Size: 28'x18'x8' Payload: 0.25 tons Lwt.: 0.76 tons
Volume: 96 Maint.: 131 hours Cost: $2,348
HT: 7. HPs: 15 Body, 50 each Wing, 8 each Wheel.
aSpeed: 115 aAccel: 3 aDecel: 24 aMR: 6 aSR: 1
Stall Speed: 35 mph.
gSpeed: 180 gAccel: 9 gDecel: 10 gMR: 1.25 gSR: 2
Ground Pressure: High. 1/6 Off-Road Speed.
Design Notes:
The body armor is treated overall as Wooden armor (PD 2, DR 2), despite that some metal and cloth skins were used. aSpeed was increased 15% to the historical. Inexperienced pilots should receive a hefty penalty (-2 to -4) when first trying to fly the Camel. The MG load-outs are a guess; no figures are available; they could be significantly higher with the available VSPs. The MGs are synchronized, lowering RoF by 10% (see p. W:MP8). Given the high calculated gSpeed and the High Ground Pressure, this craft could still just about get airborne in a bumpy field, at the GM's discretion.
The F.1/1 featured tapered wings.
The TF.1 was a trench-fighter version with downward firing MGs located in the floor of the cockpit. It never entered production.
The 2F.1 was the naval version. It featured a removable tail for easy stowage.
From the Aerodrome for GURPS
© 2008 by Jim Antonicic


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Winner of the contest for a new building complex on the Copenhagen waterfront, the LM project by the Copenhagen Gateway is not only a town gate, but also a bridge that will expand new cogent vicinity around the Copenhagen Harbor and connect Marmormolen with Langeliniekaj. After completion, the new structure will turn out to be one of the architectural marvels around the nation that will bridge the gap between the slow and steady life of countryside and the fast and embellished lifestyle of the urban environment.
Design Status:
The LM project is an innovative architectural design for a new building complex on the Copenhagen waterfront.
The LM project will not just be a architectural landmark in Copenhagen. It will also generate new tourism and trade opportunities for the dwellers by improving public access to the harbor.
Designer Firm:
Copenhagen Gateway


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"I don't know why, but I just don't trust trees. I appreciate that they are supposed to provide oxygen for us, but I'm not entirely sure that I believe that. They intimidate me—probably because I'll end up dressed in one before long."
—Jarvis Cocker
The famously sparse stage directions of Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot begin with three terse images: "A country road. A tree. Evening." Beckett's simple images are often deceptive and transmographic – ideas that resist any artistic tendency to linger over specificity or detail. Lest the mind become lulled into lazy, comfortable patterns of thinking, Beckett creates images that take on quasi-symbolic roles, serving to provoke an unclarity in the imagination. This lack of clarity is employed by Beckett to suggest what is suggestible but isn't already there on stage, or on paper, mise en scene. Of the three opening stage directions, the tree becomes of most concern – mostly because it recurringly appears, but also because of its narratological significance. Though the tree appears to be as symbolically feeble as its branches, it keeps Godot's characters rooted to the spot throughout the play.
Beckett's stage directions are rather bare like Godot's tree, and have presented a challenge to set designers over the years. Indeed, Beckett himself fell victim to his own brevity in 1961, attempting to revive Godot in Paris. At the time, Beckett had found himself persistently critical of the productions of his own works, particularly the shortcomings of set designers for Godot. Thus, in 1961, Beckett reached out to Alberto Giacometti, a sculptor with whom he had long held drinking ties. Giacometti's task was to collaborate with Beckett on the (in)famed tree's design, a task which "confounded them both." Beckett and Giacometti spent the whole night sculpting Godot's tree, "trying to make it sparser, smaller, the branches thinner. It never looked any good," wrote Giacometti, "and neither he nor I liked it. And we kept saying to each other, Perhaps like this…" It is with this anecdote in mind that Siobhan Bohnacker writes, "What motivates Beckett's protagonists is the pursuit of the Absolute, similar to [Beckett and Giacometti's] persistent, deep-rooted doubt that they would ever find the perfect artistic form." In comparing Beckett and Giacometti to Godot's characters, Estragon and Vladimir, one can see how Beckett eventually embodied the very "plot" to which he subjected Godot's characters: waiting. It's as though Beckett, in leaving the stage directions as bare as the tree he wrote, was playing a trick on himself, taunting his future self's frustrated attempts to reify what would otherwise belong to the hidden, personal realms of the imagination.
