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Turn in your Bible to the ninth chapter of Daniel...Daniel, the Old Testament prophet, chapter 9. Here is one of the richest portions in all of holy Scripture. On the subject of prayer, it has few equals. It doesn't teach by precept, it doesn't teach by theological truth or doctrine, but rather by practice or pattern or model or example. Here we see a man of God praying. And we can take apart this prayer and look at all its rich components and understanding what the prayer of the godly should contain. And this isn't just any man. Everybody knows about Daniel. Either we know about the lion's den, or the fiery furnace or the visions that he had or the uncompromising integrity of his youth when he was endeavoring to keep his heart and his mind devoted to God against all the onslaughts of Babylonian brain washing. We know about this man Daniel who was taken into captivity into Babylon when Jerusalem was destroyed. He was deported along with others of the very best of the young potential leaders in Israel. And when the Babylonians took all of the remaining Israelites in Judah, the southern kingdom, captive, they wanted to have some people they could train to rule over this alien people who would be serving them in Babylon. And so they looked for the best, and Daniel was among the best of the young.
By the time we find him here in our chapter, he's over 80 years of age. And as we have read in the prior eight chapters, the story of this man, we have found him to be a man unlike other men, a man whose level of spiritual devotion is beyond most, if not nearly all. One whose love for God is unwavering, one whose excellence in devotion and duty is stalwart. He really is a standard for us. He is bold. He is uncompromising. He is faithful. He is selfless. He is humble. He is loyal. He is resistant to the world. He is persistent in devotion to God. He is incorruptible, trustworthy, virtuous, obedient, reverent and all the other adjectives you could think of. He's a man also devoted to God in prayer...which is, of course, part of the reflection of all those other characteristics. He is an amazing man. He is so devout and so committed to communing with God, his life is so built on prayer that he would rather be thrown into a den of lions and eaten alive, then alter his prayer life. Certainly he's the one, if not our Lord Himself, he is the one to teach us how to pray. And here we have a model prayer of Daniel.
The ninth chapter of Daniel is for many Bible students a very familiar chapter. But sad to say in one sense, people are most familiar with the back half and not the front half. We're familiar with the answer to Daniel's prayer. That brings us the prophecy of the seventy weeks which starts in verse 24, seventy weeks of years determined on the history of Israel from the decree of Artaxerxes to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, to the arrival of Messiah when He came into the city of Jerusalem and they waived the palm branches at His feet. Seventy weeks of years are laid out until the Messiah comes. And then another week to come and a pact with the man of sin, the Antichrist, and all of those incredibly unique and important elements of that prophecy that predicts the Messiah and even later the Antichrist and a seven-year period of tribulation to come, further defined in the book of Revelation itself. So the prophetic part of this chapter is known to most Bible students, and it's important and it's wonderful and it's rich and it connects with all kinds of other eschatological passages in the Bible, to help us frame up our understanding of the end. But more necessary for us than the details of the future in our daily walk with the Lord is to understand the matter of prayer. And the prophecy that came to Daniel was essentially an answer to this prayer. It was God's answer to this model prayer.
As we come to the ninth chapter, Daniel is in great distress. If you notice the end of chapter 8 and verse 27, you will see that he says, "I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days." Sometimes what's going on in our lives in terms of ministry can be so overwhelming as to make us physically sick. Daniel was suffering from what he was hearing from God. He knew that the children of Israel were under current judgment, that's why they were in captivity, that's why he was there. He knew Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple was destroyed the sanctuary was desolate. He knew all that. He knew this was a judgment for sin. And he knew that there was more judgment coming in the future against the people of Israel because he had had a vision of that. But he also knew that there was a coming kingdom. He had a vision of that. And all of this was colliding in his mind. He knew there would be a future glorious kingdom of God's anointed one, but he also knew that there would be a judgment upon Israel. He had no one to interpret, even the visions about the kingdom and the future. And so he was distressed by not being able to understand fully what they meant. He was feeling a little bit of what Peter said the prophets felt when they searched what person and what time was being referred to when they were writing these things down. So as much as was revealed, much more was not and he was feeling the distress of not fully understanding that and also knowing that all was not well with Israel and there was to be more judgment in the future.
And so, out of this sickness, out of this heart-brokenness, out of this spiritual exhaustion he tried to pick himself up in verse 27 and carry on the king's business because he was prime minister, 80-plus years of age and he had ascended because even the pagans can recognize a man of such sterling character and promote him properly to the highest rank in the land under the monarch. But he is stunned and astounded at the visions and left without a full explanation.
There's a big burden in his heart and that burden is over his people. And it is that burden that he discharges before the throne of God in this ninth chapter. Verse 1 sets the chronological historical setting. "In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans...in the first year of his reign I, Daniel..." The Babylonian Kingdom had ended...it had ended. He had seen it end. He had seen the demise of Nebuchadnezzar who became like a wild beast living in the field for seven years. He had been there at Belshazzar's feast when God wrote on the wall, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN,"YOU ARE FOUND WANTING, WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES AND FOUND INADEQUATE. He has seen the demise of the great, vast Babylonian power. He is now in the first year of the Medo-Persian Kingdom, the first year of Darius' reign. He has been used by God to explain visions and revelations to Nebuchadnezzar. He has experienced the power of God in being rescued from a den of lions. And now he's had some amazing visions. But he doesn't fully understand how it all will work out.
One day at this time he is reading. He is reading scrolls, biblical scrolls, verse 2. And it says, "I, Daniel, observed in the books, or the scrolls, the number of the years which was revealed as the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolation of Jerusalem, namely seventy years." He's reading Jeremiah, who, by the way, he calls a source for the Word of the Lord. He had a right view of biblical inspiration. And as he's reading in Jeremiah, he is reading in chapter 25. They didn't have chapters and verses in the Jeremiah scrolls in those days, but for us this would be where he found this, Jeremiah 25:11, here is the prophecy from Jeremiah of what was going to happen, and it did happen and Daniel had lived it. He had been taken into captivity in the...in the earliest of captivities and he's been there the whole time. So in Jeremiah 25:11 this whole land, writes Jeremiah, shall be a desolations...speaking of Israel...and a horror and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon, or these peoples shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, declares the Lord, for their iniquity and the land of the Chaldeans and I will make it an ever-lasting desolation. God says, "Seventy years I'm going to let the Babylonians hold Israel in to captivity and then I'm going to punish that Babylonian Empire with an ever-lasting desolation." Well Daniel had seen it. The Babylonian Empire was over. The seventy years had come.
He also in reading in the text of Jeremiah came across another portion of Scripture in the twenty-ninth chapter of Jeremiah which added another feature to it in verse 10, "Thus says the Lord, when seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you to bring you back to this place, for I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope. And you will call on Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you and you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart and I will be found by you and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from the nations," and so forth.
So he knew that at the end of the seventy years there would be the destruction of Babylon, which had happened. And there would also be the restoration of the people of God. That's what he was reading in the books. Seventy years, for all intents and purposes, was up. He knows what's been promised to happen. Babylon will be destroyed, it was. The people will be restored to the land. That hadn't happened yet but that was what God promised.
That teaches us the first characteristic of prayer. One, prayer is in response or in harmony with the Word of God. True prayer is in response or in harmony or in agreement with the Word of God. Daniel takes up intercession for his people based on what he knows is God's will. This is an essential element of prayer.
You say, "Well, if he knew this was going to happen because Jeremiah said it was going to happen, and if he knew that he said it was going to happen after seventy years and the seventy years was up, then what is there to pray for?" That's a fair question to ask. It's not a simplistic question to answer other than to say this, God will do what He does when He says He will do it. God is faithful to His promise. God always keeps His word, never deviates from His word. He's absolutely sovereign, always accomplishes His purpose. It can never be thwarted. He did say after seventy years Babylon will be destroyed, they were. After seventy years I'll bring the people back, they were brought back. And you ask the question, why are we to pray? And the answer is because all prayer is to be in accord with, in agreement with, in harmony with and in response to God's Word. You think about John at the end of the book of Revelation. He's had, like Daniel, visions of the future coming of Christ. And at the end of the book of Revelation in the final chapter, Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly." And what is John's response? "Good." Is that what he said? No. He says, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." And that might seem to you like a strange prayer in light of the fact that Jesus said He was coming. But that is in essence the nature of prayer. Prayer finds its foundation in the purposes of God. Prayer is when you align your heart to God's purposes. It's when you say Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, even though you know it will be. Sovereignty of God, the inevitable purposes of God, prophetic revelation, promises of God do not preclude prayer. They do not preclude supplication. Rather, they call for it. We pray in response to God's revealed plan. We pray primarily to line our hearts up with divine purposes.
You could ask the same question about why do we witness to anybody? God's going to save whom He's going to save. But He's chosen personal testimony and the preaching of the gospel to be the means by which He saves His own and He's chosen prayer to be the means by which He accomplishes His purpose. That's why James could say, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much." God chooses not only the ends, but He chooses the means.
Apart from that, it is of immense benefit in communing with God to line yourselves up with His will. Daniel realized prayer was an element in the fulfillment of the Word but it wasn't that technical understanding that caused him to pray, it wasn't just saying, "I'd like to be on the deal here." He couldn't help himself because his love for God was so great, his attachment to God so profound, his desire for the purposes of God to be revealed was so encompassing that he couldn't restrain himself from pleading for God to do what he knew God would do. Prayer is primarily a way to line our hearts up with God's purposes. He knew the certainty of divine promise. He knew the certainty of divine purpose. He understood the sovereignty of God. At the same time he was a man of incessant prayer. And you find this many, many places in Scripture. We don't have time to look at even a portion of them, but just a couple of illustrations.
Ezra in chapter 9 verse 1 says, "Now when these things have been completed, the princes approached me saying, the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands." In other words, they're still inter married, they're still mingled, they're still idolatrous. They've taken, verse 2, "Some of their daughters as wives," and so forth. The holy race has been intermingled with the peoples of the land, indeed the hands of the princes and rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness. And when I heard about this matter, I tore my garments and my robes, says Ezra. I pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard and sat down appalled. I would say he was pretty stressed. You start ripping your clothes and yanking your hair out, throw yourself on the ground and sit down, appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiled gathered to me and I sat appalled until the evening offering. And at the evening offering I rose from my humiliation even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and I stretched out my hands to the Lord my God and I said, "O my God, I'm ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to Thee. My God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, our guilt is grown even to the heavens. We have been in great guilt and on account of our iniquities we are kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, to open shame, as it is this day. But grace has been shown from the Lord our God to leave us an escaped remnant. God has not forsaken us."
