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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Changing out our work spaces

Yesterday was that time again.  Time to change out our wintery items in our playroom to things more springy.  The best way I know to do it is to empty my cabinet of "stuff" shelf by shelf (remember my shelves are grouped by language, science, math, music, fine motor, etc.) and get out anything I want to put out for this season, and put away items in the playroom we're done with for now.  It makes a big mess and it's time-consuming, but it's worth it!  I consider the biggest "teaching" responsibility to be developing a play area with materials that are relevant and stimulating to each of my children's current development.

I am not finished and still have several other small changes I want to make and lots of items sitting in a basket that I still want to prepare, but I got the bulk of it changed out in about two hours yesterday.  My kids always get so excited to enter a freshly-changed playspace!
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Toddler Fine Motor

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Lent with Toddlers and Preschoolers

Lent is a season my family chooses to participate in as a means to focus an extra amount on the stories and truths behind Jesus' path to the cross.  Obviously we live every day of our lives "near the cross," but Lent is a good time to focus our studies, decorations, and family traditions around Jesus' path to the cross, and his subsequent resurrection on Easter.

For young children, they need to connect the stories to things they can touch and see.  I like to use a seasonal table as a tool for this.  This is actually a square chair (the wooden kids' kids kinds that won't tip over--a cargo chair).  We turned it on its side and draped it in purple cloth.  We've talked about how the souldiers put a purple robe on Jesus to mock him, but they didn't know he WAS the king.  We look for crosses as we're out and about driving--most of them are draped in purple, and when we see them we point them out and say, "KING OF KINGS!"  Quinn and I have had some great conversations on why Jesus is the king ABOVE all kings--and she's very into kings and queens and princess, etc., right now, so this is very meaningful to her.  She is learning to connect the color purple to Jesus' royality.

Our little table has a metal cross the kids can put the purple fabric on and off of.  This one works well because it's steady and doesn't tip well.  I want to get a wooden crucifix to add, so I am keeping my eyes open for one for them to hold and touch.  There are also two candles.  We talk so much about Jesus being the light of the world.  I hope my kids leave this home someday and aren't ever able to look upon a candle without connecting it to Jesus' words.
There is also a grapevine wreath.  We have a real "crown of throrns" but because Beck is only 18 months, I keep it on our kitchen table so he is safe--because it is REALLY sharp.....the grapevine wreath reminds us of the crown of thorns.  There is also an illustration I took a photo of and printed out from our JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE that Beck is particularly drawn to.  We locate all the "boo-boo's" on Jesus' body and the crown on his head and make the sign-language sign for "hurts."  We also have taught him the sign for Jesus, and he knows are fingers are nails going in Jesus' hands.  These two signs are great ways to introduce toddlers to the crucifixion story in a developmentally appropriate fashion.
Next year I will likely include a nail on this table, but Beck likes to walk around with things sticking out of his mouth, and I know he'd be very drawn to a nail, so for now that will stay put up in our "Stations of the Cross" kit, which comes down when Mommy is helping.
All of the items at our seasonal table are meant to hold, touch, and explore.  The kids like to clip Jesus' picture off and on the wreath.

Additionally at our table we have a candle liturgy we do at dinner.  Basically we lit all the candles and light one less each week leading up to Easter, when they will be all dark.  Easter morning we'll light them all.  Q and I have talked extensively about how Jesus' followers did not understand his words that he would leave them but come back, so as it got closer to the time for the cross, they were sadder and sadder.  When he did die, the earth went dark.  But the best news of all is that he arose on Easter morning and the light was in the world--and now can be inside our hearts.  Q gave Daddy a mini-sermon on this last night at the dinner table.  :)
Candles are such an allure to children, and finding ways to connect routines and traditions to spiritual concepts are very powerful tools when teaching preschoolers and toddlers.

I made the crown with some horribly thorny vines I found in the woods.  And yes, I did bleed making it.  Making a crown of thorns is definitely a holy experience as you think through what it meant and the pain it caused.  Next year it may go on our seasonal table as Beck will probably be old enough to learn how to touch it safely.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Groundhog Day flashback

Candlemas and Groundhog day are on the same day.  This year they were on a Saturday, so we didn't actually celebrate either on the correct day.  But the following week I decided to teach Q a little bit about the tradition of Groundhog day.  I needlefelted a little groundhog.  Sorta.  I am still not happy with it looking "groundhoggy" enough, but I fussed with it for several days and finally decided it would have to do.  We kept it on our table for the week and the kids enjoyed holding and playing with it.  It went into our box of Valentine decorations to re-emmerge next year!

We read these two books this year:

Note--this book has a Halloween Witch and Santa in the story, so if you are not fans of these two you may want to forego this book.  Though it is a fun read!

We didn't get any more involved than just reading the books and talking a little bit about shadows.  I saved the titles of several more "shadow" and "groundhog" books to my "February" teaching folder on my computer, so next year we may choose to delve deeper!

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday

 Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.  Last year was my first time to experience this tradition, and I knew it was something I wanted to develop a little further in my kids' spiritual education.  Tomorrow afternoon I am getting together with three other Mommies and all our little ones to talk about the significance of Ash Wednesday and put ashes on the heads of any kiddos who want to participate.  I am breaking one of my own rules and writing a blog post on a day I usually don't, but I want to put this out there in case anyone wants to do Ash Wednesday at home with your own kids.
I've been doing a lot of reading about using sacraments/sacramental days to teach my children about things of God.  I love this stuff and what it brings--joy and tangible experiences that are appropriate for young children, especially preschoolers.  I am learning through my readings to avoid the temptation to "explain away" these concepts and traditions.  From what I read, it's recommended to give a little bit of explanation but then to simply let our kids become immersed in the experience.  Too much talk takes away from the magic of the experience.  I relate this to what a friend of mine has shared with me about the Classical Conversations education method--that at a young age children spend a lot of time just memorizing dates, events, etc., and then at a later age spiral back to those same concepts (which have already been given a foundation through memorization) and add meaning to them.  That's what I am seeing encouraged as we lead our children to experience spiritual traditions.  Of course this is really hard for me because I want my 4 year old (who is barely venturing into abstract thought....) to understand to the depth I do how Jesus had to die for her sins and the subsequent emotions she should be feeling.....ridiculous....I know.  And at the same time I think about my Heavenly Father, shaking his head at the shallowness of MY understanding of Jesus's sacrifice for me.  Thankfully He does the same thing....lets me spiral back, again and again, to build on my understanding, and best of all, loves me even though I'll never fully grasp it all.
So tomorrow I'll have my little chiminea at the park and the kids will each get to put in some palm branches to be burned to make ashes.  We'll sit in on the ground ("in the dirt"), have a brief talk about the ashes and any child that wants to will then get a chance to have their mom put ashes on their head in the shape of a cross.  I'll be bringing a mirror so they can see what it looks like.  We'll have a prayer and sing the song "Lord, We Lift Your Name on High" (the one with the hand movements).  And that's it!
I hope to keep a tone of quiet and reverence tomorrow, which seems appropriate in light of the subject matter--and the fact that this is important stuff. We'll be quiet and reverent as we enter the park and during the ash time.  I will have everything set up right as the children arrive, as I know little ones' reverence does have its limits.  :)  And after our 10ish minute Ash Liturgy (that sounds so official, but I don't know what else to call it....ash bash?) the kids can run wild and crazy at the park and enjoy some playtime.
I am so thankful I have friends who stand together with me as we impress Jesus on our children's hearts.  And if this whole thing totally bombs and nothing goes right.....we'll learn better for next year, right?
I am excited!!

I sat down and wrote a "script" of what I want to say tomorrow--enough to explain what we're doing, but hopefully not too much.....I'll be praying that the Spirit will lead me when the time comes to speak to these little souls tomorrow.  I wanted to share it in case you want to do your own Ash Bash with your kiddos tomorrow.

Additionally, here's the LINK to my post from last year, when I introduced 3 year old Quinn to Ash Wednesday.  I share these in hopes you can be inspired to find a way to use this season as a tool to teach your kids even more about their Savior....and also because I have had a hard time finding information on Ash Wednesday and Lent and how to involve preschoolers, so here is some of the information I gleaned, put together in a way that makes sense to me.

 Today starts a time of 40 days that we work to get our hearts ready to remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave so we can someday go to heaven with him.  During this time called Lent, we look into our hearts we take out the things that don't help us love God,  some of the things we want out are our sins.

I want to show you something we're going to do to remind us how sad our sins make us feel and God feel.  A long time ago when people were sad they would sit in the dirt and dress in rags and rub ashes on themselves to show how their heart was feeling (have some sackcloth (burlap) to hold up and show the children).  On Ash Wednesday, some people want to remember how sad our sins make God feel, so they put ashes on their head to show their sadness.  But they do something special with those ashes--they put them in the shape of a cross, because even though our sins make God so sad, He has given us Jesus to take away our sins by dying on the cross.

(invite children to sit on the dirt)

If you want to, your Mommy will put some ashes on your head in a cross. (demonstrate)

Friday, February 8, 2013

Some reflection on children and art.....