Beckett's tree frustrated not only himself and his sculpting companion, but the characters in (and audiences to) Godot as well. In Beckett's play, the tree is first acknowledged by the characters when Estragon questions Vladimir on why they are, in fact, waiting for Godot – and yet this serves to calm no one and solves no questions:
Estragon: [despairingly] Ah! [Pause.] You're sure it was here?
Vladimir: What?
Estragon: That we were to wait.
Vladimir: He said by the tree. [They look at the tree.] Do you see any others.
Estragon: What is it?
Vladimir: I don't know. A willow.
Estragon: Where are the leaves?
Vladimir: It must be dead.
Estragon: No more weeping.
Vladimir: Or perhaps it's not the season.
The tree, in this scene, serves as an organizing plot device which anchors Vladimir and Estragon to the location that will remain constant on stage throughout Godot's performance. They are waiting there, on stage, because "he" (presumably Godot) told them to wait by the tree. And yet, "he" is never quite specified, nor is Godot ever made present to Beckett's characters. It's as though this tree were a stand-in for Godot himself. What's curious about this interpretation, however, is in the symbolism underlying Vladimir's characterization of the tree as "a willow" and the subsequent exchange that follows. For the image of the willow tree is religiously charged, both in the Celtic and Christian traditions (which Beckett, an Irish expatriate, would be no stranger to). Planted in memorial of the dead, a willow tree is a sign both of grief and of hope for new life. Furthermore, willows are usually planted along the coast of a body of water, at a site that physically represents the ever-changing nature of life. It is with these mortal concerns in mind that one can find morbid humor in Estragon's classic non-sequitur, "No more weeping."
The debate between Estragon and Vladimir regarding the tree's "tree" status is also of note for Godot. In an otherwise humorous exchange that wouldn't be out of place in a Monty Python skit, the tree is examined:
Estragon: Looks to me more like a bush.
Vladimir: A shrub.
Estragon: A bush.
Vladimir: A–. What are you insinuating? That we've come to the wrong place?
As the characters argue about the nature of the tree (as a beaconing object) by which they were told to wait for Godot, they simultaneously call its role as a symbol into question. If we entertain the common interpretation of Godot's (lack of) arrival as symbolizing salvation for Vladimir and Estragon (i.e. Waiting for Salvation), then the characters, as early as the sixth page of the play, negate the tree's possibility as a "site of salvation." For, in questioning its existence as a tree, Vladimir and Estragon question salvation itself. Despite their simultaneous faith and eschatological skepticism towards Godot's arrival, the characters remain rooted to the spot, in vain, waiting for Godot.
Staring into the blank, infinite morass of boredom, Estragon eventually offers to Vladimir a solution to confront their own existential ennui: "What about hanging ourselves?" In other words, Estragon presents an inversion to their own hopeless situation of boredom; if salvation isn't coming for them, then they must confront it themselves, by suicide. Both characters rather abruptly agree that hanging themselves would indeed be a welcome respite from their endless waiting (as Estragon continues, "Let's hang ourselves immediately!"). Yet, Beckett doesn't allow the tree to provide the characters (or the audience, in fact) with the means to flee their existential confinement. Rather, as the characters quickly discover, the tree's branches wouldn't be strong enough to hang even one of them. Thus, Estragon and Vladimir are forced to abandon their suicidal impulses (to kill time), lingering around this tree, waiting for Godot.