He didn't sit back and cooly say, "Well, you know, they sinned so they're going to get it and there's a remnant that believes and we're going to receive grace." He was plunged, passionately into intercession, confessing the sins of his nation and celebrating the graciousness of God to a remnant. So appalled that he sat for a day with his clothes ripped, disheveled, he was so burdened. It wasn't that he resigned himself to anything. His heart was so attached to God that when God was dishonored he was feeling the pain. When his people suffered he was feeling the pain.
In Ezra chapter 8 when the people gathered to hear the law written, they heard the law, wonderful, they bowed down, they worshiped the Lord when the law was read. In response to the reading of the law, Nehemiah chapter 9, "The twenty-fourth day of the month, the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, sackcloth, dirt." They threw dirt all over themselves, a sign of humility. "The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for the fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God." This is just what people do when they really hear the Word, when they are touched by the judgments of Scripture and touched by the grace of Scripture, the salvation that God provides. The Word generates our prayers because it reveals the purposes of God and our hearts are drawn into those purposes. We...we pray for those that are lost in sin and headed for judgment. We pray on the one hand God will be vindicated in judgment, on the other souls will be rescued from judgment. We praise God for acts of grace and salvation and deliverance. Praise God for His saving work.
In fact, I've learned through the years that my best prayer times are with an open Bible. I give you an illustration of that on Sunday morning, I did it this morning, I do that every week. I read a portion of Scripture and then I sort of pray my way back through that because I'm just lining up with the purposes of God, lining up with the Word of God, lining up with what God has revealed. You have a difficulty praying because you're sort of done in a few minutes, you can't think of what to say, just try praying through a text of Scripture, identifying with what God is revealing there. And when you need to confess, confess. And when you need to praise, praise. And when you need to thank Him, thank Him. And when you need to seek understanding and wisdom, ask for that. And when you see something that dishonors God, cry out of your concern for His dishonor. And when you see something that glorifies Him, give Him glory. The Word really teaches us how to pray because it reveals God's agenda and God's character.
And Daniel is reading the scrolls and out of the scrolls came the plan of God. And once he knew the plan of God and that it was coming to fruition and it was ready to take its next turn and restoration was to come for the people of God, he was motivated to pray. So Daniel's prayer, first of all, like all prayer should be born out of the study and understanding of God's revealed plan and character in Scripture.
Secondly, we pray not only generated by God's Word but grounded in God's will. He knew God's will, seventy years, verse 2, he knew the whole thing, the desolations of Jerusalem was to be completed in seventy years and that is because that's what Jeremiah had said. And you might say, "Well that of all things makes it unnecessary to pray. Why in the world is he going to pray for restoration if he knows it's going to come?" And again, it begs the same issue, that God has not only chosen what He will do, but the means by which He will do it and those people who are most attached to God, who most love God, who most embrace His glory will find themselves drawn into prayer that relates to His purposes. They will say with John, "Yes, I know You just said You're coming, but I'm telling You, even so come, Lord Jesus." You remember those martyrs in the book of Revelation who were under the altar, they are those who were martyred in the time of the Tribulation, the time of the Tribulation yet to come in the future would bring about a horrific slaughter and martyrdom. And we find some of these martyrs pictured under the altar and they are crying with a loud voice, "How long, O Lord, holy and true will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? How long? How long?" How long is the question.
Well, they had read the seventy weeks of Daniel prophecy which, I'm sure, they will have, they would know that that period of time is a seven-year period. The book of Revelation says three and a half years, forty-two months, so forth. It wasn't that they had no clue, it was that they simply entered into the reality of what God was going to do because He couldn't restrain their hearts. "Do, God, what You're going to do. Do what You're going to do." This is not fatalism. Fatalism is deadly to prayer and it demonstrates that you do not know the heart of God and that you do not participate in His purposes with all your soul.
Look at 1 Samuel 12, here's another illustration of this. First Samuel 12, the people, you know, they wanted a king because they wanted to be like everybody else and they were having problems in the neighborhood, in the Middle Eastern neighborhood, sort of, "We have a king and you don't...ya-ya...ya-ya...ya- ya," kind of thing. And so they thought, "Well if we're going to fit into this neighborhood, we need a king." And so they forced the issue. Verse 19 of 1 Samuel 12, "All the people said to Samuel, 'Pray for your servants.'" Samuel, you need to pray for your servants, pray to the Lord your God that we may not die. Pray for us that we don't get killed, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.
You've got to intercede for us. We are in some deep trouble with God. Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. You must not turn aside for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver because they're futile, for the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself." Look, God is not going to destroy you. It's not going to be over because God's name is at stake. His reputation is at stake. If you were all destroyed, it would be bad for the reputation of God. All the rest of the nations around would say not only do the Israelites not have a king, but they have a God that can't protect them. This would not be good for God's reputation. God will not abandon His people on account of His great name. He's got His own reputation at stake here and He's not going to abandon you. Still...look at verse 23, and notice the context, "Moreover, as for me," you might have thought he would say, "Why am I going to pray for you, I just told you God's not going to abandon you?" But he says this, "Moreover, as for me in regard to your request, far be it for me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you."
That's a strange response, isn't it? It seems like the opposite of what you would expect. Oh, he's not going to do it. Great news, you don't need to worry about us. I would sin against the Lord if I didn't pray for you. There's no fatalism here.
Once you know the will of God, you know how to pray because your prayers God uses as means to the end of His purpose. Whatever you ask according to His will, He hears. Whatever you ask according to His will, He hears. So says John 14:13 and 14, 1 John 5:14 and 15. We can't live in some kind of gray acceptance. We can't live in some kind of bland neutral posture saying, "Oh well, God's going to do what He's going to do and what's my prayer going to have to do with anything?" That is a mark of spiritual immaturity and carnality. Prayer in God's will is a form of rebellion, on the one hand, rebellion against the world, rebellion against its fallenness, rebellion against its sinfulness. Prayer according to the will of God is affirmation. It is acquiescence, it is celebration of the divine purpose. Daniel would not accept the way things were. He wanted the fulfillment that God had promised. And so that's how he prayed. In fact, that's really the only safe ground to pray on. Peter said this, "The end of all things is at hand, therefore be sober for the purpose of prayer." You better think seriously about prayer, the end is near.
Somebody might say, "Well, if the end is here, what are we praying about? Hasn't God figured it all out already anyway?" You don't ever want to get to the point where you say, "Well, because God has chosen you, it's not important to evangelize, because God has chosen who is going to be saved, it's not important to pray for them." That's a kind of fatalism that fails to understand the tension that exists within the sovereignty of God and our responsibility and the same exists in prayer. Prayer works just the opposite way and so does evangelism because we know that God has chosen some for salvation, we are motivated to go in the power of the Spirit and with the gospel to be used by God to reach them. And because we know the purposes of God have been revealed in Scripture, and He will do His holy will in the end, we are motivated to pray in line with that that we may participate and our prayers be used in the fulfillment of that will.
Daniel prayed because it was generated by the Word of God and it was grounded in the will of God. There's another element, it was characterized by fervency. You could say, "Okay, I accept it's the Word of God, I accept it's the will of God," but, you know, you sort of just accept it. "Okay, God, do what You're going to do. I affirm it. It's a great plan, carry it out. I vote for You, God. I hope You do that." That isn't the way we see Daniel pray. Verse 3, "I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth and ashes."
And we already know that Daniel was persistent in his prayers. He was very persistent. He prayed at intervals every single day his whole life, just kept praying. Back down in verse 20 he's still speaking and praying when the answer comes. He was a persistent prayer. But we're not talking so much about frequency here, we're talking about fervency. We know from chapter 6 that prayer was a life style for Daniel. That's what got him in the lions den. But we're talking here about fervency in prayer. He says in verse 3, "I gave my attention..." the NAS...the Hebrew actually says, "I set my face, I fixed my gaze, I pointed my face in the direction of God." This is an undistracted kind of preoccupation. This is resoluteness. "Unto the Lord God...the Lord God, the Lord Adonai, unto the Lord." Adonaimeans master sovereign ruler, "Yes I understand the sovereignty of God, yes I understand divine authority fully, yes I understand that I am to submit to the sovereignty of God, He is my sovereign, my Master, My Lord. "But I set my face to the sovereign one to plead with Him in prayer and supplication to the degree of fasting, wearing sackcloth and pouring ashes on my head."
All this was a way to manifest passion, brokenness, contrition, humility, meekness, cry for mercy. Fasting in the Scriptures is always linked with prayer, except with the Pharisee who said, "I fast twice a week," which did him no good. He did it as a way to demonstrate his superficial holiness. But all true fasting is connected to prayer in the Bible. People fasted because they were so burdened with things that they were praying for that they had no interest in food. There was no particular virtue in the fasting, the virtue was in the preoccupation, the resoluteness, the setting of the face toward God. He set his face toward the sovereign and to seek the sovereign with such fervency that he didn't eat. He was like Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:8, Hannah was weeping and fasting, pleading for a son. It was like Esther who was fasting and praying for life or like the Ninevites who were under the preaching of Jonah were fasting and pleading for forgiveness. Very often in the Bible they wore sackcloth, a sign of humiliation, unworthiness. Job, you remember, sat in ashes and threw ashes on his head as a sign of his despair and his humility. Job even in chapter 1 shaved his head. The Luke 18 Publican smashes on his chest, there's crying, throwing dust on your head, ripping your clothes, as we already read about, sighing, groaning, crying out loud. The Bible speaks of a broken heart, a broken spirit, pouring out one's heart, rending one's heart, making sacrifices. All of this expresses the fervency of prayer.
Daniel then employs every indication of fervency, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, James 5:16, this is him. Christ in the Garden is praying so fervently. What's He praying? He's praying to the Father and saying to the Father, "If this cup may pass from Me, Father, please let it be so. Nevertheless not My will but Your's be done." He knew what the will of the Father was. He was a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He knew the plan from beginning to end, that didn't change the fervency of his prayer. He accepted God's answer but in the prayer sweat blood cause He was praying with such fervency that the capillaries exploded. Jesus never resigned Himself to anything and He knew the will of the Father perfectly, and neither does Daniel and he knew the will of the Father. It's just that when you're...when you're really caught up in the agenda of God, there's a fervency in your life. And it's a commentary on our kind of Christianity to look at our indifference toward the issues that concern the heart of God...sin and lostness and the corruption of the church and the pollution of the church with false doctrine, and the naivete of so-called Christians and their indifference and their worldly preoccupations, all of those things are the kind of things that wrench the heart of the servant of God. You remember the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11 talking about being whipped and beaten with rods and shipwrecked and stoned, but he says the worst of it is, concern for the churches because who is weak, and I'm not weak, who is falling into sin and I don't feel the pain? I mean, that's the bottom line. The true man of God, the one who has God's heart feels what God feels, the reproaches that fall on Him fall on me, and zeal for His house eats me up.