One thing I am on a quest for as I serve as my children's teacher is to introduce them to the world of art.  Not crafts, but true art.  Of course I love crafts and it's one of my favorite hobbies (and I do some with my kids), I am intentional to make sure we do "art" during our art time.  I also feel like, as a Mama/Teacher I need art in my own life.  I love reading the blogs of a few artists that inspire me.  One is Patricia Zapata, a paper artist and amazing mom.  She posted a discussion of the benefits of art for children lately, and I really recommend it.  It's a quick, enlightening read, and even though there was nothing groundbreakingly new to me in her words, it was a GREAT reminder about why art time is worth the effort.

I'd really like to encourage the mamas of infants/toddlers/young preschoolers to prevail and press on providing art experiences for your little ones.  Even if they make a huge mess.  Even if they are only "artsy" for two minutes at a time when you spent 10+ minutes preparing the materials.  Even if they don't like getting paint or glue on their hands.  You are setting a framework for art that they will continue to build upon the rest of their lives.  It's worth it, I promise!  I have seen this out in my 4 year old--who is a very independent artist now, but definitely did not start out that way!  And I am working to instill a love for art and creating art in my 18 month old son.

One of my favorite quotes right now came from a preacher at my church:
"God is in the business of making something out of nothing."  The implications of this can go so many directions, but for me it also speaks for the craving God molded into our beings when He made us in His image--to be a creative, just like Him.  So I feel that teaching my children to create and to love art is part of their spiritual development and an element they need to grow to appreciate our Creator, the Great Artist.

And now that I've ranted, here's the LINK to Patricia's great article.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Our first year to celebrate Candlemas!  First I had to do a bit of research and found this website helpful.  Here's a quote and a link to Parenting Passageways, one of my favorite educational websites:
 “All Year Round” says in regards to Candlemas ...(Authors Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton and Marije Rowling write: ) “At the beginning of February, when the infant light of spring is greeted thankfully by the hoary winter earth, it seems fitting that we should celebrate a candle Festival to remember that moment when the Light of the World was received into the Temple, when the old yielded to the new.”

February 2nd is Candlemas, and this is traditionally the day that celebrates the ritual cleansing of Mary after the birth of Jesus and also when Mary presented the infant Jesus in the temple as according to Jewish tradition.   Simeon called Jesus a light, thus tying Him to this day.

Candlemas is a traditional holiday that is celebrated many different ways.  Some of the most common ways involve making candles (in rememberance of Jesus, our Light) and also planting bulbs, as the season of winter is gently moving toward spring.

Candlemas is traditionally celebrated on February 2nd.  That happened to be a Saturday and a day we were chalk-ful of other events, so I postponed our celebrations to Monday.  Works for us!

I had this lovely presentation on the table for the kids when it was time to begin Kitchen School.

We lit a lantern and began our Bible reading.  And in case you want to know what REALLY goes on in kitchen school, here is Little Man eating the lighter.  :)  And these bulbs...I went to my favorite plant store--Plants for All Seasons.  I asked one of the workers to help me find bulbs.  He was very concerned that it was way too late for me to try and force bulbs.  I told him it was fine, I wouldn't be upset if they didn't work our perfectly, my kids would just enjoy giving it a try.  Ends up he wouldn't even let me pay for the bulbs because he was so convinced it was too late in the year.  He gave me some great information on different bulbs and when to buy/refrigerate/plant them and he sent us home with these 4 paperwhite bulbs for free.  Don't ya just love people like that?

 We read from Luke 2--the story of Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus at the temple and about Simeon calling him "the Light to the Gentiles" and Anna praying and fasting to see Jesus before she died.  I had printed off a painting from the internet for the kids to look at.
 At this point Beck was done being at the table so he went off to play.  Quinn and I moved on to candles.  I had racked my brain to figure out what kind of candles we would do that would work for my kids at this age.  We've already rolled beeswax candles recently, and melting and dipping beeswax is still a bit of a reach for us.  I also didn't want to go with punching tin cans into lanterns because I am afraid Beck's too little to be careful holding them and might cut himself.  So...I found these little nest-shaped tealight holders my sister gave me a while back.  We got out some pretty yarn and had fun weaving it into the nests.  Then I crocheted a chain of yarn for a handle so they can be carried.  They can either hold real tealights on the table at meals or the LED kind when being played with.  They turned out so lovely!

Then we planted our bulbs--we filled the containers with rocks--great fine motor because we had to be sooo careful!  We put in the bulbs and Q poured water up to the edge of the roots.  Don't they look nice?!!  We will watch them to see what happens.

We also made some wire crowns--I need to take a picture so I can show you!

And another tradition on Candlemas is making and eating crepes.  Daddy ended up being out for a birthday celebration with his guy friends, so I attempted this one by myself.  Yikes!  Q and I whipped up the batter, and then I cooked them.  It was fine, but it took a while and the kids were pretty much going crazy....mostly because I was doing dinner on my own and they smell my weakness.  :)

But the crepes turned out delicious!  We topped them with cheese, preserves and pumpkin butter (individually...not all at once!) and the cheese ones won out in popularity.  Though Little Man liked the preserves pretty well!
We had a good time, learned some more from God's word, and tried a new food!  Candlemas #1 was a success!!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Snowflake art

Here's a couple art activities we did this week.  I introduced Little Man to gluing.  Now I am not a fan of calling "crafts" "ART," so let me clarify on this one.  This is the first time he's ever gotten to work with glue.  I cut out a snowflake shape and gave him a bowl of cotton balls to explore.  After a couple minutes I put one dot of glue on his paper and showed him how to stick the cotton ball down.  Of course he wanted to lift it off and look at it, which was fine, then we re-stuck it again.  I put one dot at a time and encouraged him to stick down a cotton ball. We put 7 total on, and then we were done for that day.  A 5 minute total activity, but I will begin to teach him more (and allow for more exploration with) about glue in the weeks to come.  We started slow.

I had planned on cutting paper snowflakes with Q.  I had the paper all ready and I folded it for her to cut, but she wasn't strong enough to get the scissors to cut through all the layers.  We tried using the holepunch (on even just 1 layer) and it was too hard for her to squeeze, too.  So we ended up with Mama cutting the snowflakes and Q decided she wanted to watercolor them for Grammie, who's in the hospital.  She did really enjoy the anticipating of helping me unfold the snowflake and seeing how it would look!
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Library Books we LOVED!

We'd suggest adding these 3 to your "must check out" list!  We enjoyed all three of them immensely!  Fun, funny books!
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Toddler Art Lessons: Learning to use markers and the reason behind the marker block

Markers are a great "first art" experience for toddlers, medium-wise.  They allow a toddler to explore the process of using a writing implement, are washable, and don't need much direct pressure to produce a stroke (they'll even write if you tilt them to the side a bit).

I am intentional about teaching the markering "process."  As a matter of fact, the first few times I introduce markers to toddlers I don't even push them to actually write with them.  Here's the process:

Choose a marker and show them how to open the cap.  It's hard work!  Great for strengthening those little hand muscles and connecting the hand-eye networks.

Snap the cap onto the bottom of the marker so it doesn't roll on the floor and get lost.  My little guy (17 months) has a really hard time with this part.  He still likes the cap better than the marker, so he's not wanting to snap the cap on the end.  I model it for him and he'll do it when he's ready.

Write....if ya want to.  I always use the words "we write on paper" and pat the paper.  If he starts to write on the table or himself I remind him about writing on paper, and if he isn't redirected, I say, "We write on paper.  Here, I'll help your hand find the paper" and move his hand with the marker to the paper.  "There's that paper!"

After writing, put the lid back on and listen for the "snap" when the lid is on tight enough.  I initially make a big deal of this--we hold the marker up to our ears and listen and say, "SNAP!"  Toddlers and preschoolers love it.  And it's an important part of the process because no one likes dried-out markers!

I am very diligent about keeping markers in a "block."  There are many reasons for this--
*it encourages the math skill of one-to-one correspondance
*it helps the child know immediately if a marker is missing or a lid's no on
*it limits the available choice of markers to a developmentally appropriate amount
*it teaches the child to be organized and neat with art supplies
*it's super portable--you can quickly take markers to another table, outside, etc.
*it's visually appealing!  How fun to see all the marker colors sticking up so beautifully!
*pencil boxes and bins tend to collect other junk and get cluttery--there's only space for markers here!

There are lots of ways to make this type of block.  Ours was made by wood-gluing together two pieces of scrap two-by-four and drilling holes into it.  You can, of course, purchase these (usually plastic ones) at teacher supply stores, as well, if you don't have access to tools to make one.  I've also see marker lids cemented into a pan to make a similar type of marker block.

My 17 month old LOVES working with markers and will happily uncap, examine (sometimes draw a mark), and recap for 10-15 minutes.  I often present the markers when I need to get some type of paperwork done at the table so he can "write" with Mama!
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You Will Badly Laugh After Watching Hilarious Dance Of Fawad Khan

The heartthrob of the entire Asia, Fawad Khan has always proven how versatile he is as an actor and here comes another proof to this statement. Check out this video in which the actor is dancing hilariously. Have a look and share your
views about how have you found him as an actor.

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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Malaika Arora Khan Sexy Filmfare Magazine April Pictures

Malaika Arora Khan looks sizzling hot On The Cover Of Filmfare Magazine for the month of April 2011. This is a part of dual Cover from Filmfare for its edition which will hit the stands on April 27, 2011. Other One with Kangna Ranaut. Checkout Malaika Arora Khan.
Malaika Arora Khan – Filmfare Magazine (April 2011)

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Friday, September 12, 2014

Famous Ultra-Liberal Claims Obama’s Only Accomplishment is Being Black

Woah - I knew things had gotten rocky for President Obama, but for one of the nation’s most outspoken liberals to so publicly turn his back on Obama is a sure sign that Americans have lost that loving feeling for the once ultra-slick campaigner-in-chief.

