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Dampness in Office Buildings Causes Concerns

Ask around and it wouldn’t be too difficult to find office workers who suspect their workplace makes them sick. But, this can literally be true when dampness causes excessive mold growth inside office buildings.

It’s not uncommon for office buildings to develop dampness issues from roof and window leaks, condensation, plumbing leaks, and high indoor humidity. Inadequate building design or poor construction work can exacerbate these issues. If moisture-related problems aren’t dealt with quickly and properly, the resulting excessive mold growth may cause illness in a building’s occupants.

Healthy Home is Called Into the Office

Though we have “Home” in our name, Healthy Home isn’t limited to residential services. We are more than capable and eager to go to work inside office buildings as well, which is where we found ourselves earlier this spring.

In late April, we were called to perform mold assessment and microbial air sampling services for our client, Jennifer, at her Oregon City office. Jennifer’s office is located on the second floor of a commercial building which contains several other office spaces.

Our investigation was in response to concerns about the potential for hidden mold growth inside Jennifer’s office. Mold needs only moisture and a food source to flourish, and it can grow unseen for a long time inside dark, damp walls and crevices.

A mold issue had recently been addressed in the office space directly below Jennifer’s. This recent issue, coupled with experiencing troubling allergy-like symptoms, prompted Jennifer to contact us.

Dampness in Office Buildings Causes Respiratory Illness

It would not be too surprising to discover that an overgrowth of mold caused by dampness was causing people in Jennifer’s office to experience respiratory symptoms. The relationship between excessive moisture and mold in buildings and respiratory illness in people has been studied at length.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports, “Research studies have shown consistent associations between the presence of dampness and mold in buildings and respiratory symptoms in building occupants.”

The range of symptoms and illnesses NIOSH says are reported by occupants of damp buildings include:

  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Irritation of eyes, nose, and throat
  • Lack of concentration
  • Rhinitis and sinusitis
  • Lower respiratory symptoms
  • Exacerbation and onset of asthma
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
  • Respiratory infections
  • Bronchitis
  • Eczema
  • Neurological effects

Though many of these symptoms are general and difficult to determine the cause of, they can also be a serious drain on workplace productivity and lead to increased worker absences. These symptoms and illnesses may also pose serious threats to immunocompromised, chronically ill, or elderly people.

Mold Assessment and Visual Inspection

Our assessment began with a visual inspection of inside Jennifer’s office. We were looking for mold growth, evidence of water intrusion, or any moisture-related issues in the readily accessible areas of Jennifer’s office. We didn’t see mold growth during the inspection. We did, however, note an area of staining along the broadloom carpet flooring.

Of course, we didn’t rely on our eyes alone for the assessment. We also used a moisture meter and an infrared camera to test building materials inside Jennifer’s office for abnormal moisture content that might indicate conditions conducive to mold growth.

All the building materials we inspected were within acceptable standard moisture content levels. Temperature and relative humidity readings inside the building were also within acceptable industry ranges.

Microbial Air Sampling

Next, we needed to assess whether mold spores were prevalent in the air within Jennifer’s office. We used microbial air sampling to determine if the concentration of airborne fungal spores in Jennifer’s office would be higher than a control sample. We compared the results of the microbial air sample taken from inside Jennifer’s office to a control sample taken outside the office building.

The results showed that the concentration of airborne mold spores was no greater inside Jennifer’s office than outside the building. We recommended that any moisture-related issues in Jennifer’s office be dealt with promptly to prevent the potential growth of mold in the future.

Count on Healthy Home in the Office and Beyond

The Pacific Northwest provides excellent conditions for mold growth. We live in an area where many office buildings experience dampness and moisture-related issues. If you suspect mold may be a problem in your building or home, call us. We understand the local environment’s unique challenges and can help you move forward to a healthy future!

Dan Rouse


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File Systems For Tiny Devices

Sometimes you build a computer and use it every day. Sometimes you build a different type of computer and it sits alone on a mountaintop for years. The design considerations for these two setups are remarkably different, right down to the type of file system used. For small computers like [Jo] is using, and for the amount of time they sit alone in remote locations, he decided to build his own file system for them.

Known as JesFs ([Jo]’s embedded serial File system), the file system is for SPI Flash and intended for use in scientific data logging. It can be used on the chip-scale processors found in many development boards, and is robust enough to use in applications where remoteness is a concern. It has a small RAM footprint, is completely open source, includes wear leveling, and has a number of security features built-in as well.

Some of the benefits of using a file system on such a tiny chip aren’t immediately obvious unless you’re doing a lot of data logging, but it does allow you to change virtually any aspect of the firmware much more easily if everything is accessible as a file, and not something you would have to change by reflashing the whole chip, for example. There are also a number of traps that you can easily fall into when working with file systems for tiny devices.

11 thoughts on “File Systems For Tiny Devices

  1. I solved a similar problem with PetitFFS. The advantage is that it uses normal FAT filesystems that interoperate with damn near everything. The disadvantage is that it can only write to existing files (so you have to preallocate them). I use it for read-only applications, and for that it’s excellent.

    1. I did some tests of various flash filesystems, performing millions of writes and erases on a simulated flash device. SPIFFS crapped out and corrupted part of a test file after a few hundred thousand writes, while LittleFS never failed.

      Obviously, that number of writes would very rarely be reached in practice, but results are results and I prefer LittleFS.

  2. Science data-logging in particular should favor data redundancy as well, I’d say.
    Even if god forbid your device failed, in various ways, or maybe one-off glitches, it should be fairly easy to get reliable data off the device.
    If you have absolute control over the File System, you can do this much easier than fairly typical generic FSes that aim to scale to anything.
    The redundancy can also apply to the hardware features in general. Multiple sensors for example.
    Or, since these systems can easily be produced cheaply, just distribute a bunch of them over an area. They can’t all die right? Unless it was a systemic flaw. ;-;

  3. There are two good options too: LittleFS from MBED and SmartFS from NuttX. Samsung added Journalling support to SmartFS, but they changed its license from BSD to Apache. Ironically now NuttX is going to be incubated under Apache Foundation and will change its license to Apache.

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Sacred Cat Vanitas Pendant

Alchemy Gothic

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The face of the imperious feline deity preening itself to perfection, from either side projecting its aura of confident supremacy.//One side is a mirror, while the other is the face of the Sacred Cat.

  • Made of dense quality pewter
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  • Made to last a lifetime with proper care
  • Great for special occasions or everyday wear

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Tartan Plaid Acrylic Logo Single Flared Ear Gauge Plugs

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  • Set of 2 Ear Gauge Plugs
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Monday , October 25 2021

Death 5 death due to poor diet

FAO study: Death 5 death due to poor diet Network of quarrymen quoted by a solar portal We issued you a study of FAO: Death of 5 deaths due to poor diet, FAO study: Death 5 death due to poor diet we are issuing to you Our New visitor news today through our network of knights and starting with the most obvious news, FAO study: Death of 5 deaths due to poor diet.

