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By Popular Demand Whining Blog #2

By popular demand, it's the whining blog #2.

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 ---Alan on 9/24/06
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I wish the demons were not attacking the spinach supply. I miss my spinach.
---John on 12/22/07

If we are going to have a whining blog we should also have a blog to count our blessings. But since this is a whining blog.

My house is a mess and I hate housework.
My daughter is 17 going on 25.
My son is in the army in Baghdad, Iraq.
I don't have enough money to pay all my bills.
I feel lonely,
My daughter's kitty keeps biting me.
My head hurts.
To many people are prejudice about religions they don't understand.

etc. etc. etc
---grace3869 on 10/25/06

Nv BArb, at least you made it onto the list...wahhhhhhh. Oh and does anyone know how to get vaseline off a cat? Soap and water doesn't exactly work.
---bethie on 10/25/06

My sincere sympathies to all of you getting an early winter. 23 inches of snow in Buffalo brrrrrrrrr!

Whine, whine, I looked today and my name still appears on the 25 list, but at the very bottom! Wahhhhh, I'll diappear by tomorrow, oh the humanity!
---NV_Barbara on 10/14/06

NvBarbara::Then he will be snow white or white with snow swept up in the winter,or blown with the wind; was going to say GONE, which he will be. SAD
---Emcee on 10/12/06

Maybe Mike's wife will have him cremated and scattered in the parking lot! :-)
---NV_Barbara on 10/11/06

Hey mike that was a great parking joke except she might run over you every day & park else where. BTW.Do they allow burials in wal mart Parking lot,ours are paved over.
---Emcee on 10/9/06

Bethie, lol, I brushed my teeth with desitin and it WAS my fault, just VERY sleepy and grabbed the wrong tube. YUCK!!! Also was driving at nigth one time and reached in my purse for binaca, and sprayed perfume in my mouth. I'm not sure which was the biggest yuck.
---Christina on 10/9/06

sue: Thank you for your advice and empathy. I can only take Tylenol for pain since my surgery. I am used to taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen for these headaches.

Barb: I take four allergy meds on a regular basis. They just didn't do the trick this weekend.
---Madison1101 on 10/8/06

Poor dear, have you some allergy meds Madison?
Steve and I both ache, we didn't even go to church today. Our furniture and household goods were FINALLY delivered yesterday. The movers did most of the work, but we moved boxes around so there's a path through the Apt.! Our main goal is getting our home office set up, other than that we won't be staying there, but we will have to arrange some furniture so it doesn't just look like a used furniture store!
---NV_Barbara on 10/8/06

Madison, I feel bad for ya. There is NOTHING worse than waking up with a bad head ache. I hate that. You know what I found that works for me? Those really cheap aspirins from the dollar store! I have to take 4 or 5 of them, but they work good for me!
---sue on 10/8/06

I still can't get rid of my headache. WAAA!!!
---Madison1101 on 10/8/06

I woke up with a sinus headache. WAAAA!!!!
---Madison1101 on 10/8/06

Mike i needed a good laugh and you gave it to about been buried in walmart's parking lot.
---Betty on 10/8/06

MikeM - Better leave her lots of shopping money hey .. hehe.
---Helen_5378 on 10/8/06

I have brushed my teeth with shampoo, but it was completely not my fault at all, someone has taken to dipping my toothbrush in soap or shampoo every couple of days. Yes I live in the house of pratical jokes...but thats ok, all the dixie cups in the bathroom now have tiny holes.
---bethie on 10/7/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Diabetes

Ever consider if Walmart was declared to be a religion, a National Church is would be the largest religion in America?

I am planning to be buried in a Walmart parking lot when I die. That is so my loving wife will come and visit my grave everyday.
---MikeM on 10/7/06

My air conditioner has quit! I live in S. Texas where the temperatures are still in the 90's. I'm sweating.. Been waiting 5 days for AC guy to find the part to fix it. My cat refuses his hairball medicine, chooses white carpet rather than tile to barf on. Splashed Clorox on a dark pair of capris, cleaning mildew out of the washer. (The mildew is not gone yet).Ducks in our pond won't migrate cuz a neighbor feeds them...they breed non-stop and my porch is their restroom of choice. More Clorox! I'm so HOT!
---Donna2277 on 10/6/06

Barb: My mom brushed her teeth with Desitin when my brother was a baby. Hehe.

I have to whine about old, slow drivers. I was driving on a country road at 50 mph, the speed limit, when an old couple pulls out in front of me, cutting me off and then they drive 35 mph. ARGH!!! They should have their licenses revoked.
---Madison1101 on 10/6/06

Bethie, I know the feeling of endless spiders; I have an almost limitless supply INSIDE as well!! :*( I've joked that I house homeless spiders! :D I've about given up; if you ever find a miracle "cure" for them, fill me in! :D
---Mary on 10/6/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Depression

Eloy I think my last blog got lost is cyberspace.
Did you ever brush your teeth with Ben Gay or Neosporin or something else in a tube?
I have my hand raised, I have!
Ah the hardships of being blonde!
---NV_Barbara on 10/6/06

I was rinsing my mouth out with mouthwash as usual, but then I unintentionally swallowed it, yuko! ...o' the miseries of being blond.
---Eloy on 10/3/06

I suppose I'm lucky to be alive Elder, Mama said the dog would always try to bury me!
Yeppers, we love you and that precious saint who has found a way to put up with you for all these years!
---NV_Barbara on 10/3/06

I'm not usually a whinner, but the thing that gets my goat is when Senior Citizens here in Florida drive 35-40 miles an hour in a 55 mile zone. What's even worse is when they drive like this in the inside lane where they're not even suppose to be. I am a senior citizen, but I hope when I get this way I have the God Given sense to hang up my car keys. Now that I got that off of my chest I'm alright until I run into another one.
---Norma on 10/3/06

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Rebecca: My church has a Bible study for young moms with child care available. Does your church offer any such ministry? It was how my sister-in-law came to the Lord.
---Madison1101 on 10/3/06

That isn't a bad idea. I know the dog will take care of them. He is very protective over them. the kids are behaving better today. Which is a blessing. We got them a puppy (beagle&Fiste) He is so cute. My 4 year old won't leave him alone for anything. You tell her to put him down, she'll huff off and say, well I guess you don't like me. God love their hearts, I need an hour or two by myself at least once a week.
---Rebecca_D on 10/3/06

nvBarbara I know you are still mad at me because at least there was something I could do to get the dogs to play with me.
I have a recipe for Coon Cat soup so watch out.
(NOTICE TO ALL OTHERS, there is nothing going on here but some fun between two weirdo people who love each other. Barbara and her husband were there for us when we were in pain and hurting. We love hard as that is.)
---Elder on 10/3/06

Brilliant Elder, will you bail Rebecca out when she's arrested for child, and dog abuse?
A person who shall remain unnamed, told me that you were such an ugly child your Mama had to tie a pork chop around your neck to get the dog to play with you! I see where the tying idea came from!
---NV_Barbara on 10/2/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Bible Study

Kim: I sympathize at this time. My daughter and her husband have been trying to conceive since Christmas. She miscarried in June, and has not mentioned anything of it since to me. She is heartbroken at the thought of not having a child at this time. She fears she is getting old (she is only 30) and will only have a few years to bear children. She longs for a child very much.
---Madison1101 on 10/2/06

To the people who whine about their kids--be thankful you have them. Some of us can't have children.
---Kim on 10/2/06

Elder, you are a genius. I love the idea of tying the kids to the dog. At least they will take care of each other.
---Madison1101 on 10/2/06

Rebecca: Enjoy the kids while you have them. It has been five years since my kids lived with me. I miss them terribly. I have had one stay with me a few months, and then be gone again. I miss all the fun and chaos of having them all here. They all live far away now.
---Madison1101 on 10/2/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Bible Verses

Rebecca_D I think there are always simple solutions to complex problems.
I suggest in your case that you tie the kids to the dog.
If you do that the dog will have to stay at home and the screaming will be replaced by howling.
If the dog still goes off he will at least take the kids with him.
Problem solved ... see how simple that was?
---Elder on 10/2/06

My kids are driving me crazzzzzzzzy. God love their hearts. They are ages 7 and 4. they kick, scream, hit, tattle, ahhhh!! oh but their darlings. They really are, their just kids. my back is hurting, my left breast is hurting, I'm cold, my allergies are going wild, my husband's working and on top of that, my dog won't stay home. I can whine all day long and it won't do a bit of good. oh whi, whi, whi
---Rebecca_D on 10/1/06

Well, I managed to scrape together some money and get my haircut yesterday. Now, I want to whine because I really do not want to return to my teaching job at all. I keep praying the Lord will perform a miracle and open up the Social Work job with my school district. I love social work and I am not crazy about working in the classroom at all. Last year was extremely difficult for me.
---Madison1101 on 10/1/06

Bethie, I take it you were not a big fan of the book "Charlotte's Web" in grade school. HEHE.
Poor Barbara: Allergic to pineapple? What a shame. It is one of my favorite fruits.
I want to whine because I need a haircut and I am broke till payday Thursday.
---Madison1101 on 9/30/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Arthritis

NvBarb, allergic to pineapple? Oh you poor girl, that is THE best fruit in the world, as long as its fresh that is. May I whine about the spiders in my backyard? I am positive they are trying to web the entire house. Oh where are the big brave men to come kill the spiders and rescue me...sigh
---bethie on 9/30/06

It was pineapple tucked away unnoticed in chicken salad! I'm better, but still have some itching. How did your Dr's visit go Madison? God bless you dear one, I pray your healing is speeding up!
---NV_Barbara on 9/29/06

Barb: That's horrible. I hope it isn't poison ivy, or worse. Yuck!!!