TPNN By Greg Campbell – Originally Posted on September 10, 2014:

In an interview to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his first ultra-left piece of propaganda, Roger and Me, super-lefty Michael Moore sat and slammed the president as having accomplished nothing in his eight years as president other than simply “being black.”

“When the history is written of this era, this is how you’ll be remembered: he was the first black president,” Moore said during the interview.

“OK, not a bad accomplishment, but that’s it,” he continued. “That’s it, Mr. Obama. 100 years from now, ‘he was the first black American that got elected president’ and that’s it. Eight years of your life and that’s what people are going to remember. Boy, I got a feeling, knowing you, that — you’d probably wish you were remembered for a few other things, a few other things you could’ve done.”

“So, it is, on that level, a big disappointment,” Moore stated.

It’s amazing that I am about to write these words, but I fully agree with Michael Moore on this issue.

President Obama’s legacy will be taught in schools and, sadly, there will likely be few mentions of his disastrous policies that led America to a diminished standing on the world stage. There will be few mentions of his economic policies that condemned millions to poverty and indebtedness for generations. They will gloss-over the radical divisions he helped created between rich and poor, black and white, liberal and conservative; they will simply remember that phrase, “Yes, we can,” and recall to impressionable children that President Obama was simply the first biracial president.

What a disappointment…

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Sunday, November 11, 2007

Sleuths are only as good as their sidekicks

I recently read the much-lauded Wash This Blood Clean From My Hands, by French author Fred Vargas, and like many others found it quirky and engaging. Her deft writing left me happy to have found another series character to follow: Commissaire Adamsberg. But that's not what this post is about. I've decided that others do a lot better job with reviews than I do, and I hate laboring over my shallow insights only to find later that I've echoed what everybody else said a long time before. (And yes, I can hear you saying: "But that's never stopped you before." True enough. Nor will it now.)

So, short version: Wash This Blood is a good book. Buy it. But for all the talk about it being "eccentric" or even "kooky," it does share one key device with nearly all other detective fiction: the sidekick. Adamsberg's reliance on gut instinct and intuition is sharply defined by the hard-nosed, scientific approach of his second in command, Capitaine Adrien Danglard. You can see why. Without Danglard as a foil, Adamsberg might become nothing more than an oddball talking to himself.

But it has always been thus, hasn't it? Beginning with Conan Doyle's Dr. Watson, the sidekick has proven indispensable as a plot device, fulfilling so many functions that it's hard to imagine, even all these years later, a successful detective story without one.

Plot exposition is the first of these functions: Through repartee with the often dim and always questioning sidekick, key facts of the case are established and key clues are planted. Think if Conan Doyle had been forced to show Holmes' leaps of logic as interior monologue only. I've tried something like that, and it isn't pretty. So my own series character has a sidekick too.

Just as important, I think, is the way in which a sidekick helps define character. Would Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe have been so memorable without Archie Goodwin to reflect his preening, petulant ways? Similarly, Hercule Poirot's vanity and obsession with neatness come across nicely through the amused observations of his friend Captain Hastings. In a more recent example, lawless boozer Clete Purcell clearly defines the moral struggle that is so central to James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux.

Finally, there's comic relief. Robicheaux's grim soul-searching would get pretty tedious without the occasional outrageous antics of Purcell.

The list is as vast as the genre: Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles had Nora; Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason had Della Street. Today, there's Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus and Siobhan Clark. Even Lawrence Block's loner assassin Keller has a sidekick of sorts in Dot, his laconic agent. But of course if we tried to list them all, we'd be here all night.

Maybe it would be more fun to think of a fictional detective who doesn't have a recurring sidekick. Do any come to mind?

J. Kingston Pierce said...

How about Bernie Gunther (THE ONE FROM THE OTHER, by Philip Kerr), Inspector Ian Rutledge (THE PALE HORSE, by Charles Todd), and Jack Liffey (THE DARK STREETS, by John Shannon)? If we go back further, of course, we find lots of protagonists without sidekicks--Lew Archer, Philip Marlowe, Jacob Asch, etc. This conviction that every detective must have a sidekick has become more evident over the last 20 years.

Dave K. said...

I'd forgotten about Philip Kerr's excellent character. Thanks for the reminder. The others I haven't read. It's possible that the surfeit of sidekicks reflects my reading biases more than the state of the art of crime fiction.

Maxine said...

Marlowe didn't have a sidekick did he? And my memory is so rubbish -- Nick and Nora Charles, yes, but the guy in the Dain Curse (I think my favourite Hammet) didn't have a sidekick did he? I may have forgotten in the mists of time.

More recently, the books I have read do feature sidekicks or groups -- eg Henning Mankell's Wallender has a close group, as does Camilleri's Montalbano (though Mimi is the closest to a sidekick of them all). But Siri in Coroner's Lunch is pretty much a one-man operation, I think, though he does have various associates who assist. Jack Irish and other Peter Temple heroes pretty much do their own thing also, as does Jack Reacher (Lee Child). But you are right, I can think of more detectives with sidekicks than I can loners.

Dave K. said...

I've only read one thing featuring Jack Reacher -- a short story in the anthology Thriller. It wasn't bad. How do the books hold up?

Yes, Siri does appear to go it alone, although I expect we may see more of the Vietnamese detective Nguyen Hong. And Siri's friend Civilai veers close to the definition of sidekick, in the way he helps define the main character, but I'll concede the point.

Peter said...

I'm too thick-skulled to think of any sidekick-less protagonists at the moment. The best I can come up with are people like Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor, who has a sort-of sidekick in The Magdalen Martyrs who dies early on.

Your question about sidekicks was especially apt considering the book that spurred it. The opening chapter of Wash This Blood ... is all Adamsberg and Danglard. Vargas is staking her claim to the reader's attention on the interplay between the two characters.

Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri and Peter Temple's Jack Irish (may their tribes increase!) fall into the sort-of category. Each lacks formal assistants, but each also has helpers who contribute directly and indirectly to the investigations: Dtui, Phosy et al. in Cotterill, Harry Strang and Conin Temple. They are sidekicks in all but name.
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"

Dave K. said...

This subject has yielded an insight into why my own novel is not flowing effortlessly onto the screen: No sidekick! Hadn't thought about that before. I'm also starting to regret going with the first person viewpoint.

Peter said...

Yeah, throw in a sidekick, and see what happens. What do you think such a character would add that the story lacks now?
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"

Peter said...

Yikes, make that "Cam," and not "Con," in Peter Temple.

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!


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Monday, 24 July 2017

What Is My Purpose?

Do you ever wonder...especially as you grow older - "What Is My Purpose in Life?". I remember listening to a sermon and I have my notes and in this sermon, the Pastor said, "there is one core purpose for every believer of Jesus Christ and our specific callings are gathered in a single purpose and if we MISS that purpose then all our desires, our hopes and dreams are in vain."

John 15:16 - "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."

Our purpose in life is to go out and bear fruit. That does not mean winning the souls of men. It means being Christ-Like. It means reflecting the like-ness of Christ. Growing more and more into the likeness of Jesus should be our core purpose in life.

How do we bear fruit?

Bearing Fruit starts in the way we treat others. We fulfil our purpose as we begin to love others the way that Christ loves us.

John 15:19 - "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Where should unconditional love begin?

Firstly, love should begin in our homes. If you are married, love is how you treat your husband/wife and your children. If you are single, how do you treat your parents, your roommates, your friends, fellow Christians?

You can evangelise all you want, you can attend church week after week, you can sing and worship in Church but on that faithful day when the Lord comes and you have to testify before men and God, what can you spouse say about you? What sort of life do you lead in your home?

The Pastor also said, "I wish every couple who enjoys a Christ-Centred marriage would rise up and tell the truth. That marriage is a day by day effort. In the same way your Christian life is a day by day effort. It is like the way of the Cross. It means giving up your rights daily. Satan is set on destroying your home - so he will constantly bring trials.

Secondly, love is how you treat people outside of your home. How do you treat your enemies? Those that hate you for no reason. Those that cannot love you and aren't capable of loving you. We can't do this by our own strength, it is through the strength of the Holy Spirit.

John 17:26 - "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them"

The whole point of finding your purpose is evaluating your heart. What is the condition of your heart? In Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to his purpose."

Our purpose is not to be successful, to be free from issues and troubles and trials, to be special, to make it in life, to be billionaires. Despite Churches having 'How-To' conferences on 'How to Defeat Loneliness', 'How to Defeat Depression' etc - we are called to be fruitful in the likeness of Christ. That means dying to yourself daily and loving people.

Sunday, 16 July 2017

25 Years - 25 Things I Have Learned

After turning a new chapter in my life...I've been thinking (as per usual). I'd like to think I've grown...wiser as well as older.

I remember listening to this Preacher when I was younger (God, I feel so old saying that). Anyway, I think it was a sermon I attended which was about Singles and Marriage or whatever. I was in University at the time anyway and I remember him saying, "Your 20s are the most confusing years of your life. You are trying to grow and find yourself, what works for you and trying to figure your life out."