Forsan Network – A new policy brief requires measures to reduce nutrition and nutrition enrichment in nutrients

– The world wastes half of its fruit and vegetables produced half year and 25% of meat with 25 million cattle

In light of this, a policy brief today announced encourages decision makers to set the goal of reducing the loss of food and waste on the agenda to improve access to healthy and nutritious food, According to a statement by the Institute of Food and Agriculture in "Rome" today .

The summary, called "Preventing Loss and Waste of Dietary Elements in the Diet: Policies for High Quality Food Systems," indicates that a poor diet now poses a public health risk more than malaria, tuberculosis or measles. At the same time, people eats never reach the user table.

Some of the foods, such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, dairy products, meat and seafood are rich in nutrients, but they are also troubled and exposed to loss in each stage of the system . Food.

The report includes scary figures that indicate that almost half of the fruit and vegetables produced worldwide are lost or wasted, and 25% of meat, which & # 39; n an essential source of protein, or 75 million cattle.

"In order to tackle all types of malnutrition and improve healthy diet, we must develop food systems that increase the availability of fresh foods that are full of nutrients and foodstuffs," said José Graziano Da Silva, Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Use and affordability, and it is very necessary to take specific steps to reduce the loss and waste of freshly nutritious foods. "

Take measures through diet

The policy outlines the offer of a series of actions that can be implemented across the entire diet, including: teaching stakeholders, focusing on wonderful foods, improving the infrastructure of the public and private sectors, promoting innovation, and filling in gaps in data and information about waste and food waste.

Professor Srinath welcomed. "The World Commission's policy actions show the key role in reducing food and waste loss measures in improving poor and inadequate diets, which affects 3 billion people at World Health Organization (WHO) ) It is often responsible for ongoing sewerage, high hypertension and obesity and associated increase in illegal diseases. "

FAO data shows that the majority of food is lost during cattle, storage, processing and transport in low-income countries. The problem in high income countries is food waste at retail and eating level, which directly affects the number of calories and nutrients actually available to eat.

Globally, agriculture produces vitamin A more than 22 percent. However, after the waste and waste, the amount available for people to eat remains less than 11% is required, so reducing the loss of nutritional food will lead to the health benefits of sustainable Development.

Reducing losing and food waste also contributes to economic returns. It is estimated that the amount of food lost or lost worldwide is around US $ 1 trillion a year, and more food produced will already avoid wasting water, land and energy used in Production .

Thanks for following us and we promise that you always provide everything that is best … and transfer news from all news sources and facilitate reading. Do not forget IK's work on our Facebook page and follow the latest news on Twitter. Greetings from the Knights Network families.
Al-Fursan Network, FAO Study: Death of 5 deaths due to poor diet. Follow us on our social networking websites to receive new news on a regular basis.

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Do Online Casinos Enable you to Take Free Spins on Slots Game Reels?

Do Online Casinos Enable you to Take Free Spins on Slots Game Reels?

Slots is a casino game and the basis for its name may be the French term ” Slot” (slots “mote”). This game is a favorite with the casino goers. It is a fun game to play and it has been a favorite even up to now because of its popularity and game against all odds. This is because there are no cheats or easy wins in slots. You have to learn the system, work hard, have strategy and bet sensibly.

slots games

There are many versions of slots that you can play at any time. It is possible to choose the online version of slots games on internet to experience the real excitement that the casinos offer to the casino goers. You can also opt for the traditional method of playing in the casinos by playing the slots on the true slots. Whatever you choose, slots are sure to offer you a real thrill.

All the versions of slots games have a reels that spins in random amount of combinations. The essential rule for the slots is that the more the player pays, higher the probability of winning. As said earlier there are several types of slots. Many of the most common slots will be the minimum two-reels, three-reels, progressive slots, rapid slots, slots that spin single, double, triple, quad etc.

Each one of the slots games has a different kind of reels which has a different combination of symbols. You can find machines that pay high bonus points and you can find machines that give lower payback percentage. It all depends upon the slot machine that you play.

In the standard slots machine, a random number generator (RNG) generates the symbols and numbers on the reels. For every game that’s played, a random number generator (RNG) is used. The software of the slots are programmed to calculate the next symbol and number. The random number generators or the program uses certain algorithms to generate the symbols and number on the reels.

The random number generators or the program programs can be programmed to execute certain functions. For example, in order to win a jackpot in any casino slots games, you need to enter lots or symbol that is lucky for you. From then on, the random number generators or the program starts spinning the reels and let it randomly generate lucky symbols and numbers before reels stop.

From then on, the software will let 카지노 쿠폰 you know how many of that particular symbol and number that you won. That’s where the casino staff helps the players. They also add or subtract the bonus points from the players’ winnings. However, there are some slot machines that do not have this feature.

Slots games designed for us players include Progressive, Video Poker, Quick Draw, Three and Six SLOTS. There are also promotions that offer us players special offers and free bonuses. Some of these bonuses may include welcome bonuses, double your wins, and extra game plays for free. There are also casino slot machines that not have the true money slot machines inside them. These slots are called the bonus slots.

We gamblers can actually have fun using these bonus slots. Some people could have lost our hope already because we thought that all casinos welcome bonuses would only be scams and we’d never win from their website. However, this does not always happen. There are several good casinos that have these kinds of promotions to entice us players. These casinos welcome bonuses may not actually be credited to the gamblers account however they can still assist in increasing the probability of winning in these slots.

Some online slots games use progressive jackpots that may potentially give us enormous profits. As we know, these are pay real cash. Hence, with this kind of jackpot, the more we win the larger will be our likelihood of getting larger payouts. Some people may wonder why casinos allow us to play with these kinds of reels.

To begin with, online casinos need to cover their costs for providing these kinds of promotions because they offer real cash slots. Second, these promotional offers are a part of the strategies of the online gambling sites to attract more people to play their slots games. Finally, the benefits of earning these bonuses may sometimes outweigh the quantity of the bets.

There is no limit to the possibilities of getting the biggest prize in this kind of a game. This is why why casinos allow us to make use of the welcome bonuses. With this sort of offer, we are not just cashing in with winnings but we are also getting free spins on these kinds of reels. As we all know, these free spins will often give us better and bigger chances of earning big profits. Hence, it makes sense for us to keep these exact things in mind especially if we will play real money slots games.


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RG58U Military Grade

Price per Meter (Max 50M)

56 in stock (can be backordered)

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Sold per meter up to a maximum of 100M.

If you purchase more than 100M, you will receive 1 x 100m plus the remaining. e.g. 180 meters will be supplied as 1 x 100M length and 1 x 80m length.

Additional information

Weight 30 g


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Microgreen Seed Packs

Enough seeds for one 4-inch pot refill.

Don’t yet have a grow kit? Get one here!

Choose from a beautiful variety of microgreen seeds to start or continue growing! The seed packets contain the perfect quantity to refill your Hand-Grown Greens grow kit.

Want to try more than one variety? Check out the 3-pack seed and save!

