Saturday, November 23, 2013

Sat Nov 23rd Todays News

Flannery's prediction regarding rain has not been right, or Australian cricketers might have won more test matches this year (by more, I mean some). But it hasn't panned out, because it was a grossly unprofessional lie. The ABC have been broadcasting such grossly unprofessional lies for a long time. There is no balance within the national broadcaster. How that problem will be addressed will define how Australia will heal from the ALP years. One telling note is the ABC discovering they were the source of the leak of their salary. The problem is not the leak. It isn't just global warming that ABC is opinionated and wrong about, it is also politics. 
GG Bryce has again demonstrated why she is not fit for that office. She has in the past protected Queensland ALP from facing justice over their executive decision to commit a crime by destroying evidence of a gang rape of an aboriginal child held in detention. She has campaigned for the ALP in a bid for a UN seat. Her opinion on gay marriage is legitimate of a private citizen, not of a head of state. Her republican views are similarly incommensurate with her office. Should there arise a constitutional crisis, many would feel she is partisan. However, she is clearly trying to push Mr Abbott into a rash act, so a to delegitimise her successor. 
Barrie Cassidy occasionally says something right. I don't hear him say it, when he does, as I won't watch ABC news or current affairs .. I don't share their opinions. Riots in Indonesia show that ABC opinions are unbalanced and dangerous. Gillard takes sides, opposing her own government and attacking Mr Abbott. Where is that highly lauded policy dynamo that was credited with Medicare Gold a decade before Obamacare? 
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Hatches
Happy birthday and many happy returns Christopher Vuu and Quoc Viet Nguyen. Born on the same day, across the years, along with
Matches
Despatches
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THE NATURE MONSTER MUST BE DESTROYED

Tim Blair – Saturday, November 23, 2013 (6:36am)

Australia hasn’t won a Test match for 321 days. Following Mitchell Johnson’s heroic bowling against the English in Brisbane, surely only Gaia herself can prevent a long-overdue Australian victory. And that is exactly what the evil nature goddess plans, judging by predictions for the next three days:

image 
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OWN GOAL

Tim Blair – Friday, November 22, 2013 (5:33pm)

In the immediate wake of this week’s ABC payroll hilarity, blundering ABC boss Mark Scott called News Corp’s David Penberthy instead of ABC CEO David Pendleton. And now it emerges that another ABC blunder revealed the information in the first place
The office of a former Liberal South Australian state minister has been revealed as the source of the ABC payroll leak.
It is understood a freedom of information request made from the office of Robert Brokenshire – now a Family First MP – led to a much larger cache of data than intended being inadvertently sent. 
What these geniuses need is more of our money.
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Holden just needs to pay normal wages and it won’t need out handouts

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (11:42am)


Grace Collier says there is a way to make Holden profitable that doesn’t involve more massive handouts from taxpayers:
In the past, Holden has misinformed us on its workers’ salaries, claiming the average worker earns $55,000....
While the Modern Award base salaries for vehicle builders are in the modest $37,000-$42,000 range, the base rates in Holden’s agreement are in the $60,000-$80,000 range. Add on to this loadings and penalties and I am comfortable betting that if Holden was compelled by government, as it should be, to produce the group certificates of workers, earnings would show in the $100,000 to $150,000 range.
Putting aside wages, the agreement does not let Holden manage its own business. It cannot even hire a casual for one hour without union permission. You just cannot run a business like that. There is, of course, an easy way to fix all this and save Holden. If the workers want to keep their jobs, they can. If Holden wants to stay in Australia, it can. If the union wants its members to have ongoing work, it can.
If the Holden workers went back on to the award, Holden would be miraculously transformed. Labour costs would drop by somewhere between 50 and 75 per cent. Productivity would skyrocket. No productivity inquiry would be needed. Holden might even make a profit and pay the country a dividend as return on its many years of “co-investment”.
(Thanks to reader Peter of Bellevue Hill.) 
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Bryce must resign for taking Shorten’s side

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (11:32am)


It is wrong for a Governor-General to publicly side with the Opposition Leader on two hotly debated issues - and even more so when that Opposition Leader is her son in law. Bill Shorten:

THE Queen’s representative in Australia has reignited the republic debate by being the first serving Governor-General to publicly call for an Australian Head of State.
Quentin Bryce, who will retire in March, also supported gay marriage in a landmark speech urging greater respect and care for all Australians.
Delivering the ABC Boyer Lecture in Sydney, Ms Bryce said her vision was for a country “where people are free to love and marry whom they choose and where perhaps my friends, one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation’s first Head of State”.
Shorten’s own opinion on gay marriage:
A spokeswoman for Mr Shorten said ... “As stated previously, Bill supports a conscience vote on this. He personally supports marriage equality and voted for the legislation in parliament...”
Prime Minister Abbott’s view:

I don’t think we should lightly change patterns of behaviour, institutional arrangements, which have stood the test of time. And since time immemorial, as far as I’m aware in all cultures, marriage, or solemnised relationships, have been between a man and a woman. I am disinclined to think that all of that history should be turned on its head just because, at this moment in time, albeit a significant section of the population thinks that we could do things in a way which is in need of something different.
Shorten’s view on a republic:
I believe we do need the start laying the groundwork to educate people that moving toward a Republic is a good idea, not a bad idea.
Abbott’s view:

I think that our existing constitutional arrangements have worked well in the past. I see no reason whatsoever why they can’t continue to work well in the future.
Bryce, whose term ends next year, should resign now.  It is grossly improper to intervene so strongly on the side of Labor - and her son-in-law.
PS: Why is that the Left cannot avoid the temptation of misusing their borrowed authority to advance their political ideology - whether as academics, bishops, judges ... or governors-general?
UPDATE
Samuel J at Catallaxy is even stronger on this point:

Bryce’s advocacy of a republic and gay marriage is highly political and unworthy of a Governor General. She acted inappropriately in offering her resignation – rather than merely resigning – after the election when her son-in-law became Leader of the Opposition. She has now compounded that error.
Bryce has no judgement, no dignity and no gravitas.  She is a disgrace to her office.
I actually thought Bryce was doing a good job after an initial period in office of highly inappropriate political activities, which I criticised at the time. I very much regret she couldn’t wait until she was just a citizen again before once again playing politics.
UPDATE
Just the fact that the Prime Minister is forced to respond to Bryce’s advocacy demonstrates she crossed a line. At least Abbott replied with his customary grace and respect for office:
Mr Abbott, a staunch Catholic and monarchist who doesn’t support gay marriage, said ”it’s more than appropriate for the governor-general approaching the end of her term to express a personal view.”
“And as you’d expect of Quentin Bryce, she did it in graceful style,” he told reporters.
When asked whether Ms Bryce’s comments had swayed his view, Mr Abbott offered a vague answer.
“Different people have different views on these subjects. She was expressing her view, others express their views.”
Bryce should resign and in doing so express her regret for her lapse of judgment.
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The Bolt Report tomorrow

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (11:32am)


On The Bolt Report tomorrow, 10am and 4.30pm…
Australia betrayed.
Gerard Henderson on an ABC I think is out of control.
The great Niki Savva and former Keating Government Minister Gary Johns. The Governor-General plays politics and Julia Gillard sides with Indonesia.
Australia’s global warming negotiators torment greens in Warsaw.
The twitter feed.
The place the videos appear
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Barrie Cassidy is right about the damage done by the media. Why doesn’t he tell his boss?

