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PORTSMOUTH — The holiday season can be a wonderful time or an absolute nightmare depending on how you handle the added demands on your time.

PORTSMOUTH — The holiday season can be a wonderful time or an absolute nightmare depending on how you handle the added demands on your time.

For many, the flurry of activity is fun and exciting. There is Christmas shopping for those special gifts, sledding and snowball fights, and a chance to be with family members to celebrate. There is a ton of food, parties and travel plans to make.

For some people, the stress levels that accompany this sudden influx of activity can be overwhelming.

Experts say with a little advance preparation, stress can be successfully managed and the holidays can be enjoyed.

Dr. Duke Lovetere of Duke Family Chiropractors in Greenland said managing stress in his patients is as important as the adjustments he makes to their bodies. He delivers talks to corporations and other groups on complete wellness practices and stress management figures heavily in his message.

"Chiropractics are a natural medical practice," Lovetere said. "It is holistic and effective and, really, if you are working on other aspects of health benefits, especially stress management, the client is going to be healthier overall if we address stress."

Lovetere said stress is responsible for a large percentage of back problems.

"So, if I didn't at least attempt to address stress as a source, I would not be treating the whole person," he said. "It just makes sense in trying to correct the problem."

On the particular stress that comes during the holidays, Lovetere offers a simple message.

"Live in the moment," he said. "It's easy to get overwhelmed. Breathe. Make a to-do list and take it one step at a time. Focus on what is really important."

Exeter Family Medicine physician Timothy Keenan said there is no magical formula for dealing with holiday stress. He said small, simple plans and reasonable expectations can make the difference.

"For example, the rule when my family picks out a Christmas tree is to be there no more than five minutes," Keenan said. "Once you get the tree home and decorate it, it looks great. I have never looked back and said, 'That was a horrible tree.'"

Keenan suggests making a list early in the season of things you want to accomplish during the holidays.

He said keep it reasonable and budget your time.

"Then prioritize your list," Keenan said. "Get reasonable and decide what you really must do and what is optional. We tend to feel we have to shop more and more; that we need to mail all those cards out, bake more. We over-schedule ourselves and we can't do it all. Don't beat yourself up."

Lovetere also urges setting reasonable goals for the holidays.

"Do what you're capable of and count your blessings," he said. "Turn Black Friday into a rainbow of calm instead. So what if you buy that person two presents instead of five. It doesn't matter."

Exercising and making sure you get adequate sleep are important, too, Keenan said.

"Sleep deprivation increases anxiety," he said. "You have a harder time dealing with stress. Also, exercise really does help your brain deal with anxiety through the release of endorphins."

Seasonal affective disorder is a medical condition linked to a lack of sunlight that can cause depression and make life even harder this time of year.

"Get outside and play," Keenan said. "The exposure to exercise and to sunlight can make the difference for people affected by SAD. Actually, it will help everyone."

Healthy diets often go out the window over the holidays, which can increase stress risks, he said.

"We pick at food at parties," Keenan said. "We eat less nutrition and protein in favor of sweets. Lower protein leads to fatigue and adds to the holiday stress factors. Be aware of what you are eating and include nutritious items."

The bottom line is that people should set their expectations, stick to them and make enjoyment rather than accomplishments a top goal for the holidays.


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Pretzel Twister in Burlington Mall, Massachusetts

Pretzel Twister is located in Burlington Mall, Massachusetts, city Burlington. Pretzel Twister info: address, gps, map, location, direction planner, opening hours, phone number.

Mall name:

Burlington Mall

75 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Massachusetts - MA 01803 - 5327

Phone number to Burlington Mall mall

781 272 8667

Hours (mall)

Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Driving directions

GPS: 42.481672, -71.212993

Looking for another location of Pretzel Twister store?

Go to Pretzel Twister store locator to see all Pretzel Twister stores

Interested in other stores in Burlington Mall?

Go to Burlington Mall mall

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Sears HomeTown — Leeds, AL

Phone: (205) 702-6288
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Welcome to Sears Hometown Store in Leeds, Alabama
We are your locally owned and operated appliance store. Find great deals on hardware, lawn mowers and refrigerators. Sears Hometown Store in Leeds, Alabama offers the best in quality, brand name appliances, like Kenmore, Samsung, LG, Whirlpool and GE. With 900 Hometown stores located in smaller communities across the country and serving many areas,including Leeds.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Amity University - What is the Future of This Model?

At over 1,00,000 students on its rolls, Amity arguably remains India’s largest private university. The speed with which this scale was set up reflects the potential in private university education.

Ironically, it also reflects what is not so fine in the sector. Pursuit of quantity above everything else is obviously raising concerns regarding quality as well as over-supply.

What differentiates the elite universities worldwide - from America's Ivy League to India's IITs - is the absolute rule of meritocracy. You have to earn a subject. Not everyone can study engineering, business, medicine, law, or social work. You need to have proven aptitude for a subject.

For example, like many private universities, Amity too is accommodating multiple test scores like CAT/MAT/GMAT for MBA admissions. It is doubtful whether this will ensure a level playing field.

Models like Amity are more popular because, practically, anyone can study any subject. You have to just pay for a subject. Aptitude is welcome, but not essential.

Even while everyone will welcome the democracy of this idea, it is not the way to develop and deliver respected professionals to the industry or community.

Amity’s issues in this respect are higher as it is more challenging to enforce uniform quality across its 20 different campuses across the country, rather than the one central campus most leading universities tend to have.

In recent months, Amity has been showing more bullishness on their overseas initiatives, like their new large campus in Dubai.

On the scholarships front, though Amity is offering significant programs at their Dubai Campus, it is unclear whether they have such a program in India, where it is needed more. A query sent to Amity in this regard, remained unanswered till the time of publishing this story.

Amity has recently pioneered an offshore campus in UK. But students pursuing degree from their UK offshore campus will be required to write Indian liicensing exams again if they need to work in India.

In their hitherto core Indian operations, even more profound is the danger of over-supply. It is one thing to sell a dream to a student. But quite another to land him or her an entry into the specialization that was sold.

Though every private university including Amity claims high level of placements, what is ironical is that 2012 and 2013, or for that matter 2014, haven’t been periods when recruiting was strong. Even the IITs found it difficult on the admissions and placements stage this academic year.

Does this lower-quality and over-supply of ‘talent’ offered by institutes like Amity combine to form a quicksand where the real victim will be India’s hitherto respected high-quality manpower standards?

If that is the eventual outcome of this national innovation, private universities like Amity would have created more problems than they had promised to solve, in this nation.

1 comment:

  1. It is a lopsided view of Amity University. Before commenting on this University, please compare the ranks of all private universities in India, Asia and the World. This ranking has been by the agencies with high reputation. You will find that Amity University outshines all the other private universities. So I request the author to revisit his article objectively and reframe his thoughts about this GREAT university.

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when thanksgiving feels far away

faded flower

The holidays are magnifying glasses
Forcing us to see close up; too close
Surrounding us with lists for gratitude
Invitations to share thanksgiving

We stand behind the curtain
Busily pulling levels and hoping to convince
Until one day we yank the velvety curtains down
We stand in our own light

We decide we will be grateful for what we know
As a daily practice — from our personal experience
Not a calendar date or someone else’s story
We will celebrate our-self, our-story

Thanksgiving will look like we decide
It shall not be served with turkey and dressing
According to someone else’s schedule
We will begin new traditions

I am

Empathy is the antidote for shame, for the way you feel in the midst of offering yeses of habit instead of sacred no’s. Being true to what you need is a process — it takes as long as it takes, Braveheart. I offer this space to you with acceptance and compassion; I meet your shame and frustration with empathy.