Micro Arugula, Micro Broccoli, Micro Kale, Micro Radish, Microgreen Mix, Pea Shoots, Sunflower Shoots

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One of the simplest things I’ve done but with the most profound affect on me. I am amazed that we were able to grow our own healthy food, support a local farm, have fun doing it with a very minimal cost!

I used to have to sneak leafy greens into my children's diet but with these, they just snip and eat!

Learn how to grow microgreens at home!

Are you eager to live a more sustainable and self-sufficient life, but feel like time and space can get in the way? There is a small, simple and impactful way of achieving this!

In this FREE video guide, you’ll learn:

  • What you need to grow microgreens
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Paypal changes their chargeback terms, how will this change effect the Sports Handicapping Business?

If you don’t already know on July 15th Paypal’s Terms will change opening handicappers to many more chargebacks.

Up until now handicappers picks and services have slipped through the cracks with Sports Touts falling under PayPal’s terms not allowing chargebacks for non-tangible goods.

We all have learned powerful lessons online with sending money and now all transactions will be open to dispute, this could make things a real nightmare for handicappers..

There are a few solutions, and many things you didn’t know.

1. Represent your website better. Many services besides Sports picks fall under this non-tangible goods category, and charge backs are part of any business.

It is best to clearly write your websites or membership terms and direct Paypal to it when a charge-back happens. Something else you didn’t know is Paypal actually fights for you in charge backs.

2. Require Western Union on larger purchases that you are not prepared to have funds locked up or even lost.

3. Also you can process payments though ClickBank.

4. Or just take Bitcoin. That has no chargebacks


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Quick Dry Towel- Boracay Yellow

Have you been looking for the perfect bath/beach towel for your pooch? This amazing compact towel is the perfect solution.

Our dogs deserve the same great quality products that we enjoy. We are so pleased to have been able to source a towel that’s designed for humans, but perfect for our furry friends.

Fast drying, sand free, super absorbent & very aesthetically pleasing; what’s not to love?

Spoil the whole family with a set of matching towels.

  • Quick dry - 3 times faster than a standard cotton towel
  • Sand free beach towel - shakes right off
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  • Super absorbent
  • Won't collect damp smells
  • Elastic hook - to hang it out to dry
  • Handy pouch included - to keep your towel & travel accessories in one place
  • Made from 83% Polyester, 17% Polyamide
  • Perfect for bath time & beach adventures
  • Great to keep sand off the seats in the car
  • In stock and ready to ship

Category: Beach, Swim, Towel


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Artist's Paper Pad

  • $59.98
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Shipping calculated at checkout.

 Arrtx Marker Paper is great for sketching, drawing, coloring or writing.

Perfect surface for alcohol based markers, oil based markers, art markers, drawing markers, paint markers, sketch markers, drawing pencils, colored pencils, sketch pencils, charcoal pencils, etc.

Each sheet of the marker paper pad is A4 size, 8.3 x 11.7 inches (210 x 297mm) ideal for drawing, wide range painting, panorama, portrait, product design.

30 Sheets Per Pack: All these papers are glued bound for easier tearing off, and a hardboard underneath for better protection and control.

Non-toxic: durable, smooth, odorless, and easy to color. The pad is made with environment friendly materials, and it is safe for all users.

A4 8.3*11.7 inch 56lbs/120gsm

30 Sheets for Sketching, Marker, Drawing

Glue Bound Artist Painting Paper Pad

Thank you for visiting and shopping at Hanson Art & Design. Following are the terms and conditions that constitute our Shipping Policy.

Although most orders deliver within 7 business days; Please allow 3 - 6 weeks for delivery. Online shopping is extremely popular this year, and delays may occur.

We are currently only shipping products in the United States.

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All orders are processed within 2-3 business days. Orders are not shipped or delivered on weekends or holidays.

If we are experiencing a high volume of orders, shipments may be delayed by a few days. Please allow additional days in transit for delivery. If there will be a significant delay in shipment of your order, we will contact you via email or telephone.

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You will receive a Shipment Confirmation email once your order has shipped containing your tracking number(s). The tracking number will be active within 24 hours.

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Hanson Art & Design is not responsible for any customs and taxes applied to your order. All fees imposed during or after shipping are the responsibility of the customer (tariffs, taxes, etc.).

Hanson Art & Design is not liable for any products damaged or lost during shipping. If you received your order damaged, please contact the shipment carrier to file a claim.

Please save all packaging materials and damaged goods before filing a claim.


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Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

Everyday Parenting: Screen Time

This post is part of a series documenting everyday respectful parenting moments. Reading real life parenting examples inspires me. I also find it helpful to look back on situations and think about what went well or what didn’t. Maybe you will too!

The girls recently discovered the world of Minecraft.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

I’m sure most people have heard of it, but if not, it’s a computer game where you… build things? And there ends my knowledge of it. Evidently, it’s super popular and fun though! Most of the kid’s friends play it and so I was met with the request ‘Mum, can we get Minecraft? All our friends play it and we want to know what they’re talking about!’ And just when you thought you could avoid this kind of thing by not sending your kids to school, ha! Just kidding, a perfectly reasonable request. They are often inspired by things their friends are doing. And so, we downloaded the game amidst squeals of excitement.

They’ve never really played a computer game before so there was much to discover! They spent the rest of that day playing, experimenting, and watching tutorials on youtube. I predicted that the next week would look very similar to this. You know that feeling when you discover something new and you just want to totally immerse yourself in it? That’s what they were feeling.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

We don’t have any arbitrary limits on screen time in our house. And yet, contrary to what most people warn, they do not spend all of their time in front of a screen. Honestly, if they did I would be concerned/challenged. I really value time outside in nature, art, physical activity, and other types of free play, and I don’t believe being sedentary for extended periods of time is healthy or in their best interests. However, what I also value is their freedom and autonomy. If I was concerned about their use of screens, I still don’t believe control would be the answer. Honest discussion and problem solving would be, as we do with everything else. Sure, I want them to make healthy decisions but ultimately I want them to be the ones to make decisions about how they spend their time. My job is to support them to do that, not force them to. I believe that putting arbitrary limits on them would most certainly be contrary to my goals. You learn to make healthy choices by having practice making them.

What have I learned from watching my kids make their own decisions? As with everything else, they are remarkably capable of following their own needs and self-regulating. The discovery of Minecraft provided a pretty typical example, so I thought I’d share it with you.

On the first day they played until it was time for bed. The next day they were up before the sun and straight back to it. I could hear squeals and shouts coming from the computer room. They were having such a great time. They weren’t even keen to stop for breakfast, but hunger eventually got the best of them. We had to go out mid-morning but they weren’t keen to stop playing. We had a chat (read more about that here) and they agreed to come, but were immediately back to the game when we returned home. Again, they played for most of the day when the computer was available to them. When they weren’t actually on the computer, they were drawing Minecraft plans for what they were going to build, playing Minecraft people in the back yard, or creating Minecraft pictures.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

On the third day they didn’t run straight to the computer when they woke, but did start playing after breakfast. They played all morning, but by mid-afternoon nature was calling. They asked to go for a walk to the ‘tree park’.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

The next day we went out to play with friends and didn’t get home until late afternoon. After dinner, they played Minecraft for about an hour, but then said they were tired of it and found something else to do.