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (11:00am)


ABC commentator Barrie Cassidy is worried that the media is damaging our relationship with Indonesia.
So am I, but here’s the difference. I think the media organisation that’s done the most damage is Cassidy’s own ABC, which published damaging stolen secrets. Cassidy, however...
The Coalition’s supporters among the shock jocks can shout from the rooftops that Australia should tell the Indonesians to “get stuffed”. But they have to then accept the consequences. If the boats start arriving again in big numbers, or even worse, if an intelligence sharing breakdown leads to a terrorist attack, will they feel better having told the Indonesians to “get stuffed”? If Australian beef producers go to the wall when orders are cancelled, will they feel better because they told the Indonesians to “get stuffed”?
All excellent points about the damage done by irresponsible media outlets, but shouldn’t they be directed by Cassidy at Cassidy’s boss?
(Thanks to reader Peter of Bellevue Hill.)
UPDATE
Cassidy is stretching things dramatically to put “get stuffed” in quotation marks, given that they were actually an ironic paraphrase of what someone else said.
As far as I know, not a single “shock jock” has told Indonesia to “get stuffed” and Cassidy does not name anyone who did.
Still, it’s nice to be read. 
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Riots in Jakarta show the ABC breached its agreement. Maybe even the law

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (10:37am)


ABC boss Mark Scott on why the ABC published stolen intelligence material revealing Australia spied on the Indonesian president:
The test we apply is whether releasing material is in the public interest. At times some people talk about ‘the national interest’ rather than talking about ‘the public interest’.
Yes, I appreciate that the release of some of this material might be embarrassing and that the release of some of this material may cause some difficulties in the Australia-Indonesia relationship in the short term. But I think we would say that that reporting was absolutely in the public interest...and probably in the national interest in the long term.
In fact, the ABC also runs the Australia Network, beaming into Indonesia, which it got on the basis of fulfilling this requirement from the Federal Government - to act in the national interest:
to specifically address how their operation of the Australia Network service would meet Australia’s national interests ..........for a service that will support Australia’s national interests and meet the Commonwealth Objectives.... required the Australia Network service provider to promote a positive image of Australia.
So how is this in the national interest - or, indeed, in the public interest?
Hundreds of members from various hardline Islamic groups clashed with police in front of the Australian embassy on Friday, some calling for blood, in response to the spying scandal which has caused relations between Canberra and Jakarta to sink to their lowest level since the East Timor crisis in 1999.
An Australian flag and pictures of Prime Minister Tony Abbott were set alight.
The embassy was also pelted with rocks and eggs, and a mock coffin bearing a photo of Mr Abbott was left on the road in front of the compound.
Earlier, a senior member from the extremist organisation Hizbut Tahrir, speaking through a PA system erected on a truck in front of the embassy, told supporters it was regrettable that the bombing of the building in 2004 was not more successful.
“When a bomb exploded here, in front of the embassy, it was only a problem because it didn’t get inside,” he said.
Members of the Islamic Defenders Front shouted: “Burn, burn, Australia, burn Australia from now on.”
At a minimum the ABC must be stripped of the Australia Network.
UPDATE
Christopher Joye in the Financial Review:
Under the Officials Secrets section 79 of the Crimes Act a person can be imprisoned for up to seven years for communicating or retaining secret government information, particularly if it prejudices the Commonwealth’s security or defence, when they know it has been illegally supplied to them, when they have no right to retain it, and/or if they fail to take reasonable care to ensure that it is not publicly shared.
Should Mark Scott and the Guardian Australia’s Katherine Viner not then be charged?

Mark Scott is smoking dope if he thinks the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was acting in the “public interest” when it published the top secret details of Australian foreign intelligence operations, possibly in breach of section 79 of the Crimes Act, which covers “official secrets"…
Mr Scott must explain how it is in the Australian public’s interest for the ABC’s disclosure of the details of sensitive yet conventional intelligence exercises to trigger a major crisis in our relations with our most important near neighbour, Indonesia.
How does the Australian public benefit from Indonesia threatening to cease co-operation on people smuggling, counter-terrorism, trans-national crime and decelerate economic trade, to say nothing of recalling its ambassador and suggesting Australia’s envoy could be expelled?
And how can the ABC’s crippling of Australian intelligence agencies’ future capacity to source information on the intentions of Indonesia’s decision-makers be in the best interests of taxpayers?
UPDATE
The ABC broke its deal and should lose the Australia Network:

FORMER ABC board member Keith Windschuttle has backed calls for a review of the ABC’s $233 million Australia Network contract…
Mr Windschuttle, the editor of Quadrant magazine, was on the ABC board when it prepared its submission for the Australia Network contract, and said he understood its main theme was to “further the process of Australian ‘soft diplomacy’ in the Asia-Pacific”.
“By publicising illegally obtained information that patently works against Australian interests in the region, the ABC appears to have abrogated its claim to be acting in the spirit of its original submission,” he said.
“If the ABC did not have the Australia Network contract, then it could have treated the Snowden leaks like any independent news organisation and publicised them, whether or not this was in Australia’s national interests or the public interest.”
(Thanks to readers Gab, Peter and Cold-Hands.) 
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Butt out, lady: Julia Gillard sides with Indonesia against Tony Abbott

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (10:09am)


Julia Gillard, like the Governor-General, forgets her responsibilities. As a former Prime Minister, only recently out of the job, it is simply disgraceful that she should now run interference as the new Prime Minister tries to resolve a dispute with a foreign power.
Even worse is that Gillard actually sides with an Indonesian demand, against what the current Prime Ministers and his advisers judge to be the national interest:
Former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard says Tony Abbott should promise not to tap the phone of the Indonesian president in the future...
Ms Gillard ... endorsed the way United States president Barack Obama handled similar allegations that the US was spying on the German chancellor Angela Merkel.
“If he (Mr Obama) had been aware he wouldn’t have authorised it, and he could certainly say for the future that it wouldn’t happen again,” she told CNN.
“And I think that that’s an appropriate response from Australia to Indonesia at this very difficult time.”
Indonesia wants us to promise not to spy on its presidents in future. Abbott cannot start promising foreign leaders any such thing. Gillard now helps Indonesia by backing its demand.
Astonishing.
Worse is that Gillard wants Abbott to promise not to do what was authorised by the very government of which she was Deputy Prime Minister. And she wants him to fix what she as Prime Minister left unfixed
From the Sydney Morning Herald, July 26:

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the beneficiary of British spying on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the 2009 G20 summit meeting in London, according to Australian intelligence and foreign affairs sources…
‘’[Prime Minister] Rudd had a keen appetite for intelligence, especially on the Asia-Pacific leaders - Yudhoyono, [Indian Prime Minister] Manmoham Singh, and [former Chinese president] Hu Jintao,’’ one intelligence source said, speaking on condition of anonymity…
Documents released to Fairfax Media under freedom of information laws show former prime minister Julia Gillard was briefed on last month’s disclosures by US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden that British and American intelligence targeted foreign leaders and officials attending the 2009 G20 meetings in London.
Defence, Intelligence and Information Sharing Division head Richard Sadleir briefed Ms Gillard on June 17, immediately after The Guardian newspaper reported that documents leaked by Mr Snowden had revealed the British signals intelligence agency, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), had employed ‘’ground-breaking intelligence capabilities’’ to intercept the communications.
GCHQ’s intelligence collection capabilities at the summit included penetrating the security of delegates’ BlackBerry smartphones to monitor emails and phone calls, and setting up internet cafes where an email interception program and key-logging software spied on delegates’ computer use.
And Gillard say what, exactly? Let’s prepare Indonesia for the leak? Apologise in advance? Promise never to do it again?
Or just leave the mess for the next guy, and then heckle him from the sidelines?
(Thanks to reader Bob K.) 
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A note to warmists: the party is over. Our wallet is closed

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (9:54am)


Global warming has become the excuse for the greatest gravy train known to man:
AUSTRALIA has won support from Britain and others to head off demands for compensation payments to countries hit by damage they blame on climate change, sparking anger at a global summit meant to strike a deal this weekend.
Acting on Tony Abbott’s edict to avoid any new financial commitments, Australian negotiators have held out against calls to support the “loss and damage” payments sought by poorer countries…
Developing nations gained support from Australia and others one year ago to put the “loss and damage” idea on the UN agenda as some advocates called for about $100 billion in annual compensation. That would require $2bn or $3bn a year from Australia ...
Separate talks on climate finance, focused on helping developing countries adapt to climate change consequences such as rising sea levels, are meant to lead to about $100bn in contributions from wealthy countries every year by 2020.
So warmists want us to hand between $4 billion and $6 billion a year to foreign bureaucrats for “climate change” programs?
Seriously? 
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Attention ABC: more of those “rare” cyclones