My back is better this morning. I slept in. I am heading to a doctor's appointment this afternoon.
---Madison1101 on 9/28/06

Wahh, complain, kicking things and griping!
Something I either rubbed against outside or something I ate has my neck and part of my face all red and itching! This is miserable! I used some activated charcoal and that helped some, maybe I'll use it again and see if it makes it go away. Gripe, gripe, gripe!
---NV_Barbara on 9/28/06

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Barb: I just got back from the chiropractor. He was able to barely do the adjustment. It had been so long since my last one, my back was really stiff, even after a massage. I have another appointment for an adjustment next week.
---Madison1101 on 9/27/06

Ask your Chiropractor Madison, he/she may be able to give you some relief. Would it help if they pull the adjusting table out so your tummy isn't touching anything? Being in proper alighnment will speed your healing!
---NV_Barbara on 9/27/06

My back still hurts. WAAAAA!
---Madison1101 on 9/26/06

Gee I thought most of the blogs were whining blogs, oops. Too many blogs, too little oh yes whining. I am getting tired, and can't keep my eyes open.
---Dottie on 9/26/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Cholesterol

My spinach is turning yellow in the fridge I wonder if, IE -call Eloy would it help.It is not on re-call anymore.Pity!!!!!
---Emcee on 9/26/06

The spinach blogs are about some spinach in the US that is tainted with E-coli bacteria, which is very dangerous. The spinach was recalled from supermarkets and someone on the blogs thinks it is a sign of the end-times.
---Madison1101 on 9/26/06

---Okebaram on 9/25/06

With the worlds spinach supply under attack , entire fleets of sailors are perishing from fatigue and exhaustion! Giant naval vessels found adrift accorss the seven seas. And Popeye is helpless to save any of them.
---Ryan on 9/25/06

Read These Insightful Articles About Lasik Surgery

My back hurts and I can't go to the chiropractor and get adjusted because I can't lay on my stomach yet. :(
---Madison1101 on 9/24/06

I was accosted by 2 heads of lettuce late last night,and mugged.both were carrying pitch forks and had pointed tails.I don,t wish to be a whiner but these vegetables are getting out of control.
---tom2 on 9/24/06

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Sons of God – Part 1

Image courtesy Christopher Zoukis

No one is really sure where this fairy tale originated.  Some scholars say that the story of the Blue Men came from Morocco, through the Berber traders as they sailed north to do business with the Scottish islanders.  The faces of the Berbers were glossy blue in color.  A color caused by the pigment they used to dye their leather merchandise.  When business went bad, the Berbers became pirates, sailing the strait looking for ships to plunder.  These pirate attacks were called “mad pleasure.”

According to legend, not only do the Blue Men have blue skin, but long gray faces with beards, and green hair.  Their eyes are small, their noses are flat like the back of an axe, and their mouths are wide.  They have long arms and fish-tails instead of legs, which means they are mermen.  As large as a normal land-bound man, their strength is prodigious.

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Becoming a Witness

blueorch-9As a Christian, I have been taught to be a witness for God and Jesus. I was a very shy little girl and I can remember hearing my preacher talk about witnessing in church and being terrified because I knew that I could never go up to someone and just start talking about Christ. I have always had a close relationship with God and I ask Him to expand my territory for His good every day, but going up to strangers and talking to them about their deepest, personal beliefs seemed invasive rather than loving.

Instead, I decided to try to be kind. I talked to God about it, and I felt like He approved.

My junior year in college I was approached while reading a book on campus.  The person handed me a Gideon’s Bible and told me that I should consider reading this text instead.  I had been reading my Bible since I was able to read. This made me feel like I must have looked like some big sinner, sitting there all alone on the steps of my performing arts building reading a book about Modern Dance pioneers.  From where I sat, this person was in judgment of me and I didn’t understand why. Was it because I was interested in the arts? Did my clothes seem unholy? Or did I just look like someone who doesn’t know or love Jesus yet? And more importantly, is she a “better” Christian than me because she gives out Bibles to strangers?

And so began my adventures in feeling like an inadequate Christian in the deep south.

And here’s the thing: if I, a southerner with heavy Christian roots who was raised in church and can quote every word of the Lord’s prayer and belt out at least three verses of Amazing Grace, find it hard to live here and not feel judged by fellow Christians, how must my brothers and sisters who were not so lucky to have been surrounded by the power of prayer and gratitude for all of God’s blessings their whole life be feeling?

I was not so naive as to believe that opening a yoga studio in the Bible Belt would not put my faith up for debate.  I have lost students when their pastor told them not to meditate at my studio because the only time they need to be sitting in silence should be in prayer.  I understood and asked them to let him know that I am happy to discuss my beliefs on meditation anytime. (I believe prayer is our chance to talk to God, while meditation is our chance to listen.  Without meditation, I feel our relationship is unbalanced.)

I have had a mean and nasty old man (yeah, that’s just my opinion) write a seething letting to the local paper calling me a Pagan because I appreciate nature and breathing and practicing poses that have been around for thousands of years on God’s green earth. I wept and prayed for my children’s protection from people like that and became afraid one time that he was behind me in line at the grocery store. Ridiculous, yes, but that was the actual result of one man’s witness to me.

And just last week one of my students was accosted on the street as she walked into my studio. This woman wanted to know if I worship idols and said she would not step foot in a place like mine now that she has “found the Lord”.  My friend, a devout Christian, was physically shaking.  All in the name of being a witness for Jesus?

These acts made me feel alienated and deflated and unloved.  They made me want to hide. They actually made me want to move.  Was this God’s hand at work on me?  I’m not sure, but what I think God wanted me to learn from all of this is to have pride in my faith and how I choose to practice and share it.  I share it by trying to help people feel better inside by offering them a time and space to relax and take care of themselves; to help them see that there’s nothing wrong with their bodies or their minds or this very moment.  My gifts from God are a love of dance and yoga and moving this body I was blessed to carry through my life here. The way I use my gifts is to teach with peace, love, kindness, compassion, understanding, hope, a soothing voice and a smile. Just before I teach each class, I ask God to use me to help every person in the room get something they need. I witness in a whisper and I know God loves me.

3 thoughts on “Becoming a Witness

  1. I am pretty sensitive to the Holy Spirit and I have never felt evil when I was coming there or nor did I feel convicted. When you close your eyes and meditate, the person is the one who is in control of their own thoughts, not you. Sorry you are having to deal with this. Why don’t they go in front of all these drug dealers houses and patrol!

  2. “Just before I teach each class, I ask God to use me to help every person in the room get something they need.” It’s working! Don’t you dare doubt it. And power to you 🙂

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Posts tagged flower

Frightful weather?

The following is from Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:

It’s a debatable issue:  is the weather outside really frightful today?  Or, is it all in your perspective?  I was out and about this morning but arrived home in time to sit here at my computer plunking away for this week’s blog and watch the beautiful huge flakes of snow wafting to the ground. There’s just something mesmerizing about an Iowa snowfall.   Right now, right outside a kitchen window, a Cardinal is perched in a lilac bush sheltered in a blanket of white. What a sight!

            Speaking of birds, what will you do with your live tree after the Holidays?   How about, after removing the ornaments (especially the tinsel) propping the tree in your perennial garden?  It will add winter interest as well as shelter for birds that enjoy feeding on the seeds of coneflower, rudbeckia and liatris.  Or use it as mulch by pruning the branches and covering perennial and bulb gardens.  I’ll bet your neighbors would volunteer to let you take their trees, too.

            Have you observed what wildlife visits your garden?  Their antics can be quite entertaining.  Note which plants helped bring them into the landscape.

            Brush snow off shrubs and evergreens as the heavy wet stuff will cause breakage and damage. Prune only broken/damaged branches now.

            Most importantly, investigate environmentally friendly methods of removing snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways.  Calcium Chloride is more expensive, but it is easier on your plants. Watch for new plant-friendly products entering the market.

            And, if you haven’t found the perfect gift for a gardener friend, think about a journal, plant labels, hand pruners, flower scissors, a harvest basket (my second favorite choice), a gift certificate to a favorite garden center, or (my first choice!), a load of well seasoned manure, delivered. Yes! You read correctly!  It will be an inexpensive gift and certain to bring smiles to everyone’s faces.

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Composting ideas

The following is from Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:

Sitting here by an open window listening to the acorns hitting the deck makes me smile.  1968 was the first fall we lived here in the country and my goal was to be the ultimate country person.  I diligently gathered buckets and buckets of walnuts and laid them out on a raised screen on the porch to dry with the intent of enjoying our own homegrown crop.   Imagine my surprise when I discovered a pair of squirrels dashing on and off my porch:   I certainly made their day!  I don’t dry my own walnuts anymore.  Nor do I make my own apple butter.  It was unbelievably delicious with literally bags of sugar added to the vat of apples and spices.  I don’t do much vegetable gardening anymore either, although there’s almost nothing better than your own fresh tomatoes and sweet corn.    My favorite daughter’s fledgling first garden was widely successful.  Maybe they’ll share with me next year as they’ve already planned for a bigger and better model.    The kids learned about eating peas from the pod and running to the garden to fetch a ripe tomato or ears of sweet corn for dinner.  When we clear the garden this fall we’ll amend the soil with composted horse manure.  Using the compost should eliminate the need to use any chemical fertilizer.