Act Two begins with more robust stage directions, including how "The tree has four or five leaves," a marked change from yesterday's bare limbs. The stage directions continue, as Vladimir enters "agitatedly" and "halts," taking a long look at the tree. Then, as though the tree's regeneration has sparked some kind of revelation (or panic) in Vladimir's mind, he "suddenly begins to move feverishly about the stage." Unlike the introduction to Act One, the second act overtly begins with the tree as the main object of concern in the play. As critics of Godot, such as Emily Atkins, have suggested, the tree's very obvious presence in the beginning of the second act is an "indication of the characters' impending salvation." The dawn of the new day in Act Two is accompanied by a seemingly symbolic regeneration of the tree – an act which harkens (and yet subverts) mythology from time immemorial such as the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge, and so on. The tree's regeneration deceptively suggests that the second act will bring about the conclusion for which Vladimir, Estragon, and the audience, are waiting for.
Further on in Godot's second act, Vladimir and Estragon reenact a scene from Act One. Estragon asks Vladimir what they do now that they are "happy," to which Vladimir responds, "Wait for Godot. [Estragon groans. Silence.] Things have changed here since yesterday." After a moment of puzzlement between the two characters, Vladimir implores Estragon to look at the tree:
Vladimir: The tree, look at the tree. [Estragon looks at the tree.]
Estragon: Was it not there yesterday?
Vladimir: Yes of course it was there. Do you not remember? We nearly hanged ourselves
from it. But you wouldn't. Do you remember?
Estragon: You dreamt it.
Vladimir: Is it possible you've forgotten already?
Estragon: That's the way I am. Either I forget immediately or I never forget.
This exchange between Beckett's characters must indeed be as frustrating to the audience as it is to his characters. As far as the audience (and Vladimir) is concerned, the tree is the same – give or take a few leaves. Estragon, on the other hand, in the act of forgetting, radically calls the tree's continuity into question: "Recognize! What is there to recognize?" However, as Atkins suggests, Estragon is not madly arguing against Vladimir's memory – the tree is clearly on set, and the characters have interacted with it multiple times – thus Estragon's "exclamation" of recognition must be interpreted as his undermining the very stability of symbolic meaning, as well as the stability of memory's fixation of objects (such as the tree) in time. Atkins concludes that Estragon's outburst "undermines any hope that the tree is moving toward a symbol of possible redemption, despite its new leaves."
Further on in Godot, Vladimir and Estragon return to their hollow affirmations of happiness. Trailing off between ellipses, Vladimir drones on:
Vladimir: Wait…we embraced…we were happy..happy…what do we do now that we're happy…go on waiting…waiting…let me think…it's coming…go on waiting…now that we're happy…let me see…ah! The tree!
Estragon: The tree?
Vladimir: Do you not remember?
Estragon: I'm tired.
Vladimir: Look at it. [They look at the tree.]
Estragon: I see nothing.
As Vladimir seems to recognize in this scene of meditation around the tree, happiness is manifest through his memory, not through his experience of the present. His insistence that "we were happy" [my italics] coupled with "go on waiting" indicates that happiness, as conceptualized in Godot, is as transient as the other fleeting aspects of this play. That is, happiness is something only identifiable in retrospect, and if we seek to prosthetically emulate the feeling in the present, then we will, like Vladimir, "go on waiting." The characters in Godot are so intent on coming to an end – a conclusion, a closed stage curtain, Godot's arrival, etc. – that they have, like Estragon, missed what has been right in front of their eyes for the entire play: the tree and its new leaves.
Vladimir is not willing to allow Estragon's forgetfulness to distract the audience from the tree's newly formed leaves. He insists that the tree has significance, that the seasons have changed, that time has passed:
Vladimir: But yesterday evening it was all black and bare. And now it's covered with leaves.
Estragon: Leaves?
Vladimir: In a single night.
Estragon: It must be the Spring.
Vladimir: But in a single night!
Vladimir and Estragon have radically different interpretations of the tree's imbued significance, both as a stage prop and a symbol of potential meaning. Vladimir, excited by the tree's new leaves, projects hope (for the future, for life, for creation) onto the tree, while Estragon sees the tree with a sense of loss (of memory, of time, of meaning). Atkins suggests that, "by playing with the image in this way, Beckett removes its ability to convey a set answer or explanation to his characters or his audience. It is up to each person to determine for himself the tree's ultimate significance." The tree, devoid of objective meaning, purposefully presented as an anti-symbolic image, becomes itself a kind of character – one which the audience must interact with as they negotiate the tree's meaning.
