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Forgery allegations dismissed by Ossuary trial verdict

Unbelievers hate to admit that archaeological discoveries keep verifying the Bible. You will remember about five years ago they discovered an ossuary, or “bone box,” (top right) with an inscription containing the names James, Joseph and Jesus on it. Immediately, the skeptics howled that it must be a forgery. They are afraid that unless they disprove that such artifacts substantiate the Scriptures, someone might believe the Bible. Get a life! Other items known as the “Widow’s Plea” ostracon and the “Jehoash Tablet” (bottom left) were also tagged as forgeries by the atheists. They sued the owners, but the trial judge recently concluded that the evidence showed they were not forgeries. Here is the official word:

On March 14, Jerusalem Judge Aharon Farkash found defendants Oded Golan and Robert Deutsch not guilty of all charges of forgery. The judge stated that there is no evidence that any of the major artifacts were forged, and that the prosecution failed to prove their accusations beyond a reasonable doubt. The alleged forgeries include the inscription from the famous James Ossuary that reads “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The judge also found there was no clear evidence that several other ancient artifacts, including the “Three Shekels” ostracon, the “Widow’s Plea” ostracon and the Jehoash tablet, had been forged.

When will the unbelievers quit wasting their time trying to prove the Bible wrong? While certain artifacts do not “prove” the Bible is right, the discoveries continue to confirm that our faith in the veracity of the Scriptures is entirely justified.

Source:  http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/breaking-news-golan-and-deutsch-acquitted-of-all-forgery-charges/

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The sad legacy of Whitney Houston, et al.

I just returned from El Paso where border violence is becoming stale news. Most residents, or at least their subdivisions, are now ensconced behind foot-thick rock walls. They don’t talk much about the spillover of violence, the bullets landing in the downtown area, or the drug cartels’ latest beheadings. Scared? Probably. Jaded? Perhaps. Maybe just tired of talking about it.

Probably not many reading this even noticed the news item about the Nigerian woman who was caught at the New York airport with a double handful of heroin capsules in her stomach. Or the Texas deputy sheriff that was shot in the spillover drug war.

But the violence of the cartels, the beheadings, the corruption of virtually all officials across the river—and all along America’s border with Mexico—will not cease as long as U.S. citizens crave their drugs. We cannot put all the blame on the smugglers and the suppliers for what is happening. As long as the news media will merely report the violence rather than the cause of the violence, it will continue. They refuse to finger the real culprits in this drug war—the users. Why the home invasions in Chicago? Or the car thieves in Sacramento? Or the menacing hoodies hitting the convenience stores in Philadelphia? The primary cause of such crimes is to get money to buy the drugs that some pusher got them hooked on. And who pays the bill for the increased prices of goods and insurance to make up for the losses—the taxpayers, of course.

If our dopehead celebrities would stop snorting cocaine, and the lazy street loafers would find something to do besides getting high and looking for another set of hubcaps to steal (one stole mine while I was sitting in the car!), the border violence and much of the street crime would subside.

Why not blame the real people who are keeping this cycle of violence, murders and smugglings going—the Whitney Houstons, the Charlie Sheens, the wealthy sports figures, the loony college students, and others who won’t give up their drugs. Stop praising them and start holding them accountable. Stop glorifying their lifestyle and start putting them behind bars, because they are guilty, in part, for the deaths of every deputy sheriff, DEA agent and border patrolman who has died in the line of duty. No market means no smuggling. No smuggling means fewer border problems and fewer deaths.

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Political Science 101

These may be five of the most insightful sentences you’ll ever read:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.

5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

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Who was the father of Jesus?

I have heard it said by some ministers that the Virgin Birth of Jesus is “denied” in the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible and other versions in Luke 2:33 where Joseph is called Jesus’ “father”—“And his father and his mother….” The KJV reads, “Joseph and his mother.” Is this an effort to dilute the doctrine of the Virgin Birth? Which version is correct?