The day after we were again out all day playing. They chatted to their friends about what they had discovered and how they could play together. The next day they played for 30 minutes and then said they were ‘bored of it for now’ and ran off to play an imaginary game. They didn’t ask again for the rest of the day, or the following two days.

They went back to their usual activities and now playing Minecraft is just one of those many things they do, amidst reading, art, imaginary games, cooking, dancing, writing, climbing trees, and many other things.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

Their world is full of interesting things! Why would they choose to overly focus on one? In my opinion, that would be a more likely scenario if I had tried to control them. In this case I very deliberately made sure not to say anything that would appear as if I was trying to influence them to spend less time on the computer. I focused on keeping perspective and knowing that this was a temporary immersion in a new discovery. No ‘Don’t you think you’ve had enough?’, or ‘I think you should play outside for a bit now’, or ‘That’s enough screen time for one day’. Instead, I listened to what they told me, shared their joy, and showed interest in this new and exciting discovery. I have no doubt that if I had reacted negatively, if I had have set limits on their ‘screen time’, then I would have interrupted this self-regulation process. Instead of focusing on their needs and interests they would have feared that their time would be limited, and that their enjoyment would have been taken away. They would still be trying to squeeze in as much time playing as possible, not entirely because they felt like it in that moment, but because they worried that at some point in the future it would be taken away so they had to use it as much as possible before that happened.

And if they did use screens more than I felt comfortable with, what then? What of this level of play wasn’t actually temporary? I would have had an honest discussion with them about how all of us were feeling, and if all of our needs were being met. I cannot make another person do anything, and I don’t want to. What I can do is voice my concerns and needs and in the context of a respectful relationship they are very likely to care about my thoughts, as I do theirs. Knowing that they are free from force means they do value my opinion and we are frequently able to work things out.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

Screen time limits (e.g. allowing kids to play for x amount of time every day at a scheduled time) don’t even make sense! How can you possibly predict when you will be interested in something? When you will feel like playing your favourite game? And what if you’ve just made it to a crucial point and then screen time is over? How disappointing! What a way to circumvent curiosity, motivation, natural learning, and passion. That’s not how interests work! Even as an adult we should know that. When you’re interested in something you normally don’t set out a specific time to practice every day. You likely immerse yourself in it whenever passion strikes and don’t stop until you are satisfied. That is how children learn too, if we don’t interrupt this process.

“Children do much of their learning in great bursts of passion and enthusiasm. They rarely learn on the slow, steady schedules that schools make for them. They are more likely to be insatiably curious for a while about some particular interest, and to read, write, talk and ask questions about it for hours a day and for days on end. Then suddenly they may drop that interest and turn to something completely different, or even for a while seem to have no interests at all.” -John Holt

Today they have moved on to their next obsession… building ‘challenges’.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen TimeEveryday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

As I watched them I noticed the similarities between this scene, and when they played Minecraft together. In both they worked together, negotiated, problem solved, laughed, encouraged each other, argued and sorted out their differences.
Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

No matter what the activity is, when you remove coercion, unnecessary limits, force, and control, children are more able to listen to their own minds and bodies. A child who feels truly free makes decisions that benefit them without the burden and influences of artificial consequences and control. Sometimes discussion is needed in order to make sure everyone’s needs are met, and certainly it is our responsibility to educate our children on the negatives of technology and identify when they need more support in this area, but I really believe this can be done respectfully.

Everyday Parenting: Unlimited Screen Time

The girls are using Spielgaben pieces for their buildings, along with inspiration cards from the Spielgaben printed resources. You can see a video of them using them here. Spielgaben offers a 10% discount to blog readers if you mention Happiness is Here. Spielgaben also offers a LayBy Payment Plan. You can pay 3 x monthly payments with orders shipped as soon as final payment is made. All you need to do to claim the discount is send an email to info@spielgaben.com mentioning Happiness is here.

June 4, 2017 at 11:09 pm

I electrical systems theory, we divide circuits up into two categories, differentiators and integrators. Differentiators make circuits more sensitive to every little change. The circuit doesn’t miss much, but it might flail around quickly. Integrators on the other hand cause the system as a whole to be less sensitive to small changes. Systems with integrators won’t respond to a small change, they simply add it to a total response, and wait for more information. If the changes continue to happen in the same way, ultimately the system will respond, but it takes time and consistency.

This is how I view your description of handling screen time. I would have been inclined to shutdown all the screens after the second day spent exclusively on the game. If I’d done this, I wouldn’t have given the ‘system’ of our kids the time to organically respond to their new environment. By taking a more integrated approach like you did here, it’s easier to see what the system wanted to do for itself, and how it normally behaves without outside influences.

I like the integrating approach better, but it’s occasionally difficult to remember it in the moment of, ‘something has changed, change it back.’ Thanks for all the reminders!

June 4, 2017 at 11:49 pm

Thank you for sharing your experience with screen time. I am new to respectful parenting and still struggle with wanting to control my kids – especially in front of a screen – fearing my own addictions. Your post gave me new understanding of how self regulation works, and I’m hoping to do better.

June 5, 2017 at 4:52 am

I found this really interesting. Do you take the same approach to watching tv?

Elizabeth Roberts
June 5, 2017 at 8:20 am

Your experience is great. The things is, every child is different and what I found is that children get hooked and dragged into things. It starts small and then after a while it becomes a habit. What I found with children is that they respond to boundaries, and eventually they will be needed. Whether they come in the form of respectful parenting or more directly in he form of a parental control app will very much depend on the child (and their parents!)

    June 5, 2017 at 5:00 pm

    Elizabeth, may I point out an inconsistency in your comment? I believe you’re trying to say that perhaps not all children would respond the same to this parenting.

    What you have actually said is that all children are different but you have found they all need boundaries.

    Have you tried it without imposing your boundaries?

    I think the author has addressed the fear you (and many parents) understandably express, that children might develop habits you disapprove of, by saying they’d discuss it.

June 6, 2017 at 1:24 pm

Screen time becomes enemy and needs control when screen is for passively watching you tube videos , movies , interviews , shows etc .

June 7, 2017 at 3:59 am

Thanks for sharing this information. I believe that many parents are afraid or tend to limit screen time because of the fear that kids may get addicted to it. However, when screen time is done with moderation (i.e 1 hr a day), it works great sometimes. It could be even better if that one hour of screen time is facilitated by an educational program/cartoon/movie. Just my thoughts:)

June 13, 2017 at 1:38 pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on media! I continue to wrestle with it, but you make some great points. I really need to take the plunge and set a certain amount of time for myself to not make any comments (it might take a couple weeks) to my kids and see what happens. How much they watch or play with the ipad. We’ll see when I find the courage (and self-control) to actually do it.