The tree, understood as a symbol of a symbol, is an instance of what H. Porter Abbot calls "narratricide," a dismemberment of narrative meaning. In his book, Beckett Writing Beckett, Abbot writes, "[Beckett's] texts are littered everywhere with the barest fragments of narrative irrelevancy which lead nowhere and […] frequently feature objects," a tree in this case, "which augment their alinear, achronological condition." The tree in Godot, according to Abbot, augments the achronological condition of Vladimir and Estragon's predicament, serving to alienate (rather than situate) them within the broader narrative arc – if that could be said – of Godot. Beckett, it would seem, "unwrites" his images as soon as he allows us to see them.
As the second act progresses, Vladimir and Estragon mistakenly hope for a moment that Godot is on his way ("At last!" "We're saved!"), only to panic in the realization that they are "surrounded." The characters rush to escape the scene, and Vladimir says to Estragon:
Vladimir: Your only hope is to disappear.
Estragon: Where?
Vladimir: Behind the tree. [Estragon hesitates.] Quick! Behind the tree. [Estragon goes and crouches behind the tree, realizes he is not hidden, comes out from behind the tree.] Decidedly this tree will not have been the slightest use to us.
This moment of comic relief demonstrates yet again the tree's loss of all objective meaning. Not only is the tree "useless" to the characters as a source of symbolic meaning, but it is useless as a physical prop to hide behind. Vladimir's remark, despite its self-referential tone, speaks to our need as an audience to have allegorical meaning imbued in scenes such as this one in Godot. By resisting the obvious symbolism of trees, Beckett presents to us an image as image, or, as Abbot writes, "an image of an image." The image of an image, in Abbot's conception, is not penetrable in the way that a traditionally symbolic image would be. The tree, then, does not offer concrete, objective meaning to the audience; it rather opens up the audience to projecting their own meaning onto the tree.
As Godot concludes, Estragon suggests to Vladimir that they abandon their persistent waiting. This sense of downtrodden failure, fatigue, and spiritual famine culminates in one final scene with the tree:
Estragon: And if we dropped him? [Pause.] If we dropped him?
Vladimir: He'd punish us. [Silence. He looks at the tree.] Everything's dead but the tree.
Estragon: [looking at the tree] What is it?
Vladimir: It's the tree.
To this end, Ludwig Wittgenstein's On Certainty comes to mind, in which he expounds upon theories of epistemic agreement. "The information 'That is a tree,' when no one could doubt it," Wittgenstein writes, "might be a kind of joke and as such have meaning." In this light, Vladimir's remark, "It's the tree," become itself a sort of joke which we, the audience, are in on. Wittgenstein's idea is that making obvious remarks, such as Vladimir's, is a way of turning what is otherwise forgettably mundane into something remarkably memorable – in this case, Godot's tree. Vladmir's comment could also be interpreted as "a platitude that houses a profundity," as Matthew Bevin suggests, or that the presence of the tree is a paradox: "things are both clear and not clear." If Bevin is correct, then Wittgenstein's remark that "a good and serious philosophical work could be written that would consist entirely of jokes" becomes all the more relevant to Beckett's play. For, as is frustratingly evident in Beckett's writings, Beckett was well-versed in philosophy and yet refused to engage seriously in its work. If Wittgenstein can be read as applying to Beckett, then it seems that this tree – a joke, in Wittgenstein's conception – appears to meta-textually evoke the sort of "serious" philosophical work that Beckett refused to write.
[Estragon draws Vladimir towards the tree. They stand motionless before it. Silence.]
Estragon: Why don't we hang ourselves?