I see you. I see you choosing to do what you must until you are able to do what you want. I see you moving in the direction of your dreams … ♥

vents and surrenders

“We’ll talk soon.” was his only text reply to my full-screen of texted verbiage. Rocket Man knows me well. He knows I am fluent in the language of Emoticon and he knows a visual vent of faces is secondary in urgency to multiple screens of syllables and exclamation points. He also knows I will likely be fine once the day is surrendered at sunset.

I am in a phase of gathering. In the midst of bitchy blurts, incomplete projects and multiple unknowns.

“Well, there is a woman who comes in here regularly who swears by it!” the clerk explained as she handed me a package of 95% natural facial serum, “clinically proven to restore and repair age-damaged skin in just seven days” and give me “superhero skin.” This is another manifestation of venting for me: Seeking out all-natural products to defy a natural process.

I am in a season of noticing. In the midst of physical reminders of how many birthdays I have celebrated.

“The difference is when you speak something new, you are at the beginning; when I speak something new, I have already decided it.” Her words reminding me: my process is not my procrastination; everything counts, everything holds value.

I am in a season of solitude and reflection. In the midst of knowing my strength is a collage of my weaknesses.

To let go of something is when hope begins. -Anne Lamott

I am letting go of my self-editing. For today.

I am woman with flashes of information and inspiration. The posts I have sat down to write for Secret Rebel Club have been fragmented. I forget what I said in whispered inspiration; my jots are incoherent. I am in Big Picture mode, scheduling out plans and noting deadlines set for a year from now.

I am content with showing up as scheduled, but also with walking away without posting as I turn out the proverbial light of my writing desk here. I am learning to accept unpublished drafts as perfect pieces of a whole instead of failure or a loss.

At any point, we can step out of our frozen selves and our ideas and begin fresh. -Natalie Goldberg

I am stepping out of my frozen self. For today.

I am a woman remembering, re-learning; a woman be-coming, a student of the stories written during the long-days of years-short. I am reacquainting my-self each morning at the mirror of my-self; noticing the projects-unfinished and lines across my face and knowing with absolute certainty: This is my time.

Time I have eagerly awaited — and yet I am holding tighter to Now and Then than my passions require for Next. It takes as long as it takes; but that doesn’t make the waiting any easier!

I am set to hit “publish” for this post at a later hour than I hoped — and in spite of mental eye rolls cued by Perfection — because I wholeheartedly embrace the value of vents and I dance wildly with Surrender!

these lines across my face  I am stargardener aka Teresa Robinson. I believe each day is a canvas awaiting the collage elements {we decide} have meaning — splashed with the authentic paint of our mind, will and emotions.

My canvases include elements from: Right Brain Planner, Secret Rebel Club as well as The Art Journaler and The Art Journaler Community — honored and attended according to my rhythms. ✩

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. -Cyril Connolly

she knew minimizing was betrayal; she knew she cycled like the moon

she cycled like the moon

she knew minimizing was betrayal
an invitation to ignore and diminish
to be in-costume for a party she refused to attend
and to smile and nod and be {seen as} fine

she knew her cycles; she knew what to do

but doing it now felt impossible, debilitating
her path shrouded in new moon darkness of “not yet”
her thoughts a hoarded collection of the mundane
and crushing beliefs about her abilities and worth

“You’ll be fine.”

she didn’t care about being fine
there was no energy for platitudes in this space
of time pressing into the lessons of The Familiar

“I think you should …”

when she refused fine, she knew suggestions were next
she knew few who trusted in the dark side of creativity
but she knew life begins in the dark of growing deep

“I thought you were doing better.”

she refused to respond because she knew she was doing
and that better was like fine and shoulding her-self …
dreams are not measurable or limited to inane valuations

she knew she cycled like the moon

she knew regardless of how she felt or where her hopes were,
regardless of the circumstances of the days-passing …
the darkness would remind her and renew her faith in Divine cycles

she knew that was enough; she knew what to do

of the earth profile stargardener

October has been a sojourn with The Familiar. Digging deep beyond my surface responses and routines, a proverbial archaeological dig of my past, present and future. Countless words and hours of writing; laboring with the full knowledge of new life and yet struggling to maintain my focus and breath. The faces of {my} depression ever-changing and silently reminding me I am my own fan club and I have all I need. This is enough. I am enough … You are enough, Braveheart. Let’s cycle like the moon and refuse to be fine. ~much love and compassion, Teresa aka stargardener ✩

risking the usual

moon and tower lights

If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary. —Jim Rohn

If you know me at all, you know I consider my {living} a canvas. Space for soul blurts, collaged randomness and delight in the mundane. I am un-reasonable; I enjoy defying reason and shattering limits I have been told were mine. I agree quickly with those who tell me I love “too much” and I plan/hope to accomplish “too much” — it is the only way I believe there is to live-free. I dance with a chronic illness that punches me in the face without warning — and seems to have the worst sense of timing.

I do live-free, and I do punch back. But this week was a huge test of my will, both to allow and to abide.

To allow for a lack of wellness {pain, blurred vision, muscle weakness} and for detours due to Life’s sudden curves and falling rocks. To abide in the midst of impending details and finality for major life events for my beloved Rocket Man and my children. It feels as if Life is always under construction. Yes. Even as I type that … I realize, it is.

Under construction, like that canvas on the proverbial easel. Never finished, only abandoned when the detail work leads to overwhelm.

The service guy who was in my home yesterday looked around my studio {aka the dining room} and said, “So, you are an artist?”

“Yes. I am.” I replied — without even a second of doubt.

“What projects are you working on?”

“I create planning systems for right-brain thinkers, and I am in the midst of writing a book and product development.” I answered — immediately followed by a moment of sheer disbelief.

“Wow! That sounds great!” his response as he gathered his tools and went back outside — unnoticed by me because all I could “see” were my words being spray-painted on the wall I was facing.

“Artist. That is my job … Crap.”

I immediately began a mental list of problems associated with the job title of artist. Which I would detail for you but as Yuri Baranovsky states as the number one problem of being an artist: I have no time for anything else — ever. His words will do, because I write raw — in the moment, sometimes incomplete. I leave you with bits of torn paper marking my own trail — knowing you will take what you need to mark yours, and leave your own bits for others.

I am wholeheartedly willing to risk the usual so as not to settle for the ordinary. Because I want you to, too, Braveheart! ♥

It is the reason I live-free and sparkly dare my-self to do “too much” and show up each and every day in-community. Because I want to foster communities of women who do the same. Who live true to their dreams — without apology. Women who face forward when the piercing winds of change blow unrelenting, but find the same fierceness and value in seeking shelter and pause.

Let’s dare to ask the questions of “Why?” and “Why not?” — living free and dancing wildly in the direction of our dreams!

100314 profile

My name is Teresa; I am a gardener in the stars. I am an artist; it is my job {as well as my passion}. I wholeheartedly allow complete to be incomplete, unreasonable and unrealistic. I abide with the moon and delight in its phases.

Let go, Braveheart

bravery mailing label

Dear Braveheart,

Seasons change. People change. Relationships shift.