June 14, 2017 at 2:12 am

I’m wondering about your opinion of screen time for younger children. My three year old loves him some screens and I’ve been experimenting with both – limiting his screen time and letting him have all the time he wants. He plays some educational games and like watching a few shows like “Napkin Man” and Fred Penner. We also have a weekly family movie night. I find that he is rather obsessed. Limits or no limits, it will be the first thing he asks for when he’s awake and the last things he wants before bed. I haven’t gone as far as letting him totally control when and how much screen time he gets because I have been certain it would be all the time. I hate looking over to see his eyes glazed and totally zombified by the screen. He also listens to music on an iPad but will scan through song after song before it finishes just to look through the pictures. If I move the iPad up and tell him we are just going to listen then he dances and plays. But if he has access to the screen he ultimately ends up glazed over in front of it.
Part of me feels like I’ve failed by even introducing screens at such a young age but that’s happened so there’s no going back. I’ve read studies on brain development and they say no more than an hour a day at this age and so we have been trying to stick to that. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and any suggestions you may have. I’m tempted to try what you did with your girls and Minecraft but it pains me to see him wasting away in front of a screen. Alternatively, when we put limits on he is constantly asking for games or shows or songs or movies. It seems like and obsession or addicting and it scares me!
Thank you for your posts and helpful parenting strategies. I so value the idea of respectful patenting and modelling empathy but this situation has me totally stumped.

    Lydia purple
    June 14, 2017 at 4:40 pm

    This is interesting! I wonder if it has something to do with boys. Sara’s experience is with her girls and I find that if my girls (7&3) get bored or don’t like a movie they just get up and do something else. My boy though sits in front of the TV and is like hypnotized. He will not respond when I talk to him if he’s in front of a screen. If I’d let him he would sit in front of a screen from sun up til sun down. Similar with my husband, if he is in front of a screen I can sit next to him and call his name 10 times he’ll not respond. i learned not to talk to him when he’s in front of a screen or ask to turn the screen off. Otherwise I get conversations where he somehow responds on autopilot and later doesn’t even remember that we talked. I am not the only one who noticed this with men/boys.

    When I tried to limit daily screen time I got sick of the constant asking from my son and the tantrums about screen time. So what I have useful with screen time is this: 2 days a week they can watch TV or play games on the iPad/ PlayStation. One of those days is cleaning day and they first have to complete their tasks (mainly picking up the living area and their room) and vacuum, so that I can finish washing the floors while they all watch a movie. For the rest of the day they’re free to watch and play (age appropriate programs, movies, games).

    Sometimes they’re interested in watching a specific thing on YouTube, like how a baby dolphin is born and we’ll watch it outside of the screen days. When we instilled this 2 day policy we as a family took a break from all screens for 2 weeks and then I announced what the screen days are and they got used to it. No more daily begging for watching silly cartoons.

      June 16, 2017 at 8:03 am

      I kind of wonder about the boy vs girl part of it. I have two boys and they do get pretty obsessed. That said, my youngest will pick a social activity over screens every time, given the choice. My oldest not so much, but he’ll still usually turn it off if a friend comes over. I have been trying to just let them play as they choose during summer vacation, and so far it’s been ok- the big change is that they’ll play a whole lot when they wake up, even before eating breakfast. In the past I’d tried to limit screens in the morning because I felt it set us up for a bad day, but it’s been better than I anticipated. a bit more time than I would prefer, but not terrible. It does help that my oldest’s tablet is quite old and goes through its battery reasonably fast!

        June 16, 2017 at 9:14 pm

        I don’t think it’s a boy/girl thing. My daughter is almost in a trance when she watches tv and will get upset when it’s turned off. I wonder if this is because the tv isn’t normally on much during the day and I have limited screen time in the past. I’m trying to be more relaxed about the amount of she watches now!

July 28, 2017 at 11:21 pm

Hi Sara, I was just wondering if your daughters also have unlimited TV time? Do you let them watch TV (cartoons) as long as they want? I am trying to go down the self-regulating route with my 4-year-old daughter, and it seems to work well with sleeping times, but as soon as we come home she asks for Dora the Explorer and turns the tv off only after at least an hour. She also asks for tv in the morning. I am trying to respect her free will, but it’s hard. It’s only been a couple of days that I let her watch as much tv as she wants (beforehand, I would only let her watch max 40 mins of tv every day). I am sure tv is not educational, she just stares at it like a zombie. I am even considering getting rid of the tv altogether, so she doesn’t have that option! Do you have any advice? It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

August 24, 2017 at 5:40 pm

I really understand where you are coming from with article and fully support unschooling my son however I do get worried for him with the amount of minecraft he plays. He’s 8 years old and has been obsessed with minecraft for 2 years and can literally play all day from when he wakes up until dinner time. He does engage in other activities but if we’re home it’s minecraft all the time and he’s pretty much lost interest in the activities he used to play like Lego for example. He has and is learning so much from learning how to read spell, type, maths and more but I do worry about the amount of time he’s spending on there. Even if we try and discuss the matter with him about bringing a little more balance in (no control of course) he is simply not interested. So I guess that I am asking whether you think that it’s appropriate and if you you can offer me some advice because self regulation is happening, thank you Natasha

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September 19, 2017 at 10:24 pm

Hi there, just wanted to tellyou, I enjoyed this blog article. It was funny. Keep on posting!

February 22, 2018 at 3:04 pm

Hi Sara!
Thanks for this article; I keep coming back to it to reread as my own learning around kids and technology progresses. I appreciate your point of view as someone who clearly values nature, art, and books and whose kids clearly enjoy a variety of activities!
I am curious how many computers/devices you have that are available to your kids? At one point you said “they played for most of the day when the computer was available to them,” so I’m wondering whether and how they share the computer with each other. Thanks!

A. Winther
February 24, 2020 at 9:35 am

My children are small. 2 and 3 years old. I’ve been regulating their use of video streaming although I really don’t like it and it goes against my belief that they should be allowed to spend their time as they choose.
I’ve read a bit about the negative effect excessive use of screens can have on especially small children. Their brains are developing like crazy and it is so important for them to use their bodies and all of their senses and interact with the world. About a year ago I gave them complete freedom to watch tv whenever they requested. For two months they chose to watch tv 3-5 hours a day. My oldest only wanted to watch tv and didn’t play as much alone or with her brother. They weren’t interested in going outside.
I get that with a 5 or 7 year old you can voice your concern. Bit is different with a 1 year old and a 2 year old. Firstly, I can’t talk to them about it if they can’t talk. Secondly I’m worried that at such a young age especially they are easy targets/victims of the numbing and addictive effects of tv. I mean, just look at how easy it is for adults to spend more time on games or tv shows than they actually feel comfortable with because it’s so.. well accessible.
It feels really wrong to say no when they ask to watch tv but I just don’t know how to do it well and I don’t want to fail them. I want to do right by them, that is all I want. It’s hard!

June 3, 2020 at 7:40 pm

I’m pondering this a lot lately. I have a 3yr old daughter and a 6yr old son. My daughter asks to watch tv a lot and she will sit and stare for hours and my son gets drawn in too. I admit, I say “no” to her requests often. I have no problem with what she watches but there is just so much of it! I was considering just saying “yes” and seeing how it goes for a couple of weeks but it’s occured to me that I would probably sit and watch way too much TV myself if I could, so I probably can’t expect better self regulation in a toddler! I don’t know how to proceed.