First, the NIV and NASB (and all modern versions that I know of) plainly state that Mary was a “virgin” in all the NT places that refer to her status. The translators were clearly acknowledging that the real father of Jesus was God Himself. So it is unlikely that the same translators would then try to “deny” that fact elsewhere in a single verse by suggesting that Joseph was the actual or physical father of Jesus. Luke had already made it very clear in the previous chapter (Luke 1:34,35) that Mary was a virgin and God was Christ’s actual father (all modern versions that I have confirm this). If so, why is Joseph called the father of Jesus in this verse? Actually, there is really nothing problematic with referring to Joseph as Jesus’ father in such a context. It seems obvious that Jesus revered and recognized Joseph as His earthly father/guardian. Jesus was apparently thought of in the Jewish community as the natural born son of Joseph (Matthew 13:55).

The words translated “his father” in 2:33—o pater autou—appear in most ancient Greek texts. Textual scholars report that the evidence suggests that the phrase was changed to “Joseph” in some ancient Latin versions and their copies, ostensibly to protect the doctrine of the Virgin Birth. For some reason, in Stephanus’ 1550 Greek text, the basic text used by the KJV translators, “Joseph” appears in 2:33: “Joseph and his mother.” The ambiguity of the phrase—sounding like a reference to Joseph’s mother—as well as the manuscript evidence, tag it as an interpolation.

The claim of interpolation obviously arises through a change made in the Textus Receptus. Erasmus, in his first edition in 1516, which was the foundation of the Textus Receptus, had “his father and his mother” at Luke 2:33. He also had “his father and his mother” in his Latin translation. But by the time the Stephanus 1550 Textus Receptus edition was published—a take-off of Erasmus’ work—it had been changed to “Joseph and his mother.” So who “tweaked” the Textus Receptus here? Wycliffe’s Bible translated the verse as “his father and his mother,” as did Tyndale, Cranmer, the Great Bible, Geneva, the Bishop’s Bible, and Douay-Rheims—all except the KJV.

It is interesting that just a few verses later in 2:48, the KJV quotes Mary herself calling Joseph Jesus’ “father”—“And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” (Emphasis mine) This rendering is supported in all Greek manuscripts. Why is it always 2:33 that is mentioned in accusations hurled at other versions and we never hear a word about 2:48? Were the KJV translators denying the Virgin Birth here? Was Mary herself denying the Virgin Birth? If anyone should know the truth, it would be her. If contemporary translations are to be accused, include Mary in the charges. Case dismissed.

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“Decide to forgive” 

Decide to forgive

for resentment is negative.

Resentment is poisonous.

Resentment diminishes and devours the self.

Be the first to forgive,

To smile and to take the first step.

And you will see happiness bloom

On the face of your human brother or sister.

Be always the first.

Do not wait for others to forgive,

For by forgiving

You become the master of fate,

The fashioner of life,

A doer of miracles.

To forgive is the highest,

Most beautiful form of love.

In return you will receive

Untold peace and happiness.

And here is the program for achieving a truly forgiving heart:  Only the brave know how to forgive. A coward never forgives.  It is not in his nature.

Source: www.DearAbby.com; submitted.

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Need computers and Wi-Fi for your church?

Turn it into a mosque and you might be successful in getting both—compliments of the U.S. government.

Three quarters of a billion dollars has been sent to Egypt to help rebuild the sewer system there since some mosques were experiencing flooding. The mosques themselves needed repairs and updating. Mosques in Cyprus have been granted a huge amount of your tax dollars. Mosques in Mali and in Pakistan were provided computers and hooked up to the Internet, courtesy of you and me. All this  is done by our government while suggesting that we eliminate deductions for home mortgages here in the U.S. and make religious organizations pay for contraceptives and abortions. Evidently, the push for separation of church and state only applies to Christianity.

We were warned in writing by Obama himself that he would stand by the Muslims. Why is anyone surprised to find out he is doing it? Our tax dollars are being spent to buy respect from Muslim nations. And are we getting it in return? We are getting continued attempts to blow up planes and buildings in return. Will more tax dollars sent to them change anything?

Source: WSB-TV.wmv. It is my understanding that this information was part of a newscast in Atlanta. To see for yourself, click on the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXWm_xIxnZw.

Now you are invited to read the following item.

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15 Threats to U.S. Economy

http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=8047

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Bible study goes viral

Into His Marvelous Light Interactive Bible Study is now on hundreds of church websites across America. As of 2/22/12, 337 churches have IHML on their websites, or at least have downloaded the Interactive PDF. (Spanish is now ready for downloading.) Additionally, the study is on websites in fourteen foreign countries, including Scotland, Germany, S. Africa, Sweden, Norway, India, Canada, Switzerland, Trinidad/Tobago, Venezuela, Australia, Fiji, and N. Ireland.