The beautiful weather today provides me the opportunity to cut down my peonies to prepare for Old Man Winter.  I’ll add a little mulch now and in a few weeks some of that composted horse manure to the entire bed as I lay it to rest.

Composting is an inexpensive and an efficient use of biodegradable material.  Composting is so easy and can be inclusive of almost anything from horse manure to leaves, vines and grass clippings.   Why send your ”yardy” material to the landfill?  Let it decompose in a secluded area of the back yard and recycle it back into your flower and vegetable beds.  Linn County Master Gardeners will be happy to provide you with a plethora of information on composting.  Call the Horticulture Line at the Linn County Extension Office in Marion at 319-447-0647.

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Practical Farmers

   Practical Farmers of Iowa will host a two-part event on Saturday, August 2. The field day will begin at 4 p.m. at the home of Eric and Ann Franzenburg. Discussion will include: culture and post-harvest handling of medicinal herbs, high tunnel tomato and flower production, adding an enterprise to the farm, making more profit on fewer acres, corn boiler heating systems, and organic certification.

    At 6:30, the event will move to the Tara Hills Country Club for a gourmet fundraiser dinner by Ben Halperin, executive chef and owner of the acclaimed Augusta restaurant. Reservations are required for the dinner. To register, contact Cedar Johnson at (515)232-5661 or

    Eric and Ann Franzenburg started farming in 1993 with Eric’s parents Don and Pat. They added herbs to the conventional farm in 1995 as a way to diversify and increase profits. The new enterprise was quite a success, and the Franzenburgs now grow 130 acres of medicinal herbs. 2008 will be the third year of tomato production on the farm, and the first year for flower production. The Franzenburgs constructed three new high tunnels on the farm this year to accommodate their new enterprises.

   Ben Halperin recently moved to Iowa via New Orleans with his wife Jeri. They opened Augusta Restaurant in Oxford this past January. The restaurant, serving “comfort food with a Cajun twist,” has become a destination place for many. The gourmet dinner Saturday evening will feature food from local farmers.

    Direction to the farm: 6925 19th Ave., Van Horne. From Hwy 30, turn north on CR-V42 for 3 miles. Turn north on CR-E44 for 4 miles. Turn north on 19th Ave. for .7 miles. The Franzenburgs’ farm is on the right.

   Directions to Tara Hills Country Club: 1846 70th St., Van Horne. From the Franzenburgs, go south on 19th Ave. for .7 miles. Turn west on CR-E44 for .4 miles. Tara Hills is on the left.

   This event is sponsored by the Ceres Foundation. Sustaining sponsors for Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Days are the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University Extension, Iowa Pork Producers Association, American Natural Soy, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Midwest Organic Services Association, Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture, and the CROPP Cooperative of Organic Valley/ Organic Prairie Family of Farms. Major sponsors for the Field Days are Wheatsfield Cooperative Natural Foods Grocery, Hubbard Feeds, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Iowa Forage and Grasslands Council, King Corn and Mosaic Films, and the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

    PFI is a non-profit sustainable agriculture group dedicated to farming that is profitable, environmentally sound, and healthy for consumers and communities. Founded in 1985, PFI has over 700 farmer and non-farmer members throughout Iowa. For more information, call (515)232-5661 or visit

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RBI's strict KYC norms to keep e-wallets safe

Mobile wallets, which have been conforming to a minimum KYC format will have convert to full KYC wallet within 12 months of opening it.
MUMBAI: Digital wallet companies, several of which aim to take on the leaders in one of the fastest-growing segments in the ecommerce industry, are aggrieved over new regulations that have increased both the complexity and cost of operations.

Many players including Amazon Pay, MobiKwik and PayU say the new KYC (know your customer) norms will increase the cost of doing business.

“It destroys the idea of a wallet as an intermediate option for customers; they might as well open a bank account now,” said Jitendra Gupta, MD of Naspersowned PayU India.

On Wednesday, RBI hiked the initial net worth requirement for firms offering prepaid payment instruments to Rs 5 crore, from Rs 2 crore now. Also, the net worth must go up to Rs 15 crore within three financial years from the date of receiving authorisation.

RBI also asked the firms to ensure KYC compliance of existing users by year-end. Consumers failing to complete KYC will be allowed to keep only up to Rs 10,000 in wallets. If these ‘minimum-KYC’ wallets are not converted into ‘full KYC’ accounts within 12 months, no credit facility can be provided.

“It is a little surprising. We had expected RBI, having reduced the limits for minimum-KYC wallets to Rs 10,000, will allow them to continue,” said Bipin Preet Singh, founder of MobiKwik.

RBI's strict KYC norms to keep e-wallets safe

Industry Questions Need for Payments Bank Licence
Industry players contend the process of completing a full KYC can be even more onerous for captive wallet players such as Ola Money, PhonePe and Amazon Pay, where the scope of use by a customer is limited, reducing the incentive to park money in such wallets.

“One of our concerns is that even low-usage wallets are required to do a KYC beyond 12 months. This adds friction to customers,” said Sriram Jagannathan, vice-president (payments), Amazon India. “We urge the regulator to re-examine this in line with international guidelines, and adopt a framework of proportional KYC,” he said.

Experts are of the view that the central bank’s move will lead to a reordering of the business landscape in a market where both large, well-funded companies like Alibaba-backed Paytm and small niche players jostle for space.

“The wallets space is a three-to-four large players market and may open up scope for 10-12 niche players … more consolidation is expected in this sector,” said Vivek Belgavi, partner, fintech leader at PwC.

While the dominant players are adequately capitalised and can meet regulatory requirements, industry watchers fear the new norms will sound the death knell for small PPI (prepaid payment instrument) licence holders, typically those which offer services such as domestic remittance or niche payments.

An example would be Alibaba and SoftBank-backed Paytm, which has said it will invest $500 million by 2020 to ensure its targeted 500 million customers are KYC-compliant.

“With inter-operability, there is aneed for wallet companies to have enough money to be able to handle a large amount of incoming payments from other wallets,” said Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm. “Also, it will require only serious players to enter this space with a strong business model.”

With wallets becoming full-KYC products and limits on balance being enhanced to .`1 lakh, industry insiders questioned the need for a separate payments bank licence, which works on a similar principle.

“We will become fully inter-operable, have higher net worth, eventually will have full-KYC users and will have balance limits same as payments banks — all this kills the separate payments bank proposition,” said MobiKwik’s Singh.

Some players also see the change in regulations as an opportunity to catch up with market leaders like Paytm. PhonePe, for instance, feels that since it started off as a UPI-based app, its ticket sizes are higher than that of wallets, which makes customers more pliable to do KYC. PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam feels the existing infrastructure of Flipkart’s online retail business can be leveraged. “If it is paper KYC, since we have a sister company like eKart (Flipkart’s logistics arm), our ability to get it done will be much better. Flipkart is already going to 10 million households anyway,” said Nigam.

(With additional reporting by Mugdha Variyar)

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Festival Debosh fest

Festival Debosh fest

Festival Debosh fest will be held 19-21 February.

On the territory of the art festival will be held site DIYA Debosh fest. This is a unique event that will bring together underground in Kiev and other cities of the country in one place. The concert concept is claimed thrash and groove.

The room is the most undeveloped for parties which can attend up to 500 people. There will operate the main stage, food court and bar.

Where: Film Studio them. Dovzhenko (Victory Avenue, 44)

When: 19-21 February 12 23:00

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News of the month


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Resilience might be way down your ‘list of skills to be aware of’ if you are job hunting right now, but it is a vital requirement for modern professionals. With job security and a standard career path less and less attainable across many industries, a capacity to handle uncertainty and adversity has never been more important (or in demand).

Such is the case that many employers will try to find out about your resilience through interview questions on how you’ve handled stress, pressure and failure in the past. Additionally, job hunting itself can be an incredibly demoralising experience if you let it. Focussing on building your resilience can make all the difference to your inner confidence and success rate across many areas in your life.

This might be easier said than done though – to achieve resilience means possessing the right blend of self-awareness and inner strength, and the flexibility to adapt to changes in circumstances and surroundings. It’s rather like a palm tree: a strong, firmly rooted base supporting an element that’s far more flexible and able to cope with being blown around by different winds.

Here are three key building blocks that can help you towards developing a resilient professional persona:

1. Positivity
Having a positive view of yourself and the world around you is the basis for developing resilience. Pay attention to the messages you send yourself throughout the day. If you find yourself making negative assumptions about yourself or anything around you, consciously switch to a positive thought. With practice this should become automatic. That will keep you grounded, rooted like a tree, and give you the stability you need for a positive mindset.

2. Commitment
Get to know yourself and recognise what is important to you. Have a clear idea of your future aspirations and where you want to go in your career. You need to be willing to commit to your goals and invest in making them happen. Knowing what is important to you and being committed to your goals strengthens you in your core. Don’t forget however, that even the best-laid plans can sometimes go off course or need to be abandoned altogether. Make like a palm tree and allow yourself flexibility to go with the flow when things don’t go to plan.

3. Control
Control means being aware of the situations or areas in your life you can influence as well as recognising those that you can’t. Being able to distinguish between the two will allow you to focus your energy on the things that are most important or achievable. It will give you the flexibility to prioritise your goals and adapt to different circumstances.