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (9:35am)


Reader Relevance Please
I’m sick of the uninformed garbage coming out of the ABC. Watching ABC24 this morning and repeated several times was the claim that a tropical low to the North West of Australia was a very rare event for this time of year.
What was bad enough was they were inferring that the low already counted as a tropical cyclone. What was worse was their claim that this ‘rare event’ had occurred ‘about’ three times since the year 1900.
Well the BOM records show that between Feb 1970 and Feb 2011 there were 25 tropical cyclones in Australia during the month of November. Some earlier.
On my calculations that trend would give around 75 November tropical cyclones since 1900. I would hate to think of the amount of tropical lows that never formed into cyclones.
How do they get away with this deceitful rubbish? Or do they expect their audience are so stupid, rusted on or thick they wouldn’t check the facts for themselves?
From the BOM’s cyclone records for our northwest region:
Melanie 29 October - 1 November 1996
Tropical cyclone Zelia 8-10 October 1998
Severe tropical cyclone Alison 7-13 November 1998
Tropical Cyclone Alex 26 - 30 October 2001
Tropical Cyclone Bessi 27-30 November 2001
TC Phoebe 2 - 4 September 2004
Severe Tropical Cyclone Bertie 19-24 November 2005
Unnamed Tropical Cyclone 29-30 July 2007
Tropical Cyclone Lee 11-15 November 2007
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Jonathan Holmes verbals me and should apologise.  Will Media Watch go him?

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (9:04am)


Once again, Fairfax columnist and former ABC presenter Jonathan Holmes misrepresents me to criticise me. This time he falsely claims I accused the Guardian of deliberately holding back its story on Australian spying:
That morning [Miranda Devine] claimed that The Guardian had ‘’sat on its bombshell allegations … for five months’’. And she knew why:
‘’This is the end game for the bleeding heart Left and its media enablers: to prevent the Abbott government from fulfilling its election promise to ‘stop the boats’.’’
Her fellow News stirrer Andrew Bolt agreed: ‘’Hatred of Abbott and his signature boats policy is driving much of this hysterical media coverage and damn the national interest.’’
And so did Fairfax’s Paul Sheehan: ‘’The Guardian had possession of the security leak for months,’’ he wrote on Thursday. ‘’Nothing happened while Labor was in power.’’ Mark Scott’s decision to run with the story ‘’was consistent with, on his watch, the ABC’s institutional hostility to Coalition policies on asylum-seekers … The ABC has got what it wanted.’’
I have nowhere said the Guardian deliberately sat on this story for five months. It is false to say I “agreed” with that proposition. The quote Holmes uses comes from a column in which I do not even mention the delay.
Elsewhere I have mentioned that delay, but pointed out - like Holmes - that the Guardian denied it was deliberate.
Holmes, to honor the standards he so noisily demanded of others, should publicly correct and apologise. Media Watch should pick him up on this, too.
Once again, Holmes and The Age let malice interfere with the facts. Which, not coincidentally, is my charge with so much reporting on the spying story.
UPDATE
I have sent The Age a letter - as I have so often had to do following its reports on me - correcting the record. Let’s see if it has the integrity to correct this gross error:

Once again I’ve been misrepresented by Jonathan Holmes (Opinion, Nov 23).
No, I have never “agreed” with a claim Holmes mocks: that The Guardian deliberately waited for five months to reveal Australia spied on the Indonesian president, just to embarrass Tony Abbott.
Indeed, the quote Holmes uses to frame me comes from a column in which I did not mention that delay at all.
Will Media Watch cover this deceptive reporting by its former host?
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If Abbott promises Indonesia no more spying, what does he say to China?

Andrew Bolt November 23 2013 (8:55am)


Another reason Tony Abbott cannot set a precedent of admitting to spying and ruling out more of the same:
THE Abbott government is bracing for the possible release of more embarrassing material from leaked US intelligence about Indonesia and other Asian nations, as it aims for a “broader and deeper” security relationship with Jakarta…
The US is in “close contact” with the Australian government over the 200,000 secret files leaked by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden as it tries to identify what information has been compromised.
UPDATE
Paul Kelly, one of these demanding Abbott offer Indonesia more, concedes he cannot give what his critics demand:
Offering Yudhoyono an explanation leads to the pivotal issue: does Abbott give assurances of no future intelligence operations against the Indonesian President? This is what Yudhoyono must prefer. It is the promise US President Barack Obama gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel, so a precedent exists.
From his remarks, Abbott seems determined to avoid this position. So does Australia’s national security establishment. Given Australia’s intelligence activity across Southeast Asia, any such public pledge would extend the problem, make it regional and provoke demands from other nations - think Malaysia and Papua New Guinea - for the same assurance. It would become farcical.
Abbott’s critics in Australia should be much more careful. They badly want to attack Abbott for “bungling” his response, but in doing so they want him to offer what can only hurt Australia - and possibly put Australian lives at risk. 
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But isn’t a private apology private? And if it’s not, should Abbott give one?

Andrew Bolt November 22 2013 (4:28pm)


I’m hearing Tony Abbott being attacked on Sky News - and by many Leftist critics elsewhere - for not privately apologising to the Indonesian President for our alleged spying on his phone.  (I presume his critics are slowly accepting that initial demands Abbott apologise publicly were against the national interest.)
Excuse me, but how do these critics know Abbott hasn’t rung Yudhoyono privately? 
And if these critics reply that a private apology would have been leaked, then they are back to where they started: demanding Abbott make what actually is a public apology. 
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The Mirror

I was teaching an Aperture Academy Night Owls workshop a few months back, and as we tend to do, we hit the Palace of Fine Arts right at dusk... the Bluie Hour as we like to call it. I was busy teaching our students how to get this type of shot, and took one as an example for them so that they knew what they were trying for. The image here was the result of my quick Long Exposure shot of 30 seconds. 

This Saturday afternoon I'm teaching another workshop, but this time down in the beautiful Big Sur coastline region with my good pal Jean Day. I'm greatly looking forward to showing our participants just how fantastic a place this part of California is!
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Lyrics show what it cost to have Democrat policies (ALP policies in Aus). 110th street is not like that now. - ed

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A WOMAN OF VALOR

Chloe' Simone Valdary is a Christian African-American student at the University of New Orleans. She is a staunch pro-Israel advocate, and founded "Allies of Israel" a group which advocates for a strong Israel, and also to fight global anti-Semitism, which is on the upswing and is at the root of the conflict.

The University of New Orleans has nearly 13,000 undergraduate students, about 75 of whom are Jewish. There are no Jewish studies courses, there are no Jewish services available and there is no kosher food available on campus. In contrast to the absence of a Jewish presence on campus, the university has a Muslim Student Association and a General Union of Palestine Students. New Orleans is also a city which had been the scene of many anti-Israel demonstrations.

Thanks to the efforts of Valdary, even students at the University of New Orleans will learn about Israel despite the lack of a strong Jewish presence at the school.