Into His Marvelous Light Bible Study is one of the most effective ways of reaching the unsaved today. If you would like to have more information on how your church could be involved in this effective outreach, contact OneHourBibleStudy.com and click on Free IHML Interactive PDF.

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The doom of DOMA

President Obama has worked diligently to totally remove the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) from American law and life. Buying votes from the liberal homosexual community, he has pushed for issues favoring the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) community. The President is following through on virtually every promise he made to bring about the “overwhelming transformation” (his words) of this country into something our forefathers never envisioned. Unless we elect men and women to public office who will stand up for traditional marriage and oppose the homosexual agenda, it is likely that it will go the way of all the earth.

A sad statistic just came down the pike: 60% of couples now live together before marriage. Many are opting to never marry. Copulating and populating outside of marriage is eroding the foundation of our society. Was this what the homosexuals and liberal feminists had in mind all the time? Do these people ever think—what about the children? More and more children recognize they were probably “unwanted” so they feel less and less obligated to their parents. What a vicious, downward spiral!

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Blasphemy and free speech

One of the most disturbing aspects of our current government is its willingness to support all things Islamic. There must be a reason. I updated the March blog with the suggestion that our readers would find it helpful, but many read the blog before it was added. It is definitely worth the few minutes it will take to read it. It is entitled, “Blasphemy and Free Speech.” Click on this link:

http://www.hillsdale.edu/images/userImages/mvanderwei/Page_6907/Imprimis_Feb12.pdf

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Rick Warren says God and Allah are one and the same

By Jim Hinch, for THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

“The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and one of America’s most influential Christian leaders, has embarked on an effort to heal divisions between evangelical Christians and Muslims by partnering with Southern California mosques and proposing a set of theological principles that includes acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

“The effort, informally dubbed King’s Way, caps years of outreach between Warren and Muslims. Warren has broken Ramadan fasts at a Mission Viejo mosque, met Muslim leaders abroad and addressed 8,000 Muslims at a national convention in Washington D.C.” [end]

[Why do Evangelical ministers, including some Apostolics, by the thousands flock to his seminars to sit at his feet and inculcate his heretical doctrines and methodologies that will do nothing but lead them and their churches astray?]

Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California is the eighth largest church in the United States with an average attendance of 20,000 or more.  Rick Warren is the founder and senior pastor of this mega church.  He is also known for his popular book and program of church growth known as The Purpose Driven Church.

He has built his temple of thousands on a platform of liberal theology.  His preaching is more emotionally based than spiritually based, which is how, according to Warren, you build a big church. The bottom line of his philosophy is that it is more important to gather a big crowd than teach sound biblical theology. Crowds bring money, and with them come power and prestige. Truth is fallen in the streets.

In his typical liberal fashion, Pastor Warren has joined a movement known as King’s Way. The movement’s goal is to bring Christians and Muslims together without either group trying to proselytize or convert the other.

As part of this effort, Warren announced that he wants to create a set of principles that both evangelical Christians and Muslims could agree to in the effort to bring churches and mosques closer together. One of those principles is that we both worship the same God. In other words, Allah and God are one and the same deity.

Sorry pastor but you couldn’t be more wrong. Yes, I know that Muslims trace their history back to the Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Jews and Christians trace their history back to Isaac, also the son of Abraham. Warren used this common history as the basis of making his statement on God and Allah being one and the same. How ignorant of the facts of history.

Of course, the Muslim view of Allah is not the same as the Christian view of God. Here are some major differences:

• Allah was one of the pagan gods worshipped by the dwellers on the Arabian peninsula in the sixth century. Mohammad insisted on the worship of Allah alone to the exclusion of all the others. That insistence formed the basis of the Islamic religion.
• The only Person in the Christian Godhead is Jesus Christ.
• In Islam, Jesus was all human who was a prophet whose message has become corrupted.
• Christianity is based upon the fact that Jesus was God incarnate who died on the cross, was resurrected from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the throne of God.  Islam does not recognize Jesus’ deity, death on the cross, and His resurrection.