So true prayer is generated by the Word of God, grounded in the will of God, characterized by fervency and let me give you a fourth one, this is getting to the heart of it, it is identified with God's people...it is identified with God's people. We've already indicated that because that's the nature of this prayer. But true intercessory prayer really is not preoccupied with self. It's very hard to find a prayer in Scripture that's just very personal. There are a few. Prayer is identified with God's people. It's very hard for the true believer, the godly person to pull himself out and demand from God things that relate to him apart from any consideration of the rest. That's why in Daniel's prayer you just notice the pronouns. Verse 5, we have sinned; verse 6, we have not listened to Your servants who spoke in Your name to our kinds, our princes, our fathers; verse 7, to us belongs open shame; verse 8, open shame belongs to us; verse 9, we have rebelled; verse 10, we did not obey the voice of the Lord our God; verse 11, all Israel has transgressed; end of verse 11, we have sinned against Him; verse 13, we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Thy truth. It's just we, we, verse 14 at the end, we have not obeyed His voice; verse 15, we have sinned, we've been wicked. This is like Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication for all the saints. I mean, even Jesus taught us to pray, forgive us our trespasses, give us our daily bread. It's not give me mine. The focus of our prayer is after we have come to really know the heart of God is to carry the needs of everyone, carrying the needs of everyone is characteristic of the prayer of a faithful person because Galatians 6:2 says we will bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Daniel was coming before the Lord for his people, to pray for those around us in the first circle of family and friends and then around us in the next circle of acquaintances and then around us in the next circle and on and on it goes. We..we need to be consumed and burdened not for our own enterprises and the achievement of our own goals and our own ends, but we need to embrace with solidarity the people of God. He regards even the sins of his people and the sins of his priests and the sins of his rulers and judges and kings as if they were his own. He cannot divorce himself from his people because he knows he's part of the problem. I can't pray a prayer, straighten Your church out, lord, straighten out Your church without saying straighten out me in the process. I can't say, "Lord, bring the truth to Your people. Lord, may Your people love the truth," without saying to the Lord, "And wherever there's error in my life, correct it." I can't say, "Make Your people godly," and not say, "Make me godly, too." Because 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, "If one member suffers, the whole body suffers," right? Self-righteous people repudiate that kind of identification. Self-righteous people isolate themselves. And that's exactly what you see in Luke 18 where the Publican [meant to say Pharisee) says, "I thank You that I am not like this man," he separates himself. That's a certain giveaway that he's not godly. The truly godly man would have said, "I recognize that I'm just like him, my sins may be different and they may be less but I'm as much in need of mercy as this Publican."
Daniel understood as did all the Jews the solidarity of the people of God. I don't know if we fully understand the solidarity of the people of God today in our church and in the body of Christ. We all suffer together. I'm telling you, we all suffer together, you know that. Sometimes your Christianity is discredited because of the Christianity that some of your friends see on the television that has nothing to do with you. Or worse perhaps, sometimes your Christianity is discredited because somebody has had personal contact with a so-called Christian that brought such reproach on the person of Jesus Christ that that has caused them to reject you. You're not an island and we must be critics and Daniel was a prophet to the people and he spoke the truth. But at the same time, to be a true intercessor you have to identify with God's wayward people and you have to put yourself in the middle and say, "And I need to be what I need to be, just as well as God's people need to be what they need to be." The secret of intercession is we and us and our.
Prayer then is generated by the Word of God, it's grounded in the will of God, it's characterized by fervency, it's identified with God's people and intercession is built on confession...it's built on confession. I want you to catch this. He wants God to do his work. He wants God to restore Israel, Daniel does, and God said He would. He wants to see Jerusalem rebuilt, the temple rebuilt, the sanctuary restored, God's presence to come back...that's what he wants. But before he ever even gets close to that, look at this prayer. Verse 5, "We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances." Boy, that's saying it every way you could say it. We sinned, we committed iniquity, we acted wickedly, we rebelled and we turned aside...five ways to say it. And he says we're sinful. Verse 6, "We haven't listened to Your servants, the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, all the people of the land. To us...verse 7...belongs open shame." Verse 8, "Open shame belongs to us." Verse 9, "We've rebelled." Verse 10, "Nor have we obeyed." Keeps on going like that. Verse 11, "A curse has been poured out on us," end of the verse, "because we have sinned. We have suffered great calamity," he says in verse 12. "This calamity, verse 13, has come on us and even in the midst of that we haven't sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Thy Word or thy truth, therefore God, the Lord, has kept a calamity on us. We've not obeyed His voice," end of verse 14. He sums it up in 15, the end of the verse, "We've sinned and we've been wicked." This is an awful lot of confession here. You'd say, "Does he have to keep saying it and saying it and saying it and saying it and saying it every way possible?" It isn't...this is not some genetechnical(??) approach to prayer. This is what is in the man's heart. And this is very personal. Even though it's we, we, we, if you go over to verse 20, "Now while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel." Your prayer has to be predicated on an understanding of your unworthiness so that we always know when we pray, "I have no right to ask, I have no right to enter Your presence, there's nothing in me that makes me worthy to hear an answer and to be blessed because I'm just a sinner. I'm a sinner like Isaiah, I'm a man with unclean lips and I live in the midst of people of unclean lips." And you say, "Isaiah, you're the prophet of God, you've got the best mouth in town." No, no, no. You see, this is the heart of prayer, the foundation of all prayer is this, I don't deserve anything. It's the pounding the breast again, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I have sinned. I have committed iniquity. I have done wickedly. I have rebelled. I have turned aside. I have not listened to the prophets. I have not been faithful to the truth." It even says in verse 7, "To us belongs open shame." Actually the word is the confusion of face, a distorted face that comes to one who's under shame and distorts his face. The shame of the heart distorts the face.
No matter who these Jews were, they've been driven out of their land. The proud Jews were now refugees with distorted faces, bearing the shame of their iniquities. And curses had fallen on them. Verses 11 and 12 take you back to Deuteronomy 28, the curses that God pronounced originally when they arrived in the land. He said, "If you don't obey Me, you're going to be cursed." And they had been and a great evil, a calamity, a terrible thing had happened as the righteous judgment of God fell and that was their carrying...they're being carried into captivity. All our prayers need to be built on this concept of confession, knowing that we're worthy of nothing. "O God, I don't deserve anything. I'm a sinner, I'm a rebel. I just ask You to fulfill Your purpose, fulfill Your plan, do what You promised to do. Restore Your people. I'm interceding on their behalf. We pray for the salvation of sinners. We pray for the sanctification of the saints. We pray that the truth may prevail in the church. We pray that the church may be purified. We pray for all the needs of people around us. But we're overwhelmingly aware of the fact that we don't do anything to earn an answer, it's all mercy, it's all grace."
And another thing that's important about prayer, and now we're getting to the heart of it, prayer is generated by God's Word, grounded in God's will, characterized by fervency, it is identified with God's people, it is built on confession. And here is a critical key, it is dependent on God's character, it is dependent on God's character. You say, "What in the world would make me think I had a right to go to this God?" Go back to verse 4, "I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and this is what I said, 'Alas, O Lord, alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God," now that might keep us away, that's transcendence. "But the God who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments," that's eminence. God is both transcendent and eminent. And down in verse 7 he says, "Righteousness belongs to Thee, O Lord." Our God is great, awesome and righteous, or holy.
Down in verse 9, "However...he says...to our God belong compassion and forgiveness." Yes He's great, yes He's awesome, yes He's holy, but He's also a faithful God who keeps His promise, a God of lovingkindness, a God of compassion and a God of forgiveness. He's a Savior, verse 15, "Our God brought us out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Himself."
So we go to our great and our awesome and our holy God knowing that He is also a God of lovingkindness, He is a God of compassion, He's a God of forgiveness, He's a God who saves. And we ask, we ask what is consistent with His Word and His will, we ask fervently and we embrace His people in the asking and even the lost as we plead for His mercy on their behalf.
There's one final element and we end. The purpose of prayer is God's glory. We could say it consummates in God's glory. Verse 16, here's the ending. "O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain, for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all around us." He's saying, "God, that's enough, turn away Your wrath, turn away Your anger." "And so now, our God," verse 17, "listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplication," and here it comes, "and for Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary." The point he says is God, we're not asking for our sake, we're asking for Your sake. The glory of God is the consummation of all prayer. Whatever glorifies You, whatever glorifies You. God, do You understand what's going on? Do You understand what the people and the nations think about You? You are a God, a God of Israel, You couldn't protect Your people, Your people's city was destroyed, their temple was destroyed, their sanctuary was destroyed, their land is desolate. They have been hauled off into captivity. God, that's not good for Your reputation. God, hear this prayer, answer this prayer and You promised to restore Your people, Your Word is at stake, Your name is at stake, Your reputation is at stake.
In verse 18, "O my God, incline Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations in the city which is called by Thy name. We're not presenting our supplications before Thee on account of any merits of our own. We dealt with that in the confession section, but on account of Thy great compassion...here it comes...O Lord, hear, O Lord, forgive, O Lord, listen, O Lord, take action because we deserve it." No. "Do it for Your own sake, O my God. Don't delay because Your city and Your people are called by Your name. Your reputation is at stake. Pray for the church and say, O God, purify Your church, it bears Your name...it bears Your name."
Here is the true man of prayer. His one consuming passion and that is the glory of God. Bow with me in just a moment of prayer.
This is convicting, I have been convicted by this truth and I know you have. And I don't know in each case how God has driven this into your hearts but we all fall short in the area of prayer. Some of you don't know Christ. You have no access to God whatsoever in prayer. Some of you know Him but you've been indifferent in your prayer life, you have not been fervently consumed with His purposes and His causes. It's time for you to reassess your life. Some of you desire to join our church, some of you desire to be baptized, you haven't been obedient in that. Whatever is on your heart, we'd love to help you and after the final prayer, the prayer room in the front to my right will be open, there will be men and women there to talk with you and pray with you. You come if we can help you in any of these matters or any other.
And now, Lord, as we bring this wonderful time to a conclusion, we all feel the weight of this conviction. Daniel is a man as we would like to be, but confessedly we are not. Renew in us, Lord, this kind of passion for Your holy name and Your purposes. And make us a people of prayer. May we remember how the story ended, that even while Daniel was praying, it says in verse 20, while he was confessing, Gabriel showed up with Your answer. How thrilling to know that when we pray this way we can be assured the answer is already on the way. Be glorified in our prayers and in our lives and we'll thank You in Your Son's name. Amen.
This article is also available and sold as a booklet.
This sermon series includes the following messages:
Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource.Publisher Information