When you realize your breathing is shallow, that your can’t seem to relax. When energy or inspiration to continue is nowhere to be found  …

Let go. Please resist trying harder.

Stress and indifference are masks of Fear. When the whispers of Spirit have been ignored so long, the body begins to scream and shut down, and the mind becomes shrouded.

You are in survival mode. You are constantly proving yourself, your value, your place. Because you believe doing so will allow you to maintain the white knuckle grip on What-Is — what you know … what people expect.

Let go. Please resist self-loathing.

You are exhausted; you are not lazy, uncommitted or irresponsible. The energy and vision changed but you were determined not be a quitter — not the one to disappoint or disappear.

New endeavors await. New is not the absence of Before, because you are a Divine blend of all that you have been, all that you are and all that you will be.

Let go. Please resist making it happen.

Because who you are becoming is already there — the details Divinely woven within you before your first breath.

Because you cannot be everything all the time.

Seasons change. People change. Relationships shift.

You are enough. You are changing. Your energy and inspiration is shifting.

Let go … allow space for what is Next.

A Fellow Braveheart

Letters to Bravehearts is a new feature of letters to self: past, present, future; of love and affirmation; reminders of insights and lessons learned. What do you need to declare or gently remind your-self? Perhaps you would like to share your letter to your {brave-hearted} self? Send a message via our Facebook page.

love’s unacknowledged and wild sister

seasons end

Outrage is love’s unacknowledged and wild sister. —Sue Monk Kidd

Calculating risks requires being honest with your-self about what you know — as well as what you are willing to accept as necessary to remain true to your-self; what is necessary for {your} dreams, your relationships … your sanity. At some point you begin to believe sanity is overrated, that no one is trustworthy and living your dreams is simply a socially acceptable synonym for delusion.

Outrage {self}

Self-doubt is a blade we either press into, allowing it to carve away The Unnecessary, or allow it slit our throat — leaving us to bleed out. Internal outrage — self-loathing, shock, the paralysis of perfection and “shoulding” our-self — is the dark side of self-love. Like the moon, we cycle through this dark into light, light into dark; like the seasons, we cycle through bud, bloom and seed time.

This is a seed time for me. Faded blooms of color reaching for the sky are now shedding petals and dying to produce hulls of possibility.

Outrage {others}

Self-doubt is a wild fire when we become aware the people we trusted are merely kindle awaiting a spark. Like when we allow a circle of women “known” on a casual level via the facade of common groups or interests — locally or linked via social media — to become our gauge of self-worth.

These situations can feel paralyzingly incestuous and shatter our self-trust — with the constant threat of becoming wild fires destroying everything we built and believed in.

I am in an ever-widening circle of realization regarding dream-weaving and friendships — and self-trust. Harvesting seeds of Truth and pressing into forgiveness and honestly.

Love {self}

This is a time of flower stalks stripped of their beauty but I know I was true to my-self. I acknowledge I “love too much” and “trust without warrant” — because I love the possibility of friendships. I savor the days, the promises of a season shared between two kindred coming together — even if that season is short lived. Because my trust in safely wrapped in vulnerability.

Love {others}

Vulnerability is Brave in-action. And I will not judge my-self or anyone else when wild fires require self-attention and solitude.

After all, each of us wear an invisible warning label:

  • I am human. I will make mistakes but I am doing the best I can today.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou

What we feel is temporal. It cannot be blamed on anyone because no one can “make us feel” an emotion. What we feel is drawn from a well deep within.

What we feel can be honored, remembered … learned from. Because what we feel is a gauge. It can an alarm warning us to honor boundaries.

But even within that … We must be true to who we are. We must love who and what we love — and when what we know and what we feel alert us, we must walk away from who and what will never be anything more than the constant thread of a wild fire.

stargardener profile  Teresa Robinson aka stargardener believes each day is a canvas awaiting the collage elements we decide have meaning — splashed with the authentic paint of amazing triumphs and agonizing suffering. Her canvases include her mind’s eye and her stack of journal-planners. She is currently in a season of solitude blanketed with layers of inspiration and depression. Glimpses of what she creatively documents provide the foundations for Right Brain Planner and The Art Journaler.

the faces of {my} depression

“Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. ”

— Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
the face of the blank stare; the most common default; make-up, an uncommon default due to MS eye-issues, a lack of energy and desire to “waste” the time

Live everything. Live the questions now. … Live your way into the answer.

I am grateful Rilke wrote those letters to a young poet because these syllables are keys to the locks of treasure chests. Rilke wrote Real {honest, to the point} and did so without judgement or an attitude of superiority — or a desire to “fix” that young poet with “if I were you” advice. He recognized the young poet wasn’t “broken” …

I collected self-portrait images for this post during a semi-normal day of depression; I am a visual journaler and I know a picture is worth a thousand words … even when it leaves me speechless. My hope is to inspire you, Braveheart, to give you a new lens to see your-self and others close to you.

Perhaps even dare to embrace moments of quiet acceptance, to feel a bit less alone … To seek aid and companionship when {it} all becomes too much. I realize that can feel impossible, too.

We see what we want to see. We see through the filtered lenses of our beliefs, carved via our experiences and what we were told to believe. Until we decide otherwise …

These images are unfiltered as seen through my iPhone camera lens; captured from the time I woke up just after midnight to when I went until sleep for the night around 10:00 p.m. There were several more; this is cross section of visuals from the day.

A day of 22 hours because I was attempting to “make myself” stay up longer. I was attempting to complete the work projects that lay idle the first three days of this week. Lists and want-to’s noted creatively on the pages of art journals and right brain planners designated by project.

Routines and grace-based accountability is an aid for me; I liken it to a groove to guide me through when mental fog is so thick I cannot do much more than pace or sit quietly, cry softly or tear bits of paper and create collage art. Work was invigorating and joy-full — not an act of fierce perfectionism fueled by angst. The energy was there, and I rode it out; I honored my rhythms.

I worked-through because I hoped to adjust my body clock — to remind it of night and day, resetting the timing of insomnia-induced exhaustion. Depression alters body cycles; and it looks different throughout the day — and it looks different for each of us, Braveheart.

It feels almost impossible to post so many images of my-self … raw and even unnecessary.

upon waking {usually anywhere from midnight to 3:00 a.m. daily}; constricted; overwhelm and doubt; physically limited, mentally dull
breath-work; yoga outside; prayer and meditation; listening and abiding; hoping today will be different than past days

Vain. Arrogant. Even irrelevant to dare state even a word of definition for depression?

I wonder and wrestle with that. But at some point we need to press through, to talk about — name — what we face without shame. Because shame serves no one except an oppressor. It locks us up in a cage with paper tigers while people who genuinely care are locked out because of the lies that drown out the still small voice of Truth.

I am not defining depression. This is my post, about me, and my depression.

It is not meant to evoke sympathy or even elicit support. It is meant to be a statement — declarative, just the facts. (That is why I turned off the comments for this post.)

8:00 a.m. -ish; walkabout with my grrls; stretching and breathwork
pause; anxiety; catching my breath {literally} several times daily; reset
checking in for the day with my online communities; this day’s first smile; it comes naturally as I celebrate a friend’s milestone

Upon waking — often in the early hours after midnight — expressionless and shadowed as my mind feels hollowed of purpose or desire to be, or to do, anything more than sit — eyes-closed. Blurts of journal entries and poetry are written of this face.
Upon waking — often in the early hours after midnight — expressionless and shadowed as my mind feels hollowed of purpose or desire to be, or to do, anything more than sit — eyes-closed. Blurts of journal entries and poetry are written of this face.