There are many other differences, these are listed as they are critical to the Christian faith.
Source (with some editorial amendments in the above list): Pastor Rick Warren Says Allah and God Are One in the Same – Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/3962/pastor-rick-warren-says-allah-and-god-are-one-in-the-same/#ixzz1o6mFncct

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Killing babies no different from abortion, experts (?) say

Parents should be allowed to have their newborn babies killed because they are “morally irrelevant” and ending their lives is no different to abortion, a group of medical ethicists linked to Oxford University has argued.

The article, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, says newborn babies are not “actual persons” and do not have a “moral right to life.” The academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if it turns out to be disabled when it is born.

The journal’s editor, Prof Julian Savulescu, director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, said the article’s authors had received death threats since publishing the article. He said those who made abusive and threatening posts about the study were “fanatics opposed to the very values of a liberal society.”

The article, entitled “After-birth abortion: Why should the baby live?”, was written by two of Prof Savulescu’s former associates, Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva.

They argued: “The moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus in the sense that both lack those properties that justify the attribution of a right to life to an individual.”

Rather than being “actual persons,” newborns were “potential persons.” They explained: “Both a fetus and a newborn certainly are human beings and potential persons, but neither is a ‘person’ in the sense of ‘subject of a moral right to life.’

Source: By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent; 2/29/12

When was the last time you heard the word “infanticide”? Who’s next on the “expendable” list? Give you three guesses, and the last two aren’t needed.

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Fat-free tofu only?

The food stamp program: Part of the Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of food stamps ever.

Meanwhile, the Park Service, also part of the Department of Agriculture, asks us to “please do not feed the animals” because the animals may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.

Helllllooooooo…..

If the government becomes the sole supplier of our food, then they will have total control over our lives. How easy to take the next step to mandate that the stamps are redeemable only for foods the government approves.

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Anybody else need anything?

U.S. immigration officials are under standing orders to provide abortion services for detained illegal aliens in some circumstances and hormone therapy to those who say they are transgendered.

The orders to do so are included in the “2011 Operations Manual ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards” for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security.

Detention facilities are required to provide female detainees with “pregnancy services including routine or specialized prenatal care, postpartum follow-up, lactation services and abortion services,” the manual dictates.

The government will pay for an abortion in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger, according to the manual. In other cases, the female detainee who wants to halt a pregnancy must pay for the abortion, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement will cover transportation costs to and from the abortion clinic.

The guidelines, which CNSNews.com highlighted in a report on 2/26/12, require a specially trained officer to interview aliens within 12 hours of detention.

“Transgender detainees who were already receiving hormone therapy when taken into ICE custody shall have continued access,” according to the regulations. “All transgender detainees shall have access to mental health care, and other transgender-related health care and medication based on medical need. Treatment shall follow accepted guidelines regarding medically necessary transition-related care.”

Source: Newsmax, 3/24/12

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This is especially for someone reading this blog. Is it you?

Charles Mackay (1814-1889) wrote the popular poem You have no enemies, you say?:

You have no enemies, you say?

Alas, my friend, the boast is poor,
For those who have mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure,
Must have made foes.
If you have none,
Small is the work that you have done.
You’ve hit no traitor on the hip,
You’ve dashed no cup from perjured lip,
You’ve never set the wrong to right.
You’ve been a coward in the fight.

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Jewelry from the Time of the Judges Found at Megiddo

Archaeologists working at the site of Megiddo in Israel’s Jezreel Valley recently discovered a hoard of gold, silver and bronze jewelry dating to around 1100 B.C.E. The jewelry was found wrapped in fabric and hidden inside a ceramic vessel that had been excavated in the summer of 2010 from an early Iron Age dwelling at the site. It is hoped that further analysis of both the textiles and jewelry can reveal important clues as to their origins and use.