PLEASE LIKE AND READ MORE ABOUT THIS AWESOME YOUNG WOMAN
http://www.fighthatred.com/fighting-hate/people/1142-chloe-simone-valdary-organized-allies-of-israel-on-the-campus-of-the-university-of-new-orleans-in-order-to-fight-hatred-against-jews-and-israel

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<"Mission Accomplished". *Bangs a gong and bows*>
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http://www.news.com.au/technology/wanted-man-taunts-cops-on-facebook-caught-five-minutes-later/story-e6frfrnr-1226766785970
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http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books-magazines/books-you-have-to-read-before-30/story-fna50uae-1226766755136
I love books. Most of these are not inspiring or worthy of spending much time. How about Watership Down? Diana by Delderfield, or To Serve Them All My Days? James Branch Cabell's Jurgen or Figures of Earth? Edding's Belgariad? Stow's Midnite? Job? Anne Rice's Jesus The Lord? Redeeming Love? - ed
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http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=198048
Three years in the making by a master .. ed
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bridge made for local crab population
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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/pm-puts-the-national-interest-first-in-spy-row/story-e6frg71x-1226766421472
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You get a guernsey too Christian Kerr>

www.theage.com.au
http://www.theage.com.au/national/your-salaries-uncapped-20131122-2y1be.html
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http://rhondagessner.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/a-killer-in-your-fridge-sweet-poison-a-must-read/
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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/tony-abbott-the-unelectable-leader-who-changed-politics/story-e6frg6z6-1226766317701#mm-register
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A 25-year-old seaman from Hainan Island, off the south coast of China, Poon Lim shipped out as a second steward on the British merchant ship Ben Lomond. The ill-fated vessel left Cape Town carrying a crew of 55. It was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat on Nov. 23, 1942. The ship was sinking rapidly, so Poon Lim leaped over the side. He had tied a life jacket around himself, so he surfaced and swam as quickly as he could away from the freighter and the futile calls for help of his shipmates.

When the ship's boilers exploded the Ben Lomond sank below the surface of the Atlantic. Poon Lim paddled in the water, holding his head as high as he could above each wave in hopes of spotting a life raft. He saw one with several sailors clinging to it, but it drifted away. Those five sailors were the only other survivors of the ship.

Poon Lim's first concern was simply to stay alive. He gulped air when he could and kept his head above the waves. After struggling for two hours, he saw a life raft several hundred feet away. He swam to it and climbed aboard.

His raft was built of timbers and was 8 ft. square. Tied to it were some tins of British biscuits, a large water jug, some flares, and an electric torch. By allowing himself a few swallows of water and two biscuits in the morning and in the evening, he estimated that he should be able to stay alive for at least a month.

On two occasions rescue seemed imminent, once when a freighter passed within close range, and once when a U.S. Navy patrol plane buzzed his raft. But both times his frantic shouting was ignored. These were the loneliest times for Poon Lim, with help so near and yet so far away. He was also spotted by a German U-boat, which chose to leave him to his fate rather than kill him. He soon realized that he couldn't expect help from others and must keep himself alive until he drifted to land.

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Why do these siblings say they can’t stand their brother’s fiancée? http://bit.ly/DrP112213#DrPhil
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Steve Wolf
I'm with The Hon Andrew Robb AO, MP,Speaking now," We inherited a mess"
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Sometimes advice is like running up and kicking a stranger in the butt .. it is just wrong - ed
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Pastor Rick Warren

Every 14 minutes someone commits suicide in America.
Every 15 minutes, the loved ones have to deal with it.
Nov 23 in the International Survivors of Suicide Day

Tomorrow, Saddleback Church is hosting an encouraging seminar for friends and loved one of those who've committed suicide.

FREE REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST at 8am
At the Refinery, Saddleback Lake Forest.

KAY WARREN WILL SPEAK AT 1 pm
CLICK HERE FOR INFO:
http://saddleback.com/events/eventdetails.aspx?id=70665


Every year, survivors of suicide loss gather together in locations around the world to feel a sense of community, to promote healing, and to connect with others who have had similar experiences. This year, join Saddleback and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) for a day-long event on Saturday, November 23, 2013.

Saddleback Church Lake Forest welcomes survivors of suicide loss, and will provide a safe and healing space where everyone can comfortably participate in a way that is meaningful to them. Join with others to listen to a diverse group of survivors discuss their losses, how they coped, and much more.

Come in person to experience the powerful sense of connection and community that is forged between survivors of suicide loss. You are not alone. This day is for you.

- 8:00 am Free Breakfast & Registration
- 9:00 am Opening Ceremony
- 9:30 am Survivors of Suicide Video
- 11:00 am Support Group
- 12:15 pm Dove Release
- 12:30 pm Free Lunch

Suicide Prevention & Awareness (A Webcasted Event)

- 1:00 pm - Kay Warren - A Personal Story
- 1:30 pm - Suicide Prevention Session
- 2:30 - 3:00 pm - Question & Answer

*Please join us for the whole day or a portion of the day.

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Some people worship a God who causes suffering.
I worship the God who bears my suffering.
The Lord and Savior Isaiah 53:3-5 describes:

"He was hated and rejected by people.
He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
He was hated, and we didn't even notice him.
But he took our suffering on him
and felt our pain for us.
We saw his suffering
and thought God was punishing him.
But he was wounded for the wrong we did;
he was crushed for the evil we did.
The punishment, which made us well, was given to him,
and we are healed because of his wounds."
Isaiah 53:3-5 (NCV)

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50 years after CS Lewis died (Nov. 22, 1963, the same day as JFK's assassination), they FINALLY put a tribute to him in Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner!
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It takes a team to build a dream
But it takes great trust to build a great team!

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Leaders: Your charisma may attract new staff but only your character will keep them loyal for 20 years. Charisma fades but character lasts.
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"Ode to Joy" (German: "Ode an die Freude", first line: "Freude, schöner Götterfunken") is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet, playwright and historian Friedrich Schiller , enthusiastically celebrating the brotherhood and unity of all mankind.

The ode is best known for its musical setting by Ludwig van Beethoven in the final movement of his Ninth Symphony
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4 her
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MAKE HER DAY !
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JFK
Assassinated 22nd November 1963
Fifty years today.
The last great Democrat.
 
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New Orleans get together .. get involved - ed
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http://www.news.com.au/world/massachusetts-schoolboy-philip-chism-accused-of-raping-and-killing-his-maths-teacher/story-fndir2ev-1226765789947
I wish I could give her back all that he has taken from her. She deserved a long, fruitful life. - ed
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http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/scientologys-worst-nightmare-why-they-made-author-lawrence-wright-look-like-a-demon/story-fnixwvgh-1226765972006
Scientology was recognised ..in '83 .. thank you Bob Hawke .. ed
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Sending selfies crossed a line .. some things friends don't need .. ed
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In this clip from 'An Adventure in Space and Time', BBC Head of Drama Sydney Newman outlines to Verity Lambert his idea for a new television show... http://bbc.in/AAISATclip1
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The Exploding Chocolate Shot. True Pop Art.
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"The lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madame Maxime." - Dumbledore
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Amazing! Moments ago, the 2,000th patient of the #IDFinPhilippines mission walked into our field hospital, making us proud and showing the true face of the #IDF and the State of #Israel 
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#TBT Vintage Emma and Rupert!
Emma Watson
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Sarah Palin
New and old friends gathered in Kansas tonight – including Robert and Shirley Hemenway (see them in the photo) whose son Ron worked for the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon when he was killed on September 11, 2001. Ron graduated from Wasilla High School with Todd and me, and he was a wonderful young man from a proud and selfless Alaskan family. Ron will never be forgotten. It’s remembering 9/11 that makes us appreciate sacrifices made for our freedoms, and should stiffen our spines to defend them.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, including the thoughtful Barnes & Noble staff. It’s inspiring to note in these book events, especially notable tonight in Kansas, the multiple generations of families traveling together to express their concern for America and encouragement to fight for what’s right – as so many people brought their kids and grandkids. Family patriarchs and matriarchs talked about the importance of influencing younger generations so they’d respect, honor, and protect our exceptional nation. It’s in that same spirit we seek to protect the heart of Christmas. Leaning into the strength you provide, good Americans, we will keep the faith!