A face wanting to be hidden, the face of my alter ego, of agoraphobia; the one needing to know where all the exits are … stifling all invitations to leave home or receive visitors — yet knowing “too much” solitude exacerbates all realities.

being outside is an obstacle course of memories and hope deferred; I am able to be outside with less stress this week because my youngest son is clearing overgrown garden areas
I am able to find comfort in the cleared areas, space to {be} and realize bits of hope; light at the end of a 12+ year tunnel; I had cancer 12 years ago …
depression image
cancer marked the end of my planned gardens and the beginning of realism with regard to my limits + dmitting/embracing my preference for wild, naturalized gardens
nature brings me comfort; I feel safe, grounded and centered when I am outside under the sky and trees of my 2.5 Acre Wood, listening to bird songs and the rustlings of squirrels; walking alone or with my sweet but fastidious little fluff, a Bichon and "self-trained" therapy grrl, a Golden Retriever {adopted as a Rescue, but whose love is a rescue}
nature brings me comfort; I feel safe, grounded and centered when I am outside under the sky and trees of my 2.5 Acre Wood, listening to bird songs and the rustlings of squirrels; walking alone or with my sweet but fastidious little fluff, a Bichon and “self-trained” therapy grrl, a Golden Retriever {adopted as a Rescue, but whose love is a rescue}
dressing in natural fibers, comfortable but stylish {according to my preferences} help me to feel better mentally; I am resistant to this ... I don't want to "waste" the wear and tear of my "good clothing" when home-bound
dressing in natural fibers, comfortable but stylish {according to my preferences} help me to feel better mentally; I am resistant to this … I don’t want to “waste” the wear and tear of my “good clothing” when home-bound
standing on crunchy grass; reminding myself what appears to be dead is merely dormant; roots are vital — not what is seen; grow deep
standing on crunchy grass; reminding myself what appears to be dead is merely dormant; roots are vital — not what is seen; grow deep

Mid-day is the turning point for me; I rarely schedule anything past 1:00 p.m. because it is unlikely I will have physical energy or mental focus to complete tasks or honor appointments. This day I did. The energy was there.

make-up is typically limited to lipstick only; adornments usually limited to ear rings … the necklace I am wearing here is a bola harmony ball, a favorite soother because of its soft chime sounds when I walk; I have favorite items and art mail near; gifts that remind me I am seen and loved, part of a community; tangible evidence to assist me when a twister of paranoia swirls wildly within … I do what works until it doesn’t
depression is like a heavy weight that requires extra time be allowed for deadlines; I mailed items I “planned” to mail three days ago but it was wonderful to be out in the sun and honor my promise to my-self to drive alone “more” and the staff at the post office have become friends over the years; it is always a positive experience to chat with them; I ♥ small towns!
the ever-changing sky of this day felt like an affirmation; blues and shifting clouds and weather fronts, ever-changing as part of a cycle; affirming that change and opposite realities within the same day are part of {living} — part of Creation; the rain of the evening was extra special; rain always feels soothing and like a promise of divine care

The idea for this post came to me some time in the middle of the night as I muttered to myself that I had nothing to write about this week … that I was tired and anxious, and nothing could be done with that.

Suddenly in that moment of naming my angst and frustration with the week, with depression and pain, I realized that I would never respond that way to a friend, or to anyone who believed her situation to be of no consequence.

So, this is dedicated to you, Braveheart. Because our stories matter. And we are not broken — so there is no need to be in the audience of people convinced otherwise.

This post is dedicated to my secret rebel kindred who send me celestial poetry and emoticons, and images of beach views and skies — and color! Who don’t ask “How are you?” because they already know. Who give me space and don’t assume the worst about me in my absence.

My life is not easy, but it is mine. I own every bit of it — the good, the bad and the ugly.

If someone speaks some variation of:

  • “Don’t talk about it. You just need deal with it.”
  • “You don’t look sick.”
  • “You always look so happy.”
  • “What do you have to be sad about?”
  • “Keep it to yourself; you don’t want to be a burden.”

They do not begin to understand what you are living with … Because illness of any kind makes most people uncomfortable and they attempt to unload their insecurity on to you. Those people don’t get endless chances, Braveheart.

Yes. I know that is easy to say and yet feels impossible to accomplish.

But this is your one wild and precious life … handle it with care and respect, and with self-love.

Take care of you; do what you must until you can do what you choose.

National Alliance on Mental Illness is a nonprofit, grassroots mental health education, advocacy and support organization. I link it here because you may be at a place where the face of depression is much more threatening. If so, you are not alone … There are people who care and who can help.


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Unit 21: Educational Consultants and Librarians

Unit 21
Educational Consultants & Librarians

The educational consultants and librarians of Unit 21 includes consultants who work with educational programs from pre-kindergarten through post-secondary or higher education, and the state librarians and archivists.

Gov. Brown signs our contract
A Message from President Yvonne R. Walker:

Governor Jerry Brown today signed Senate Bill 28 (Pan), the bill authorizing the Memorandum of Understanding between the state and SEIU Local 1000, our union representing 96,000 employees, about 40% of the state’s workforce.

The deal was reached between the state and Local 1000 on Dec. 3, 2016, after eight months at the bargaining table and just two days before an impending strike.

Tentative Agreement Moves to Assembly

In a big step forward, our Tentative Agreement (Senate Bill 28) cleared the Senate on Feb. 17 with a 26-7 vote.

Our TA cleared two previous hurdles earlier in February by being approved by two Senate committees.

The bill now moves to the Assembly. SB 28 will first be heard in the Assembly Budget committee on March 2 upon adjournment of the Assembly floor hearing that day. The bill will be voted on by the Assembly floor at a future date, then on to the governor’s desk for his signature.

Tentative Agreement making way through Legislature

Our Tentative Agreement cleared two hurdles this week as it makes its way through the Legislature and closer to the Governor’s desk.

Vice President for Bargaining Margarita Maldonado testified before two Senate committees in support of our agreement, and both committees voted to move the TA forward.

Speaking on Feb. 6, Maldonado told the Senate Public Employees and Retirement Committee that we represent about 40% of California’s total state employees and provide a broad range of valuable services to California and our communities.

Tentative Agreement Overview

After nearly eight months of negotiations, we have reached a tentative agreement with the state, early Saturday morning, on a contract we can all be proud of.

Below is a basic overview of what we won on compensation. This overview does not include any information on the non-economic improvements that were agreed upon, or how we plan on addressing some of the concerns we raised about the state’s conduct during bargaining. As we work to finalize and compile all of the tentative agreement we will send you additional details.

Strike Authorization Vote
Important Message from Our President

We have been in negotiations with the state for six months and have reached agreement on many items. Our intention is to continue to negotiate in good faith on all remaining terms. However, we have not yet reached agreement on a livable wage that values our work and respects the services we provide to all Californians.

Local 1000 members provide valuable services to the state of California and our communities. We believe everyone who works hard for a living should be able to provide for their families.

But we’re dealing with a tale of two cities here.

Bargaining News for Friday, October 14
State shows a lack of movement as we return to the table - Our actions will make the difference for a contract we can be proud of

Our bargaining team met with the state for the first time in three months and ended the week frustrated by a continued lack of movement by the state on key issues.