Source: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff   •  03/01/2012

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BooksBooksBooksBooksBooks

Order these books from advanceministries.org

Better Than The Angels

by E. L. Holley

Here are the late E. L. Holley’s own teaching notes on the Book of Hebrews. His unique insight will provide a perspective that will shed new light on difficult passages. The material is clear, candid, and convincing. It has been winnowed so that the reader receives only the whole kernel, the heart of the matter and the real meaning that the author wanted to convey. The power of brevity is at work in these lines.
E. L. Holley was respected for his communication skills, his grasp of the Scriptures, and his insight into human nature that few have possessed. You will enjoy sitting at his feet and learning as he opens up the mysteries of Hebrews. AM price $6.95

Stepping Stones

by Nevin Bass

God teaches life’s lessons through trials. They are a part of every believers experience. Trials are a part of every believers life. The good news is that trials are one of the most effective methods that God uses to prepare us for His perfect plan.
Our trials will either be stepping stones to greatness or stumbling blocks of destruction.
We will either allow our trials to develop the traits needed to achieve God’s ultimate desire for our life, or we will resist change and find fault with the direction in which God leads us.
Our tests will either be our servants to minister grace toward us, or they will become our enemies and hinder our progress.
The determining factor is our attitude. We are not allowed to choose our trials, but each of us must choose how we will react to these times of testing. Take a journey through the wilderness with the Hebrew people and learn why God did not lead them in a direct route to the Promised Land. The path on which God led the exodus generation afforded opportunities for the people to grow and be prepared for the eventual conquest of Canaan. See how God provided opportunities for the people to learn to:

Conquer Fear
Beat Bitterness
Cultivate Thankfulness
Endure Dryness
Deal with Delays

AM Price $13.95

The Teachers Resource on CD is a PowerPoint presentation to go with Stepping Stones book.

AM price $14.95

Married W/O Spouses

by Christine Carney

This book is written for women whose husbands are not in the church. In spite of this spiritual handicap, you will come to understand that you are called to serve God as He desires in your life. As you read, you will begin a journey toward experiencing spiritual growth, gaining confidence to seek, pursue, and fulfill the service into which He has called you, to the fullest capacity!  AM price $9.95

Cooking With Wisdom

by Sylvia Ferrin

This Apostolic author recognizes that many people want to eat healthier and take better care of their bodies but simply don’t know where to start. This book is designed to accompany Food For Thought and will help you gently transition to a healthier lifestyle.
You’ll discover that cooking nourishing meals can be fun and rewarding. As you replace unhealthy foods with more nutritious options, your conscientious choices will yield gratifying benefits. And you will realize that good-for-you foods can also taste good!   AM Price $11.95

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The Causes of Ancient Rome’s Collapse

In his book, Caesar and Christ, historian Will Durant has documented the collapse of the Roman Empire with stunning words that seem to speak directly to the American nation at this point in time:

“A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within.  The essential causes of Rome’s decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars….

“Rome was conquered not by a barbarian invasion from without, but by barbarian multiplication within….

“Moral decay contributed to the dissolution.  The virile character that had been formed by arduous simplicities and a supporting faith relaxed in the sunshine of wealth and the freedom of unbelief; men had now, in the middle and upper classes, the means to yield to temptation, and only expediency to restrain them.  Urban congestion multiplied contacts and frustrated surveillance; immigration brought together a hundred cultures whose differences rubbed themselves out into indifference.  Moral and esthetic standards were lowered by the magnetism of the mass; and sex ran riot in freedom while political liberty decayed….

“The economic causes of Rome’s decline [were] . . . the precarious dependence upon provincial grains, and the collapse of the slave supply and the latifundia [i.e., the large estates]; the deterioration of transport and the perils of trade; the loss of provincial markets to provincial competition; the inability of Italian industry to export the equivalent of Italian imports, and the consequent drain of precious metals to the East; the destructive war between rich and poor; the rising cost of armies, doles, public works, an expanding bureaucracy, and a parasitic [royal] court; the depreciation of the currency; the discouragement of ability, and the absorption of investment capital by confiscatory taxation; the emigration of capital and labor, the strait jacket of serfdom placed upon agriculture, and of caste forced upon industry: all these conspired to sap the material base of Italian life, until at last the power of Rome was a political ghost surviving its economic death….

“The political causes of decay were rooted in one fact—that increasing despotism destroyed the citizen’s civic sense and dried up statesmanship at its source.”

Source: Caesar and Christ, pp. 665-668.

Are you praying for America?

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The mainstream media at work

Old editors never die, they just keep using their Whiteout.