Tags: analysis, beckett, essay, godot, literary analysis, literary criticism, literature, samuel beckett, suicide, theatre, theatre criticism, tree, waiting for godot


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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on November 2, and a Description of the Chairman's Mark of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act released by the Senate Committee on Finance on November 9, would make sweeping changes to the tax treatment of executive compensation, fringe benefits, and tax-qualified plans (among many other areas) in order to pay for the bills' centerpiece reductions to corporate and individual tax rates. This blog highlights changes that would affect tax-qualified savings and pension plans. In anticipation of changes in this area effective for tax years beginning after 2017, we recommend staying abreast of the tax proposals that could impact your business, and preparing for key management to be available to modify documents at the end of December.
The big news in the bills is that they do NOT (as widely speculated before their release) reduce the limit on pretax contributions to 401(k) plans, which is $18,500 for 2018. However, the House bill contains a number of smaller proposed changes that are intended to simplify plan administration, promote savings, and/or raise revenue, and the Senate bill proposes several targeted reductions to various tax-qualified retirement plan contribution limits. The House bill
- reduces the minimum age for in-service distributions in defined benefit plans and state and local government defined contribution plans to age 59½, aligning this provision with the rule for 401(k) plans;
- eliminates the requirement that employees suspend contributions to a 401(k) plan for the six-month period following a hardship distribution;
- expands the sources of 401(k) accounts available for hardship withdrawals to include not only elective deferrals but also earnings on elective deferrals, as well as certain types of employer contributions (e.g., qualified non-elective contributions and qualified matching contributions) and earnings on those employer contributions;
- extends the period for an employee to roll over an outstanding loan balance to an IRA following a termination of employment to avoid the loan being treated as a distribution from 60 days to the due date for filing the employee's tax return for the year; and
- provides nondiscrimination testing relief to certain employers sponsoring closed defined benefit plans by expanding the availability of cross-testing between an employer's defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
While the Senate Committee on Finance promotes its bill as "Continu[ing] popular retirement savings programs such as 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts, to help Americans build their retirement nest eggs and prepare for the future," it does not include or address any of the proposed changes in the House bill's relaxed rules for hardship withdrawals, loan balance rollovers, or nondiscrimination testing relief listed above. Rather, the Senate concentrates more on standardizing certain rules across all types of retirement plans, making targeted reductions in contribution limits and raising revenue. The Senate bill
- extends the existing 10% early withdrawal tax that currently applies to distributions before age 59½ from qualified retirement plans, 403(b) plans and IRAs (including SEPs or SIMPLE IRAs) to government 457(b) plans;
- eliminates age 50 "catch-up" contributions to qualified defined contribution plans, section 403(b) plans, governmental section 457(b) plans, simplified employee pension "SEP" plans and SIMPLE IRAs that are allowed under current law ($6,500 for 2018) for high-wage employees who receive wages of $500,000 or more in the preceding year; and
- conforms contribution limits across all types of tax-qualified plans by: (1) applying a single aggregate limit ($18,500 for 2018) to elective deferral contributions to 457(b) plans and 401(k) or 403(b) plans of the same employer; (2) eliminating the special rules permitting employees to make additional elective deferral and catch-up contributions under section 403(b) and governmental 457(b) plan sponsored by the same employer; (3) repealing the special rule allowing employer contributions to 403(b) plans for up to five years after termination of employment; and (4) setting a single aggregate limit on contributions to all types of tax-qualified defined contribution plans (401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans) maintained by the same employer, at the lesser of $55,000 (for 2018) and the employee's compensation.
The House bill already has been amended in multiple ways, and several amendments have been proposed in the Senate. We can expect more changes in the weeks ahead as Congress develops a final proposal that satisfies the key limitations imposed by the budget reconciliation process: In order to pass through a simple majority vote in the Senate, the legislation cannot increase the budget deficit by more than $1.5 trillion over a 10-year period and cannot increase the budget deficit by any amount after that period. Both proposals currently exceed the $1.5 trillion figure, and significant "sunset" provisions may be required to satisfy the latter requirement. Since most of the proposed benefits-related changes raise revenue, they may be difficult to remove given these constraints. We will keep you apprised of significant amendments to proposals affecting qualified plans.