I won't lie, I thought he was exaggerating. I knew I'd graduate in Law, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. So, at the time (I must have been 20), I was like, "let me just graduate then go to law school and get a Training Contract". Well, I graduated and I completed law school - the Training Contract is still needed *rolls-eyes*.

Since graduation, I have had...three jobs in three different law firms, I have relocated to a whole different Country and I'm still trying to figure out my life. But are 25 things I have learned in 25 years of living.

There are times when I felt so alone, so depressed, so sad and I think it's because I didn't FEEL like God was there at times. There are times when I felt like giving up on this Christian life because I felt so DIFFERENT to others. I have learned that there are people who will call themselves Christians but not really ACTIVELY live out that life. I have attended many churches AFTER graduation and it was hard to make friends because a lot of these people were much older and I couldn't find people MY age in Church. They were either too young or too old.

But despite all this; I have an amazing cousin (Hi Thelma!) who probably doesn't know but she is such a blessing to my life. She doesn't judge me and she is always there to provide advice when I need it.

Even though I don't have a lot of people I can relate to around my age, I am thankful for my cousin, my best friend and my parents.

Growing up, I...wouldn't say hated...but I struggled with the concept of loving my body. I have always been slim. I remember my cousins used to tease me and call me 'skeletal' - which has given me thick skin because I was so used to family calling me 'skeletal', I didn't care what people said. BUT, growing up in a world where big bums and big breasts were everywhere (Kim K, Beyoncé) and then men identifying with people like that as 'beautiful', it was hard to accept that I, myself, being slim and having no curves, as 'beautiful'.

I'm not exactly THERE yet BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT, by the grace of GOD, I have learned to see myself through GOD'S EYES. You have no idea what a difference that makes. It took me a LONG time. I used to hide behind make up and baggy clothes. It took the Word of God to love myself the way God loves me. My confidence cannot be found in a man or society, it is found in God. I remember pondering upon Psalm 139 and thinking, 'Wow, God made me FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY. Who am I that God made me so beautifully?'. This is not me bragging but honestly, I have learned to accept myself the way I am.

I am in no way perfect but I am made perfect by the love of God.

I am stubborn. I won't even lie. I am stubborn and always tend to think I am right about everything. If anything...I refuse to accept that I am wrong in most cases. BUT, of course, it only takes God to change a person.

Proverbs 12:15 - Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others

THINK upon that verse for a moment. God is talking to you. It's good to have people who are older and wiser than you to HOLD you accountable for your behaviour. Its wise to have people advise you in the things you do. Be willing to accept help from others who have lived on earth a lot longer than you have.

I've often said I am not an emotional person. I have only cried in front of my mother, my cousin (Thelma) and my best friend, Mesna. I hate to have people think they have power over me. I hate to have people think I am weak. I hate to have people think I am this helpless little creature.

BUT - I have learned that its okay to be vulnerable. It's okay to accept help from others and not to do everything by yourself. It's okay to let your feelings out because at the end of the day, if you are not OKAY - then it affects your HEALTH, your FEELINGS, your BODY, your SOUL.

Growing up - I don't think I had good friends. I've always been that friendly person. If I see someone sitting alone, I will go and chat to them. I remember in my school days, there was a girl who had 'selective mutism' (if you don't know what that is, google it). It's a condition that basically stops someone from talking because of anxiety or...whatever. Anyway this girl (Hi Sneha), was often bullied because of her condition and she was often isolated and seated alone, but I remember we had a class together (textiles) and I remember walking up to her and sitting with her everyday. We are EXTREMELY close friends right now and have been friends since that day.

Sooooo - I have learned to be discerning of friends. Even when it comes to guys, I have always wanted to have a good friend in a HUSBAND. If we cannot be friends, we can't be lovers. I cannot be married to somebody I am not friends with because I know myself. I will be miserable for life and make your life miserable.

I am thankful for having good friends so far...even the ones I have lost have taught me good things. It's not about the QUANTITY but it its about the QUALITY of your friendships that count.

I won't write exactly what I am forgiving people for - its private. BUT I've learned to forgive and to let go. I know that NOT forgiving people has often led me to feel bitter about them, to hate them.
AGAIN, it's only because of the GRACE of GOD that I have learned the power of forgiveness without people apologising for their mistakes.

I know that I have also hurt people and I needed the grace of GOD. It took that to realise that just the way I need the forgiveness and love from God, people who have hurt me also need the love and forgiveness from ME. It's so hard to be Christ-like, guys! Honestly!

I think we can ALL agree that waiting for anything is a challenge. I remember when I was younger, my friends and I made a plan. My plan finish university at 20 (done), go to law school at 21 (done), get a job after law school in a law firm (done) then get married at 23 like my Mum did. LOL.

Yeahhhhhh - unfortunately, God doesn't work according to our programs and plans. But, I think  God is trying to teach me something.

1. Do not rush!
2. Learn to love
3. Get closer to Him

Looking back now, if I got married at 23....I'd be a mess. I was bitter, I was angry and lazy and stressed with life (ask my young brother). I was still struggling with my relationship with God.
So, I learned not to rush (and I've heard plenty of testimonies of people in terrible marriages because they RUSHED and didn't consult God before they married. Someone told me, who you choose to marry is the SECOND most important decision you will ever make after getting SAVED.

So, waiting on God is good - it teaches you to trust God, to be patient during your wait and to get closer to Him.

TRAVEL!!!! I have learned to ENJOY life and explore.  It has been fun to get lost in a different country, to try out the different foods, to experience different cultures and traditions. It's honestly the BEST experience of my LIFE.

My best memories in life have been created because of TRAVELLING.

It's been an experience to learn different languages and see people of different colours - even to LISTEN to different languages. SEE and TRAVEL the world. It's the BEST experience ever. Dear Future Husband - have to be a traveller. LOL.

Well...I took a risk when I RELOCATED abroad especially to Zambia. I remember when I told my manager about my decision and he was so disappointed. He tried to offer me a pay rise, tried to set other conditions in my contract and I was like bruh. I often wonder if I made the right decision moving but well...we will see.

Life is about risks, after all.

God gave us an intuition for a REASON - listen to HER. Wisdom is there for a reason, learn to listen to're screwed.

Heartbreaks can teach you a thing or two - and if anything...I think God and I are a lot closer because of it.

I have learned that I need to be healthy and that includes increasing my exercise routines because ALTHOUGH I AM SLIM...I need to be more involved in sports activities.

People won't tell you they are fine. Sometimes it's good to check up on your friends - find out how they are. Are they doing okay in life? Friendship is give and take. If you check up on them and they check up on you...that's a beautiful friendship.

Hey - buy yourself some flowers, a dress, do your nails! Do something nice for yourself. I think its easy to let yourself go (as in...let yourself not care about yourself).

I already read a lot but I think I need to invest in more books.

Social media takes you away from your family and friends (people who are actually present and who actually care). Don't spend too much time on your phone, on Facebook, on Netflix, on Twitter. Chill.

I cut my hair and it was PRETTY LONG. I do not regret it. I need to do more crazy things to my hair.

I already said I am stubborn...I'm learning, I promise. I need to be less argumentative (especially when I think I am right).

Save your money - you may need it for a rainy day (or to go back to England when you need to)

20. ITS OKAY TO SAY NO're just tired and want to rest. Say no to an outing. You don't HAVE to go out.

I love writing stories. I was an A* student at school in ENGLISH or anything to do with essays. Mathematics, Science or the like...were often an issue for me.

So...I've learned to write more. Write my feelings in a diary. Write stories. Write poems. Just write.

My parents are very business minded with a successful business. I need to make good investments and will continue to try and assess what I am good at.

I am who I am. I am crazy, I talk too much and often emotional (although I don't show it).

Happiness is conditional because its based on the condition that things are going well. So...I've learned to be CONTENT with LITTLE and with MORE. But regardless of the situation...I am content with life so far.

Just like the Apostle Paul said...we have to learn to be CONTENT in every season. There will be seasons where we will have a LOT and there will be seasons where we will have LITTLE.

Wednesday, 5 July 2017

GBV: A Story (Snippet)

Ruth followed her husband, Gabriel, out of their local Baptist Church that Sunday. From the outside looking in, they had the perfect marriage. They were a humble, quiet couple who kept themselves to themselves and led a quiet life. But Ruth was keeping a secret. A secret nobody could even comprehend based on how they perceived Ruth and Gabriel.

What was their marriage like? Well, their marriage was relatively young and so were they. Ruth got married at the age of 21, straight out of University having studied Social Work, whilst her husband was 26 at the time he had been called to the Bar and was looking to start his career in the law. They had been married for four years but had no children. She was a beautiful woman and other people thought so too. She was a woman of small stature, hardworking and always kept herself busy. She was very caring for her husband and insisted on doing all the housework, needing no house-help.
Her husband, Gabriel Mulenga, now thirty-one years of age, worked as a lawyer at one of the most prestigious law firms in Chipata, Mwenya & Mwenya Associates. A firm that had been built by a well known woman in Chipata. He had been working there since it's inception.

Women, both young and old, envied their marriage and the younger women at their church often asked for advice before they decided they wanted to get married.

Ruth kept her head down as they made their walk to the carpark of the church. No matter how powerful the message seemed to be, Ruth had lost faith. She had lost faith in God. She had lost faith in her husband. She had lost faith in their marriage. She had lost faith in herself.