Parting shots

D.L. Moody, when speaking of the Masons said, “You can never reform anything by unequally yoking yourself to ungodly men. True reformers separate themselves from the world.”

“There is no other single force causing so much measurable hardship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage.” – David Jeremiah in I Never Thought I’d See the Day, p. 107, quoting Time magazine author Caitlin Flanagan.

Speaking of marriage, I recently read about the conversation between a father and his daughter’s suitor who was seeking her hand in marriage. The father was questioning him closely about his plans. “Do you have a job?” he asked. “Yes,” the boy replied. The father pressed him further: “Are you sure you can support a family?” “Absolutely,” the young man assured him. “Think, now,” the father said. “There are twelve of us.”

Have the best April ever! Make it the centerpiece of your “Apostolic Spring.”

JREnsey

And people wonder why I act like a 12-year-old.

In truth, at least some of the party favors were for Oliver, who shares my birthday. But the point still stands — I feel young, immature and hopeful for the future.

I have never been a huge fan of growing up. I have no qualms about responsibility, I can manage my finances reasonably well and I don’t mind shopping around for car insurance. But I never saw the upside of getting too old to play with Legos, or giving up my dream of playing professional tennis. Why not start a rock band? The Rolling Stones are in their 90s for crying out loud.

Certainly there is an element of vanity in my “Carpe prepubescence” philosophy of living; if I’m perpetually 12 years old, then I certainly can’t have gray hair, wrinkles or an irretrievably massive gut. But I like to think it’s more about grasping the emotional highs of that stage of my life and riding them into my retirement years.

Because here’s the thing, now that I have reached 40, I don’t see it as the cresting of a hill, or the end of something, it’s very clearly a beginning. That may sound like a rationalization, but it’s truly how I feel. From where I sit, I can see dozens of things in the immediate, intermediate and distant future that are at least as exciting as what I have already experienced: vacations, recitals, games, competitions, graduations, births…the list seems virtually endless.

So forgive me if I skip the mid-life crisis, the depression or the regrets. From one day on the other side of the Big 4-0, all I see are good things. I am still a bit stuffed from the overindulgence but nothing that will stop me from playing some Legos, or plugging in my Fender Starcaster (in the coveted sunburst color!).

I think I’ll learn the riff to “Satisfaction.” The Stones could use a little young blood.

Dun eve donerken trende Ursula’nin 5 mart blog’unu okudum. Hicbirseyi kacirmiyor 80 kusur yaslarindaki Ursula ve bu konuyu da kacirmamis. Lutfen okuyun, Google Goggles at http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Blog2012.html#New.

Teknolojinin hayatimiza, insanin yasama bakisina, insan ve tum evrenle iliskisine nasil bir etkide bulunduguna dair, hatta gercekle, elle uzanip tutabilecegimiz duru gercekle aramiza nasil bir gorulmez duvar ordugumuze dair. Bu konuda Ursula’yi cok iyi anliyorum ama onun da soyledigi gibi, onune gecilmez bir sel bu.

Dun Apple’in yeni yuzu Cook, San Francisco’da yeni iPad’in  tanitimini yapti. Haftalardir merakla beklenen yeni iPad, yine yeri gogu sarsacak, tuketiciye yeni heyecanlar verecek miydi? Analistlerin verdigi rapora gore, yeni iPad yer sarsintisi yaratan devrimlerle gelmiyor, ancak  eski iPad’i bir adim oteye goturuyor. Daha hizli, ekran kalitesi mucizevi, sozle komut alip, yaziya ceviriyor. Hmmm, buyuk hayal kirikligi.. Bu yeni oyuncak icin buyuk beklentiler varmis meger. Herkes nefeslerini tutmus bekliyormus. Tuketici de, is alemi de. Steve Jobs’dan sonra Apple’in gelecegi tartisiliyordu, simdi devrimler yapmayan bu yeni versiyon (yeni urun degil, yeni versiyon), bir kere daha bunu dogrulamis, yani uzun lafin kisasi , ne olacak bu Apple’in hali? Eger bu sene sonuna dek, yeni bir ‘ihtiyac’ icad edip, yepyeni bir cozumle piyasayi allak bullak etmez ise, Apple’in sonu iyi gorunmuyor. Yani ben bir icat yaptim, benden bu kadar deyip koseye cekilmek yok oyle eskiden oldugu gibi, yeni, yepyeni, bambaska, gorulmemis, duyulmamis, ihtiyac duydugumuzu bile bilmedigimiz yeni urunlerle cikmali firmalar karsimiza, sarsmali bizi.