text: I wasn't planning to write about E3 in this column as that will be discussed elsewhere, but there's one trend in the gaming industry that E3 really reminded me of. No, it wasn't motion control. Nor was it open-world games. It was downloadable titles. Once thought to be a curiosity full of vintage classics and . . . → Read More: Challenging Conventions 16: Bite-Sized Gaming

subset: commoncrawl


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Hurricane Sandy Update-- Six months later, A Steady Recovery
Hurricane Sandy Update-- Six months later, A Steady Recovery
It's been six months since Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast and signs of recovery are emerging. Businesses are reopening, homeowners are rebuilding and communities are rebounding. I'm proud to say that the SBA, together with our federal partners, stepped-up to provide assistance to those affected by Sandy. SBA has approved more than 34,000 disaster loan applications for a dollar total of $2.2 billion – making Hurricane Sandy the third largest natural disaster in terms of SBA disaster lending in U.S. history.
One of these loans went to IceStone, LLC, a Brooklyn-based company that makes counter tops from recycled glass and cement. The five feet of salt water that flooded the 55,000 square-foot factory when Hurricane Sandy passed through New York destroyed machinery worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. After deciding not to close the business, IceStone CEO Dal LaMagna applied for an SBA disaster loan. Despite the massive volume of applications the SBA was handling during the early recovery phase, "the employees at the SBA were still able and willing to respond rapidly at each of the stages of processing, approving, and funding our application," LaMagna said.
By April, IceStone's $988 thousand dollar loan was fully disbursed, and within days LaMagna and his 127 employees were back in the factory building countertops.
The deadline for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations in New Jersey to apply for an SBA disaster loan for physical damages caused by Hurricane Sandy is May 1. Visit SBA's Hurricane Sandy website for more information.
Our disaster recovery efforts haven't just included loans to homeowners and businesses. Nineteen million dollars in grants will be delivered to our resource partners to expand counseling and training services for small businesses and SBA has played an integral role in awarding $190 million dollars in government contacts to small businesses involved in the Hurricane Sandy recovery. Through these additional means, we will continue to help those individuals and communities affected by Hurricane Sandy rebuild stronger and provide support for long-term recovery.
SBA Resource Partners Support Small Business Recovery
Small businesses recovering from the physical and economic impact of Hurricane Sandy can get both immediate and long-term help from SBA's resource partners—the Small Business Development Centers, (SBDCs), SCORE, and Women's Business Centers (WBC's), through expanded services provided by a $19 million funding package approved by Congress.
$5.8 million has already been made available to SBA's resources partners in the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy to immediately ramp up existing counseling and training services. Our partners play a critical role in fostering economic development in those areas hard-hit, and businesses are encouraged to take advantage of the services.
SBA resource partners can now apply for an additional $13.1 million to provide long-term small business recovery, expansion and rebuilding strategies through innovative collaborative approaches between state and local community-based partnerships. This new process for building local recovery frameworks will help to integrate local economic recovery efforts and improve efficiency of services.
SBA resource partners interested in leading the recovery efforts from the second phase of funding have until June 5, 2013 to respond to the related request for proposal, Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Program Announcement (# OED 2013-002), which is posted to Grants.gov.
Government Contracting
So far $190 million dollars in government contacts have been awarded to small businesses involved in the Hurricane Sandy recovery. That means 28 percent of the federal contacting award dollars have gone to small businesses, with 17 percent of that total going to small businesses in New York and New Jersey.
About the Author:
James Rivera
SBA Official