"Gabriel!" Ruth and her husband heard somebody call for them. Gabriel, Ruth thought, a name fit for an angel. But he was no angel.
"Minister Kasonde" Gabriel smiled, a dimple forming on his cheeks, "How can I help?"
Gabriel was well known and admired by the women around Chipata. He was handsome, tall, light in complexion and incredibly smart.
Mr Kasonde was one of the Ministers at their Church. In fact, he was the one who had given them their marital counselling before they got married in Chipata five years ago.
"You don't need to help me at all. Ruth, how are you? It's been a while?" he leans in to give Ruth a hug and Ruth stepped back, glancing at Gabriel. He would be furious.
"I'm fine, thank you." Ruth plasters on a smile. Her face was still in pain after this morning's argument.
She turns to her husband, who glares at her, "Ahem. Sweetheart, may I have the keys to the car? I can wait for you there"
He fumbles around with his pockets, looking at Minister Kasonde.
"No, I needed to talk to both of you actually. We have a Charity Brai in order to raise awareness for Gender Based Violence next week, Sunday 4th. We wanted to have a few words from you, Ruth, since you work with women and of course men who suffer from GBV, your experience and what your work entails. It's great awareness and Gabriel, your work in Human Rights would also be helpful because people need to be aware of the laws surrounding GBV"
Ruth is horrified. Her face is suddenly filled with shame, "Oh, I'm honoured but I can't"
Minister Kasonde's smile becomes a frown, "Why not?"
She glances at her husband, who avoids her eyes.
"Gabriel?" Minister Kasonde nudges him
"I wouldn't mind doing that" he mumbles
Ruth on the other hand is weary, "I mean it's such short notice. You can't find somebody else?"
He sighs, "I thought you two were the perfect people for this talk. Every week we have women come into our offices admitting to their husbands being violent."
Ruth looks away then forces herself to catch his eye, "I'll think about it."
He smiles, "That's all I'm asking for. Please do let me know by tomorrow and I can make the necessary arrangements."
Ruth nods but says nothing.
"Have a great week"
She watches the Minister walk off, catching another conversation with one of the congregants.
She looks at Gabriel, who is staring at her, it seems.
"What is it?" she asks, concerned.
"Are you going to do the talk?"
She shrugged, "You are talking about it so why can't I?"
He hesitates for a moment then asks, quietly, almost sounding vulnerable, "You won't leave me, will you?"
She keeps quiet. She never responded to that question anymore and it would make him even more furious. He would ask her that after hitting her and apologising profusely.
"Let's go" he commands.

She didn't know if she could take this anymore. She had been through the worst and it seemed like nobody could see through him. Her parents thought he was an angel, her friends loved him, her entire family did not see the violence. When was the last time she even saw her family?
He kept her isolated. He would promise that they would go and see her family in Lusaka but work kept him busy. If she wanted to go on her own, he insisted that she stay for fear of her leaving him. She had suffered three miscarriages in the space of 4 years. She had caught him in numerous affairs. Throughout all this, people thought she was happy. She was tired of living this facade.
She didn't know how much more she could take.

Sunday, 21 May 2017

A Godly Woman

Hi everybody,

I know its been a while (a whole year, to be exact) and I have no excuse other than being busy. Anyway, in honour of Mother's Day just gone, at least in Africa and the USA, I've been studying what it means to be a 'Godly' Woman.

A 'Godly' Woman is a special kind of Woman. This message wouldn't be understood by the world because the world makes mothers out to be just 'mothers'. But the Bible says women were created to be mothers and wives.

The Beginning

In the beginning, God created Adam and we know that AFTER Adam was created, God created EVE for ADAM to desire. A woman, therefore, was created to be a help-meet for the man. So, in any area he LACKS, she meets to HELP him.

I know people nowadays, especially women in the 21st Century, we are so focused on becoming equal to the man. I know the movement of feminism is something that is popular nowadays. We want to take the roles that men have, to be leaders in our homes, to over-take the man. But, I grew up in a home which was very traditional. I don't know the details of my parents' marriage BUT I know my father is the ultimate decision maker and my mother would give her input on certain issues.

Anyway, in the beginning, God created Adam and after that, He created Eve to help Adam fulfil his purpose.

Genesis 2:18 - As women, we were created to be help meets. This is a woman's PURPOSE. So, if you are single (as I am), this is your time to prepare to be a mother, to prepare to be a wife and to work at the goal of being ready to be an available help-meet.

Titus 2:3 gives us guidance as to how women should behave themselves and it reads, 'Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.'

Women are urged to be discreet, to keep their business in their household, to be keepers of the home. Your home represents you as a wife.

I remember, growing up, my parents, especially my mother, would always tell me, 'Chansa, one day you'll be a wife, you have to learn how to take care of your home'. Now that I'm back in Zambia, my mother is even more adamant about this. She would wake me up as early as 5am, I would have to clean the house, cook breakfast for my father, wash the dishes. Needless to say, I used to be super annoyed. I LOVE my sleep, okay? I can pretend to be asleep sometimes, just so that she could leave me alone. I would wake up in a bad mood, I would complain (in my heart of course, not like I can complain to my mother). She would constantly remind me that I would have to do this in my own home. Anyway, don't judge me, I am a changed woman now.

So, reading up on how a Godly Mother/Woman should be in the home, I am so thankful for my mother teaching me (before it's too late). I have realised that she is teaching me and preparing me to be a mother and a wife, which I will one day be. Unfortunately, reading up on today's society, women are told to go out there in the world to further their careers and no seek any validation from men and this has led to higher divorce rates within the church, women are no longer seeking to get married because they have the mentality of 'I can do it all by myself' and 'I don't need a man'. There is also the whole 'men are trash' movement going around on social media, for those of us who pay attention.

What is a Godly Mother? Or Woman

1. A Godly Woman Is IN the HOME. Even if she works (is employed), her first priority is her household. Anything added to that is what she wants.

Proverbs 29:15 - "A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother".

Many women seek validation from outside their homes, they leave their children and husbands to find their purpose and neglect their homes. Therefore, although many mothers work and have careers, a Godly MOTHER always puts her family first. Her husband, her children and all that God has given her as a home is always her first priority.

2. A Godly Woman is PEACEFUL

I don't know why, especially Christian women, look up to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian or watch these reality TV shows such as the Real Housewives of Atlanta or whatever which promote nothing but trash. We should, as women, look at women such as our mothers (if you have a good one like I do), biblical examples of women such as Ruth and Esther.

A Godly woman holds her peace in every situation. She is not quick to be angry but she is slow to wrath. She believes that God can fix anything and everything and because of that, she talks to God about it all.

3. A Godly Woman is QUIET and GENTLE
This means as a woman (or even a man, to be honest), do not be disrespectful, do not be aggressive, hostile or cunning.

2 Timothy 2:24 - "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel, instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach not resentful"

4. A Godly Woman seeks to SERVE OTHERS
Proverbs 31:15, 20 - "She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants. She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy."

There are many more qualities but I'll leave this with you to research:

A good woman knows that pleasing God is pleasing her husband. A good mother or a good woman attempts to do things God's way rather than listening to the changing views of society.

If you are a woman and you are reading this, be a good woman first. You have to be A GOOD WOMAN BEFORE YOU ARE MARRIED and be content prior to marriage. I have a friend who recently got married. She ALWAYS tells me, be CONTENT before you are married because marriage is a whole different GAME.

Monday, 2 May 2016

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Hello People,

It's been a while. I wanted to write a Blog based on James 3:8..."Taming The Tongue". Usually, when I am studying the Bible, I like to find out what was happening around the time the book was written. The Book of James was written by James, who was the half-brother of Jesus. At the time that he wrote this, he was encouraging Christians to endure and live BOLD Christian lives.

How serious is the matter of taming the tongue? Well...

James 1:26 - "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless."

So, if you appear to be religious, you attend church all the time and do religious works, yet you complain, you gossip, your tongue is acidic, your works and religion is worthless. It makes all your spiritual stuff useless in God's eyes. You are active in the work of the Lord but your tongue is completely out of control. James is addressing those who are holy, loving and kind but on their jobs, in their families and whatnot, they are gossiping or listening to gossip with a willing ear. They go on murmuring and complaining. Well...whatever they do, it's worthless.

I won't lie. I have said hurtful things to people in the past. I have said words out of pride, I have lied, I have gossiped, I have said words out of anger. But you cannot take those words back. You can seek to restore these relationships through repentance (saying sorry to them) and they forgive you, but once you say words they cannot be taken back. But even the Lord warns us, "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

A Few Tips

1. Rely on God's Strength

With your own efforts, you will fail - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13

2. Dedicate your heart and tongue to the Lord DAILY

You will face new conversations every single day. Therefore, acknowledging your need for discernment and God's grace will make you more conscious of your words.

3. Read the Word of God Daily

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good words." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

4. Seek Counsel - Ask those around you if your words offend them

Ask those around you if your words affect them. Ask them about how you speak and re-evaluate your words. Try to bare in mind that everything you speak will be taken into account. Matthew 12:36

5. Learn to speak words that will encourage, comfort, inspire and edify.

Ask the Lord to guide you to speak words that will honour Him - "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer every man."