Remember that in order to be resilient you also need to be healthy in mind and body so pay attention to your general well-being, take proper breaks, eat well, and look after the relationships that support you. When it comes to resilience it’s about knowing that you can’t stop the waves, but that you can certainly learn how to surf them.

15 Jun 2017
Reference: Abintegro


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Blog Archives

Dear Reader,

I been kind of on a writing break for a while now, because lets face it, the news gets worse every day. I live in the land of the free, and I like to keep thinking the land of the great. However, that thought is getting difficult to hold on to. I been looking for uplifting stories or something good to write about. I am sure if I look hard enough I will find it.

The last few months the headlines have not helped that resolve. Violence, and not against people but animals. First it was Cecil the Lion local celebrity in Zimbabwe , and while I had a few choice words no one sums it up better than Jimmy Kimmel

I thought the whole thing would be over, then again, dog bitten to death, mocking note left on his body. Don’t get me wrong, I cannot go on pretending that human depravity has gotten worse. Since, history will show, that worse things have happened. Vlad the Impaler, Hitler, Bin Laden. You name it and evil people and dark times have always been around. Yet, I figured, we are more civilized now, we should know better. Some of us do, but it seems people still need work.

It is not all about animal cruelty, the latest headlines of summer, are not about kids drowning in the pool, or pool side accidents. Oh no, for a while there on the news it was story after story about adults forgetting kids in the car, causing them to dehydrate or worse die.

On that end, all I can say is. Wow. Save me the excuses of how it can and it is possible. If a person does not forget their phone or their keys in the car, there is no excuse for forgetting a child. Humanity has been driving for over 75 years, Cars are not the latest craze. Yes, we leave the keys in the car, I know, my point here was it does not take us all day to figure it out!

You know that forgetting a child has become an epidemic of massive proportions, when car seat companies have to add an alarm to remind you the child is in their seat.

Children are our future, and we should care and nurture them beyond the best of our ability.

Live long and prosper always.

Netflix & Windows 10…

Dear Reader,

I recently updated my laptop to Windows 10, having very decent guts on it, I did not expect much of a change in performance, as on Windows 8.1 I was doing good. All was well, until, I began to notice, it was hanging on Netflix. Having no issues with other streaming sites like Youtube or Pandora, I figured it’s probably heavy online traffic to the site. It wasn’t

Today though, it got worse, I mean audio, video synch issues, and crashing on every browser I tried it on (3 of them to be exact) but to the point where my machine was so frozen I could not get it to shut down.

I began to debug after reporting the issue to Netflix, who were kind enough to inform me, they had an app for that. Naturally, I had no idea, because, hello, I have never owned a Windows phone, and Windows 8.1 was basically a giant Windows Phone, from what I been told, worse than Vista in my opinion.

So I ran anti virus software thinking it might be a worm or something. Nothing, all was well. I restarted the laptop more times than I care to count, and still no fix.

So then, I thought maybe it’s a windows update thing. Which, I had not considered before since, all apps, updated once Windows 10 was installed. Plus, I saw no notifications, that there were updates or restart to update cues anywhere.

So I went down to Notifications which looks like a chat bubble next to the clock on Windows 10 expanded menu, and went to All Settings, then there was a bunch of square icons one of them says Update and Security, and the first thing it showed was the Windows Update Tab, there I saw a cumulative update, set to install at 3 AM, I had no idea, as before on the previous system if anything was waiting a simple restart would get it going.

Contrary what I thought there was no cue for “Install all”, there was simply a button that said Restart. I found that redundant since I had restarted before, but did it anyway since I ran out of options.

Presto, it ran the update and my laptop went back to working normally. Browser and all. The first thing I did was check Netflix, all issues gone.

Pleasant surprise as this is the first time I see a Windows Update that does indeed improve performance.

So, if you find anything wrong with you system, check Windows Updates, Windows 10 is not perfect yet, more like a work in progress, so far, I’m happy that ridiculous Start Screen is gone.

Art or Not….

Dear Reader,

As the old saying goes “… a place for everything and everything it it’s place”. It is this thought, that gave me hope, that websites would remain age appropriate. Yesterday, while wondering the Facebook network. Yes, I have returned to it but not as an active posting member. It’s just simpler to communicate with family and the few good friends I have. Anyway, I came across a page dedicated to “big butts”. Gasp you should. Now cultivate those images running through your mind and that is exactly the content you will find in that page. So, I did what anyone reasonable enough would do, and I reported that page, under “Nudity/Pornography”.  It took Facebook less than ten minutes to reply back.

In short the response was that this page would not be removed because it fell under “artful nudity”. In case I was stupid, they gave me examples in which they mentioned “Michael Angelo’s David”.

Now, you can imagine my jaw fell to the floor.

Before I continue, let me tell you as an adult, I don’t have a problem with nudity nor pornography, they serve a purpose. Yes, I also agree, that in some circles it’s considered art.

However, consider this: This network, is open to people as young as 13. I’ve also know people under 13, who fake their age to join. Like it’s hard right?

So imagine my surprise, when they dared to compare sexually suggestive photos of a women in barely there thongs to Michael Angelo’s David, and further more consider that acceptable. Now, I’m not surprised why millions are going to other networks such as Twitter.

Art is in the eye of the beholder, however, if what you consider art is best suited as the cover of a porn film/magizine. Then chances are, it’s not suited for the eyes of an under age child.

Blurring the line between pornography, sexually suggestive nudity and true art, cheapens the work of people like Michael Angelo, because last time I checked no man or for that matter no woman was having happy private time to the photos of Michael Angelo’s David.

Destination Humanity

Chasing big dreams one photo at a time

Beautiful Life with Cancer

Discovering the Gift

Poems & People

what if poems could be symphonies, and people their orchestra?

Cartoons, Movies, Books and entertainment as well as some touchy feely crap

My IVFing Story

IVF Survivor and mother

Letters for Michael

Lessons on being gay, of love, life and lots of it

Megan Has OCD

About Mental Health, Daily Struggles, and Whatever Else Pops in My Head

Once Upon a Translation

All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind.

Psycheboy's World

Just another site

The wacky stories of a crazy lady.

Inspirational Blog for Women

Learning the importance of self-worth

I'm not surprised

Talking about the world with reckless abandon.

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My Goals for March

If you know me you’re probably aware that I’ve never been known for being “bubbly” or “cheerful”. It’s not that I’m always scowling or that I never laugh, I’m just more reserved and don’t always express overt happiness. Of course, joy is not equal to happiness. If you asked my Sunday School students they would eagerly tell you that happiness is dependent upon circumstances, while joy is a choice you can make even in the worst of times. This month I will be intentionally choosing joy.

Focus for March = JOY

My goal for March is to become a more joyful person [exhibiting delight and satisfaction; choosing to rejoice] by singing, smiling, praising and enjoying God every day throughout the month. I will use a calendar to keep track of my daily progress.

  1. Faith- Memorize and meditate upon 3 appropriate verses per week, pray every day that God would help me choose joy, spend at least 30 minutes in prayer daily, intentionally notice the beauty of creation and thank God for it, sing to God daily, and reflect on the gift of salvation daily.
  2. Marriage– Do at least one thing per week with John that is especially fun or that makes us laugh, go on a “comedy date”, and play worship music together at least once.
  3. Health- Force myself to smile daily (even when I don’t feel like it) and get fresh air daily.
  4. Homemaking- Praise God for every chore as I do it and listen to Christian music as I do housework.
  5. Interactions– Put a smile in my voice when I speak and bless at least one person per week who is struggling.

Do you have any goals for the month of March?

Let me know what you think

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The Teacher

So here is my first Short Story. I haven’t really played around with this before. I had 3 separate piles of little papers. Each pile was represented by either a: Character trait, location or a problem.

The three that I picked at random were: Teacher, Beach and witnessed an unspeakable evil. This is also a very early draft but I feel that I can post it seeing as it is a rather short story (>1000 words) I would also like to add that it does have a very dark tone, so those who are faint of heart may not want to read this. So without further delay here goes