Earlier in the week, our team presented eye-opening information illustrating the gender pay gap in state civil service. Our union is 66% women and 34% men. The seven unions the state has reached agreement with, overwhelmingly comprised of men, are paid a staggering 43% more than Local 1000 members.

Bargaining News for Thursday, October 13
Seeking common ground to revamp civil service

Our bargaining team worked hard today with the state’s negotiators to achieve a common understanding of the state’s Civil Service Improvement (CSI) initiative – a broad-based strategy to reform civil service employment, including recruitment, training, and a much-needed revamp of outdated classification specifications.

Our team is working to solve some deep frustration with the state’s slow progress and the lack of involvement with our union to create a real plan with real timelines.

Bargaining News for Tuesday, October 11
Understanding the cost of retiree health care Live stream bargaining town hall on Wednesday

Our bargaining team met with state negotiators today for a detailed discussion about the cost of retiree health care – one of the key issues remaining to be settled as we work for a contract we can all be proud of.

“We’re challenging the assumptions the state is using to calculate the costs of this benefit and the share our members will be asked to pay,” said Yvonne R. Walker, Local 1000 President.

Bargaining News for Monday, October 10
Pressing the state for a contract we can all be proud of Live stream town hall on Wednesday

Boosted by the actions in our workplaces over the last few weeks, our bargaining team returned to the table today with state negotiators and called for a pay raise that respects the valuable services we provide to all Californians.

We reminded the state that in the months since we last bargained, we heard from thousands of members who said at town halls and in surveys that the state’s offer doesn’t recognize our hard work; that working families shouldn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.

Our hard-earned contract rights still in force

As we continue to take actions in support of a strong contract, we are still fully protected by our existing contract. Each of our hard-earned rights, achieved in past negotiations, is still in force.

Our stewards are still providing real representation to enforce our hard-earned rights. And as we show our strength and pledge our support to take all Local 1000 authorized actions, management will threaten and try to intimidate us in an effort to weaken our cause. We’re not falling for it.

A Message from our President, Yvonne R. Walker
Board of Directors unanimously approves statewide vote on concerted actions, including strike

Dear Local 1000 members,

I’m writing to you with a very important message about contract negotiations.

During our July 30 executive session, our SEIU Local 1000 Board of Directors voted unanimously to authorize a statewide membership vote on any and all concerted actions, up to and including a strike, in support of bargaining our contract.

In short, we are exploring every option available to win a contract we can all be proud of.

Special bargaining update for June 30
Bargaining reaches a crossroads

After three months of bargaining in good faith, our negotiations with the state have reached a crossroads. In an era of healthy state finances, our bargaining team feels that the state’s offer does not meet the priorities that you shared with us through town halls and bargaining surveys.

Beginning Friday July 8, we’ll be holding a series of town halls up and down the state where members will hear the details of the state’s offer and have an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions.

Bargaining News for Friday, June 17
Progress Won by Worker Actions!

Your actions are working and making the difference at the bargaining table!

After CalHR Director Richard Gillihan insulted us and said we were only worth a 10% increase over four years and a 3.5% contribution to retiree healthcare, you stepped up the pressure and took immediate action. We responded the next day by holding worksite actions up and down the state and flooding Gillihan’s phone with the message that we are worth MORE than 10% and we will not stop until we get a great contract.

It worked. Our collective action pushed the state.

Unit 21 Bargaining News for Monday, June 13
Unit 21 continues to push on FLSA, wins bilingual agreement

Our Unit 21 bargaining team continued to push back against state negotiators’ efforts to modify language governing our FLSA status. Just days ago, we rejected their proposal with the support of members in the field, who stickered up at their worksites with our clear message about FLSA:  “Hands off My Hours.”

We’re still fighting to make the state understand our members are professionals and should be treated as such. We encourage our members to keep up the pressure and let the boss know that we won’t give up.

Bargaining News for Saturday, June 11
Bargaining Team wins health care and 10-month victories

In a productive day of negotiations, our Local 1000 bargaining team made significant advances Saturday, moving more of our members’ priorities into the contract and fine-tuning proposals to maximize our rights and protections.

Bargaining News for Friday, June 10
Master table discussions resume

Our Local 1000 bargaining team returned to the master table today for the first time after thousands of members gathered Wednesday at the state capitol to rally for a great contract.

We met with the state briefly to review and understand the scores of proposals previously presented by Local 1000, and still requiring a response from state negotiators.

Unit 21 Bargaining News for Thursday, June 9
Unit 21 tells state to address discrimination at CDE and keep their “Hands off My FLSA”

The day after our rally—with thousands of participants—shook the Capitol and put the state on notice that we will not roll over, the Unit 21 bargaining team went to the table to protect and enhance the rights of our members.

Bargaining News for Tuesday, June 7
State disregards our work and rejects salary proposals; time to step things up

In complete disregard for the important work that we do and the vital services we provide to California, the state today flat-out rejected our salary proposals.

The state:

Unit 21 Bargaining News for Friday, June 3
Unit 21 returns to the bargaining table, progress made on professional development

Your Unit 21 bargaining team went back to the table with the state today and made significant progress on issues our members identified as priorities.

After numerous negotiating sessions, we finalized agreements on two contract items that will improve, protect and expand professional development opportunities for our members. The agreements:


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SUBJECT/S: Labor’s positive plan for George Town; $100,000 degrees; Labor’s $150 million commitment to boost jobs and education in Tasmania; manufacturing; company tax cuts; Greens/Liberal deals.

JOURNALIST: Senator Carr is the Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Industry. He’s a Victorian Senator, obviously from the Labor Party and he joins me in the studio now. Senator Carr g’day, how are you going?

JOURNALIST: Let’s talk about what’s actually happening today. What are you releasing today for George Town then we’ll get on to the more broad discussion.

CARR: We are committed to providing opportunities for more jobs and the projects we are supporting today in York Cove, the precinct plan, the silt management plan and the economic development plan, are about building opportunities for jobs. We are also of course committed to the university.

JOURNALIST: And we’ll talk about that in a minute.

CARR: These projects in York Cove are really about building the infrastructure, improving the infrastructure, so we can improve job opportunities for the district.

JOURNALIST: Okay so a couple of hundred thousand dollars’ worth of further investment in George Town. I understand you and Ross Hart and Senator Helen Polley will be heading up there after this.

CARR: That’s right. We’re here to support Ross’ campaign obviously and we want people to be able to deliver on these projects because we think the issues around jobs and around education are just so important to providing people with the economic opportunities they need to enjoy the prosperity that this country undoubtedly has. The real problem is at the moment that there are some regions in the country that are being left behind. We know some people do well, but a lot of people miss out. So the Government’s got a real role here to stand shoulder to shoulder with people and provide those opportunities so that people can lift their living standards and enjoy decent wages and decent living standards.

JOURNALIST: Let’s see if I can just rattle through your portfolio areas one by one really. Higher Education, let’s start there. The big issue here in the Northern half of the state is the proposed moves of the University of Tasmania campuses in both Launceston and Burnie. The State Government is right behind it, the State Opposition’s right behind it. The Federal Opposition, Kim Carr, the Labor Party your party has said they’ll stump up the $150 million required to get the project up and running. Curiously though there’s sort of crickets from the Government on this. We’ve had some motherhood statements, “stand by”, “watch this space” and “we’ll be making announcements in this space in the coming weeks” etc. etc. Given the position of Tasmania’s only frontbencher you would think there’d be a bit of leverage there. Government frontbencher I’m talking about.