Do you know that your words reflect what is in your heart? What are you putting and feeding into your spirit? In your effects to control your tongue, focus on whatsoever is true, lovely, honest, just, pure and of good report - think on such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Sunday, 6 March 2016

Isaac and Rebecca - A Love Story

Who doesn't like a good rom-com? I know I do. I love romantic comedies. I love romance overall. So, of course, when I read the story of Isaac and Rebecca...I thought, well, let me just Blog about what I learned about this story. This was meant to be a Valentines Day/February message but...well, a girl gets busy. I had things to do!

This is the story of Isaac and Rebecca.

Genesis 24
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son, Isaac."

The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"

"Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. "The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath saying, "to your offspring, I will give this land" - he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there" So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master's camels loaded with all kinds of goods from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. He had camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

Then he prayed, "Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, 'please let down your jar that I may drink' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you will show kindness to my master."

Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milka who was the wife of Abraham's brother, Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin, no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up again.

The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar."

"Drink my lord," she said and wuickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they had enough to drink." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water and drew enough for all his camels. Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful..."

Then, the man bowed down and worshipped the Lord, saying, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."

Phew! That story is pretty long. I had to cut it short. You can read the rest if you wish in Genesis 24. this story, Abraham was an old man and the Bible says that he was in his last years. He wanted a wife for Isaac who was saved. He wanted to sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac and this servant acknowledged God.

He prayed and wanted a sign. He wanted a good wife and he wanted God's direction to find a good wife for Isaac.

Isaac was pretty much older. He is believed to have been around 37 to 40 years of age. Abraham's actions were based on revelation. God promised to make Abraham a great nation and bless the nations through him. It was the WILL of God for Isaac to be married. God MADE marriage. He thrives in marriage.

Genesis 2:18 - " is not good for man to be alone, the Lord shall make him a help meet."

God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone so he made for him that which was closest to his heart - he made a woman. God saw the need in Adam's heart.

The servant of Abraham committed his mission to prayer. When he found Rebekah, he thanked the Lord and he worshipped the Lord.

What Can We Learn From Isaac and Rebekah?

  1.  Seek a MATE when it is certain that marriage will achieve God's purpose in our lives - which is family and children - Genesis 1:28 - "Then God blessed them and said, 'be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky and all the animals that scurry along the ground."
  2. Wait on God's Timing - Yes, I know people hate hearing the whole 'wait on God's timing...' but there's nothing you can do.
  3. Look in the RIGHT places - Abraham told his servant to not go in the land of the Canaanites. Why was that? Well, the Canaanites represent the 'unsaved' people. The Bible says "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." Why don't you get involved in the life of the church, find somebody with a heart for God and get involved in the work of God. If you start to like somebody, pray about it and seek God first. God will guide you. But be in the context of friendship, ministry, get to know that person
  4. Seek Godly Qualities - You can date around but it doesn't mean they are the right people. And in your waiting, have you considered your character? Getting marriage is not about your age, it's about your character (Ephesians 5). Are you still selfish? Husbands? Potential husbands? You are supposed to represent Christ. Your decisions will no longer be based on your own merit, but for the betterment of your wives and your children. You are the high priest of the home, the protector of the home and the provider of the home. Strong fathers begin with a strong husband and a strong believer in Christ. Women - are you willing to respect your husband? Respecting him as the provider? As the preacher? Giving him reverence even when he makes mistakes? Are you willing to respect his responsibilities and can you submit? Both of y'all - are you mature enough to submit to one another in the fear of God?
  5. Listen and HEED to the instructions of OLDER and WISER Christians - do not keep the relationship a secret. There is nothing wrong with getting to know people. But keep it public.
Lastly, you will grow old with the person you will marry. The world may make marriage seem very cumbersome but marriage is a serious step. This is a life partner. If you know it will not be permanent, let that person know sooner and gently and stay friends. Imagine going to heaven and how many people you have to avoid due to the awkwardness.

I also realise that people focus so much on marriage. They make lists about what they want in a mate (which is good, because at least you have standards) but some of these lists are so unrealistic. Why don't you seek first the Kingdom of God because without the character of Christ, you're nothing. Why don't you learn to pray and read the promises of God. Pray for God to change your heart and pray for your future marriage?

Why don't you just relax and not THINK too much about whether the man you're dating is 'the one'? Every guy that comes along, you wonder if he is the one God has sent for you? Why not just go out, befriend people, both men and women and just CHILL?

Prayer - Women, why don't you pray.

Lord, I want in my heart to respect my future husband and honour his leadership. Lord, let my judgement be good, my words to hold weight. Please, let me be a mother that has such an impact on my children and my grandchildren. I believe in You, Lord, for breakthroughs in my fear of commitment and rejection. Lord, you died to make me who I am and who I am meant to be. Father, change me and make me less selfish. Take the treachery out of my heart, let us mean it when we go to your altar and let that be deep within our hearts. Let us mean our vows. Let our love be unconditional. I pray that I lay down my life for that person, to not walk away from that marriage no matter how hard it gets.

In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen?!

Saturday, 2 January 2016

A Broken Heart

I think it s fair to say that all of us reading this have been hurt, one way or another. Or are hurting. Or will be hurt. It is inevitable. Even in the laughter and the smiling you see in people at work, in church or in families and within your friends.

Who hurts?

  • People facing rejection from loved ones - for example, those who were adopted may feel rejection from a young age. They were not loved by their parents and they cannot understand why, so they feel that they have to seek that love from others.
  • Parents - those parents of children who have rejected their counsel and their rules
  • Those facing illnesses (cancer, etc)
  • Those who are going through break-ups - this can be boyfriends, girlfriends, going through a divorce
  • Those who have been looking for jobs for weeks, months, years but can't seem to get through to one
Everybody hurts. Everybody carries his or her own burden of pain. However, you have to know that there is NO physical cure. People cannot shut down the fears. Even the best of friends. Only God can shut down the feelings of loneliness and discontentment and failure.

Broken Hearts

A broken heart can cause the most excruciating pain in the world. A heartbreak is a wound that is both physical and spiritual. Yes, your friends and family can ease the pain through laughter but the pain somehow seems worse at night, when you're all alone, surrounded by nobody but your own thoughts.

There is the old saying...time heals everything. That is not true. Time only seems to magnify the pain in your heart. If your heart is so open and seem to be wounded even more. But some people are so hard hearted, strong shelled and are too proud and self-centred to allow anybody to make them suffer. There is a cure.

Sometimes, when I read the Old testament, I find a common thread. It is almost like a romantic story. God pursues His people, they reject Him and turn to less worthy things. Idols. But He keeps loving them anyway. Time after time after time, He does whatever it takes to win them back. If this happened to me, I don't know if I could live. God is long-suffering. He loves His people and it hurts Him to see them in pain.

The Cure (With Tips)

  1. Stop trying to figure out HOW and WHY you're hurt
I think as humans...we try to figure out why something has happened. We try to fix things. You may be right or wrong but you have to be willing to trust God and His mysteries. My cousin always tells me that one will probably be thanking God about why your heart was broken and why certain things did not work out the way YOU wanted them to. You will find yourself thanking God because He is probably protecting you from something you do not even know about and cannot see.

1 Peter 4:12-13 - "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed."

Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

    2.  Remind Yourself - God will not PUT TOO MUCH ON YOU

Just remember that God is NOT behind your pain. He is not disciplining you. Yes, He chastens us but only for a season...and this is not to hurt us. It's sort of like being grounded for doing something wrong. He isn't the author of confusion. God watches over us and He is always on time. He will not allow you to drown in your tears.

Psalm 30:5 - "For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favour lasts a lifetime. Weeping may last through the night but joy comes with the morning."

   3. Weep & Give It To God

 The disciples (one being Peter) wept and gave their burdens to God. Peter in particular was hurt after denying the Son of God. He felt guilty because of this. Jesus also wept and constantly prayed when he felt that he had too much to bear. I know He was God in flesh, but He was still human.

Psalm 51:17 - "The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, Oh God."

  4. You Will Survive

Life goes on. You can bear so much with God helping you. Joy is rejoicing with the Lord no matter what you go through. You may be feeling rejected and abandoned and weak, but God is still God.
Throughout it all, remember that no weapon formed against you will prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

I don't know what you are going through. But if you feel like you're broken, lonely, discontent, angry...whatever it is, do not forget that you are fearfully and you are wonderfully made. You share God's heart, His character, you were made in His image. He has had his share of a broken heart. I'm sure He feels pain too. Pain and rejection because His people have wondered and left Him. We follow our own rules, our own ways and our own paths without even consulting Him.

Oh and don't forget...hard times do not last forever.

Romans 8:18 - "I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us."

Have a prosperous, blessed and prayerful new year & month.

Read the full message by David Wilkerson by clicking on here


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
— feeling love
When a Scot Ties the Knot - Tessa Dare

Truly, Madeline is the greatest ninny to ever draw breath in England. She doesn't have the courage of Izzy in Romancing the Duke nor the steely resolve of Clio in Say Yes to the Marquess. She is frightfully shy and even worse than Izzy in imagining her happy ever after.

The first 3/4 of this book is a solid 3.5 stars for me. That is, until ,Logan and Maddie have admitted their feelings for each other. I was confused with all their inconsistencies. If this were set in a modern time, I would have rolled my eyes at them. But this is historical romance, it is understandable that they are not granted the liberties we have today.