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Electronic voting is feasible and secure .. if we give up the principle of a secret vote .. I'm for it. - ed
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http://www.israpundit.com/archives/63591789#.UpBsw4AJ1Z8.facebook
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http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Into-the-fray-Fire-Friedman-forthwith-332630
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/129094153927587/
  • November 2013 . This group is for administrators of groups as the title suggests . There are many problems administrating groups and perhaps we can share our experiences and pass on advice which may b...
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http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7586.htm
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http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/white-house-israels-all-or-nothing-proposal-on-iran-means-war/2013/11/22/
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http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/11/22/imminent-iran-nuclear-deal-unlikely-as-foreign-ministers-cancel-flights-to-geneva/
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Hamas Looking to Buy More Electricity - From Israel - Israel National News 

"The Israel Electric Company already provides over 1/3 of Gaza's electricity - despite numerous terror attacks by Hamas to kill Israeli forces and civilians alike, and despite Hamas's continued public statements threatening genocide against the Israeli and Jewish peoples. 

Egyptian politician Imad Hamdi, from the Egyptian Popular Front, has criticized the move, calling Hamas hypocritical…. " - Dalit Halevi, Tova Dvorin

Continue to the link, reading this and more articles at ...….http://paper.li/allysonchristy/1338794440
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"Of course, journalists are permitted to produce pure poppycock if the media outlet they are associated with has no objection to publishing it, or to leading its readers astray. 

So the claptrap that Friedman inflicts on his readers is not really a valid reason for his dismissal by the NYT – which has given ample indication that not only does it have no objection to leading its readers astray, but when it comes to Israel, it has a strong interest in doing so.

With stunning gall, he writes: “Iran has lied and cheated its way to the precipice of building a bomb, and without tough economic sanctions – sanctions that President Obama engineered.... Iran would not be at the negotiating table.”

Sanctions that Obama engineered? Really? One can only wonder whether Friedman is counting on his readers’ total ignorance or total amnesia. Or whether he is suffering from them himself.

In fact the Obama administration was one of the greatest obstacles to the sanctions that brought the Iranians to the table, virtually coerced to do so by pressure from Congress (and even some Europeans)." - Martin Sherman

Continued…..http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Into-the-fray-Fire-Friedman-forthwith-332630

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Biblical Prophecy is Happening NOW
Could it be that the events in the Middle East today are mirrored by the Bible - by the prophets of Israel?
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Iran vs. Israel – No Fear
It comes down to having No Fear. This video is so convincing and riveting!
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Iran vs. Israel – Back to the Future
Never Again will we be at the mercy of other nations. History is repeating itself right in front of our eyes - but this time - will we learn our lessons from the past?
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Samaria and Jerusalem – Where History meets Destiny
Settlements, vineyards, and beautiful communities are being built up in areas that were barren for 2,000 years - simply miraculous and SO INSPIRING!
***

Special Feature Videos

Episode 3
Click here to watch: Joy of Israel Episode 3 – Holy Hebron and Sweet Hebron Hills
Jamie Geller's food and travel show takes you to Hebron. Visit MaArat HaMachpela, The Tomb of the Patriarchs, and the ancient Avraham Avinu, the Abraham Synagogue. Then take a tour of a modern bean to bar chocolate factory, Holy Cacao.
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short film focused on an organization dedicated to the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem today. We believe that rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem will bring peace and stability to the world.
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A 40+ Minute video exploring the place where it all began- The City of David!
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united with israel alerts                              newsletter

Israel Alert NewsletterPre-Chanukah Edition19 Kislev 5774November 22, 2013
 
People say that Chanukah is a Jewish Thanksgiving. Amazingly, the first day of Chanukah this year actually falls out on Thanksgiving. Enjoy the moment as the next time this will occur will be in more than 79,000 years! While each day we express our "hakarat hatov" (appreciation) for all of life's brachot (blessings), Chanukah is the special time for the People of Israel to celebrate and say: THANK YOU!
We hope you enjoy your first (and last) Thanks-givukkah! We thank God for the awesome miracles of Chanukah that took place over 2000 years ago. For the illuminating light of the Menorah. And for the Maccabees - a small Jewish army that defeated the Greeks. 
Click here to read more>> 
From the very beginnings of the Zionist movement, the story of the Maccabees would serve as an inspiration. As Theodore Herzl wrote, "The Maccabees will rise again." Vladimir Jabotinsky similarly declared, "Yes, they have arisen--the children of those whose ancestor was Judah, lion of the Maccabees." Similarly, Ahad Aham, founder of cultural Zionism, proclaimed, "We celebrate not only the consecration and renewal of the Temple, some two thousand years ago--but also the renewal and revival of this same Jewish nation, reviving its soul once again for a new life."
David Ben-Gurion also believed Hanukkah is a major festival celebrating Jewish freedom. The tale of the Maccabees, however, did not just serve as an inspiration for the Zionist movement but it also was incorporated into contemporary Zionist literature.
Click here to read more>> 
 
Shofar_thumbnail.jpgCyberspace Attack Aimed at 'Stop Iran' Initiative

A cyber-attack, apparently launched by supporters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, hit United with Israel's "Stop Iran" initiative this week. The site - stopiran.org - was shut down until the attack was successfully repelled.
Its petition, urging the Obama administration to oppose any deal that would ease sanctions on Iran before the nuclear threat is completely eliminated, had gathered to date more than 130,000 signatures, which were submitted to the White House and the US Congress. The motivation for the attack seems to have been UWI's success in reaching millions of individuals worldwide.
Click here to read more>> 
Chanukah is a time to celebrate miracles, chief among them the miracle that occurred after the Jews defeated the Greeks and returned to the Holy Temple.
Just as Greek philosophies promoted moral degradation, so too the Greeks themselves literally defiled and desecrated the Holy Temple. In their wake, they left just one small sealed vessel of pure Menorah oil, bearing the stamped certification of the Priest.
Learn the meaning and lessons of the Chanukah story as we celebrate the holiday in 2013. 

SDEROT MENORAH: Turning Terror into LIGHT!
As Hamas rockets explode in Israeli towns, blackening the sky and darkening the spirit, an Israeli artist is working hard to brighten up the day with sparks of light. He isturning the darkness of terror into a source of light – in a very literal way!
Yaron Bob, the artist, lives in the shadow of terror in a southern Israeli village near the border with Gaza. Yaron takes the remains of Kassam rockets and transforms them into beautiful Menorahs. In his words, “I take the Kassam, the instrument of death and I change it, I transfer it into something of beauty.”

According to the Talmud, the Sages instituted the celebration of Chanukah to commemorate an amazing miracle in the Holy Temple. After a bloody war in which the Greeks desecrated the Holy Temple and its sacred implements, there appeared to be no pure oil left to light the Menorah.
While a vessel was eventually found, it was only sufficient for one day's light. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days! What was it about this miracle that inspired our Sages to institute a special festival in its honor?

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The Holy Temple Menorah
Originally, in the Holy Temple, the Menorah was a seven-branched candelabra beaten out of a solid piece of gold. As one of the sacred vessels, the High Priest lit the Menorah every day in the southern part of the Holy Temple.
Only pure, fresh olive oil of the highest quality was suitable to light the Menorah. The Menorah is a symbol of Divine light spreading throughout the world. The seven lamps of the Menorah allude to knowledge, with six of the branches representing human wisdom, guided by the center branch of Divine light.
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Hi everyone! Here's the MichelleMalkin.com newsletter for November 22nd. Enjoy!

From the Blog

David, Goliath, and Colorado’s next gun-rights recall

Refresher: In September, grassroots Second Amendment activists ousted two top Democratic state senators for their promotion of radical, job-destroying gun-control measures backed by New York and D.C. special interests...

Heh: Aides to congressional Dems ‘shocked’ by higher Obamacare prices

Shorter title: Select Democrat aides: “But this was only supposed to happen to everybody else!”

Dems vote for ‘nuclear option’ on filibuster reform they used to claim was an affront to the Constitution

Do you smell a little desperation here?

More From the Right Side of the Web

Featured Video

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Lying liar in chief.