Demem o ki, artik teknolojik yeniliklere, devir acan oyuncaklara olan susamisligimiz sonsuz, bize ne verilse memnun olmayacak, yeni, daha iyisi, daha otesini , daha hizlisini ve aslinda bizim icin yeniden tanimlanan, bicimlenen bir yasam tarzini isteyecegiz.

Ursula’nin da korktugu gibi, bu ‘google donanimli’ gozlukler sadece gorme sorunu olan kimselerin degil, sokaktaki herkesin eli ayagi, gozu olacak, buna suphe yok.  Insanin ‘sade’  yuzune hasret kalacagiz, besbelli. Ve belki de, bunun uc bes adim otesi , insan zekasinda robot uretmek yerine, kendimizi robota cevirecegiz.  Kimbilir. Gorecek yeni nesiller. O kadar bekleyebilirsek tabi…

It is a statement I hear again and again when I ask clients with disordered eating how they feel. For those struggling in relationship to food and to their bodies, “fat” can sometimes seem the most predominant and relevant feeling they experience. The truth is that while one may have the thought I am fat—whether or not that thought is accurate or kind—“fat” is not an actual feeling.

Consider the possibility that there are seven primary emotions: anger, sadness, joy, love, guilt, fear and shame. From these seven, all other emotions may blossom. To name an emotion when one feels it has been shown in some people to activate portions of the brain responsible for reasoning, and in so doing to regulate that emotion. When emotion is regulated, one may respond rather than react to surroundings. As the expression goes: to name it is to tame it. Naming a felt emotion and witnessing that emotion from a place of steadiness can be a powerful transformative tool. That place of steadiness may be created through a number of mindfulness practices such as yoga, and is especially supported by the presence of a trusted, compassionate other.

So the question “How are you feeling?” is important and valuable, especially in the context of therapy. When a person struggling with disordered eating answers “fat” to the question, I encourage that individual to dig deeper by asking: What does it mean to you to be “fat”? What sensations do you notice in your body when you say you “feel fat”? Do you notice any changes in your breath when you express this sentiment? When do you first remember having such a feeling? Can you link one or more of the seven primary emotions to that which you are experiencing right now?

For some people, “fat” is code for a deep shame they feel regarding their bodies and their various hungers. For others, “fat” may be related to guilt they are experiencing regarding a food-related behavior that does not support mental or physical health. Perhaps there is a fear of taking up too much space in the world, based on a sense of unworthiness. In some instances, it may be easier to focus on some feature of the flesh—real or imagined—than to face deeper and more painful emotions.

If you are someone who finds yourself answering the question “How are you feeling?” with the word “fat,” I encourage you to inquire into what “fat” means to you, and to support this inquiry with a compassion for yourself that stems from your true and abiding birthright to grow and evolve.

I am with Big Boots, playing Gears of War when my mobile does the worm. It’s Pilgrim, letting me know what time we’re leaving tomorrow. We’re going to London; a huge trip to celebrate his 4 years at Chawn.

London.

I sigh.

Evocative. Pretentious. Sucky.

Now, I grew up in Birmingham. A dysfunctional city living in a global city neighbourhood. A city that tries to look flashy, with a giant mutated golf ball full of chocolate-coated insects; but that deep down has the integrity of John Terry. Bah! I disapprove.

Until someone mentions London. The Ego of England. Haughty. Boorish. Orc-voiced.

London sucks.

 -

It’s tomorrow. And early. I look outside, and see children playing pooh sticks in the snow as a middle-aged man in a top hat rides a ridiculously massive and small bike. I decide it’s too early, and coax myself into consciousness with Smallville DVDs. And soon I am on a minibus. To Mordor. We park in Paddington’s secret car park, less than a finger’s width from the wall. It’s class parking, and I am concerned, because I have just found something genuinely impressive. In London.