Maddie and Logan's moments were intoxicatingly sweet and hilariously witty. In Tessa Dare's trademark humor, this story had me laughing loudly. I would have never endured the way Logan treated me if I were Maddie. But, thank God, she did. They may be really meant to be for one another to be able to stand each other in the beginning. For when they truly let go of all their inhibitions from each other, a wonderful sotry was made.

Most of all, Grant is favorite person too. It is really heartbreaking to see that after a particularly bad hit, he could no longer hold a thought after that. So, I was really glad that by the end of the book, he's on the way to recovery.

This is such a bad review - I could not string together sentences that make sense. One thing's for sure, I am especially sad that I don't get to be part of their growing family anymore.


text:
Monday, October 6, 2008

This is Why We Love Software

In this election season, we're pretty used to seeing candidates and their supporters stating utter absurdities as if they were obvious facts, on the order of "the sun comes up in the morning." But as good as the politicos are at deadpanning insanity, they don't begin to compare to a computer. Here, two bits of absurdity I found in the last few days.

First, from the Weather Service. Note Friday's forecast:

Slight chance of nothing? Sounds like my social life.

And then I got this warning from a writers' conference message board:

I think relativity's involved here. It must be that I can post a message every thirty seconds as measured by the bits flying around inside the computer at something very close to the speed of light. Thanks to Einstein's time-dilation effect, that works out to about every ten hours

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text:
Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

Looking for a Roofing Company in Ridgewood  NJ ? Need roofing repair company? Have a flat roof? Have a leaky roof you need taken care of? Hire the professional roofing repair company serving all of Ridgewood NJ Daniele Construction. Winter is coming!! Fall is here!! Protect your home today and make sure your roof is not leaking. Daniele Construction LLC serves all of the Ridgewood NJ area with the finest Commercial and Residential roofing repair, services, and products. We are a licensed Firestone Red Shield Installer. That means that Firestone is guaranteeing that the job get’s done right! and the products are manufactured by Firestone. That’s what separates Daniele Construction from your average local Ridgewood NJ roofing company, Our work is backed up and guaranteed that’s what makes Daniele Construction the best local Ridgewood NJ roofing company. Daniele construction is a full service construction company with over 35 yrs experience in the construction and home remodeling industry. Committed to performing the job right the 1st time. Our reputation for providing innovative solutions to the most challenging jobs are parallel to none. Our company is compassionate to our clients needs, although we provide a wide range or services. Rooﬁng is our specialty.

Rooﬁng services include tourchdown rubber, EPDM, TPO, timberline shingles, re-roof, tear-offs, coatings, total new roof systems.etc ( Commercial & Residential )

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Daniele Construction LLC.
60 Louis Street
Little Falls NJ, 07424
Cont. Lic# 13V405800700
Firestone red shield roof applicator

Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

The Best Hudson County Roofing Company!

Rubber Roofs

Tear Offs

General Construction

Odd Jobs / Handy Man Services

Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

EPDM rubber roofing material is made from synthetic rubber and is generally a one of the most popular choices for commercial roofing solutions. It lasts longer than a lot of other roofing materials, resists weather damage and punctures, it stands the test of time and is guaranteed by Firestone. Liquid EPDM Rubber is a one-coat application. Hire a experienced EPDM roofing company in Hudson County NJ Daniele Construction LLC.

Daniele Construction only uses the finest and guaranteed roofing products on all of our roofing jobs. We are certified and licensed by one of the worlds leading roofing materials manufactures. Since its introduction in 1980, Firestone’s RubberGard™ EPDM Roof System has dominated the single-ply roofing market through its proven performance, durability and flexibility over a wide range of building types. We pass on all of Firestone’s guarantees to our clients. It’s one of our best selling points when we are introducing Daniele Constructions services. Firestone’s high quality synthetic rubber compound is the foundation for RubberGard™, the industries premium grade EPDM roofing membrane. With superior durability, flexibility and UV resistance, RubberGard™ EPDM is the smart roofing solution for any application. From office buildings, factories and distribution warehouses to hospitals and schools, RubberGard EPDM delivers outstanding, long-lasting performance in all climates worldwide. Don’t just cover your roof; guard it with Firestone’s RubberGard™ EPDM membranes. Have a trusted company guarantee that products that are used on your roofing repair? This helps put Daniele Construction’s work above the rest in Hudson County NJ.

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Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

With larger Commercial roofing projects Daniele Construction’s team provides Firestone backed TPO Roofing products. Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply roofing membranes are among the fastest growing commercial roofing products and have gained broad industry acceptance for their many performance and installation advantages.  If your commercial building is in need of repairs, do you have a TPO commercial roof that needs repairs? Don’t hesitate and call the experts at Daniele Construction to handle your Commercial TPO Roofing Repairs As demand increases for heat-reflective and energy efficient roofing systems, TPO single-ply roofing membranes continue to provide exceptional resistance to ultraviolet, ozone and chemical exposure.

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Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

At Daniele Construction LLC, it’s never about just completing your commercial roofing project on time and on budget. It’s about making the entire process from bidding the commercial job, working progress, completion headache and a hassle-free roofing experienced for you. We can provide you with a detail outline of what the roofing repairs are going to be. We believe in providing the highest roofing value in the Hudson County NJ area. We think you should be informed, involved and in control of your Roof from the start, middle to end, Daniele Construction has got you covered. We believe in keeping our roofing clients in the loop on everything we do so that our communication is upfront and honest from the start. We delivery the most value and bang for your buck in the Hudson County NJ area.

Roof Leak Repair Ridgewood New Jersey

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Daniele Construction offers a wide variety of commercial roof systems to fit your needs, budget and we are certified by every major material manufacturer to install the highest quality roofing systems with the best warranties. Our goal is to make the re-roofing process easy and hassle free for you, the customer. Daniele Construction specializes in developing solutions to fix commercial roof leaks and system malfunctions for customers throughout Hudson County NJ and North Jersey area. Our knowledgeable of commercial roofing repair specialists work hand in hand with your buildings management and maintenance teams to identify roof issue fast, and fix them before further damage occurs. It’s our mission at Daniele Construction to fix and solve your roof issue rather than replace it.

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If your commercial roof or home’s roof is leaking and needs immediate attention / emergency roofing repairs please contact us at (973)715-5734


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Showing posts from February, 2017

Motorcycle Safety Tips for New Riders

Throughout his life, Daniel (“Dan”) Hohal of Wilkes-Barre, PA, has enjoyed a passion for motorcycling. He has also attended the Roar to the Shore motorcycle rally and understands the importance of motorcycle safety. Relied upon by motorcyclists like Daniel Hohal and others, the following safety tips can prevent accidents and injury.

Above all else, make sure you have the right gear for riding. A good helmet is a must, as are leathers that will protect you should you come off the bike. Don’t sacrifice safety for being “cool” on the bike.

You also need to pay attention to the bike you purchase and be sure of your own abilities. Buying more than you can handle increases the chances of accidents.

Be wary around other vehicles and understand that cars have blind spots. Trying to overtake another vehicle at inopportune moments is a mistake. This is particularly true when pulling out of junctions.

Finally, don’t take the bike out in inclement weather. Wet roads create more hazards for riders, an…


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Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Not the most exciting of giveaways I'm afraid as I'm pretty skint! Picked up a few little bits and have added a couple of nice things from my charity shopping that I thought people might like.

New Look flower print scarf

Bastiste dry shampoo - a life saver!!

Nails Inc nail varnish

Next lip balm

Vintage brooch (from charity shop)

Orange bangle (from charity shop)

There we go! I'm also going to add a little vintage clothing item (hopefully a dress) but I'm going to suit it (and size it!) to whoever wins.

How to enter

You must be a follower of my blog, and comment on this post telling me what your LEAST favourite kind of clothing is - harem trousers? (saggy crotch) Crop tops? (No one over 5 should be baring their stomach like that) Mine is anything tie-dyed - I don't think that requires an explanation!!

Extra entries:

1: Tweet with @dannithegirl is having a giveaway! http://dannithegirl.blogspot.com/
2: Mention the giveaway on your blog with a link.

Please let me know you've done each thing with a SEPERATE comment.

Blogs and twitter accounts set up just for giveaways will not be counted.

EDIT: Forgot to say that the closing date is 21st July.

Good luck everyone!

No outfit picture, just a picture of one of my favourite necklaces that I'm wearing today:

Danni x

Sophie - Country girl said...

woo, enter me please! I'm following. I hate leggings with no long top over the top!!!

Sophie - Country girl said...

and I've just done the tweet on the twitter @countrygirldoes
I also hate capris. I don't like the thought of cold ankles, on me or others.

Charli said...

I hate leggings that people wear as trousers..I have seen far too many pairs of dotty knickers :(
gfc - tinker_bell1990

Charli said...

I also hate hareems with ugg boots AND FAKE UGGS!
I follow and have tweeted from @Charli008 x

A Thrifty Mrs said...

Hello what a fab giveaway, I love that scarf. My least favourite item of clothing? Hmmm cargo pants? No, no, no! You are not in All Saints.

Anonymous said...

Great giveaway, that brooch is stunning! I follow through gfc.
I cannot stand those printed harem-type trousers. Why would you want to look like you're wearing pyjama bottoms where the crotch has gone baggy...I don't get it!!

Hailie x

Alex said...

Oooh, giveaway! Thanks for the reminder - I'm so behind with comments at the moment. That brooch is beyond lovely. I want to win it!