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Speaking in Tongues

Here is one of the best explanations of tongues I’ve heard…

I can think of at least one or two instances in my own life where, as I was praying, I was wanting to fully express my strong emotions to God about a particular troubling issue I was dealing with at the time. And, when words failed me, I resorted to unintelligible sounds. And, I believe God heard that, and of course knew what was being expressed from my heart. He knew it before I opened my mouth.

But as I reflect on those times, I know that I was not speaking in some angelic or heavenly language. Also, I think that if I would have opened up the bible to the book of Psalms, and began praying scripture, I would have been able to more fully express myself, and would have walked away from that being more satisfied knowing that God had heard my prayer and understood what was in my heart.

Scripture is always better.


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Winning Tactics for Running a Marathon

Let’s face it, if you’ve ever run a marathon, or even been a spectator, you’ll appreciate the motivation and commitment involved. If you’re not prepared when it comes to race day you can expect many hours of suffering and struggle!

It doesn’t have to be that way, of course, if you put in the required training over several months. This requires commitment and motivation, and a belief that the accumulation of all those training miles will help you to reach your goal– whether this is time-oriented, or the equally valid desire to get round.

So what is meant exactly by motivation and commitment? Motivation is the desire to achieve something unusual that gives you the incentive to do things that other people are not prepared to do. Not many people are prepared to train week in, week out so that they can stand at the start of a marathon and say to themselves, “yes, I am ready and I couldn’t have done anything more.”

You can always do something more, but even the elite athletes feel that way. Every athlete has their challenges — whether it’s getting the children ready for school, or an Achilles injury. It’s how we overcome these challenges that make us stronger, and mean we can stand on the start line with a quiet confidence.

If you’re working full time you might have to get up every day at five a.m. to fit your training in, and this will take commitment, motivation and determination. It won’t help if after a few weeks you revert to your former habits, and get up half an hour before you have to leave for work.

Whether it is getting up early, or beginning a fitness program your motivation and commitment needs to last over the long term to have an affect. In training for a marathon it will not help running for ten miles every two weeks, and doing no exercise in between. Your body will have forgotten what it has to do by the time you run again! It is better to run three or more times a week with one longer run on the weekend, and you will be in better shape.

These small, regular runs will add up to success over time, but they are far easier to do when you have a target to aim at. This can be a time you want to run, or the desire to complete the 26 mile race. Either way if you know what you want to achieve you will be more likely to do the things you need to do. Having a target concentrates the mind, and increases your motivation.


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Cardinal Ricardo J. Vidal, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebum, has written to the Philippine Bishops that on October 17, 1949, ‘Mary Mediatrix of All Grace’ during an apparition to Teresita Castillo,  warned that “China’s dream, is to invade the Philippines.”

What Our Lady prophecied in 1949, in an apparition loaded with miracles, cures and conversions … is literally coming true.

China’s Island Building is at its highest rate of activity on the Paracel and Spratly Island chains.  Beijing has reclaimed more than 2000 acres since December 2013, more land than all other claimants combined in the past forty years,  according to a US. Defense Department report.

Satellite imagery has shown unprecedented activity from China on Subi Reef and Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys, including the possible construction of helipads, airstrips, piers radar, and surveillance structures.

An artificial island, built on a reef, arm,ed by Chinese Communists could become a reality off the coast of the Philippines.

In addition to China, the Spratlys are claimed by Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Experts say that China’s artificial island building and infrastructure construction are increasing its potential power projection capabilities in the region.

Cardinal Vidal continues on in his letter to the Philippine Bishops about the prophecy of Mary, who is the Queen of Prophets: “This part of the message of Lipa gives us a reason to put ourselves under the title of Mediatrix of All Grace and have recourse to Her in order to avert the buildup of tension and to check the territorial ambitions of this Asian superpower.  It is by following this path of prayer and penance sounded out in Fatima and reiterated at Lipa that our beloved Philippines will be spared the scourge of war and the domination of a Communist giant.”

The Philippines cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, equal or overtake China in economic growth or prevail in a military confrontation.

China can bring to bear … its’ huge financial and material and human resources …  as well as its advanced military capability in any struggle with a smaller and poorer country like the Philippines with its ill equipped armed forces.

The first and only line of defense the Philippines has is the mantle of protection provided by the Blessed    images 14.jpgVirgin Mary.”

“Only She Can Help Us ! To Whom Then Shall We Go?”  Cardinal Ricardo J. Vidal  Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu

download 8.jpgOne of many rose petals which fell in “showers” from the sky upon the pilgrims who came by the thousands to the apparitions of Our Lady at Lipa.

images 12.jpg                             images 15.jpg


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Music Festival Bicycle Parking

Free Valet Bicycle Parking

Come to the Haverford Music Festival, but leave your car and any parking worries behind! The best way to get to the Festival is to walk or bike.  Use secure and free bicycle “Valet Parking” provided by Friends of Haverford Trails volunteers. Contributions to the Friends mission of improving bicycling and walking conditions in Haverford are always appreciated, but not required for parking.

This year the Bike Parking Corral remains on East Darby Road, between Hastings and Campbell avenues. You can also choose to “self-park” by locking up to the fence behind the school building on East Hathaway Lane.  If you are planning to stay after dark, don’t forget your lights!

HMF bike parking

Friends of Haverford Trails.


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Lesson 4.6

VA Loan Preapproval

Why Preapproval is So Important

Mortgage preapproval is incredibly important in today’s homebuying environment. Getting preapproved shows sellers and real estate agents you’re a serious and strong homebuying candidate. Some listing agents won’t accept a purchase offer from buyers without a copy of their preapproval letter.

Preapproval also gives buyers a clear sense of their purchasing power and what it’ll take to get to closing day. To be sure, loan preapproval isn’t any kind of guarantee of financing. Loan preapproval and loan approval are two very different things. But with loan preapproval you’ll know what you can afford under realistic financial conditions and be able to make a strong offer without stretching yourself too thin.

Preapproval is a more detailed process than prequalification. Other than pulling your credit reports, lenders basically rely on your word and your best estimates during the prequalification conversation.

During the preapproval process, lenders want to verify information. You’ll typically need to provide financial documents like pay stubs and bank statements and sign non-binding forms and paperwork. Lenders will be looking at cold, hard numbers and creating the most realistic picture possible of your purchasing power.

This is one area where you have a lot of control – the faster you return paperwork, the faster your loan process moves.