Michelle's Top Tweets

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And ... Our Hate Tweet of the Day

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Annnnnnd on that note, happy Friday!
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Holidays and observances[edit]

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 NIV
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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning

"Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep."
Hosea 12:12
Jacob, while expostulating with Laban, thus describes his own toil, "This twenty years have I been with thee. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee: I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes." Even more toilsome than this was the life of our Saviour here below. He watched over all his sheep till he gave in as his last account, "Of all those whom thou hast given me I have lost none." His hair was wet with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night. Sleep departed from his eyes, for all night he was in prayer wrestling for his people. One night Peter must be pleaded for; anon, another claims his tearful intercession. No shepherd sitting beneath the cold skies, looking up to the stars, could ever utter such complaints because of the hardness of his toil as Jesus Christ might have brought, if he had chosen to do so, because of the sternness of his service in order to procure his spouse--
"Cold mountains and the midnight air,
Witnessed the fervour of his prayer;
The desert his temptations knew,
His conflict and his victory too."
It is sweet to dwell upon the spiritual parallel of Laban having required all the sheep at Jacob's hand. If they were torn of beasts, Jacob must make it good; if any of them died, he must stand as surety for the whole. Was not the toil of Jesus for his Church the toil of one who was under suretiship obligations to bring every believing one safe to the hand of him who had committed them to his charge? Look upon toiling Jacob, and you see a representation of him of whom we read, "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd."

Evening

"The power of his resurrection."
Philippians 3:10
The doctrine of a risen Saviour is exceedingly precious. The resurrection is the corner-stone of the entire building of Christianity. It is the key-stone of the arch of our salvation. It would take a volume to set forth all the streams of living water which flow from this one sacred source, the resurrection of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; but to know that he has risen, and to have fellowship with him as such--communing with the risen Saviour by possessing a risen life--seeing him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb of worldliness ourselves, this is even still more precious. The doctrine is the basis of the experience, but as the flower is more lovely than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen Saviour more lovely than the doctrine itself. I would have you believe that Christ rose from the dead so as to sing of it, and derive all the consolation which it is possible for you to extract from this well-ascertained and well-witnessed fact; but I beseech you, rest not contented even there. Though you cannot, like the disciples, see him visibly, yet I bid you aspire to see Christ Jesus by the eye of faith; and though, like Mary Magdalene, you may not "touch" him, yet may you be privileged to converse with him, and to know that he is risen, you yourselves being risen in him to newness of life. To know a crucified Saviour as having crucified all my sins, is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Saviour as having justified me, and to realize that he has bestowed upon me new life, having given me to be a new creature through his own newness of life, this is a noble style of experience: short of it, none ought to rest satisfied. May you both "know him, and the power of his resurrection." Why should souls who are quickened with Jesus, wear the grave-clothes of worldliness and unbelief? Rise, for the Lord is risen.
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Today's reading: Ezekiel 18-19, James 4 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway

Today's Old Testament reading: Ezekiel 18-19

The One Who Sins Will Die
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
5 “Suppose there is a righteous man
who does what is just and right.
6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
7 He does not oppress anyone,
but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked....

Today's New Testament reading: James 4

Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble....”
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Boaz, Booz [Bō'ăz,Bō'ŏz]—strengthor fleetnessThe wealthy and honorable Bethlehemite, or Judahite, who became the second husband of Ruth the Moabitess, and ancestor of David and of Christ (Ruth 24;Matt. 1:5).The name of the left pillar of Solomon’s Temple was Boaz, for “in it is strength” (1 Kings 7:21). Boaz was true to his name and comes before us strong in grace, integrity and purpose. As the lord of the harvest, master of servants, redeemer, bridegroom and life-giver, he is a fitting type of Christ.
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November 22, 2011
The Secret of Discipline
Today's Truth
Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit (Proverbs 25:28, NAS)
Friend to Friend
Discipline is obedience, a lifetime process that brings us to a state of order by training and controlling our behavior. Discipline is focusing and eliminating, zeroing in on what is important in every area of life. Discipline not only leads to right thinking, pleasing behavior and balanced emotions, but also produces a purpose driven life based on right goals and priorities.
And that brings us to the discipline of our time - a dreaded and often ignored spiritual discipline for many of us. We have either forgotten or failed to realize the truth that our minutes, hours and days are precious commodities - gifts from God that can be unwrapped only once. Time is wasted unless it is invested in goals and priorities that are rooted in God's plan.
A busy life is not necessarily a productive life, girlfriends. Oh, I can hear it now! "Mary, it's true that I am very busy, but I am busy doing good things." Those words were the cry of my heart just before I crashed and burned and landed in a pit of clinical depression. The problem with my list of "good things" was that it was just that - my list - the wrong list formy life. The result was exhaustion, burnout and disobedience.
One of the most important lessons of my "pit experience" was that my perspective of time was skewed. I had poured years into making my plan successful only to discover that God resources and empowers His plan alone. Outlook determines outcome. It was painfully obvious I needed an outlook adjustment, an eternal perspective. I needed to understand the truth that my time is not really mine to do with as I please. It is a resource on loan to me from God. As a result, every plan, priority and goal should be held against the backdrop of eternity because it is from that backdrop that our priorities are validated, our calling confirmed and our time best invested.
Let's face it. If we don't set priorities - others will. Time thieves will steal our time as we allow them to impose their plans and standards on us. While it is true that different women have different priorities and different seasons of life, it is also true that one priority remains steadfast. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." (Matthew 6:33). Once that priority is firmly established and adhered to, the rest of life will surely fall into place.
Learning how to discipline time is a challenge for us al. I am, by no means, an expert in this area, but I do want to share some simple ideas that have worked for me.
Tithe your time. Just as we tithe our money, we should tithe our time. God blesses and multiplies the time we set aside to spend in Bible study, prayer and service.
Get organized. In 1 Corinthians 14:40, we are challenged to "do all in a fitting and orderly way." In other words, being organized is a spiritual discipline, freeing us from the tyranny of the urgent while making room for the eternal things that matter. Here are some organizational tips:
  • Buy and keep a calendar. Writing down things keeps me from wasting time and "bunching up" activities. It takes the pressure off of me to remember everything and allows me to see, at a glance, what is important. My weeks and months are more evenly scheduled and I am forced to prioritize, doing the important things first.
  • Choose one day a week to plan. Every Sunday afternoon, I plan the week ahead, recording the main tasks I need to complete and scheduling the appointments I need to make and keep. Pray over your week, asking the Holy Spirit to make clear those things ordained for each day.
  • Simplify and eliminate. Experts advise us to approach spring cleaning by dealing with one closet at a time. Break jobs up into manageable steps so that the large tasks seem doable.
  • Tackle the dreaded task first. I have discovered that tackling the job I dread the most energizes me for the rest of the tasks. I have also learned to use my best time, the time of the day when my energy is highest for the most important and the most difficult tasks.
  • Stop activity when it becomes unproductive.Sometimes, a 10 minute break will boost energy, refocus attention and get those creative juices flowing.
  • Begin a task, even if you won't have time to complete it. I hate doing laundry and frequently long for the day of disposable clothing. As a result, I do the laundry in pieces. For example, I will start the wash and answer email. I then toss the wet clothing into the dryer and work on a writing assignment. You get the idea!
  • Delegate. When we delegate work to our children, we are teaching them godly discipline. The church is filled with people waiting to be pushed out of their comfort zones in service. Look for those potential leaders and delegate.
  • Leave margins in your schedule. I tend to fill every time slot during the day. Therefore, when the "unexpected" comes along, I am overwhelmed and unprepared. Building margins of time into our schedules is a step of faith, trusting God to fill them in any way He chooses.
  • Yield to the seasons of life. When my children were small, I did not travel and speak like I do now. Do not sacrifice your family on the altar of any church or any ministry. Our greatest mission field is our home, our marriage and our children. It does not matter how much we do or how successful we are, if home and family get the leftovers of our time, energy, emotions and spiritual service we are walking in sin and disobedience.
Discipline builds upon discipline, each success encouraging another. Make the commitment to cultivate the disciplines of a godly woman, then pick a corner of your life and begin. Discipline does not come naturally or easily. We will fail. But we can always begin again. Join me today in a new commitment to godly discipline.
Let's Pray
Father, I want to thank You for your unconditional love and forgiveness. Please help me focus on You and Your presence in my life each day. I pray that any stress in my heart will be swallowed up in the reality that You are faithful and that You are in control. I know You are not surprised by anything that comes my way and will transform the good into better, the unthinkable into the unstoppable and the unbelievable into fact. I praise You for the amazing way You guide me and lift me up when I fall. Today, I choose to focus on You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
Read and memorize Philippians 4:6-7 (ICB) "Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. And God's peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it."
More from the Girlfriends
Already feeling the stress of the approaching holidays? Get Mary's book, Escaping the Stress Trap, for practical steps to dealing with and managing stress and check out her Christmas MP3 downloads, The Secret of a Merry Christmas andGiving the Perfect Gift.
Need a friend? Connect with Mary on Facebook - or throughemail. Need help learning how to study the Bible? Join women across the world in Mary's weekly online Bible Study, Light for the Journey, and find out.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
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Renee Swope
November 22, 2011
R-E-S-P-E-C-T ... That is what He Needs from Me
Renee Swope
"However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."Ephesians 5:33 (NIV 1984)
I have a confession to make: when my husband J.J. and I got married over 18 years ago, I took out the words "honor and obey" from my wedding vows. That line about submitting to my husband wasn't in there either. Instead, I vowed to "submit my ideas and dreams" to J.J. and trust God's leadership in our marriage.
Yes, I had some serious issues going into marriage. As a young Christian, I was afraid of the "S" word, and wanted to make sure God and my witnesses didn't catch me in a lie.
Like many women, I was terrified if I submitted to my husband I'd become a doormat and lose myself somewhere in the middle of letting my husband lead.
Regretfully, I remember the time J.J. told me it was easier to let me lead because it wasn't worth the argument to him.
You'd think that's what I wanted - to get my way - but it wasn't because my husband became apathetic. Eventually I lost respect for J.J., and it was mostly my fault. I wanted him to lead, but when he tried I'd often criticize how he led. It was a mess!
I had been praying God would change J.J. and make him more decisive, more confident, more protective and well, just more what I wanted him to be. One day, God strongly impressed on my heart that my criticism wasn't getting me any closer to my desired result. In fact, my frustration with J.J. only contributed to his own doubt as a man trying to follow God and lead his family.
The Holy Spirit also showed me I was fueling Satan's flaming darts of condemnation aimed at my husband's heart; joining efforts with the one who wanted to take J.J. out as the leader of our home. Through prayer, I realized my husband needed me to be his greatest cheerleader and his biggest supporter verbally, emotionally and spiritually.
God challenged me to keep my mouth closed when J.J. did something I didn't like or led in a way I didn't want to follow. He encouraged me to tell my husband when I saw things I appreciated and use the power of my words to build up and not tear down my man.
I started doing what God showed me, looking for and finding things in my husband that I'd never noticed. I got intentional about noticing things I respected and letting God take care of things I didn't. I made many choices to honor him in big and small ways. And you know what? I discovered countless things about my husband that were worthy of respect.
We've been through so much together over the years. I have learned to follow God as I trusted many of my husband's decisions that scared me: job changes I didn't want him to make; financial investments that seemed too risky; parenting issues that were hard. It hasn't been easy, but I am thankful my husband has become the leader of our family. And I've become more comfortable following his leadership than I ever thought I'd be!
Dear Lord, I want to respect my husband and build him up with my words. Help me to measure my thoughts carefully and come to You with my complaints. I want to become my husband's biggest cheerleader and watch You do Your thing in His life. I know this is possible as I depend on You to live Your life through me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Visit Renee's Blog for free download of powerful scriptures to pray for your husband.
Capture His Heart by Lysa TerKeurst
Application Steps:
• Ask God to show you ways to respect your husband.
• Say "I'm sorry" and mean it when you dishonor him.
• Say "I forgive you" and mean it when he dishonors or hurts you.
• Let him overhear you telling someone one thing you appreciate about him.
• Praise him when his decisions turn out well and encourage him when they don't.
• Tell your husband one thing you are thankful for - about his character, his work ethic, his provision, his humor or something he adds to your family.
* Some of these ideas are from What A Husband Needs from His Wife © 2006 by Melanie Chitwood.
Reflections:
What do I value and respect about my husband? How often do I criticize or encourage him?
Power Verses:
1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (NIV 1984)
1 Peter 4:8, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (NIV 1984)
Proverbs 17:9, "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." (NIV 1984)
© 2011 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
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Jesus Is Arrested