Hmmm, least favourite clothing? Where do I start? The most current hated thing is bizarre jumpsuits that don't fit. I've seen loads of them around at the moment and they ALL make the wearer look as if they've got a sagging nappy on. It's just not flattering.

xXxStundonxXx said...

I love the prizes!! Least favourite item of clothing is so difficult! Loads of people around here wear their pyjamas out, that is horrific! I mean actual PJs too not just trousers that look like PJs! There was a woman in Asda living wearing her PJ bottoms & dressing gown WTAF!!!
In a clothes sense it has to be chavy crop tops. The girl sat on the tube opposite me this morning had a zip up jacket with diamante writing across the front and it stopped just below the boobs - ming! Still can't get the horrid image out of my head!!

xXxStundonxXx said...

I also tweeted for you http://twitter.com/#!/xXxStundonxXx/status/86122973647470592

Thanks lovely :) xx

J xx said...

Ohhh I likey the scarf on your giveaway !

Least favourite item of clothing has to be socks and sandals on men ! There's simply no excuse !

I'll mention your giveaway on my blog post tonight as well Danni :0)

Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping] said...

Lovely prizes, my least favourite clothing is trousers which don't fit and are too short - I can imagine it's difficult if you're tall, but it is possible to buy trousers that don't look ridiculous, I've seen many people achieve it!

Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping] said...

I've tweeted too @FHCShopping

Sophie said...

I adore the bangle and brooch! Love a bit of vintage jewellery!

My least favourite are ugg boots, why would you wear slippers outside? Mind boggling!

Sophie said...

I have tweeted too lovely!

Ana M. said...

Hi lovely, thanks for the lovely giveaway! <3

I'm a new follower (spider girl) :)

My least favorite is a dress with tight cuffs! That's all I can think about right now :)

techiespidergurl at gmail dot com

Ana M. said...

I've also tweeted about your giveaway & am following you on Twitter :)

Twitter name: @techspidergirl
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/#!/techspidergirl/status/87470620270542848

techiespidergurl at gmail dot com

Susan said...

Oh what a great question. Um, I have so many, Harem trousers, as you've mentioned.

Jogging bottoms, or worse a full matching tracksuit, worn when you are not a) doing some for of sports or b) lounging about
Leggings as trousers
Bra straps being on show (ok if the colour matches your top)
Toms - sorry, they may be comfy but god they're horrid, and Crocs, same reason.
Jeans that have a stretchy seams around the ankle, does that makes sense? Those ones like jogging bottoms.

I need to stop typing now before I rant even more....

Susan xx

PS: I tweeted too :D

Susan said...

Woops - new comment - I tweeted too :D xx

Penny and Lola said...

shmello pretty! I hate ANYTHING velvet , if I touch it makes me go mental and want to vom.

This is lovely giveaway enter me pretty please
I have tweeted and I will mention you and link on my blog

Lauren said...

I loove that brooch :)

My least favourite kind of clothing is leggings with short top, bleughhh

I follow on GFC as Lauren!

Lauren said...

Also tweeted from @gottaloveatrier xx

Brat said...

Ooooh a giveaway!
For me, it's velour tracksuits! They look absolutely awful and are usually teamed with scraped back hair, huge hoop earrings that would look more at home being used to train your dog and the joggers tucked in socks with reebok classics.
Not. A. Good. Look.

Maria said...

I have quite a few items of clothing I don't like but leggings worn with a crop top and ugg boots has to be one of the worst outfits! I am following you on GFC and on Twitter :)

Maria xxx

Maria said...

I have also tweeted too!

Maria xxx

A Thrifty Mrs said...

I've just tweeted on top of my earlier comment the other day.

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text:
Saturday, November 14, 2009

Mulled wine ...

In these cold days, it is nice to warm up with a glass of mulled wine. You go down to the local supermarket, you buy a good bottle (um, a tetrapak actually) of Pinard ... and hop in the pot. It's good and it warms you up!

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AUGUST 1st 2010

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

8th annual Darkhorse 40 in the books!!

so the 8th annual Darkhorse 40 is in the books and i have to say i think it may have been our best one yet. the weather was perfect, the course was awesome, the racers were awesome, the BBQ was killer.....etc

the course
we moved the start to the other side of the park this year and i think it really upped the ante. i wasn't sure at first but it really worked out well. George and I had been doing course recon ever since singlespeed-a-polooza was over. we went thru various option and finally settled on the course we ran sunday. i realized about 2 weeks ago how awesome the course was when i was out putting up arrows. i had George's daughter Sara's old school backpack filled with big yellow arrows that didn't quite fit in it, an industrial staple gun that weighed about 10 pounds, a pile of extra staples, a bow saw, spray paint and a couple pairs of clippers all bouncing around on my back. the temperature was just below 800 degrees and the fly's were apparently on a feeding frenzy. i was riding along with all the gear stopping to mark intersections and fill in were George hadn't yet put an arrow and i realized i was having a blast. ripping the singletrack. i ran out of arrows at about mile 14, ran out of water at mile 17, and still ripped the last of the course and rode back to the shop smiling!! just that awesome!

the racers
i think every year we get the best group of racers who come out for our event. we sold out early. people jumped at the chance to get in for the lower price and then even when it went up people jumped to get in before the 400 racer cap! awesome!
our philosophy has always been to give as much back as possible and i hope it came off that way. i believe it did. we want everyone to go home smiling. from the rocking fast pro's to the guys and gals finishing in the 6th hour!

we poured a lot of our blood, sweat, and souls into this years race and its nice to see all the supportive comments! thanks!!

i think i am still decompressing and haven't really let it all sink in yet.
the post event hangover.

thanks again and congrats to everyone who came out and gave it their all!!

dougyfresh said...

I was skeptical at first with the new start/finish but once the race was over I immediately realized how much better it was. More room. Easier to get to (didn't have to walk as far from parking like SSAP). All around good stuff.

While I did feel like it was one of my worst performances on a bicycle in recent years, it was still enjoyable when looking back on things. Great day!

megA said...

Super fun, flowy course. Great chicken after, nice people throughout.

Thanks for a wonderful time!

建邱勳 said...


text:
Darkness Over Golarion

Epilogue 3.

Death beyond the Rivers Edge

His legs ached and his chest burned. Never had he pushed himself to these limits. Devrin Rydell was a joke among his peers, but he was a workable investigator. At this moment he wished he’s taken up another profession, that and cursed himself for not getting more exercise instead of letting his hirelings do all the legwork around the office.

He rounded a corner to catch his breath. Heaving and sweating profusely he looked down at his blood covered clothing, his hands and equipment. The remnants of the mercenaries he’d hired to come help him on this trip. All gone.

He looked around the corner. The streets were deathly silent and the the road to the bridge and the was short but looked so far and perilous. He was sure his legs would collapse beneath him any second.

“I told those fools we should have gotten here earlier. But NOoooOOOOOO, ‘We don’t believe in ghosts” fools.’ He remarked sarcastically as the sunset disappeared and gave way to night.

Hushed whispers brought Rydell back to the task at hand. “Gotta get to the boat.”

He moved silently along the wall to the next street over. Not the slightest movement. He made a break over to the next set of buildings. Barely making a sound despite his size. He looked back from where he came and realised that he should inject some urgency into his flight.

Across the way he watched as a green mist enveloped the building and came pouring slowly out the alleyway. Shadowy figures lurching and moving inside the fog. On occasional burst of eerie light highlighting the ghastly features of the things inside the sickly green mist.

“Better hussle your fat ass Rydell or you’re gonna lose it!”

Moving between the buildings as fast as he could muster he was managing to stay ahead of the mist but it was moving steadily towards him. Finally he gasped, his heart ready to burst as a smile crept on his face, the boat and was just there, a few yards away he could see it in the middle of the river next to the bridge. The lamp already burning thanks to the riverhand he’d hired to take him here.

Wait a sec, what was it moving…

“Goddamnwhoreson is leaving me here!!!”

“Come back, wait you goblin licking dullard!! He screamed as he ran, again, down the sandy road towards the boat. Devrin was almost to the riverbed when he got knocked from his feet.

He was a bit of a ruffian in his youth so he could take a hit and knew how to roll with it, but he wasn’t young and it hurt like a horse’s kick to the gonads. He crouched and let loose a bold from his heavy crossbow and he could hear a solid hit but the massive shape barely budged. The looming thing stood over him as the green mist enveloped them both.

Claws from things in the mist clawed at him. He bashed something in the face with the butt of his crossbow and shanked another with a dagger he quickly drew. But yet more came on. He screamed in rage and dodged a swing from the massive creature in the mist. He wheezed as his broken rib pained from the first blow he got from the thing. The boat meanwhile slowly went down the river. The soft din of combat and death echoing in the night air.

As the boat went under the bridge , the riverhand heard a roar and when he came out the other side he was welcomed by a large shadow on the boat a split second before crash-landing hard! The boat rocked and threatened to capsize, thankfully it was a sturdy boat.

The riverhand looked on and drew his sword thinking he was sure to face some grisly thing when he heard Devrin groan and roll over. Jagged cuts and bruises covering his form. “Put that away son and get rowing, get us outta here…”

Devrin looked back to shore and saw hundreds of shadowy figures standing there. Staring silently in the night unmoving as the boat travelled further and further away.

“…I have to tell Akorian what I’ve found.”

End Epilogue 3

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