Common Document Needs

Here’s a look at some documents you may need to provide or give a lender permission to obtain:

  • Copy of government-issued photo ID, typically a driver’s license
  • Copy of DD-214 for veterans; some National Guard and Reserve veterans may need to provide points statements or similar paperwork
  • Statement of service letter signed by commanding officer; there isn’t a standard form for a statement of service, so talk with your loan officer about what information to include
  • Copy of recent pay stubs and last two years’ worth of W-2 statements
  • Federal tax returns for the last two years if you have income from self-employment, 1099s or rental income
  • Copy of most recent bank statements
  • VA awards letter documenting VA disability percentage and monthly income amount
  • Social Security awards letter documenting monthly income amount
  • Copy of most recent retirement account statement
  • Copy of divorce decree or court papers specifying alimony or child support obligations
  • Child care statement explaining why you don’t have monthly child care expenses or detailing the monthly cost

VA lenders generally rely on an “Automated Underwriting System,” or AUS, to determine a buyer’s preapproval status. An AUS is a computer program that instantly evaluates a buyer’s eligibility, based on a variety of factors

Not every qualified borrower will obtain AUS approval. In those cases, lenders will consider a “manual underwrite,” which is a more involved process that typically utilizes more stringent requirements.

Here’s a look at some of the key factors involved in VA loan preapproval:

Credit Score

Credit is a make-or-break financial indicator. Credit score benchmarks for VA loans can vary by lender and other factors. Many VA lenders are looking for a minimum FICO credit score of 640.

If your credit score falls short, please consider the complimentary credit-strengthening services offered by our incredible Lighthouse Program.

The credit experts at Lighthouse work with veterans, service members and their families for free to develop a plan to repair their credit and get on the path to loan preapproval. Our Lighthouse Program has helped more than 50,000 people go on to boost their credit and close on a home loan.

You can talk with a Veterans United loan officer about your credit profile and the Lighthouse Program at 855-259-6455.

Income & Employment

You don’t need a job to secure a VA loan – just ask retirees. It’s more an issue of whether you have stable, reliable income that’s likely to continue. There’s an array of income types, and some are more stable and reliable than others.

For most VA borrowers, their primary income source is a job, whether it’s serving in the military or working in the civilian world.

A solid employment history says a lot about your ability to repay a loan. The gold standard of employment for many lenders is two years of reliable, full-time employment, ideally with the same employer. But real-world resumes aren’t always this pristine.

That’s why the VA and lenders allow flexibility when it comes to employment standards. There are no clear-cut “pass/fail” employment criteria. Rather, each applicant is considered on an individual basis, with a focus on three key measures:

  • Is employment reliable?
  • Is employment likely to continue?
  • Is employment income sufficient in amount?

Let’s take a look at a few employment scenarios:

Full-time workers employed less than two years
It’s certainly possible for applicants to earn VA loan approval if they have been employed for less than two years. If you have less than two years of full-time employment under your belt, a lender may take a careful look at these indicators:

  • Your MOS and past employment record, including length of time at other jobs
  • Your training, education and qualifications for your current job
  • Your employer’s confirmation that your job is likely to continue

Applicants with less than one year of employment will have a tougher time earning VA loan approval. But exceptions can be made, so talk to a lender about your specific situation.

Continuity is often key in these cases. For example, veterans who recently separated from military service obviously won’t have two years on the job. But that may not matter if lenders are satisfied there’s sufficient continuity between their MOS and their new employment.

There’s pretty obvious continuity when a former MP takes a job as a civilian police officer. Things get murkier if that MP is now a computer programmer or a general contractor.

With a short job history, you’ll need to do all you can to impress a lender. Make sure you satisfy all other VA loan requirements. Provide a letter of explanation from your current employer showing that your job is stable and likely to continue.

Part-time employment
Part-time employees typically need a two-year history to count that income toward mortgage qualification. Borrowers without that two-year history of part-time income may be able to use the income to offset other debts. Guidelines and requirements can vary by lenders.

Read more about how to count part-time income toward VA loan preapproval.

Self-employed applicants usually need to document their income on two years of tax returns in order to count it toward VA mortgage qualification. There can be some exceptions, and policies and guidelines on counting self-employment income can vary by lender.

Read more about how to count self-employment income when pursuing a VA home loan.

Commission and overtime income
Commission-based workers generally need to document at least two years of income. Anything less typically can’t be considered stable. If you’re paid on commission, you may need to provide a healthy amount of documentation to a lender, including:

  • The actual amount of commissions paid year-to-date
  • The basis for your commission (Are you paid a base salary plus commission, commission only, or periodic draws against commission?)
  • Your commission schedule
  • Your individual income tax returns for the previous two years

Having those two years spread among multiple employers may be fine, as long as the work is consistent. The same is generally true for counting overtime income.

Talk with lenders about their policies and potential exceptions.

Military employment
Active duty service members can simply provide a recent Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) as a record of employment. As long as your enlistment is expected to continue more than 12 months after your loan’s closing date, you should be set.

Read more about how VA lenders can count income and allowances for active duty military, National Guard members and Reservists.

Other income sources
There are additional sources of income that lenders can count as “effective income” toward qualifying for a mortgage, including some types of non-taxable income.

Some of those additional income sources may include:

Not all of these income streams are automatically acceptable. Lenders may want to see a proven track record of you receiving it, or have some kind of guarantee that you’ll continue earning it in the months and years ahead. Generally, you’ll need to show that sources of income like these will continue for at least another three years.

A big one worth mentioning is GI Bill income. Veterans can receive housing assistance through their education benefit. But VA lenders cannot count this as effective income toward a home loan. In fact, it’s difficult to find any lender or loan type that will.

Job Gaps & Job Changes

Having a gap in your employment history isn’t uncommon. But lenders will want to take a closer look if you’ve had some time without a job in the lead up to pursuing a home loan.

You may need to have been back to work for a certain number of months before lenders can move forward. Changing jobs during or even right after the loan process can also affect your chances of closing.

Read more: How Job Gaps & Job Changes Can Affect Your VA Loan

VA Loans & Co-Borrowers

Having a co-borrower on the loan with you can be a tremendous benefit. Counting this person’s income can help you buy more house. But there are some restrictions and requirements that co-borrowers will need to meet.

That means there’s good and bad when it comes to co-borrowers. Just as a co-borrower’s income can help, this person’s credit and debt profile can also harm your loan approval chances. You may be separate people, but lenders will look at your loan application as a single entity.

Your co-borrower situation can also impact what kind of interest rates you get quoted. Lenders will typically quote a rate based on the lowest of the borrowers' credit scores. So if you have excellent credit but your co-borrower only has so-so scores, you're often stuck with so-so rate quotes.

This person will be legally and financially obligated on the loan. They’ll also typically need to occupy the home with you as their primary residence.

Lenders may also have limits on how many borrowers can be on a single loan. Veterans United currently allows up to four borrowers on a VA home loan.

Purchasing With a Non-Veteran Spouse

The most common co-borrower on VA loans is a non-veteran spouse. Your spouse will also need to meet the lender’s credit score requirement. In addition, lenders will include your spouse’s monthly debts and income when calculating your DTI ratio.

They’ll also take into account any derogatory credit, collections, foreclosures, bankruptcies or liens. That means a spouse's recent foreclosure or bankruptcy could mean you need to wait to pursue a VA loan.