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Men's De Soto Liftfoil™ Speed Trisuit :: This suit will help you swim faster in triathlons that do not permit wetsuits. Unlike similar "swimskins" that require you to remove them after the swim portion, the Liftfoil, with its Floatpad™, is designed so that you can swim, then bike, then run, all in complete comfort and without having to change. It has no pockets and is ideal for shorter triathlons where you do not need pockets, and where you ultimate goal is to finish faster without ever changing. It also works well for longer triathlons that do not permit the use of wetsuits. In this case, we suggest the use of a fuelbelt, or changing from swim to bike to run given that the time required to change is minimal compared to the rest of the race. This speedsuit has no rubberized material, no polyurethane, and no neoprene. It abides to WTC's recent ruling on swimskins, speedskins, swim apparel...whatever WTC wants to call it. The Liftfoil™ now has the Integrated Ceramico™ Pad. It is 7mm thick, it is soft, stretchy, buoyant, and it is most durable pad in the world. USAT approved, WTC Legal and now with coldblack®.
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Do you want to become fit? Do you want to stay fit? Do you want to enhance your overall well-being? Then try one of the many programs offered by Recreational Sports, such as intramural sports, group fitness classes, or just work out in the weight room or cardio room on your own.
The Recreational Sports program provides fitness and wellness activities for the development of healthy lifestyles for the entire Keene State College community. Whether you like to work out individually or you are into competitive activities, Recreational Sports and the Recreation Center has something for everyone. Get Fit, Be Healthy, and Have Fun Doing It!
The Rec Center offers student, faculty and staff numerous membership options throughout the year. Please take a look at our plans, benefits and eligibility details.
Hours of Operation
The Rec Center strives to be open and available as much as possible. Please check out our hours of operation for more details.
The mission BodyWorks is to help motivate everyone in the campus community to achieve and maintain a lifestyle of wellness; defined as a high level of physical, emotional, and intellectual health. The goals of BodyWorks are based on the expectation of improved physical health and vitality, as well as enhancement of academic and workplace productivity that result from regular physical activity.
Intramural Sports
A very popular extracurricular activity on campus, intramural sports is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with friends, continue playing the sports you have grown to love, or try a new activity.
KSC offers team, dual, and individual leagues in which participants compete for the coveted champion t-shirt. Through participation in physical activity, the Intramural Sports Program seeks to promote wellness, develop friendships, and to encourage the wise use of leisure time.
Club Sports
The purpose of the Sport Club Program is to provide students an opportunity to participate in an organized team or individual sport program and to enhance their skills in a particular sport.
The benefits of club sport participation may include the development of student leadership skills, a team-oriented environment, enhanced physical fitness, development of skills in a particular sport, stress reduction, and friendship.
Group Fitness Classes
The group fitness program is open to all Recreation Center members and Walking Track/Group Fitness members. Take a look at what we have to offer today!
Recreational Sports offers several special events throughout the year that are open to all KSC students, faculty, and staff. These events include the Owl 5K Fun Run/Walk and the Indoor Triathlon Challenge.
Be on the lookout for announcements when the event sign-ups take place throughout the year or inquire at the front desk of the Recreation Center.
Recreational Sports offers pool hours for lap and recreation swim for KSC students, faculty, staff and alumni during the academic year and summer. For more information about how to use the pool and what the pool hours are for the year, click on Pool on the right-hand side bar..
Find out more about how to use the pool and what the pool hours are for the year.
Keene State is home to some of the region's top facilities. The campus community has access to indoor recreation and athletic facilities in Spaulding Gymnasium and the Recreation Center as well as outdoor athletic fields and facilities on Sumner Joyce athletic field and at the Owl Stadium Complex.
Walking Trails
Looking for good places to walk or jog? The KSC campus and surrounding area is replete with great routes for both.
Student Employment
Are you a student who is interested in working at the Rec Center? Learn more about opportunities to teach, referee and more!
Facility Rules & Policies
For a complete reference of all rules, policies and practices for the Rec Center, please visit this site.
Contact Rec Sports
Director of Recreational Sports
Front Desk: 603.358.2826


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HARTFORD, Conn.—A former Peace Corps volunteer apologized for sexually abusing young girls while serving in South Africa and acknowledged the widespread fallout from his crimes before he was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.
Jesse Osmun and his attorney sought to contrast his acceptance of responsibility and his remorse with Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach who denied committing "disgusting acts" against children and instead painted himself as the victim when he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison Tuesday.
Osmun, who is originally from Milford, Conn., apologized in court to the victims, his family and the Peace Corps. He said he struggles with feelings of guilt and shame and acknowledged that his victims will live with the scars of abuse forever.
"I sometimes wish I could take my brain out and wash it of all the memories I have," Osmun said in U.S. District Court in Hartford.
Osmun, 33, said he besmirched his oath to the Peace Corps to represent his country with pride.
Federal guidelines called for a sentence of more than 17 to 21 years.
Prosecutors sought a sentence within the guidelines range, saying Osmun preyed on children who were among the most vulnerable in the world, persuading them to engage in illicit sexual acts by playing games with them and giving them candy. The victims were under the age of six, prosecutors said.
"Instead of promoting peace and providing much needed assistance consistent with the mission of the Peace Corps, this volunteer took advantage of his position and sexually abused vulnerable young children at an AIDS center pre-school in South Africa," said U.S. Attorney David Fein.
Osmun's attorney, Richard Meehan, said his client spared the victims the ordeal of testifying by pleading guilty in June to traveling from the United States to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children. He also said Osmun wants to get treatment.
Judge Alvin Thompson said Osmun's efforts to gain insight into his crimes and to work toward rehabilitation were unusual for such cases. Thompson read a letter in which Osmun described viewing child pornography, which became his "gateway drug" to abuse, and cited another letter from a friend that described his acceptance of responsibility, his shame and efforts to change.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, Osmun worked at a center that provides support to people affected by the AIDS virus. He told the court in June that he helped supervise children and was left alone with them for 10 to 30 minutes and recognized that as an opportunity to abuse them.
Osmun admitted that he engaged in acts with one of his victims twice per week for about five months.
Fein said Osmun had shown remorse, but he called the crimes "heinous" and read a letter from an official at the center who said the children were abused in the one place they could feel safe. She said the children are in counseling and staff were traumatized as well.
"These children have so little, but Jesse has taken the very fundamentals of their lives away," she wrote.
The Peace Corps has said it was made aware of the allegations after Osmun resigned in May 2011. The agency has condemned Osmun's actions as "reprehensible" and agreed to contribute $20,000 to a fund for the victims.
Peace Corps volunteers, who are provided with a living allowance and receive transition funds after they complete 27 months of service, provide hands-on assistance in areas including health education, information technology and environmental preservation. The Peace Corps has sent more than 200,000 Americans to serve in 139 countries.