Matthew 26:47-56 "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled?" (vv. 53-54).
One of the best ways to understand biblical doctrine is to study how the same word in the original biblical languages unites two concepts. As an example, look at the relationship between the coming of the kingdom of God and the death and resurrection of Jesus. When our Savior announces the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, the Greek verb engizein ("to be at hand") is used (Matt. 4:17). The same form is used in Matthew 26:46 to describe our Lord's imminent betrayal and the whole complex of events surrounding His crucifixion and rising from the dead. God's kingdom and Jesus' death both draw near - one is impossible without the other. The teaching ministry of Jesus and the events of redemptive history that precede His incarnation are important, but the kingdom of heaven comes decisively when the Messiah atones for sin, is resurrected, and ascends to the Father.
Christ has this unity of His victory on the cross and the kingdom's coming in view implicitly when He speaks of His arrest as the fulfillment of "the Scriptures of the prophets" (26:5456). This is a reference to the general thrust of the Old Testament, which says the new creation cannot come unless and until God's perfect servant suffers to effect the holiness of His people ( Deut. 30:1-10Ps. 22Isa. 53-66Dan. 9:24-27). Our Lord is following His Father's plan (Matt. 26:54 ), and men like Peter are wrong to view what is happening as something outside of God's control (vv. 51-52; see John 18:10-11). These events are not unexpected and Christ is not taken against His will. He has the armies of heaven at His disposal, but He does not call for their aid (Matt. 26:53 ), proving that no one needs to coerce Him into laying down His life.
Sadly, Jesus is handed over to His captors by one who should love Him (vv. 47-50). Worse still, even those who are more faithful friends of the Savior abandon Him in this hour of need (v. 56). Jesus now faces execution alone, a solitude that He will experience to its fullest and most painful extent when His Father forsakes Him on the cross ( 27:46). Matthew Henry comments, "Christ, as the Savior of souls, stood thus alone. He bore all, and did all himself."

Coram deo: Living before the face of God

Christians know that we need to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us, but sometimes we have "defended" Christ improperly. Sometimes, like Peter in today's passage, we have pursued aggressive violence. Other times we have bent over backwards to show the world that Christians are not "oddballs" but are "with it" in their embrace of the culture. May we not repeat these errors as we proclaim Jesus to a fallen creation.
For further study:
The Bible in a year:
INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries.
Subscribe to Tabletalk magazine and receive daily Bible studies & in depth articles from world class scholars for only $23 per per year! That's only $1.92 per month. And you can try it out for three months absolutely free! Bringing the best in biblical scholarship together with down-to-earth writing, Tabletalk helps you understand the Bible and apply it to daily living. 
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Jesus Is Arrested

Christians know that we need to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us, but sometimes we have "defended" Christ improperly. Sometimes, like Peter in today's passage, we have pursued aggressive violence. Other times we have bent over backwards to show the world that Christians are not "oddballs" but are "with it" in their embrace of the culture. May we not repeat these errors as we proclaim Jesus to a fallen creation.
For further study:
The Bible in a year:
Coram Deo from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries.
Subscribe to Tabletalk magazine and receive daily Bible studies & in depth articles from world class scholars for only $23 per per year! That's only $1.92 per month. And you can try it out for three months absolutely free! Bringing the best in biblical scholarship together with down-to-earth writing, Tabletalk helps you understand the Bible and apply it to daily living. 
ADVERTISEMENT
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Strobel-Mittelberg-newsletter2Questions Christians Fear