The tranquility surrounded me as I walked across the shore. Sand fell in between my toes every time I stepped. The green ocean made its way from the horizon and splashed against my warm white feet. This had been my second time here, first alone. I had traveled here, to this exact same resort with Kate on our honey moon. In two months it would have been seven years. Seven years of hell. I was happy to find out how much of a mistake I made only after two. Every year from the end of June to the first week of September I was given a break from the chaos that ensued within the school I taught at. My class was thought to be an exceptionally well behaved class. Claire, the spelling bee champion the year before. Matthew Glenn, not to be confused with Matthew Stevens, had a brilliant mind with math. While the later one… He was a handful. The two months that I had away from there were spent in solitude. My books, Jays games and summer blockbusters. I had saved for this trip for quite some time, I should be enjoying it, not thinking of my dull life. I walked up the beach to where reclining chairs had been placed on the sand under red and white umbrellas. Tables as white as the chairs, were placed between each pair of seats. I rested there with book in hand while I basked in the remainder of the sun’s warmth. Within ten minutes of sitting a man had appeared, wearing an outfit that matched the boy who had brought my luggage to my room. A red vest, with a black long sleeve underneath, a black bow-tie and dress pants to match it. He looked younger than me, though most men my age often did. His hair was slicked to the right and sideburns protruded past his earlobes. He sported a soul patch which didn’t really suit him. He asked if I wanted anything to drink or even perhaps an appetizer. I asked for a Rum and Coke. The man couldn’t speak a spit of English but I was sure that he understood what I meant. The server returned with drink in hand. “Cuba Libre” is all that he said. I reached into my pocket for my common phrase book. Cuba Libre a tall glass, 1 ounce of Rum, the rest filled with coke and garnished with a lime. The lime was too much for. I pulled it off the rim of the glass and tossed it to the shoreline. I didn’t come here for the exotic foods or drinks. I just came for the place, to see it once more and that was it. Rum and coke was tradition for me. I pounded it back fast and realized that I was on my own and I had very little distractions. My thoughts drifted off to work and back to Kate as it often did. The server made his appearance several more times, with the same order being placed. After two I had lost focus of my book and watched as the same server came out and lit the torches behind me along the beach. Once again he came and asked if he could take my cup and if I needed anything. I simply said “Cuba Libre”. He returned twice more and it was pitch black now. I stared hard at his name tag. The light cast by the torches was barely enough to aid in the finding of what it said. If I made a bet on what it said I was sure to lose. I called him Alejandro but it also could have been Alberto. “Alejandro, can I call you Alejandro?” The man seemed out of place as I asked this and gave me an odd look. “Alejandro, I’ve worked with kids for sixteen years. You understand me? Anyways I had been married for close to two years. Around this time my wife decided that she wanted to have a kid without my knowledge. Crazy huh? So one morning she tells me she’s pregnant. I was shocked. What do you say to that? I had nicked myself pretty bad as a result. What kind of an idiot says that while you’re shaving? I looked in the mirror for quite some time.” At this time the server turned to leave but I reached out for his wrist in an attempt to restrain him. “I’m staring straight into the cut I had made on my cheek. The blood rolled down the freshly shaved section of my cheek to my jaw line. At this point she’s furious, I can only guess that she expects me to be happy about this. I can tell that she’s trying to get my attention because of all the movement in the reflection.” The server uttered a few words of which I ignored and gripped his wrist harder. “She shakes me two, maybe even three times but before she can get the fourth one in I turn. I cup both my hands behind her head and with all the strength I could muster, I bring her head down on the white ceramic sink. Once her head hit the sink I released her. Placing my hands on the edge of what was left of the sink. I stood staring in the mirror at the cut she had caused. The reminder of what had transpired convulsed by my feet.  It continued for maybe three minutes, I couldn’t tell you. But what troubles me the most Alejandro. Was my kid going to be a Matthew Glenn or a Stevens?”

Thank you for the read if you passed by this. I hope to hear criticism as I am open to it. And if you’re also an aspiring author feel free to drop me a message or a comment and I would love to bounce ideas of each other or aid in the critiquing of work.

Thanks for the read!


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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

change of seasons

Here's the shelves above the stove, not sure it will stay this way for long - I kind of move things around a lot based on my mood. The middle pumpkin is the one that I glittered. The saying will most definitely change as the sky is starting to clear of smoke. There has been a few fires in the area and so last week and through the weekend the air quality was terrible!

Here's the dealio, I keep rearranging the quilt. And so I asked for opinions from the ladies at work and based on that I have started changing again. I've also gotten great advice from Jennifer about just letting go and being a little random, boy that's tough! Last night I mixed up light and dark, and turned some of the middle layers on point. I like the diamond look so will finish turning every other middle one on point just didn't do it last night due to being ready to go to sleep :)What do you think???


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A couple of weeks ago something really exciting happened. Our Funeralcare colleagues up in Edinburgh started using the digital service to book funerals for clients in real time. And it went down a treat – with both clients and colleagues.

Over the last week, a team of digital folk have been up in Edinburgh supporting our colleagues, helping them make the transition from using paper forms to arrange a funeral to using the live system on a tablet.

Scary stuff. But the teams in Edinburgh have been up for the challenge and very honest with their feedback.

It’s been a big change for these teams and it’s not always been easy, but the achievement of everyone involved has been incredible. Who would have thought we could have such an intuitive system to replace all those forms, paper diaries and whiteboards. And it works.

Though there’s still a way to go and it’s by no means perfect yet. But we’re getting there and it’s thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. The teams in Angel Square, Bolton, Edinburgh and Tranent have all played a huge part in creating this system from scratch. It couldn’t have been done without any of them.

One of the keys to the success of the digital service is the hands on involvement that our front line colleagues have had from the start. The service has been designed for them, so it made total sense that they should have a say in how it works.

And they haven’t held back when it comes to letting us know what they think. The team in Angel Square get on average 14 pieces of feedback a week, sometimes reaching as much as 37. It all gets listened to and it all finds its place on the ever growing plan of updates and developments.

There’s nothing else like this that exists within our industry. We’re leading the way with such an innovative way of working – and it’s not just us that think that. Our digital team from Angel Square recently attended an awards ceremony down in London. And guess what. WE WON!

Say hello to the Digital Technology Leaders Award for Best Large DigitalProject.

We can’t wait to make the service even better than it is now and start sharing it with you all. That’s still going to take us some time, but for now, there’s a new page on the intranet being developed which will hold loads of up to date information on how the service is getting along. There’ll be videos, a blog, articles on the latest news, even a place to post comments and questions, so make sure you look out for the message to say it’s up and running.

This is a really exciting time for us and we want you to be part of it.

Carl Burton, Product Lead, Funeralcare Digital Service


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San Diego’s Jazz Fest helms BIG names!

Holiday weekends during the Summer time tend to be the time when people want to get out, party, relax, and enjoy some good music.

The holiday that everyone depicts as the official “kickoff to the Summer” is Memorial Day, and this May 22-24 comes the arrival of the San Diego Jazz Festival.

To be hosted at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA, you’ll be able to see some of R&B’s biggest names from past an present. So far the headliners who have been announced are Toni Braxton, Maxwell, and R.Kelly among others.  The full list of artist can be found below and tickets can be purchased HERE.  More artist to be announced .

2015 San Diego Jazz Festival performs:

Fri May 22
R. Kelly

Sat May 23
Toni Braxton
Raheem DeVaughn
Tim Bowman
Elan Trotman
Jazz In Pink

Sun May 24
Erykah Badu
Anthony Hamilton
Eric Benet
Eric Darius

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Exclusive Premieres
The Hottest Songs, Music Videos, Posters and Trailers
That You Heard and Saw Here First

Incan Abraham contemplate conflict on new indie pop anthem “In My Bones” — listen

on December 02, 2016, 2:25pm

Photo by Sheva Kafai

As a persistent synthesizer and a disco drum beat propel “In My Bones” forward, the band that wrote it can’t help but think back on the past. That is, after all, where the journey of Incan Abraham really begins: Teddy Cafaro, Spencer Mandel, and Giuliano Pizzulo are childhood friends who reunited only after going their separate ways for part of their early 20s. (Pizzulo actually served as the touring guitarist and keyboardist for Passion Pit during this time). Now that they’re back together and one LP — 2014’s Tolerance — deep into their life as a musical trio, the group has focused on creating expansive soundscapes that reflect their wealth of individual experiences.

“In My Bones” is one such soundscape, a gentle but driving indie pop song complete with all the anthemic swells and introspective lyrics we’ve come to expect from the genre. The band describes it as “a song about conflict — between the intuitive and the practical, the tangible and the cryptic, and pushing onward despite it all.” Incan Abraham practice a quiet, contemplative brand of catharsis; they may not make you rush the stage, but they will leave you with plenty to think about on the long walk home.

Listen to “In My Bones” below and check out Incan Abraham when they play in Los Angeles at School Night at Bardot on December 12th.

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A welcome return

Yim Yam Thai Laos, 40 Ballarat St, Yarraville. Phone: 9687 8585

So scarifying was our last visit to Yim Yam in Yarraville that it has taken more than five years to return.

On that occasion, on a busy Friday night, the place was uncomfortably cramped and the staff seemed harried to distraction.

At that time, a much younger Bennie was very much unused to spicy food, so we made a point of choosing one dish by adhering to the restaurant’s chilli grading system.

But our “one chilli” choice was so unbearably hot that even I could eat only a few mouthfuls.

When I tried to raise this matter with the staff member who seemed to be in charge, I was blown off with a dismissive wave of the hand.

It was a long time ago – and certainly before the arrival of Consider The Sauce.

But, yes, it has remained in memory a vivid experience for both of us.

Returning for a mid-week dinner, we find much – perhaps even everything – has changed.

The place has expanded, with a lovely dining room now adjoining the original, smaller eating and kitchen space.

The staff are happy, obliging and on the ball.

With this sense of expansiveness, what might have previously been viewed as an imposition – being seated at the window bench right next to the door – is just fine by us.

We navigate a dauntingly long menu of dishes mostly unfamiliar to use with aplomb, ending up with just the sort of meal we desired, even if our picks are a little on the unadventurous side.

Even better, by going without our usual soft drinks and appetisers of the snacky variety, the bill clocks in at just a tick over $40, which we hold to be excellent value considering the quality of the food.

Vegetarian pad thai ($12.90) is a fine foundation for our dinner.

It’s quite wet and mildly spiced, yet has a good lemony tang and a profusion of lovely vegetables, sprouts and tofu.

Vientiane salad ($12.90) is Bennie’s choice and it’s a good one.

This one, too, has a bold lemon quotient, but we pretty much inhale the “white noodles with shredded green papaya, tomato, peanuts and herbs with a lemon flavoured dressing”.