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Mosquitoes trapped for testing in Jackson County last week have tested positive for West Nile virus, Jackson County health officials reported.
The mosquitoes were collected from traps baited with dry ice along Bear Creek in south Medford. The Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Corvallis confirmed the presence of the virus.
"It's not unexpected. This is the time of year when things usually peak. It's not surprising that we're seeing some now," said James Lunders, manager and biologist for the Jackson County Vector Control District. "It's actually a good thing it's this late in the season."
This is the sixth year the virus has been detected since 2005, county officials said. Six Oregon counties have confirmed the presence of the virus, including Malheur, Baker, Klamath, Umatilla and Union.
The county's Vector Control District sets 31 adult mosquito traps throughout the county every week. Specimens are divided by species, pooled into groups of 30, then sent to the OSU facility for testing.
Health officials said most people infected with the virus do not become sick. Mild flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands or rash, are sometimes reported. The virus also can cause inflammation of the brain.
"They can develop a range of different symptoms and conditions," said Dr. Emilio DeBess, public health veterinarian for the Oregon Department of Human Services.
"A lot of it depends on your immune (system's) condition," DeBess said.
Anyone affected by a severe headache should seek medical treatment, health officials said.
The Vector Control District plans to increase surveillance because of the findings, and officials are asking for the public's help. Anyone who notices sick or dead birds such as crows, ravens, jays and robins should call 541-779-6460 so biologists can pick them up for testing.
Health officials encourage residents to take extra precautions to reduce exposure to mosquito bites. Standing water should be eliminated wherever possible, as it can be a breeding ground for the bugs after just seven days. Spots such as buckets, pool covers, clogged rain gutters, flooded fields and water troughs are common places for water to collect.
Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Those venturing outside, especially during those times, should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants in mosquito-infested areas. Repellents containing DEET, oil of lemon, eucalyptus or picaridin are the most effective, health officials said. In addition, screen doors and windows should fit tightly.
"We always want people to be vigilant," Lunders said. "The big thing is we just want people to protect themselves as much as possible."
Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or email@example.com.
West Nile virus has returned to county
Mosquitoes trapped for testing in Jackson County last week have tested positive for West Nile virus, Jackson County health officials reported.


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About Mark Duplass (Click Here To Hide)
Mark David Duplass is an American film director, film producer, actor, and screenwriter. Duplass has written, directed, and produced a number of feature films with his brother Jay Duplass. In 2005 he wrote and produced The Puffy Chair with his brother, in addition to acting as one of the main characters. He currently stars in the FX comedy television series The League, with his wife, Katie Aselton.
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2011 Request for Information on Tamerlan Tsarnaev from Foreign Government
|Washington, D.C. April 19, 2013
The two individuals believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday have been positively identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, now deceased, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now in custody. These individuals are brothers and residents of Massachusetts. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a legal permanent resident and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Charges have not yet been filed against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and he is presumed innocent.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 26, was previously designated as Suspect 1, wearing a black hat. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, age 19, was designated as Suspect 2, wearing a white hat. Both were born in Kyrgyzstan.
Once the FBI learned the identities of the two brothers today, the FBI reviewed its records and determined that in early 2011, a foreign government asked the FBI for information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The request stated that it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country's region to join unspecified underground groups.
In response to this 2011 request, the FBI checked U.S. government databases and other information to look for such things as derogatory telephone communications, possible use of online sites associated with the promotion of radical activity, associations with other persons of interest, travel history and plans, and education history. The FBI also interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and family members. The FBI did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign, and those results were provided to the foreign government in the summer of 2011. The FBI requested but did not receive more specific or additional information from the foreign government.


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The report, released last week, shows, for example, that two-thirds of Nets fans are either using mass transit or walking to the Barclays Center.
Developer Forest City Ratner praised an initiative urging people to use public transportation or bicycles to get to the arena for the less-than-expected vehicular traffic.
In the environmental impact statement (FEIS) in 2006, the goal was to no more than 27.8 percent of visitors arrive by private car. The report showed that only 25.1 percent were actually getting to the arena by car, while close to 60 percent use mass transit.
It was found that 25.1 percent were using that mode of transportation. The study also found that 59.6 percent of arrivals took place by using mass transit and 55.9 percent used that mode to depart from the area.
Along with visitors, the study showed roughly 80 percent of arena employees use mass transit or walk.
Sam Schwartz of Sam Schwartz Engineering worked on the transportation issue as part of the FEIS in 2006. He said one of the more controversial ideas was to reduce the amount of parking spaces at the arena.
In the early phases of the plan, 1,100 spaces were going to be provided for cars. However, that number was cut in half to discourage people from driving.
"We were greeted with a lot of skepticism when we proposed slashing the parking in half before the arena even opened," said Schwartz. "But it turned out to be a good thing for us to say to people 'don't even think of driving to this arena.'"
The only event that came the close to using all of 541 parking spaces at the arena was an Andrea Bocelli concert. But even for that event, there were still close to 100 empty parking spots.
However, not everyone is interpreting the study the same way.
"The fact that they met their obligation under a terrible FEIS is not a success for this community," said Terrace Urban. "You can make statistics say anything you want."
Steve Ettlinger lives a few blocks from the Barclays Center and says there needs to be more regulation and enforcement.
He said a big problem is that limousines and other luxury vehicles double park and circle the area, dropping people off and waiting to pick them up. Representatives from Forest City Ratner blamed the city, saying they have requested additional traffic enforcement agents, but have been ignored.
"This is not about me being able to park my car," Ettlinger said. "This is about the law being applied."
One night Ettlinger walked around the Barclays Center during an event and found over 100 violations, including 16 cars waiting in one bus stop.
"It shouldn't be up to me to find them," he said. "It's so obvious, but it somehow slipped through the cracks."


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I think about this a lot, especially lately. I hate being so consumed by these thoughts of whether or not now is the perfect time to have another baby, when I don't even know if I can have another. So what if it isn't the "perfect" time? Will it ever be? Life isn't exactly getting easier (or cheaper) as I get older. What exactly are we waiting for? And why didn't any of this matter to me the first time?
When it comes to parenting an almost three-year-old, it's a lot easier now. I touched on this the other day, but sometimes I'm secretly okay with the fact that we don't have any other kids right now, and can focus all our love and attention on Preston. (Am I allowed to say that, after everything I've been through with infertility?)
Don't get me wrong: This isn't how I pictured things going in my life, but I'm a glass-half-full kinda gal, and I see the upside of having only one kid right now. And that upside is having an incredible bond with my son (not that having more kids would break that bond, but we get each other all to ourselves). Another key factor in this decision for me is being able to put away money for college; pay for his private city preschool; his part-time nanny; extra-curricular activities like soccer and gymnastics, whatever we want; regular outings to museums, zoos, etc.; and anything else that'll help shape him into a happy, smart, curious, well-adjusted kid.
The bottom line is: One kid is (hardly) affordable right now, but allows us to lead a somewhat stable life. Two kids will definitely change things. Is this something you ever think about? Or do you not let money get in the way of your family plans?
I'm also stretched as thin as a person can be stretched right now, juggling a lot in my work and family life—sometimes it's hard to imagine balancing another baby with everything else, though I know we'd make it work somehow. I mean, I bought Alice Domar's book "Conquering Infertility" at my acupuncturist's office the other day, and I can't find five minutes to start reading it! (Nor have I gotten past page 20 of "Fifty Shades of Grey.")
But is that a reason not to start trying, because of my crazy work schedule? What about my fear of failure (again)?
If I'm being totally honest with myself, I know now probably isn't the perfect time to embark on another round of fertility treatments, and the roller coaster ride that you can't seem to get off, once you get on… But if I'm also being honest with myself, I know there may never be a more ideal time. Here's where I mention how old I am, and all the reasons why someone my age doesn't have the luxury of time to wait another minute, much less another month.
Remember when ignorance was bliss? This Jezebel article totally irritated me, mostly because I was able to relate to 80 percent of what the writer was saying. But unlike her, I want more kids...I just wish I had more time to have them.
Does infertility erase any of these concerns for you? I should probably shut up and just try again, before I start making a pros and cons list. Really, I should be so lucky to worry about all of this, right? For all I know, we had our only shot, and I'm sitting here smugly talking about whether the time is right to have another baby—after already having gone through a year of fertility treatments. What the hell am I even worrying about?
Follow me @spgorenstein. Friend me on Facebook. Email me. Read my entry for the3six5 project.