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The Arab Spring protest movement has cost the region $614 billion in lost growth since 2011, the UN says.
The estimate is the first of its kind by a major economic body.
It is equivalent to 6% of the region's total GDP between 2011 and 2015, the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) says.
The uprisings, which started in Tunisia, saw leaders toppled in four countries, and led to war in Libya, Syria and Yemen.
ESCWA used growth projections made before the uprisings to calculate its figure.
It included countries not directly affected by political conflict but subject to spill-over effects from it, include refugee arrivals, lost remittances and falls in tourism.
In Syria, where anti-government protests spiralled into a messy civil war that now involves various foreign powers, GDP and capital losses are equal to $259 billion since 2011, according to ESCWA's National Agenda for the Future of Syria.
In countries where political transitions have occurred, new governments have not made economic reforms required to address "the issues that led to unrest in the first place", the report says.


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Publication Date
Spring 2015
Degree Type
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
English and Comparative Literature
Nicholas Taylor
Literary Minimalism, Short Story
Subject Areas
Modern literature; American literature
Beasts of Flight is a set of thirteen short stories connected by themes of personal impotence and the dysfunction of sexual relationships.
Some stories are bizarre. The title piece, "Beasts of Flight," explores systemic hatred and fear through the eyes of a talking parrot. In "I Should Exit My Home When the Costume Party Causes Paralysis of the Brain," the host of a Halloween party is frozen by the mask of one of his guests. "The Joytime Killbox" details a city's obsession with staring down the the barrel of a loaded gun. Crossing into sacrilege, "The Book of Smote," is a subversive take on Old Testament storytelling.
Other stories display the inherent strife of relationships using piercings, airplanes, a couple's movie night, and an impromptu lunch at a fast food restaurant. "My Roberta," "Rough Air," "Walking Dogs," and "Cheri," all focus on sexual conflict and marital breakdown.
The stories "Fallen Timbers," "USS Flagg," and "What to Say ff Anything to a Child in the Speedway Bathroom" examines the unexpected repercussions of doing a good deed. While "Homecoming" and "Coetzee Comes to Dinner" illustrate that even the best families have their problems.
Recommended Citation
Wood, Brian, "Beasts of Flight" (2015). Master's Theses. 4565.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.jzr5-uc4y


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Arizona Department of Insurance
100 North 15th Avenue, Suite 261
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2630
Starting July 1, 2020, we became the
Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI).
Common Areas of Regulatory Non-Compliance in Personal Lines
Establishment of Penalty Rates for Late Surplus Lines Tax Payments
Temporary Consumer Protection Standards Applicable to Arizona's Existing External Review Process
2006 Arizona Insurance Laws
Revision of Private Passenger Automobile Property Damage Threshold For Purposes Of A.R.S. § 20-1631(E)
Private Passenger Automobile Insurance Grace Period Provisions -VOID
2012 Arizona Insurance Law
Implementation of HCSO Network Adequacy Rules
Revision of Misquote Threshold for Private Passenger Automobile Insurance in Circular Letter 95-1
NFIP Training Requirements for Insurance Producers Selling Flood Insurance
2001 Commissioners' Standard Ordinary (CSO) Mortality Table 2001 CSO Preferred Class Structure Mortality Table
2007 Arizona Insurance Laws
Reduced Applicant Fingerprint Fees
Utilization Review Laws Applicable to Health Care Insurance and Third Party Administrator
Voluntary Expedited Procedures for Compliance with the Provisions of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007
Uniform Employee Health Status Questionnaire
2008 Arizona Insurance Laws
2001 Commissioners' Standard Ordinary (CSO) Mortality Table 2001 CSO Preferred Class Structure Mortality Table Ultimate 1980 CSO
AIG Insurance Replacements


text:
*This Space For Rent*
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Staircases are constructions designed to bridge large vertical distances by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. People often avoid the stairs because they were boring and strenuous, and often choose to ride the elevators, but not every time... Some stairs next to the amazing design, have incredible views of the surrounding terrain and simply attract tourists and local visitors, to walk through them.
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