CARR: Well the university is a big area in this country and the Minister is very quiet on these questions. Their whole idea is to actually propose budget cuts, for $100,000 degrees for fee deregulation, to actually limit opportunities for most people. We are saying that education is absolutely at the center of our view that you have to be able to transform opportunities for this country. So I support this project very strongly. It’s probably the largest single commitment we’ll make to a special project across the country. This is a pilot project which has national lessons for us.

JOURNALIST: Now this is an angle we’ve not really explored before. We’ve talked about all the local benefits and obviously the education, the health outcomes, the economic outcomes that flow from lower education standards, specifically here in Tasmania. But what you’re suggesting is that this could be a model that could be rolled out in other areas. When you say a model though, are you talking about a building model or is it the process by which one attains education?

CARR: The idea is that the universities and TAFE should work better together. That state governments and the Commonwealth Government should be able to work more effectively together. That we should build pathways, particularly for areas which have less than perfect education attainment levels. In this part of Tasmania we know that there are less people actually engaged in higher education, there are less jobs, there are of course lower levels of skills and we need to lift that. We need to change that. This is not a pattern that is unique just to Northern Tasmania. This is a problem in areas which have been badly affected by the decline in manufacturing, the decline in job opportunities, particularly for blue collar families. So we want to be able to provide some real assistance and we want to make sure it works. This is a pilot which we will use and take lessons from for the rest of the country. So in the South East of Melbourne, in New South Wales in areas where there used to be large heavy industry where we’re now seeing a decline, we’re seeing it in Western Australia, we’re seeing it in Queensland. This is a national problem that we’ve got areas of economic neglect and economic disadvantage, and what can the Government do to assist people. I take the view that the Government has a responsibility here. Not something you walk away from.

JOURNALIST: The Industry portfolio has always been an interesting one and always here in Tasmania we’ve suffered manufacturing industry losses as you know over many, many years, Caterpillar closing up in Burnie etc. What do you see, as a person who has been wallowing in this industry area professionally…

CARR: Wallowing is not a word that immediately comes to mind.

JOURNALIST: As a politician, you know what I mean. You’ve been operating in this space. How do we transition? What do we transition to?

CARR: I’m passionate about this because it’s so important to ensuring equality in this country. This is one of the key areas about making sure we actually do have a fair go in this country. And blue collar workers in particular deserve the support of government. So what can we do? We can assist industry. We can assist industry by attracting new investment for new jobs, new technology and new markets. We can assist industry by developing not just the skills of wo rkers, but the skills of management. We can assist industry by developing research and development opportunities, so we get the new sciences applied to everyday problems. We can assist industry by making sure industry has access to trade opportunities, by making sure we’re there with the companies. That’s why we had things like Enterprise Connect, to build on the skills of an individual firm. For example in the Bass area we provided support for 400 separate companies when we were in government. We provided support through Commercialisation Australia to assist companies get access when they’ve got a new idea a nd a new technology and they want to apply that on the job. We can provide the sort of assistance we saw, for instance, with the automotive industry, because this used to be an important part of the country. This is a government that has driven the automotive industry out of Australia. Lots and lots of people, even in Tasmania, were involved in the automotive industry. Those jobs are being moved offshore. We can’t allow that type of action to follow without any response.

JOURNALIST: But we were played for suckers by the motoring industry surely? They realised they were on a really good thing and they could pad it out and pad it out with lots and lots of taxpayer money and they ended up shutting up shop and going anyway.

CARR: No. They were driven out. They were driven out by a conservative government that said that they would prefer for other aspects of government activity to take precedence, a priority question.

JOURNALIST: Yeah but the Government made a reasonable decision to stop handing hundreds of millions of dollars to an industry that was clearly on the decline and clearly going to pack up at some stage.

CARR: Well let me put it to you this way. Around the world every government, in England for instance that had this problem that said they saw an industry in decline after Margaret Thatcher, all the parties came together and said they had to invest in the automotive industry because it was so important to the future of England. England is now a leading export manufacturer in Europe. In the United States the Government invests heavily in industry support because they know how important it is. I’m saying that manufacturing is critical. The automotive industry and the loss of it is going to leave a really serious hole in our manufacturing capability. By international standards we were providing support for less than the price of a footy ticket. Less than the price of a footy ticket compared to the hundreds of dollars that were provided by governments around the world and conservative governments around the world. We took the view that we could without this industry – this is the Government that has taken this attitude. I think that is wrong. We’ve got to be able to ensure that the Government is now able to step in. We’re going to spend a lot more money on social security than we ever would have spent in terms of support for industry because of the short-sightedness of this attitude that manufacturing was someone else’s problem.

JOURNALIST: Senator Carr, surely if we’re going to amp up the number of jobs available to Tasmanians, we are going to need investment, we are going to need companies that see a profit, see an upside from operating here in Tasmania. Why isn’t a corporate tax cut going to be able to help create some of those jobs, and that is a policy of the Government?

CARR: Well of course this is a $50 billion promise which goes to the very big end of the company structure by and large…over a decade, but it’s still $50 billion. And with $50 billion we think we can spend the money more effectively in other areas.

JOURNALIST: But if we want to create jobs we have to create an environment where businesses want to operate in a particular area to employ local people. If we haven’t got that environment right we can pump all sorts of money into job programs, all sorts of education programs, health programs, you name it we can do whatever. But if you haven’t got the private investments setting up business in states to employ people it’s a waste of money and time isn’t it?

CARR: You’ve got to first of all have the money available to fund your education and to fund your hospitals, to be able to fund the infrastructure that underpins…

JOURNALIST: Well that’s why we want a budget surplus so you’re able to do that kind of thing. If a government has a budget surplus they can amp up spending on those sorts of issues. Exactly the same thing the State Government has done here.

CARR: You will not fund these measures by spending money on the very wealthy, providing support to the banks to be able to have a tax cut. People over $80,000…

JOURNALIST: Banks employ people, I mean we don’t like them too much but they employ lots of people.

CARR: I’m not against employment of people or big business I’m just saying the priority, the question of priority. This is a Government that is cutting support for research and development for companies. This is a Government that has undermined some $2 billion in innovation programs. This is the money that they are using to feed these tax cuts for the very wealthy. That’s what I am saying is a problem. Everyone knows how beneficial personally tax cuts can be, the question is can we afford them when we need to do all these other things, including supporting innovation policies?

JOURNALIST: Isn’t that an investment as well? You are investing in companies setting up employing people who ultimately pay tax. They then have an income to go out and spend stuff which generates GST revenue that flows back to the states. I mean that is economic activity. That is genuine economic activity.

CARR: Brian it would be really good if they paid tax.

JOURNALIST: Why? Are you suggesting that there are companies in Tasmania that don’t pay tax?

CARR: We have seen plenty of evidence. We have seen evidence that many multi-national companies not paying tax. So there has got to be a real approach, a serious approach, to ensure they pay their fair share, but I am also saying to you that in terms of the choices that we make, then governments do have to set priorities. If you want to support higher education, if you want to support hospitals, if you want to support schools programs, and we have put $37 billion behind our schools program then of course you have to be able to pay for it. So we’re saying the priority is in these other areas not in providing a tax cut, particularly for these very large firms and we cannot masquerade this as a small business measure. This is not a smal l business measure this is actually a Government who is anxious to preserve their support base. We see a lot of these areas where priorities are made by political parties and that is what the electorate will make a judgement on, isn’t it? The priorities that politicians make about their welfare.