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Emory Women's Center
A forum for women's intellectual, cultural, ethical, and spiritual life
President's Commission on the Status of Women at Emory
Association of American Medical Colleges, Women in Medicine
American Medical Association, Women in Medicine
American Medical Women's Association, Inc.
Claudia Adkison
A former Emory faculty member in anatomy, Claudia Adkison left Emory to attain her law degree and returned to Emory later to become an executive associate dean. She wrote the first conflict-of-interest policies for the medical school and the university.
Dorothy Brinsfield
Dorothy Brinsfield received the medical school's first fellowship in pediatric cardiology. She joined the Emory faculty in 1963, at a salary of $10,000 per year, and rose through the academic ranks to become full professor and director of pediatric cardiology. She later became dean of students, following retirement of Evangeline Papageorge.
Linda Cendales
Emory reconstructive surgeon Linda Cendales led the team that performed the Southeast's first hand transplant in March 2011.
Winton Elizabeth Gambrell
Winton Elizabeth Gambrell was the first woman to be admitted to Emory's School of Medicine, in 1943.
Luella Klein
Luella Klein became the first female department chair (gynecology/obstetrics) in the medical school in 1986. She was also the first female president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Evangeline Papageorge
In 1929, Evangeline Papageorge became the first woman appointed to the full-time faculty at the medical school. She would later become the school's first female administrator when she was appointed dean of the students in 1956. She is remembered fondly by legions of alumni, who created the Papageorge Teaching Award in her honor.
Harriet Robinson
Microbiologist Harriet Robinson developed a promising DNA vaccine candidate currently in clinical trials for both prevention and treatment of AIDS.
Nicole Turgeon
Nicole Turgeon, director of clinical islet transplants, and Kevin Kim, director of interventional radiology and image-guided medicine, together performed Emory's first minimally invasive islet transplant on a 42-year-old patient had had type 1 diabetes since she was 10. Performed under moderate sedation, the procedure required less than a quarter-inch incision rather than the two-to-three-inch incision used for the conventional method of islet transplant. Guidewires, catheters, and a central line were threaded through the incision into the portal vein. Under image guidance, the fragile islet cells were infused directly into the liver for implantation and to begin making insulin.
Nanette Wenger
In 1960 cardiologist Nanette Wenger was appointed director of the cardiac clinics at Grady Memorial Hospital. She would go on to become a leading expert in heart disease in women.


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Kidnap Radio
Independent producer Annie Correal describes the tragedy behind the documentary Kidnap Radio: I was 19 when my father was kidnapped in Colombia. It was 1999. My mother came to my college campus to deliver the news and I flew to Bogota to be with my family for a few weeks. (My mother is American, my father's Colombian and they divorced when I was 5.) After that, except for brief trips for a wedding and a funeral, I didn't go back to the country where I was born until I traveled there to report this piece in the spring of 2009.
Privacy Statement
© KFAI, 1808 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454 Tel: 612-341-3144


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LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — One of two suburban Denver police officers who were shot over the weekend has been released from the hospital, and authorities have arrested the suspect, officials said Monday.
Officer Jonathan Key, whose bulletproof vest protected him from more serious injuries, has gone home, Lakewood police spokesman Steve Davis said. Officer Kimberly Collins, who was also wounded Saturday night, remained in stable condition at the hospital, where she faces more medical procedures and a "lengthy recovery," Davis said.
Police said they were shot by 54-year-old Gordon Lee Moench, whose wife called 911 because he was despondent. The two had fought throughout the day before she finally became frightened and decided to leave, police said.
Officers went to his home to check on him, and he immediately fired on them while they were still outside, police said.
A third officer who arrived later returned fire and shot Moench. Police arrested him Monday when he was released from the hospital. He faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault on a peace officer, and felony menacing. He could be in court as soon as Tuesday morning.
Police spent much of Sunday searching the home but did not say what they found.
Investigators are still working to determine Moench's motive. Lakewood police encountered him just once before, about a year ago, when he was the victim in a criminal tampering case, Davis said.
Investigators, including some from the Jefferson County district attorney's office, have launched a separate investigation into the shootings.


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Arrest warrants have been issued for David Dean Johnson, age 49 of El Cerrito and Scott Wayne Baily, 51 of El Sobrante.
Two Bay Area men have been identified as suspects in the February 2012 gold theft at the Siskiyou County Courthouse.
Arrest warrants have been issued for David Dean Johnson, age 49 of El Cerrito and Scott Wayne Baily, 51 of El Sobrante, according to Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Allison Giannini.
After the warrants were issued by the Siskiyou County District Attorney's office and the Siskiyou County Superior Court on Thursday, March 28, detectives from the department's Major Crimes Unit traveled to the Bay Area searching for suspects. Although they were not located, additional evidence was seized and detectives are "optimistic" Johnson and Baily will be apprehended.
The men are suspected of breaking into the Siskiyou County Courthouse in Yreka on Feb. 1 and making off with more than $1 million in historic gold nuggets, jewelry and other artifacts.
The arrest warrants were authorized after a series of search warrants were served by the Siskiyou County-Wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force in Shasta County and Bay Area residences on Jan. 15, Giannini said.
One residence was located in Redding and the other in the City of Shasta Lake. Two residences were also searched in Contra Costa County, one in El Cerrito and one in El Sobrante, said Giannini.
The investigation revealed that at least some of the gold proceeds may have been used to purchase various high-value items.
The felony arrest warrants, authorized by District Attorney Kirk Andrus, include a $1 million bail, Giannini added.
Sheriff Jon Lopey said some of the evidence used to obtain these warrants came from tips contributed when the reward amount was elevated to $50,000 by the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors and County Administrator.
"Although we still have a lot of work to do in this case, the issuance of the felony arrest warrants should result in the arrest of the suspects," said Lopey.
Other agencies that contributed their services in the investigation include Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office of Investigations, California Department of Justice Crime Lab (Redding), Shasta County Sheriff's Office, Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and other Bay Area agencies, Lopey said.
The investigation into the Siskiyou County Courthouse burglary and theft is on-going and anyone with further information should contact Detective Yves Pike at (530) 842-8354.


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Paper address books are still popular, even in the digital age. They do not require batteries or charger and can be good for keeping track of any kind of info you need to keep in alphabetical order, as for instance new words in a new language. We once met a ER doctor who used a Moleskine black pocket version as an handy medical vade-mecum, with diseases and medicines listed from A to Z. Have you ever thought about using you address book in a different way?
You can choose between Hard and Soft Cover. The former is available in pocket or large sizes, black or red. The latter is part of the Volant family, available in black, blue, sky blue or dark pink colors in three different sizes: extra small, pocket or large. For professional needs indeed, the Folio Index A4 is the best solution.


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Jake Gleeson's last-gasp save on reigning MVP David Ferreira last Sunday sealed another dramatic win for the Portland Timbers and earned the youngster his second Save of the Week honor this season.
Gleeson made a lunging save to steer Ferreira's 93rd-minute volley onto the crossbar, narrowly preserving the Timbers' 3-2 win at JELD-WEN Field. Portland built a 3-0 lead for the second consecutive game before eventually watching it whittled down to an airtight one-goal edge.
But that's when Gleeson came up big, earning his third save of the afternoon and his first Save of the Week honor since Week 2. He earned more than 70 percent of the vote, comfortably topping a diving save from Toronto FC's Stefan Frei.
WATCH: Gleeson Denies Ferreira
Final Results
1. Jake Gleeson, Portland 70.19%
2. Stefan Frei, Toronto 13.84 %
3. Dan Kennedy, Chivas USA 5.57%
4. Matt Pickens, Colorado 5.43%
5. Jon Busch, San Jose 4.96%
Previous Winners
Week 1 – Nick Rimando, RSL (watch here)
Week 2 - Jake Gleeson, POR (watch here)
Week 3 – Kasey Keller, SEA (watch here)
Week 4 – Kasey Keller, SEA (watch here)