I am remaining vigilant as we reach Buckingham Palace. Pilgrim’s got  the Chawn youth excited about the changing of the guards. He’s Canadian, and this is the kind of thing that gets Canadians excited. Bricks, undiluted squash. They love it. What they don’t know is that the changing of the guards is probably just two blokes switching places and going “alright.” I sigh. Pilgrim’s bouncing. I hope he’s not too disappointed, but then at least he’ll get the true English experience.

BLARP!

I have been blarped! So turn to see a regiment of 17^th century horsemen blarping horns. Oh. This… this is the changing of the guards?!

Pilgrim is beaming.

I smile. He’s a man of simple pleasures.

 -

Pilgrim takes us on a tour of the city, turning me into deep-tube-thrombosis blocking up the underground. We see the Tower of London, St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey. And it’s all a little bit sucky.

Until Irwin and Smithy have an idea.

A class idea. They lie down. And immediately we are into Kodak mode. Pilgrim gets us all to lie in a long line across the front of the Abbey for a picture. We get a small ripple of applause and a song from some nearby Italians. I smile, and ask them what they were singing.

They look nervously at each other.

“Stupid… stupid…”

Oh. I smile, and see Irwin Jackie Chan-ing up two columns. It’s well impressive, and inspires human pyramid attempts. The photo fever turns epidemic, and suddenly we are stopping for photographs with a random kissing German couple, and a security woman at Trafalgar Square who lets Smithy wear her hat. We make it look like we’re drinking/weeing the fountain and like Ranvir’s head is an erupting volcano. We carry on walking, and see a statue.

A statue of a naked bloke standing behind some sheep.

We smile.

And begin.

 -

“Oi!”

A uniform is striding towards us.

“That is a work of art! Get off it!!!”

I sigh. Pretentious. We decide to show him what real art is, and spell out the word ‘Chawn’ with people. Loads of randoms stop to ask what Chawn is, and an American man tells me about his family. Who sound lovely, by the way. And stocked up with meat. By which I mean American.

-

We head back to the tube for our final excursion of the day, racing up and down escalators the wrong way and hearing a heartbreaking blind busker whistle. Finally we make it to Harrods, excited to have our peasanthood rubbed in our faces. We step into the porchway and are immediately ejected by a vicious doorman in a posh suit. He’s probably the antichrist. Or a rottweiler crossed with a tory. By which I mean a tory.
“Sorry, you can’t come in. Groups need to book two days in advance.”

Pilgrim leads us outside as The Antichrist puts the other guards on high alert.

“There are some young people! Trying to get into a public place!”

I glare at him, but he’s not looking at me. I decide to carry on just in case. Pilgrim tells us to wait while he goes back and tries to win some friends and influence people. I ask the youth for their predictions as to whether or not we’ll get in.

Nobody says yes.

Pilgrim returns.

We’ll get in.

Oh.

I stop glaring.

The deal is that we pair up, so I team up with Gregorius to find the most expensive thing in the shop. We walk in, and it’s like the waiting room for a dentists in Heaven. There’s a polo shirt for £5000, and a kitchen for £93,000. There’s loads of seriously shiny stuff in this shop, but I’m totally distracted by the girls that work here. They’re all ridiculously hot. I text Big Boots. Who asks me to bring some back. I tell him I would, but it’s probably not a good example for the youth. I consult Gregorius, who agrees that it would be a good… tactical… decision to ask one of these gorgeous girls about the most expensive items. I get my game face on, and approach.

“Excuse me…”

Gregorius whispers to me.

“Dan, you’ve gone red!”

“Shut up Greg!”

One Of These Gorgeous Girls tells us about a snooker table she sold for £1,000,000. Greg and I have jaws agape. The girl smiles. I smile back. She’s definitely into me.

We carry on hunting.
“I’m not saying anything, Dan; but that girl was definitely into me.”

I sigh.

“Honestly, Greg. You’re so immature.”

 -

I arrive back at The Maynard after an evening minibus journey full of photos and laughter and sheep. Big Boots is playing Gears of War.

“Where d’you go today, Dan?”

“London.”

“Did it suck?”

“No.”

Big Boots pauses the game, and stares at me blankly.

“Well, yes. But the Chawn youth are amazing!”
He smiles, and passes me a control pad.

This miracle was recorded at Michael Reid Ministries

This miracle was recorded at Michael Reid Ministries