Our protein hit comes courtesy of guy yang gup jaow mark kham – “marinated grilled chicken with chilli tamarind dip” ($15.90).

It’s good but doesn’t transport us to delight as our previous, vegetable-based choices did.

That’s down to the chicken being a little on the bland side and also being very like the Vietnamese grilled chook we’ve eaten so often.

The sticky tamarind chilli sauce is terrific, though.

If anything, the best part of this dish is scooping up the mess of carrots, coriander, spring onion and peanuts imbued with the chicken/marinade cooking juices.

Tonight’s Yarraville adventure has come about because I’d had quite enough of driving for the day, so somewhere, anywhere in our immediate backyard has been the go.

Walking around Anderson and Ballarat streets leads us to acknowledge just how many Yarraville village eateries we have yet to visit and/or write about, even if quite a few of them fall into the “special occasion” category for us.

Still, it’s been a happy outing in that we’ll be more than glad to return to Yim Yam where previously we have stayed away.

10 thoughts on “A welcome return

  1. Oooh, you have me salivating. I absolutely love Yim Yam, but it’s so hard to get in and my kids won’t eat it! It should be called Yum Yum!

    • Wow, makes me oh so grateful for where Bennie is at and where he’s going. For this meal, he was much more interested in scoping out the salad/vego options, and in eating them, leaving the meat to me.

  2. I might be able to get the family back here based on these changes.
    On my previous visit I thought the service was authentically random and chaotic for Laotian, but the khao niew serves were tiny. Most Lao meals come with a serve of rice as big as your head.

  3. We re-visited the Moonee Ponds branch recently and I have to say we were a little disappointed in the quality of the food. Although I always allow for the kitchen having “off” days. They’re only human after all.

  4. I love Yim Yam!! Pad Thai is my go to dish.
    I was disappointed once time though, when I ordered the seafood curry served in a coconut shell.. it didn’t look very appealing when it arrived!!

  5. Headed to Yim Yam a couple of Saturday nights back and it was stunning. The duck curry is great, fruity, ducky, rich and just enough. So happy they are doing great Lao again.

    • Kenny, firstly I walked past you tonight but didn’t realise until we were too far away (how tall Ben has grown). Secondly, I ate at Yim Yam tonight after a very long hiatus. I have always loved the food but the service, both eat in and take away, has been horrendous. There was a young man working there tonight who needs to teach some of the older staff a thing or two. I’m guessing he was in his mid to late teens, but he was so considerate, so caring. And then older staff came up and were rude and stand offish. I love the food here but only go if friends want because of the horrendous service. The staff need to take note of this young man. He was outstanding. The food was, as usual, superb.

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Domino's Trademarks Pizza Hut's Product Names In The UK

Pizza Hut is testing a new type of pizza in Florida and Texas. It’s called the ‘Natural Rustica’ and according to Brand Republic, the pizza features “sauces made from organic tomatoes and toppings without artificial preservatives. To enhance its premium credentials, the range is made from a multi-grain crust of traditional pizza dough and wholegrain infused with honey and olive oil.” Honey? Anyway, Domino’s must like this idea because they’ve trademarked the “Natural Rustica” name in the UK.

Domino’s Pizza sales and marketing director Robin Auld said: ‘We are frequently registering trademarks as part of our ongoing new product development programme and this often includes names used by Domino’s and other companies in other countries.’

A Pizza Hut spokeswoman responded by saying it was ‘flattered that Domino’s is using Pizza Hut innovation in the US as inspiration’.

Who knew the pizza biz was so catty?

Domino’s Pizza UK trademarks Pizza Hut’s US menu items [Brand Republic]
(Photo: Ben Popken )


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Tag: Rule 14a-8(i)(10)

Highlights of the 2017 PLI Securities Regulation Institute

Summarized below are some of the highlights of the 2017 PLI Securities Regulation Institute panel discussions with the SEC staff (Michele Anderson, Wesley Bricker, Karen Garnett, William Hinman, Mark Kronforst, Shelley Parratt, Ted Yu), as well as a number of  former staffers and other commentators. Topics included the Congressional and SEC agendas, fresh insights into the shareholder proposal guidance, as well as expectations regarding cybersecurity, conflict minerals, pay ratio disclosure, waivers and many other topics.

Corp Fin refuses to allow exclusion of new form of proxy access fix-it proposal

It ain’t over till it’s over, as they say.  You may have thought that, after the series of staff no-action positions allowing exclusion of so-called “fix-it” proposals during the last proxy season, we had seen the last of them. If so, you would be forgetting how persistent (or relentless, depending on your point of view) these proponents are.  And this time, the staff has rejected the no-action request of H&R Block—once again the unfortunate trailblazer— which had sought exclusion of another proxy access fix-it proposal—this time to eliminate the cap on shareholder aggregation to achieve the 3% eligibility threshold—from the prolific John Chevedden et al. Given the result, you can expect to see more of this form of fix-it proposal next proxy season.

SEC continues to grant no-action relief in connection with proxy access fix-it proposals

by Cydney Posner The SEC has posted a number of additional Corp Fin responses to requests for no-action, as well as to requests for reconsideration of previous denials of relief, regarding shareholder proposals to amend proxy access bylaws, so-called “fix-it” proposals. In all cases, the companies argued that they should […]

Update on proxy access proposals

by Cydney Posner What’s the latest on proxy access proposals?  As you may recall, the line drawn so far by Corp Fin has been that, where the shareholder proposal related to initial adoption of proxy access, Corp Fin has continued to grant no-action relief and permit exclusion of proxy access proposals as […]

Corp Fin Staff grants no-action relief allowing exclusion of shareholder proposals for proxy access under Rule 14a-8(i)(10)

by Cydney Posner Now that Corp Fin has issued Staff Legal Bulletin 14H providing guidance that, for most practical purposes, eliminates the availability of Rule 14a-8(i)(9) (see this PubCo post) to exclude shareholder proposals that conflict with management proposals, there has been substantial speculation about the contours of Rule 14a-8(i)(10), the exclusion for proposals […]

Highlights from panels with current and former staff of Corp Fin

by Cydney Posner Below are some highlights (from my notes) of the PLI Securities Regulation Institute panel discussions Thursday and Friday with the Corp Fin staff (Keith Higgins, Shelley Parratt, David Fredrickson, Michele Anderson, Karen Garnett) as well as a number of some former staffers, plus some additional discussion from […]


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I’ve finally started my new blog called Soar Cloud-High at www.soarcloudhigh.com, I hope you will join me there!

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Well hello there, friends! I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to get this post up so that you can rejoice with me that God has given me the beautiful gift of restored health!

Here is the full story (click to open PDF file):

Xyngular Testimonial

A Grand Success!

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As I rushed around Hope Chapel in Sterling, MA on Saturday morning, I was still a little apprehensive about the day. As I spread tablecloths, set out coffee and tea service, hung fun vintage print fabric buntings and arranged materials on the registration table, I could feel a few butterflies wildly dancing within me and a twinge of panic welling up just beneath the surface. What if my workshop didn’t go well? What if registrants didn’t show up after all? What if we had sound system glitches? (Note my total lack of concern as to whether or not Sarah would be brilliant, because I already considered that to be inevitable!!)

And then a dear friend who has lived much of her life in England whooshed in through the entry doors and put a colorful gift bag into my hands. “Open it now, you’ll see why,” she said, her eyes sparkling with a secret delight. I dug through the tissue paper and drew out this darling fire-engine-red tea tin delightfully imprinted with the now-familiar expression “Keep Calm and Carry On.” Yes, this!

Then the conference team gathered for prayer together in a quiet back room, and as we lifted up the day to the One who flung the stars, who gave us words and language and beauty and books, I knew that all would be well. We walked out from that room ready to encourage and inspire those in attendance to mold and shape the souls and minds of children with grand Story, cultivating the landscape of imagination through books and Beauty.
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Isn’t this a delightful scene? I commissioned this picture from an artist friend to use for our conference programs, and I just love the color and imagery and artistry.

These are the stunning flowers that graced the tables of the sanctuary, wonderfully and artfully arranged by my talented sister-friend Becky. I have a few of these arrangements now scattered through my home and their beauty is still nourishing my soul. We put out a survey for the conference attendees to fill out, and over and over the flowers were mentioned as a favorite part of the day (along with the enchanting live violin music, the quality coffee and teas, and of course the washi tape!)

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You would think that for preparation’s sake, Friday afternoon would find Sarah and myself pouring over notes in a frenzy to review points and precepts. Instead, we whisked away together to Newport, RI to “play”…spending the day immersing ourselves in such delights as lunch in a small mansion set right on the sea, a hearty stroll along the water on the Cliff Walk (where we took this picture), tea and treats at a darling bakery, popping into shops run by local artisans and clothiers, and of course the very best of conversation betwixt kindred spirits. I felt that this soul-filling day of delights was the best preparation possible for pouring out into the hearts and minds of those who would join us the next day for a grand celebration of Story.

And pour out we did. Oh, friends…it was such a grand day of beauty and delight! Every detail came together to create an environment rich in color, sound, taste and fellowship. The church was transformed into a bit of a fairy land, thanks to the heroic and tireless efforts of Jane Rattray from cherished-child.blogspot.com, and as registrants began to arrive you could tell they were tickled by the fun and enchantment that we had worked so hard to provide for them. The welcome packets contained such delightful surprises as a brightly colored pen, a chalkboard-style name tag, a glassine pack of hand-stamped water bottle tickets sealed with fun washi tape, and a paper bookmark with baker’s twine tassel that served as a boxed lunch voucher.