An upcoming national webcast for your church or small group and a new award-winning book feature answers to questions Christians are afraid they'll be asked.
My ministry partner Mark Mittelberg commissioned a Barna study to determine the spiritual questions Christians would most like to avoid. The results will form the basis of a March 10 training event that your church or small group can host via the web, as well as a book in which Mark offers pithy and insightful answers.
Here's my interview with Mark about this exciting webcast and his excellent new book The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask:
• Mark, your book does a tremendous job of offering great answers to the hardest questions that Christians face. Tell me how you determined which issues are the top challenges to Christians.
Thanks, Lee. The way we determined the questions Christians would rather sidestep was quite simple: we asked them!Specifically, we commissioned a study through George Barna's organization in which they called 1,000 Christians and asked them what spiritual topics they most hoped would never come up in their conversations. Guess what? They gave us an earful!
Visit Us on the Web: LeeStrobel.com - The Ambition - BibleGateway.com
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Questions from Readers

• What do you think of Bart Ehrman's comments on your book?
• Do you get attacked by atheists?
Q. What did you think of Dr. Bart Ehrman's recent comments about your book The Case for Christ?
A. Actually, I hadn't heard anything about them until someone emailed me recently and brought them to my attention. Ehrman, of course, is a recognized scholar whose expertise is on the text of the New Testament. He's a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Christian-turned-agnostic who has written books and participated in debates in which he critiques Christianity.
In an appearance at the Commonwealth Club of California, an audience member asked him what he thought of The Case for Christ. Here was his response:
"I think you can have a conversation with somebody like Lee Strobel. He's not a scholar and people shouldn't think that his book is a scholarly book. And he didn't do research; he interviewed people. He interviewed people who agreed with his point of view principally so he could make a case based on his point of view. And that's fine, but we need to recognize it for what it is. If somebody thinks that the Bible is the inerrant revelation of God – as people like Lee Strobel tend to think – then I think one can ask, ‘Is it inerrant or not? Are there errors or not?' If there are errors, then it's not an inerrant book."
Read the rest of this answer and the answer to the other question!

Have a question? Drop me a line atAskLee@Leestrobel.com. We’ll answer the ones with the broadest interest in upcoming newsletters. Thanks to Sam Wall, former chief researcher for the Bible Answer Man radio show, who heads the “Ask Lee” response team.

Lee's Notes

• Are you on Twitter? If so, please follow me at@LeeStrobel so we can keep in touch between newsletters. I promise I won't bore you with updates on what I'm having for dinner, but I will let you know about cool stuff that's happening.
• As Christmas approaches, why not stock up on copies ofThe Case for Christmas to use as stocking stuffers, leave (along with tips!) for waiters and waitresses, and give to neighbors, friends and family members? I kept it pithy and inexpensive; in fact, many churches get it in bulk to distribute to holiday visitors.
• How can we help our children grab ahold of their faith? That was the topic when Focus on the Family interviewed my daughter Alison and me for their radio show a while back. If you missed the broadcast, Focus will be re-airing the two-parter on December 20-21 as part of its 2001 Best of the Best series. On those air dates, the audio will be posted at www.focusonthefamily.com/radio. (Speaking of Alison, check out Vanessa Carroll's great review of her novel Composing Amelia).
• I was excited to learn recently that my Case for Christ for Kids, Case for Faith for Kids and Case for a Creator for Kidshave all been translated into Arabic! Please pray that God will use them to influence many children for Christ.
Should Suffering Surprise Christians?
Video feature

Dr. Gary Habermas, who I interviewed for The Case for Christ, makes some good points about suffering in this short video. It's a topic particularly poignant for Gary, since he lost his first wife to cancer years ago. Gary is Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University and coauthor (with Dr. Michael Licona) of The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. He's an outstanding scholar, effective apologist and a really nice guy.

Lee's Links: Suggested articles from the web
Happy birthday!
National Geographic marks 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.
School matters
Is the snowballing school choice movement actually good for public schools?
Stott's prayer
Here's the prayer that influential evangelical pastor John Stott lifted daily toward heaven.
Holiness & happiness
Blogger says churches need to tell the truth about marriage: it's really about holiness.
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There ARE Christians tortured for their faith
The true story of a pastor, imprisoned and tortured for his faith in Christ
...it will ABSOLUTELY shock you!
And now, the Voice of the Martyrs invites you to request acomplimentary copy of the international bestseller, Tortured for Christ.
Get your free book
Click here to receive your copy, absolutely free of charge.

ALERT: It is highly recommended to preview this resource
before presenting it to children.

Tortured for Christ book


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Why ask God to remain faithful?

This week's reading: Psalm 71:9–18
On one level, it is totally unnecessary to call on God to remain faithful. He is faithful to all of his promises. There is no chance that God will forsake his people.
However, our circumstances do not always seem to conform to this truth. We see evil in the world and trouble in our own lives and we wonder, Is God truly with us?
The writer of this psalm had had confidence in God from his youth (see Ps 71:5–6), but now that he had grown old he was worried because his enemies had sensed his weakness and had closed in on him. Their assessment was that God had forsaken him in his old age.
From this perspective—pouring out his honest emotions—the psalmist called on God to protect him. He asked God to remember his promise not to forsake him. He also asked the Lord to punish those who were persecuting him. But not only did he appeal to God’s promise; he also made one of his own: If God would rescue him, then he would tell the next generation about God’s power (see Ps 71:18).
The writer was confident the Lord would save him. He repeatedly expressed this firm conviction (see Ps 71:14–17,19–21) and concluded his prayer with a song of praise (seePs 71:22–24).
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Today's reading is from theNIV Quest Study Bible
by Zondervan


This unique Bible addresses the common, uncommon, and perplexing questions people ask about Scripture.


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Everything New - A Weeekly Devotional

GOD’S ATTRIBUTES- HE IS HOLY

Having looked at attributes of God's greatness in recent weeks (see archive), we now turn to attributes of God's goodness. First, his holiness.
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory." Those were the words the prophet Isaiah heard during his vision of God high and exalted, seated on a throne, the train of his robe filling the temple (Isaiah 6:1-4). "Holy" means separate, different, unique, and this is one of the best assurances we have that God is only interested in the good. He is separate from all the evil and malice in the world-not ignorant of it-but neither is he defiled or influenced by it.
God made a bold and clear statement about his holy character long ago in the Old Testament. All those laws, for instance, were God's way of setting aside one tribe in the human race for something different, a sure signal that any of us can be elevated to and experience a different life. The children of Abraham learned over centuries about the holiness of God through the object lessons of the holy temple, holy basins, holy garments, holy days, and holy Sabbath. But they also were learning about love. Why else would God want any of us to learn of his holiness if not because, out of his deep love, he longs for us to know that life can be different.
Relationships can be right. Decisions can be just. All the laws about what the Israelites could eat and wear, and how they should sacrifice, and the holy time they should reserve for God's special purposes-they all pointed toward a single truth: God is unique.
Sometimes we run to God because he is holy and we know that the only hope that we have in this world is a God who is so different from the world that he is our lifeline out of the chaos. But our instincts often cause us to shrink back from the holy God. For some it means a lifetime of avoiding him. Whether we realize how desperately we need him or not, we often consider it too risky to approach a God who is that different. So we may shrink from the holiness of God, but we should also long to live in his holy presence because we all know that we need something and someone truly different from the vulgarities of this world. What other hope do we have that things can be different from what they are?
Starting December 1, "Christmas Joy." Check it out.
We’d love to have you join us on Facebook or follow on Twitter.
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Resources

About The Author - Mel Lawrenz serves as minister at large for Elmbrook Church and leads The Brook Network. Having been in pastoral ministry for thirty years, the last decade as senior pastor of Elmbrook, Mel seeks to help Christian leaders engage with each other. Mel is the author of eleven books, the most recent for church leaders, Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement.
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