JOURNALIST: Or is it a case of the people making a decision based on how they view the leader? Do you think Bill Shorten can actually win this election?

CARR: Yes, absolutely, no doubt about it and what’s more he has demonstrated just how strong a leader he is.

JOURNALIST: Because the party was getting ready to roll him. At the beginning of the Turnbull thing, I have spoken off the record to very senior Labor players who have said we were absolutely devastated when Turnbull took over. We were terrified we were going to get obliterated and yes there was potentially a huge amount of pressure on the leadership of Bill Shorten. He sat in that chair and I put exactly that case to him on the air and he wouldn’t look at me while I was suggesting that. So he knew what was happening, he knew it was on, he knew that his job was under threat.

CARR: I regard myself as a person of some experience and these questions in terms of the role I play in the Labor Party as a member of the National Executive. It’s rubbish. That’s media speculation and clearly…

JOURNALIST: You would have gone into an election with Malcolm Turnbull still at 58 per cent approval rating and what a two-party preferred leader…

CARR: He’s not.

JOURNALIST: But he was.

CARR: But you see anyone that knew anything about politics knew that just because we had a new suit in town that talked in these clichés wasn’t going to hold up in any critical examination and that is what has happened. Change is often a good thing but it is like the greatest glittering toy in the baby pen. People will try to pick it up and they will drop it after a very short period of time and this is what has happened. Malcolm Turnbull is a hollow man. Malcolm Turnbull uses these fantastic slogans which he said he would never do. He is a man that appeals to the very wealthy and the very inner city. He is not a man that actually appeals to the bulk of Australians in the circumstances where they’re facing acute economic difficulties and need the support of government to actually achieve the prosperity that they are entitled to.

We always knew that. I have always been a very strong supporter of Shorten’s and so the talk that we heard was nonsense, it was a bit of media talk. It had no substance to it and I see it from time to time. It doesn’t make it true. The fact is that Shorten’s position is strong because of his actual commitment to ordinary folks. He is out there talking to ordinary folks about their ordinary concerns, everyday concerns and it won’t change anything by appealing to the use of the term, like innovation, when you know that the budget has been so badly cut, when the government has so seriously undermined the capacity of our universities, so seriously undermined our TAFE system, so seriously undermined our school system. You can’t have an innovation system unless you are actually prepared to invest in it and that is what we say. It’s about priorities not just about a few glittering phrases.

JOURNALIST: Your number crunchers, looking at the swings, the margins seat by seat, it’s going to be real tight isn’t it? It is going to be much tighter than most people think. There are a couple of wild cards in there, the Greens potentially picking up two maybe three lower house seats. Nick Xenophon potentially picking up three lower house seats and yet we are hearing from both sides that nobody is prepared to cut any kind of deal with the Greens to form government. You’ve said vigorously Labor has said under no circumstances will we cut any kind of deal in a minority government situation with the Greens. So where does that leave us, you effectively hand over government to Malcolm Turnbull?

CARR: No, that is not right. So what you’ve got here is, and I think your first assessment is a correct one. This will be a very close election. This is an election where Labor will be very competitive. We start as underdog we know that, we don’t try to hide that. The fact is that we can make significant numbers of seats because people are thoroughly disenchanted with the Government, we understand that.

JOURNALIST: I won’t argue that they are disenchanted with both sides of politics.

CARR: Well the point is that politics is volatile, I will accept that. Politics is volatile around the world, not just in this country and I think this election will be very close. We won’t be doing any deals with the Greens. The Greens are not the sort of people that you can do deals with, we have learnt our lesson in that regard.

JOURNALIST:  We all learnt that lesson on your behalf.

CARR: We understand that that’s not the approach we take and we are not interested. The Greens are happy to do a deal with the Libs to knock off Labor Members of Parliament and then they say why don’t you put us in as Cabinet Ministers? Forget it, forget it. That’s not the approach. We will make it clear that after the election, that if it is close, they will have to make some choices too, won’t they, about who they support.

JOURNALIST: Richard Di Natale has made that perfectly clear that they are not going to support the Coalition.

CARR: Well they won’t get a deal….

JOURNALIST: But they are happy to do a deal with Labor?

CARR: Well they won’t get a deal.

JOURNALIST: So you’re sitting here saying that that’s not going to happen?

CARR: They won’t get a deal out of Labor because we are not interested in a coalition with anyone, we are interested in winning this election.

JOURNALIST: No, no, no a Coalition as in a Liberal/ National Government.

CARR: No that won’t happen either, a unity government…

JOURNALIST: Will you be handing it over?

JOURNALIST: If you don’t cut a deal with the Greens you potentially throw away the election?

CARR: They’ll have to make choices in those circumstances. I’m of the view that we will actually win a majority, that’s the first presumption I make.

JOURNALIST: That is a huge presumption at this stage.

CARR: Okay, but that is the nature of the political system. I make a presumption that we are going to get a majority. Now if that doesn’t work then people will make choices too on the floor of the Parliament. They make choices in that regard. We will not be doing deals with the Greens we have learnt our lesson from that. They are the people that opposed the establishment of a decent environmental policy because they did a deal with the Liberal party. They are the ones that have done a deal in regard to the electoral system with the Liberal party. They are the ones that have done a deal in regard to changing superannuation arrangements within the Parliament. The Greens are actually increasingly people that are really well off in the inner city areas. They have the best social conscious that money could buy. They are not people that a re overly committed to the same sort of approach that Labor is in terms of blue collar voters and in terms of jobs. They are not committed to ensuring that we have industrial development that this country desperately needs. They are not committed to the social policies that we are committed to. They have a very different political stratagem and they appeal to different people, particularly those who are quite well off in the inner cities.

JOURNALIST: Senator Carr time has beaten us unfortunately I appreciate you popping in to the studio. Good luck on the campaign and we will see how things pan out on July 2.

CARR: Brian thank you for the opportunity.

JOURNALIST: My pleasure. Senator Kim Carr, Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation .

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Coffee finalist for top honor

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By Nathan L. McBroom

A Shelby County teacher is one step away from being named Kentucky's Teacher of the Year.

West Middle School teacher Thom Coffee will attend a ceremony in Frankfort on Wednesday when the winner of the state's highest education award will be announced.

Coffee, a history teacher, is one of nine teachers from across the state that are up for the award.

The nine - three from each school level - were chosen by a panel of experts based on the teachers' written applications and first-hand observations in their classrooms.

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Discussion Forum : Revivals And Church History : Counterfeit Revival by Zac Poonen

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Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 35325
"Pilgrim and Sojourner." - 1 Peter 2:11

 Counterfeit Revival by Zac Poonen

Jesus and the apostles repeatedly warned that the last days would be characterized by widespread deception and a multitude of false prophets (Matt.24:3-5,11,24; 1 Tim.4:1) - and we have seen plenty of them in the last few decades.

Why are millions of Christians deceived by these false prophets and these counterfeit "revivals"? And why are so many preachers falling prey to immorality and greed?

Here are what I see to be some of the main causes:

1. Most Christians today are not aware of what the New Testament teaches, because they have not studied it carefully; and so they follow the teachings of their leaders and not the teachings of the New Testament.