“Sweet” Pastry and Dessert Bar in Worcester did their part, providing the guests with a delicious lunch and decadent cupcakes. Thanks to Manna Recording & Duplication we have recordings of each session and all the workshops, and soon they shall take up permanent residence at storyformed.com, Sarah’s online home for literary resources for parents and children. The book table was a huge hit, laden with Sarah’s books as well as favorite selections from Whole Heart Ministries and a few offerings from local authors. Violin music swelled in the background, filling the room with gorgeous music. The fragrant flowers, delicious coffee, tin pots brimming over with gourmet chocolates, informative workshops, and general camaraderie of like-minded souls all blended together to create this magical atmosphere of expectation and anticipation.

And then there was Sarah, incandescent in beauty, expressive and articulate, she took the stage with quiet grace. At times we strained to hear her soft and lilting voice, but make no mistake, her message rang loud and clear. Story, imagination, books and beauty are gifts of God, tools used by the Master Creator to shape the souls of His children and to create heroes and heroines that live out the stories of their lives and reflect the goodness of God, that bring light to a dark world and healing to the broken places. We sat listening, greatly heartened and encouraged to press on, to cultivate a life rich with words and wonder, to READ to the children in our lives. We wrapped up the day with a rousing question and answer session that addressed the finer points and practicalities of shaping the storyformed life. We closed the doors on the conference with confidence, assured that the message had gone forth and been received with great joy. Were there glitches and little imperfections? Did some details fall through the cracks? Sure, of course they did. But all in all, the day was a grand success.

But the day wasn’t over quite yet. My sweet husband had given up his birthday so I could host this event, and now it was time to collect him on our way in to Boston, join up with Sarah’s charming brother Joel, and head to The Beehive, a fun jazz-club-slash-art-gallery in a trendy Tremont Street neighborhood serving up decadently delicious food and amazing music in a quirky-fun environment, along with some of the best people watching opportunities to be found in the city. I am quite certain I had the best meal of my life, from the baby back ribs with sweet Asian glaze to my first encounter with poutine (fries with gravy and cheese, but really it’s just deliciousness on a plate!), the Moroccan lamb and chicken couscous and the sage frites, and capping it all off with the incomparable chocolate mousse and maple bread pudding with salted caramel ice cream…we ordered up several dishes and shared each and every one, reveling in each burst of flavor and each dance of taste experience on our tongues. Such a perfect end to this day that had been such a focus for me and my family and for Sarah for weeks if not months. Preparations, details, questions, lots of time on the computer working on websites and promoting on social media, some weariness and frustration along the way, all resulting in the success of the day and capped off with a grand feast of tastes and music and conversation and camaraderie. Will I do it all again? Hmmmm…jury is still out on that. Would I change a thing about the last few months of pulling this together (and pulling it off?). Absolutely not!

Yesterday, I had the great honor and privilege of giving the devotional at the bridal shower of a dear young friend of mine. She will not only be very soon married, but will be living on the opposite coast with her new husband, so it’s a bittersweet event for our family.

The morning of the shower, I felt a bit panicked. I had polished off what I wanted to say very late the night before, and as I scanned it over in the rush of trying to get out the door, I felt that it perhaps was a little too edgy…a bit vehement in spots. It was my sincere desire to encourage my young friend, but also to very strongly exhort her with solid, biblical counsel and to share some wisdom gleaned from my own experience as a married woman.

Oh no! What if that roomful of ladies, there to wish her well and share in her happy day and expecting to hear a sweet, nice little devotional with a verse or two about marriage, what if I make them uncomfortable with this at-times-strongly-worded speech?

I should have given them more credit. There was no cause for concern. Those lovely, godly ladies were touched by this very honest and deeply personal little talk. Several mentioned that they wished they had known these things as they embarked on their own marriage, and many asked for copies of it or encouraged me to share it with others. So I share it with you! I have had to change the names…her name isn’t Jane Smith, nor is his John Green, but you’ll get the general idea.

Here goes (deep breath! I still feel like this is a little more soul-baring than my usual post!):

I brought with me today a little visual aid. This picture hangs up in my living room, at the request of my husband…this is a copy of our wedding vows, and of course I had to make it all fancy and special with a handwriting font, and a scrapbook style picture…apparently, this makes it hard to read, or so he tells me. When I made this, I opted to change the wording slightly to take out our individual names, replacing that section with “I take you to be mine”…

When my husband and I got married, we wanted our marriage vows to have a great depth of meaning, to be both personally meaningful as a reflection of who we were, and also to have deep spiritual meaning and to be as biblically accurate as possible, all while not straying too far from a traditional wedding service. We went to the library and pulled out old, dusty books of words that have been spoken over couples for centuries, and we also looked over glossy new books with more modern phraseology…and it wouldn’t take you long to figure out which we favored.

But we didn’t end up with this particular set of words because they were old, or traditional, or sounded nice. We chose these words to say to one another, standing there that day facing each other, promising to one another…because they are TRUE, and a reflection of the Gospel.

Jane, today I want to share with you, and with everyone here, my wedding vows, and a little bit of the “why” behind the choosing of these particular words, these specific truths, as the foundation of my own marriage, and I say them to you as a benediction for your marriage with John.

These are the words I said that day:

Before God and these witnesses, and in reliance upon the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I take you to be mine. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, to speak and to listen, to repent and to forgive, to respect and honor, until God shall separate us by death. I promise to be faithful to you in all circumstances of our life together so that we may join to serve God and others as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow.

Now, let’s back up to the beginning. “Before God and these witnesses.” Standard wedding stuff, yes. But there is meaning here! The fact that the state will legally recognize you as married to John Green really matters very little. What matters most is that you will stand together before God, entering together into the covenant of marriage. You will be surrounded by your family and friends, the people in your life who love you the most, who will witness the vows you make to each other.

“In reliance upon the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I take you to be mine.” I’ll tell you right now, you don’t want to take anyone to be “yours” unless you do so fully relying upon the grace of Christ! And I say that coming from the position of a happy, solid marriage between two people wholly committed to Jesus…it still requires loads of grace! Grace to bite your tongue. Grace to love and serve when you’re tired or cranky. Grace to weather the storms of life together, when trouble comes and there’s fear, or loss, or illness.

“To have, and to hold.” You will belong to each other, body and soul. Give yourself wholeheartedly! That sounds easy now, but it might not always be. There may come days or even seasons when you feel less inclined to be physically or emotionally intimate, perhaps days when young children have been tugging at you and clinging to you, and you feel like you want to draw a ten-foot circle around yourself and defend your perimeter with sharp weapons! Days when you are weary and even a hug seems like a lot to give. Remember the promise— to have…to hold. Keep close to one another, in every way, and draw upon the strength of the Lord on those tough days. We have all had them. I’m pretty certain you will, too.

“To love and to cherish.” In our ceremony, these were my husband’s words to me, and I pray that you will be deeply loved and tenderly cherished by your husband. My promise was to love and obey, and the specific word “obey” was very important to us to include for my portion of our vows. This is imperative! Ephesians 5 tells us: “Wives, submit to your husbands” and “Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” He is to love you…you are to obey him. This is a picture of Christ and the church, and a glorious testimony to those around you, who have the opportunity to see Christ in you, to see the Gospel play out in your marriage. I find it interesting that “love” isn’t part of the command to wives in this particular section of scripture. I think it just comes a little more naturally to us, while the “obey” doesn’t always. Fight for it in your marriage, this preservation of biblical roles, this beautiful picture of the Gospel!

“To speak and to listen.” This line has special meaning for me. This was a phrase that my husband insisted on, and I remember the look in his eyes…speaking volumes to me how very important this was to him. We would commit to each other to communicate. To speak. To listen. To really hear what the other person is saying and to respond. Once again, this probably sounds really easy right now. You love talking to each other. You find John endlessly fascinating! As you should. But look ahead…over the years, as your household falls into a rhythm of days…John comes home from work, you greet each other, the conversation takes on familiarity. Often the same words exchanged, day to day. And though pleasant, and nothing wrong with this routine of family life, it can lead to a disruption of real and true communication, because you know the script! You don’t really have to stop and listen, or think of a unique and meaningful response, because you already know what to say. Now, this is you we are talking about, and I know that you will keep fun and witty banter as a part of communication in your marriage…but even so, a fair warning. Commit to speak. Commit to listen.

“To repent and to forgive.” A sister promise of to “speak and listen”. But these words, this communication, goes even deeper and is often difficult to execute. This is gritty, gutsy, courageous stuff in a marriage. It’s so very much easier to follow that script we talked about, and to sweep offenses and grievances under the rug, allowing them to be concealed and forgotten in the busyness of days. But these little weeds in your garden tend to grow, and to spread quickly…and over time, nagging and accusation and sinful attitudes toward one another can take root and become a threat to your marriage. Repent! Ask for forgiveness! If you have been wronged, extend that grace, give that forgiveness freely! As a believer in Christ, as a child of God, you have been forgiven so. very. much! One of the primary reasons God places us in marriage is so that we can be a reflection of this aspect of his character, this lavish grace and mercy that he bestows. So in your marriage, determine now…you will repent. You will forgive.