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That's commonplace in southeastern North Carolina, but the Nances and their friends, Michael Smith and Paul Singletary, didn't have their dogs on the trail of deer, raccoons or bear. They were targeting squirrels.
"They've treed a squirrel already," Terry Nance said. "When you hunt squirrels with tree dogs, the action is constant. It's a great trip for impatient hunters, because there's never a dull moment. It's not like still-hunting when you are just sitting in the woods, waiting for something to happen; the dogs are going to make things happen. We take lots of kids from our church; once we take them, they're hooked on hunting because it's never boring."
The Nances have always kept treeing dogs, starting out with 'coon dogs, but Cory Nance said he gave up 'coon hunting and deer hunting to hunt squirrels.
"I was working shift work when I got out of 'coon hunting and into squirrel hunting," he said. "Now, I still have tree dogs, but I'm home at night."
Nance said another reason he switched to squirrels is that it is easier to find a place to hunt squirrels than other game. He said hunters took more than 200 squirrels with the help of his dogs the previous season.
"People who won't let you hunt deer usually don't care if you hunt squirrels once deer season is out," he said. "In January and February, you can always find a place to hunt squirrels. Some people think there a fewer squirrels this time of year, but we usually shoot 20 or 30 over a morning's hunt."
The Nances were hunting in the Big Swamp near Bladenboro, but they said the hunting is also excellent at Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land, which is open for public hunting three days per week.
"Bladen Lakes has lots of squirrels," Terry Nance said, "but the taller timber where most hunters go is not the best place for hunting squirrels with dogs. You need a young, mixed stand of hardwood and pine. It needs have thick overhead cover and underbrush. Mature hardwood trees have too many hollows for squirrels to hide in, and there aren't as many squirrels. The thicker cover of younger timber allows squirrels to escape predators, so more of them survive, especially late in the hunting season."
The Nances said that the advantage of hunting at Bladen Lakes Game Land is that they can always hunt there during deer season. However, out of courtesy for deer hunters, they don't release their squirrel dogs, mountain curs, until mid-morning, after most deer hunters have left the woods.
The first fit of action led the hunting party to a tree where Nance's dogs, Coal Train, Daisy and Rocky - along with the rest of the pack - were barking. The tree contained a squirrel's nest, but no squirrel. Cory Nance found a wild grape vine leading up the nest and gave it a tug. The squirrel ran out, and Singletary connected with his shotgun.
Michael Smith was armed with a semiautomatic .22 rifle, and Terry Nance had a .22 semiautomatic pistol with a scope sight, because a rifle interfers with his ability to handle the dogs, but Cory Nance was unarmed.
"Even if you carry a rifle on a sling, it gets in the way when you are putting the dogs on leashes or when you are moving through briars and vines," he said. "Carrying the pistol in a holster leaves both hands free to push aside branches, grab dogs or poke a stick into a hole where a squirrel might be hiding. It's amazing how much more fun a hunt can be when you carry a pistol. You don't think about it at all until you have an opportunity to shoot."
Terry Nance's pistol is a Ruger Mark II, as accurate as a target-grade .22 rifle. He uses a variable-power scope. While most squirrel hunters use hollow point ammo, he uses solids.
"With a solid bullet, I can shoot a squirrel from any angle, and it won't tear up the meat," he said. "You don't know what kind of shot will be presented when a dog has a squirrel treed. Usually, you only see parts of the squirrel. The best place to shoot them is in the head, but that isn't always possible."
"I don't care if I shoot a squirrel," Cory Nance said. "For me, its all about the dogs. Having several hunters with different types of guns helps when they surround a tree. If the squirrel starts running across the limbs, the hunter with the shotgun can shoot it. If it's hiding in a fork, everyone can shift around until it moves a little so you can see it. A scope on a rifle or pistol helps you find a hole in the branches to shoot through."
Cory Nance showed the downed squirrel to Coal Train, then the dogs headed off into the woods. The hunting was fairly slow, with only a couple of squirrels bagged during the first hour. The ground had been covered with frost, but once the sun burned the frost away, the action heated up.
"We really don't have to get up early," Terry Nance said. "The best hunting happens at mid-morning, after the squirrels have been feeding on the ground and left lots of scent."
The hunt led into the yard of a farmstead. The hunters knew the owner, and he came out of the house to greet them warmly. He had problems with squirrels in his outbuildings and wanted the hunters to try their luck. They treed and shot two within a few yards of a shed.
The hunt wound down just before noon. The action had been constant as promised. Every time the hunters picked up a squirrel, the dogs were already tracking or treeing another one. The dogs were leading the hunters, connecting the dots from one treed squirrel to the next.
"A squirrel hunt leads you through some pretty places, and there's always lots of walking, but you can walk at any pace you want," Cory Nance said. "You can go fast or slow, depending on your mood and whether there are young or old hunters along. You have to know the territory well. It helps to know where the roads and paths are located, so you don't walk yourself out. Having tracking collars on the dogs assures that you can leash them before they go onto property where you don't have permission to hunt or before they cross a road."
The hunters circled back to their pickups and loaded up their dogs. Their bulging game vests held 22 squirrels.
"That's another advantage hunting squirrels has over hunting deer or 'coons." Terry Nance said. "You always come home with something good to eat."
HOW TO GET THERE/WHEN TO GO - To reach Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land from Raleigh, travel I-40 east to Benson and I-95 south to Fayetteville. Take NC 53/210 south toward White Lake, then take NC 53 about 30 miles to the game lands, which are on Ruskin Rd. and NC 242. The Singletary tract is eight miles farther south, beyond White Lake, on NC 53. Gray squirrel season is open through Feb. 29. The game lands are open for hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The game lands has a good population of fox squirrels, but the season for fox squirrels closes Jan. 31.
GUNS/LOADS - Handguns may not be carried on the game lands, and except for muzzleloaders, no rifles in calibers above .22 rimfire may be possessed. On private property, hunters may use .22 rimfire revolvers and pistols in any caliber and any barrel length for hunting squirrels. Hunters using .22 rimfire handguns and rifles should use long-rifle solid bullets to minimize meat damage. Shotguns in 12- through 20-gauge, plus .410 bore, loaded with No. 6 shot are excellent for taking squirrels treed by dogs.
DOG INFORMATION - Original Mountain Cur Breeders Association, http://www.omcba.com/.
ACCOMMODATIONS - Days Inn, Elizabethtown, 910-862-7344. Bladen Lakes Game Land, 910-588-4964, has primitive campgrounds.
MAPS - North Carolina Game Lands maps are available through the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission website, www.ncwildlife.org. DeLorme North Carolina Atlas and Gazetteer, 800-452-5931, www.delorme.com.


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Gallery: Kate Moss' Honeymoon Is More Fabulous Than Yours, Probably
Following their triumphant nuptials this past weekend, newlyweds Kate Moss and Jamie Hince took off in a private jet to Nice, where they boarded a helicopter to Monaco, where they borrowed a 206-foot yacht from their buddy Phillip Green, CEO of TopShop. They've already ventured to a variety of fancy locations including Portofino and Cannes; these photos were reportedly snapped in Corsica. Oh, the glamor! I would, however, like to point out that the two seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time with their mobile devices. I guess it's not a romantic French getaway yacht without le WiFi.
(Via Popsugar)


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BSU Catalog Home | Humanities Course Descriptions
Department of Humanities
Hagg-Sauer Hall 218-755-2880
Dr. Kyle Crocker (Coordinator; email@example.com), Dr. Mary Hrenchir, Dr. Brendan McManus
The Humanities Program at Bemidji State is dedicated to collaboration. Within a flexible structure, it brings together courses from all the allied disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary courses of its own. Its objectives are threefold: 1) to provide multiple frames of reference for analysis and interpretation; 2) to foster increased awareness of the unique character of each of the humanities disciplines, together with an understanding of interrelationships among visual art, music, language, literature, and history; 3) to promote, through the cultivation of curiosity and multicultural sensibilities, the breadth of learning necessary for successful careers in government, business, or the professions.
See Section II, Enrollment for required high school preparation.Recommended High School Courses
Students are encouraged to discuss with their advisor the option of a second major or minor that might strengthen or complement their major.
See "Note" in program description.
Transfer Students: At least one-third of the credits to be included in the major must be successfully completed at Bemidji State University.


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Cajun Mary
Makes 2 quarts
5 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Chef Paul Prudhomme's Meat Magic®
½ cup beef or chicken stock, or water
1 cup diced zucchini (1 large)
¾ cup diced yellow squash (1 large)
¼ cup minced green onion tops
¼ cup minced parseley
1½ teaspoons Worcetershire sauce
3½ cups tomato juice
1½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups Original K-Paul's Cajun Martini
how to prepare
NOTE: If Original K-Paul's Cajun Martini is not available in your area, substitute red-pepper flavored vodka. You can make your own by marinating chili peppers in a bottle of vodka for several days.
In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes, celery, onion and Meat Magic® to a boil. Continue cooking over high heat about 3 minutes and stir in the stock or water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes and add the zucchini. Continue cooking 3 more minutes and add the yellow squash and onions. Stir well. Cook 1 minute and add the parsley. Stir and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour half of the mixture into a blender. On the highest setting, pulse on and off 5 times. Transfer to a large container and repeat with the other half of the tomato mixture.
Add the tomato juice and the brown sugar, mixing thoroughly. Chill overnight. May be made ahead to this point 2 to 3 days.
Just before serving, stir in the Original K-Paul's Cajun Martini.
Copyright © 1994 by Paul Prudhomme