2. Miracles (supernatural gifts) have become more important to them than their character (a supernatural life).

3. Material wealth has become more important to them than spiritual wealth.

4. They are unable to distinguish between soulish frenzy or psychological manipulation, and the genuine moving of the Holy Spirit; the cause again is ignorance of the New Testament.

5. They are unable to distinguish between psychosomatic healing (healing that comes by right attitudes of the mind), and supernatural healing in Jesus' Name.

6. Emotional excitement and strange physical manifestations have become more important to them than the inward joy of the Lord.

7. For the leaders, their ministry to people has become more important than their inner walk with God.

8. The approval of men has become more important to these leaders than the approval of God.

9. The number of people attending the meetings has become more important to these leaders than whether those people are totally committed to Christ.

10. Building their personal kingdoms and their financial empires has become more important to these leaders than building a local church and making themselves servants in that local church (Jeremiah 6:13).

All this is the VERY OPPOSITE of what Jesus taught. The opposite of Christ is called the "anti-Christ" in the New Testament. If Christians do not see this clearly, then when the Antichrist turns up on the world's stage, with his false signs and wonders (2 Thess.2:3-10), they too will blindly accept him. To be led by the Spirit of Christ is to have the very opposite spirit to that mentioned in the points above.

Here is a paraphrase of Jesus' words in Matthew 7:13-27 (read in the context of Matthew Chapters 5 to 7):

"Both the gate and the way to ETERNAL LIFE are very narrow - as I have just described (Matt. 5 to 7). But false prophets will come along and tell you that the gate and way are not narrow but easy and broad. Beware of them. You will be able to identify them easily by observing the fruit of their character: Do they live a life free from anger, free from lusting after women, free from the love of money and free from anxiously seeking after material wealth (as worldly people seek)? Do they preach against these things as I have done here? (Matt.5:21-32 and 6:24-34). These false prophets may exercise many supernatural gifts and do miracles and actually heal people in My Name, but I will still send them all to hell in the final day, because they did not know Me (as THE HOLY ONE) and they did not give up sin in their private lives (Matt.7:21-23). So if you want to build a church on a rock that will never shake or fall in time or eternity, be careful to do all that I have just spoken to you (Matt. 5 to 7) and teach your people to do all that I have commanded you too. Then I will be with you always and My authority will always back you (Matt.28:20, 18). But if you only hear what I say and don't do it, then what you build may look like a large and impressive church to men, but it will surely crumble and fall one day (Matt.7:25)."

How then shall we build an unshakeable church in these last days?

1. We must live the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5 to 7) and preach it constantly.

2. We must live in the new-covenant and not in the old-covenant. For this, we must know the difference between the two covenants clearly (2 Cor.3:6). We must also preach the new covenant.

When preachers fall into serious sin today, they justify themselves by (and find their comfort in) the examples of Old Testament saints who also fell into sin. And then they re-commence their ministry after a period of silence. They quote the examples of David who committed adultery, and Elijah who got depressed, and they say "But God still used them"! But they won't quote the example of Paul who lived in victory and purity until the end of his life.

What these preachers (and most Christians) have not seen is that the Old Testament saints are NOT our examples today. We have been given much more in this age of grace - and "to whom more is given, more is required" (Luke 12:48). Jesus is the Mediator of a NEW covenant and HE is our Example and the Author of our faith today - not David or Elijah. The distinction between the Old Testament saints (listed in Hebrews 11) and Jesus, is made very clear in Hebrews 12:1-4. But very few live in the reality of this. Very few have seen that "God has provided something BETTER for us" in the new covenant (Heb.11:40).

Any of us can fall in the way that many preachers have fallen, if we are not watchful and alert - for Satan is a cunning enemy. Our safety lies in obeying New Testament teaching exactly and in submitting to godly leadership. (And by "godly" leadership, I mean those who do not have even one of the wrong values listed in the ten points I mentioned earlier). If we learn from the mistakes of others, we can avoid making the same mistakes ourselves.

So let us keep our faces in the dust before the Lord at all times - for it is there that we will receive Divine revelation, as John did (Rev.1:17). If we humble ourselves, we will receive grace to be overcomers (1 Pet.5:5). And when the Holy Spirit shows us the truth in God's Word and the truth about ourselves, let us be totally honest and "love the truth, so as to be saved" from all sin. That way we will be protected by God Himself from all deception (2 Thess. 2:10,11). Amen.

from: http://www.readthegospel.com/step3.html

SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2010/10/31 14:37Profile

Joined: 2007/10/28
Posts: 1223
United States

 Re: Revival by Zac Poonen

by Zac Poonen

The Book of Nehemiah shows us the tremendous revival that God brought among the Jews through the influence of two godly men  Ezra and Nehemiah.

In Chapter 8 of Nehemiah, we read what God did through Ezra. He took the Word of God and gathered all the men and women and children who were above the age of understanding. He then conducted a 6-hour Bible study for them! And it says there that "all the people were attentive to the book of the law"(v.3). They began their meeting with a time of praising God (v.4). And then Ezra took pains to explain to the people the meaning of everything that he read from the Word (v.8). Obviously Ezra had spent many months and years studying the Word himself to have been able to explain it all so clearly to all of them. God has prepared him in secret for this time.

Revival broke out and the people began to weep for their sins (v.9). They were then exhorted to share with others the good things that God had given them. In doing so, "the joy of the Lord would be their strength" (8:10). The people went out and obeyed that exhortation. The next day Ezra had a Bible-study for the leaders (v.13). When they saw that the Word of God had commanded the Israelites to celebrate "the feast of booths" every year in the seventh month, they obeyed it immediately. This was the first time this feast was being celebrated in about 900 years  for this command had not been obeyed since the days of Joshua (v.14-17). Even David, the man after God's own heart, had not got the Israelites to obey this command. Ezra continued to have Bible-studies for the people for the next seven days (v.18).

In Chapter 9 of Nehemiah, we read what God did through Nehemiah. The chapter begins with the Israelites fasting, confessing their sins and separating themselves from the heathen (v.1,2). Then they had a three-hour Bible-study time and three hours of praising the Lord and confessing their sins. It was revival all over again (v.3). Then the Levites stood up and cried to the Lord with a loud voice (v.4). From v.6 to v.31, we have the longest recorded prayer in the whole Bible. The Levites then rehearsed the history of Israel from Abraham's time, and their failure during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness and during the times of the judges and the kings and acknowledging that every judgment that God had sent was just and right. They repented and signed a document before God, with Nehemiah signing first of all (10:1).

All of this came about through the influence of these two God-fearing men, Ezra and Nehemiah. Their joint ministry was almost exactly like the functioning of a new-testament being led by two elders. What an example for all of us to emulate today.

 2010/11/2 15:14Profile

Joined: 2005/6/6
Posts: 221
Brumley Missouri

 Re: Counterfeit Revival by Zac Poonen

Amen! bookmarked the site for future reference. Thanks Greg:)

William Cato

 2010/11/22 0:13Profile

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Lake Pocotopaug Church Directory

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The Lake Pocotopaug Church Guide provides descriptions of local Christian churches, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship in Lake Pocotopaug Connecticut. Maps are included. If you are a resident, visitor or are preparing to relocate within the city limits, you will find this information useful. With it you can connect with other congregations in your area, find a like-minded church to worship while visiting, or have the information you need to begin searching for a new home church.

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Total population3169
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Number of households1347
Median Income$58,325

Source: 2000 census, U.S. Census Bureau