“To respect and honor.” Respect your husband, always! Your marriage will flourish as you honor him as the head of your household, as the authority in your home. Don’t ever let this hierarchy that God has established be turned upside down. And in return, it is my hope that John will honor you as his bride, the wife of his youth, and respect you as created in the image of God, redeemed as a child of God. Yet determine in your heart to always regard your husband with the utmost honor and respect, second only to God in your life.

“Until God shall separate us by death.” We chose this phrase over “until death do us part,” for one thing because the latter sounds a little too archaic (and we like old words!), but mostly in order to acknowledge that God has sovereign authority over our lives, over our days. Psalm 139:16 says “in your book were written, every one of them,the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” You will spend your life with John, as one, together, until your are separated by God, through death. That could be mere days, or many decades. Only God knows!

“I promise to be faithful to you in all circumstances of our life together.” This is more than just physical, sexual fidelity. That’s why the “in all circumstances” is there. This means that you don’t run your husband down or disparage him to your friends. You don’t contradict him in front of other people, or make fun of him to the point of making him look like a fool. You don’t complain about him. You may sit here today, a lovely bride-to-be full of love and devotion for your groom and say, “Well, of course not!” But this will be a point of testing for you! No one is perfect, we are all sinners, and even the most loving and attentive of husbands will at some point do something to annoy and irritate his wife. Does she immediately text her best friend and start complaining? Does she bring up his faults in front of other people, or tell stories about him that, while true, might embarrass him? We all struggle with this. James 3:8 tells us that “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” The temptation to sin against your husband in this way will at times be strong. Be vigilant and prayerful. Be faithful to your husband, in all circumstances!

“That we may join to serve God and others as long as we both shall live.” You will be more together than you are apart. No longer John Green and Jane Smith. Now you will be Mr. and Mrs. Green….you’ll become “The Greens”! And I pray that you will settle in to your local church as a flourishing, young married couple committed to serve the body together, to impact your neighborhood and your community for the gospel…that you will be a shining beacon, that your home will radiate the love of Christ, and that you may truly join together to serve– To serve each other. To serve your church. To serve one day as a family, as you, I hope, raise children together for the glory of God. May the giftings and talents that God has graced you with complement one another. May you strengthen each other and spur one another on to love and good deeds.

“This is my solemn vow.” This is serious. This is more than just a ceremony, more than a big party. Aside from choices regarding salvation and following Christ (and that’s really not a choice we make, anyway, it’s God’s!), this is the most important decision of your life. Your vows are your covenant, together, before a holy God. April 5th, 2014 is a solemn day for you. A happy day, yes. A grand occasion, one to be celebrated with great joy! But this is for real. The Gospel is at stake.

I pray you will be blissfully happy as Mrs. John Green. I pray you will be a godly, faithful wife, one that young women look up to as a shining example, all your days as a wife. I pray that you will become the happy mother of children, and that your home will be full of joy…that you will throw open your doors in gracious hospitality, that words of grace and love will be spoken there, that your days will be infused with prayer and thanksgiving, and that Christ would be the center of your lives together, always. I love you as a friend, and as a sister in Christ. My family adores you and we will miss you tremendously. You will always be welcome in our home, from whatever corner of the world you hail from. May God richly bless you, my friend.

I am so. very. EXCITED!

It’s time to open up Registration for The Storyformed Child New England Conference!

The date is set for April 12, 2014 in Sterling, MA from 9 am to 5 pm and will feature three main sessions by the lovely and talented Sarah Clarkson from Storyformed.com as well as a choice of four workshops led by local homeschooling mothers with a passion for Story & Imagination. An optional boxed lunch will be catered by a local bakery with simply delectable food and the whole day is set up as a relaxing, fun, restorative and inspirational retreat for mothers who desire to shape their children with grand stories and creative experience. It’s going to be a wonderful day full of encouragement and fellowship!

I have a ginormous favor to ask. Will you, pretty please with a cherry on top, share these links with your friends who might live in the New England area, including New York and New Jersey?

Conference website: www.storyformedchild.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/StoryformedChildNewEngland

Simply visit the website or the Facebook page and share from there, you will find links galore!

Thanks ever so!

Highly Resolved!

Vintage Chalk Style Serving Plate at zazzle.com

Happy New Year!

I love a fresh start, don’t you? Though I must admit, I’m starting to understand all the naysayers with regards to making New Year’s Resolutions. Well, at least the muscles in my legs understand!

Okay, I confess. I blasted out of the starting gate a little too fast this morning. To say the least.

I wanted to do it all! I wanted to make my vision for 2014 happen all at once! So I woke up early (6 am after a late night with friends is very early indeed!), had a lengthy and enjoyable quiet time, complete with journaling and prayer, and I dove right into my day with an intense 60 minute workout. I gave my all.

Then I laminated a new chore chart for the kids and walked each of them through their responsibilities, ate a healthy breakfast, took care of the dishes, got a laundry load started, and went to take a hot shower. By the time I was dressed in my painting clothes to continue work on the kids’ bedrooms, I was zapped!

It was 10 am.

My legs were sore, I felt a little lightheaded and very hungry, and all I seemed to be able to see in every corner was all the stuff lying around undone, begging for my attention.

It was overwhelming!

What happened to all the bright, hopeful plans I had listed out in my journal just yesterday? What happened to taking the New Year by storm?

Well, what happened is just this: I stayed up until 11 pm last night. I ate frightening amounts of greasy food and sugary treats. I haven’t worked out since a couple weeks before Christmas. The kids have been out of their routine basically since Thanksgiving. The house is in disarray from a busy holiday season. And there is no. possible. way it could all be corrected in one day!

Yet I love Resolutions. And I refuse to be discouraged! Because I have 364 more days to work on this. At the end of this year, when I look back on all that I so highly resolved to tackle and accomplish and work towards this year, I fully intend to be able to smile with satisfaction that progress was indeed made. Every year I’m surprised by how many of my Resolutions are either fully realized or at the very least partially fulfilled. I’ve never regretted taking the time to either formulate new goals or reflect upon the old ones.

So what did I do with the rest of my day? Did I surge ahead with my painting project and continue on from there with more tasks from my list?

I made an early lunch and savored the aroma and flavor of warm quiche and a mixed green salad. I cozied up in a big, fluffy robe and soft slippers and took a nap. I made a cup of tea and lingered by the fireside. I promised the kids a movie and popcorn tonight after dinner.

Depending on how you look at it, perhaps I accomplished more with the second half of my day than I did in the first?

A Blessed New Year to you! May you walk closely with the One who gave you Life and Breath. May each day be a gift that brings joy and delight. May you live life to the full, love fiercely, give generously, hope tenaciously, dance with wild abandon…may you taste and see that the Lord is good, and make your highest aim in 2014 to bring glory to his name, now and forevermore.

We set up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.

Within 24 hours, Anna’s “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament was in two pieces, and I had a heartbroken three-year-old to console.

Usually, that would bother me. When something special breaks, or is ruined, when Beauty is marred and my perfectly-perfect vision for an event or a meal or a holiday season goes awry, a wrenching feeling twists through me, all the way up to the muscles in my neck, ending up somewhere in my mind, taking up residence as dark thoughts and crushed hopes, casting a shadow on Celebration.

But not this time. And not just because superglue exists.

Something strange and wonderful happened to me this Advent season, slowly yet surely. I decided that moment, holding the pieces, kissing away the little-girl tears, that this year I would have a Perfectly Imperfect Christmas. I determined not to cringe when the ornaments on the bottom third of the tree are rearranged. Not to worry about not getting to All The Things.

Cookies that didn’t get baked. Crafts that didn’t get made. Presents that were shoved into gift bags instead of fashionably wrapped. Pinned yet unrealized ideas like the trendy-cool Advent wreath, or that delightful Advent calendar that the kids would have so very much enjoyed. The devotional that didn’t get printed off. A few of the traditional stories not read aloud by the fireside. Just as counting gifts can fill our hearts with joy and gratitude, counting unmet expectations can steal our peace.

My big gift to my sweet children this Christmas was to redecorate their bedrooms. I had such grand plans for The Project, and I spent hours on Pinterest pulling together bedding and paint colors and ideas for wall decor. Most of it became a reality, and their rooms have been transformed into cozy, updated, colorful havens. But I didn’t get all the white trim painted. And I didn’t install the curtain rods or finish framing all the pictures. Several pieces of furniture are still begging for a fresh coat of paint and polish. The overhead light fixtures, both fun and functional, were never installed. You would think that such a failure to meet a deadline would have me reeling with disappointment and regret. But I’m okay with it.

It’s Christmas Day, and not every corner of my house is tidy and clean. I still have a homemade gift to finish off for my mother-in-law. I’m hoping to crank out a batch of cookies to put on pretty plates to be delivered to the neighbors. But the stress and pressure that would usually be suffocating me is gone. Because it’s okay.

If we are honest with ourselves, it happens every year. Some things fall through the cracks. We don’t cross off every item on our list. We go to sleep each night with something left undone.

But there was one Christmas where every objective was realized. That first Christmas, every aspect of a Perfect Plan was carried out to completion. There was a Perfectly Perfect Christmas…and because Christ was born of a Virgin, lived a sinless life, died as a payment for sin, satisfied the wrath of a holy God, was buried and raised to life again, and ascended to heaven…because of that Reality, because of the Gospel, I don’t have to worry anymore about failure and imperfection, brokenness and disappointment, fear and regret and stress and worry.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”  Isaiah 9:6