Purchasing With Another Veteran

Another veteran who has VA loan entitlement can be a co-borrower, as long as this person will live in the home with you as his or her primary residence. They’ll face the same credit and financial scrutiny as a spouse. VA approval is required for this type of setup, unless the veteran happens to be your spouse. You can choose to use your entitlement solely in cases like this or opt for a “dual entitlement” scenario, with each eligible borrower utilizes a portion of their VA loan entitlement. It’s usually best to talk with a VA lender in more detail about how to proceed in cases like this.

Non-Spouse, Non-Veteran Purchases

What if your co-borrower isn’t a spouse or another veteran with VA loan entitlement?

These situations can present more of a financial challenge. These are known as “joint loans,” and not all VA lenders make them. Veterans United currently does, but borrowers will need a down payment of 12.5 percent to 14.5 percent in order to satisfy federal guidelines.

Common-Law Marriage

You may be able to count your common-law spouse's income on a VA home loan. State laws vary regarding common-law marriage, so talk with a lender for more details.

Read more: Common-Law Marriages & VA Loans

Community Property States

In some cases, lenders can count your spouse's debts and negative credit history against you even if they're not going to be on the home loan.

VA buyers in the nation's nine community property states don’t have the option of simply forgetting their spouse’s debt. Those states are: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington or Wisconsin.

Talk with a Veterans United loan specialist at 855-259-6455 for more details if you're buying in one of the nine community property states.

Lenders are going to look at your major recurring debts as part of their assessment. They’re considering housing payments, student loans, car payments, child support payments and other consistent expenses. They’ll also look at things like collections, judgments and other forms of “derogatory credit.”

Generally, you don’t need to be debt-free to qualify for a VA loan. Lenders are looking for a healthy balance between monthly debt and monthly income. But some types of debt are worse than others.

Derogatory credit
Having accounts in collection, judgments against you and liens can all hurt your ability to qualify for or close on a home loan. Lenders will often have a limit on how much derogatory credit a potential borrower can have. This cap on derogatory credit might be $5,000 or $10,000 or more. It can vary by lender, and there may be exceptions in certain cases.

For example, some lenders ignore collections on your credit report if you’re actively working to pay the debt and can document on-time payments for the last 12 months. Some might also ignore charge-offs, which are essentially bad debts at least six months past due that creditors have written off.

But federal debts and delinquent accounts can be especially problematic. VA lenders will run your name against the Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System (CAIVRS). This specialized database tracks current delinquencies and defaults within the last three years on things like federal student loans, FHA loans and other federal programs.

You won’t be able to close on a VA loan until you have a “clear” CAIVRS. Read more about this unique database and how federal debts and delinquencies can impact your VA loan chances.

Income taxes
Lenders will look to obtain your tax transcripts directly from the IRS in order to verify your income and financial information.

Contact your loan officer immediately if you have not filed taxes for either of the past two years, even if you have received an extension from the IRS. If you haven’t filed tax returns because you receive non-taxable income, you may need to obtain a verification letter of non-filing from the IRS.

Tax liens
The IRS can place a lien on your property or your assets if you don’t pay your federal income taxes. Having an active lien can make it more challenging to secure home financing. Ideally, you can pay the debt before starting the homebuying process. But that’s not always possible.

Different lenders can have different policies when it comes to tax liens. But you may be able to move forward with a current tax lien if:

  • You’ve entered into a repayment plan with the IRS and have at least a three-month history of on-time payments
  • You can meet the debt requirements for the lender and the loan type with that monthly repayment included
  • You note the tax lien on Page 4 of the standard mortgage loan application

Still, there are no guarantees. In fact, would-be borrowers with active tax liens may also encounter tougher lending requirements.

A tax lien often means lenders can’t process your loan file through an Automated Underwriting System (AUS), which means your file would require “manual underwriting,” as it’s known. Manual underwrites typically come with tougher lending requirements.

Talk with lenders in more detail if you’re hoping to land a home loan with a tax lien in the mix.

Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio

The VA doesn’t set an income threshold for potential borrowers. You don’t have to make a certain amount per hour, month or year to qualify for financing. Instead, one way the VA and lenders evaluate what you can afford is by comparing what you spend each month to what you earn.

This calculation is known as a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and it's an important consideration for VA lenders.

Read more: VA Loans & Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio

Residual Income

Despite the $0 down payment benefit, VA loans have been the safest mortgage on the market for much of the last decade. One of the big reasons why is the VA’s unique financial requirement for discretionary income, which it calls “residual income.”

VA borrowers must have a minimum amount of money left over each month after paying their major expenses. The amount varies based on your family size and where in the country you’re buying. The aim is to make sure borrowers have enough discretionary income to cover everyday needs like gasoline, groceries and medical bills.

To calculate your residual income, a lender will simply subtract your major monthly debts from your gross monthly income. You may be able to omit a spouse or dependent from the calculation if they’re not on the loan and have verified income to support themselves. Also, lenders may be able to reduce the residual income requirement by 5 percent for active duty borrowers, because on-base goods tend to be cheaper.

Here’s a look at the VA’s current residual income guidelines:

VA Table of Recommended Residual Monthly Incomes by Region

For loan amounts of $80,000 and above
Family Size Northeast Midwest South West
1 $450 $441 $441 $491
2 $755 $738 $738 $823
3 $909 $889 $889 $990
4 $1,025 $1,003 $1,003 $1,117
5 $1,062 $1,039 $1,039 $1,158

If you have more than five in your household, add $80 per family member up to a family of seven.

Based on the chart, a family of four living in the Northeast would need at least $1,025 available each month after paying the mortgage and other significant expenses. Veterans and service members who fail to meet that residual income standard will have a hard time obtaining a loan.

Prospective borrowers with a DTI ratio above 41 percent must exceed their residual income requirement by 20 percent. To continue the example, that same Northeastern family of four would now need $1,230 in residual income to satisfy the requirement.

There’s a fixation on debt-to-income ratio in the mortgage industry. But residual income may be a more powerful and realistic metric way to look at affordability and a borrower’s ability to stay current on their mortgage if emergencies arise. It’s also a big reason why VA loans have such a low foreclosure rate, despite the fact that 9 in 10 people purchase without a down payment.

Preapproval Letters

That’s a snapshot of some of the major considerations of VA loan preapproval. The goal of this process is to obtain what’s known as a preapproval letter. It’s an increasingly important document in housing markets nationwide.

Loan preapproval is not a guarantee of financing. But it’s a significant step that real estate agents and sellers love to see. It showcases a lender’s confidence in your ability to handle a home loan.

The preapproval letter will typically list a series of conditions that need to be met in order for the loan to move forward. These conditions help protect both lenders and borrowers in case things don’t go as planned or financial circumstances change.

As you can see, this example preapproval letter lists six contingencies that may need to be met, including an acceptable appraisal, verification of the borrower’s VA loan entitlement and final approval from our underwriters. Your loan officer will explain these conditions in detail.

How Long is a VA Preapproval Good For?

60 to 90 days is usually when VA preapprovals become outdated. After this period, lenders may find it necessary to look at your finances again to ensure your preapproval letter is the best possible reflection of your purchase power.

Most preapproval letters also clarify that changes to your credit, income or other important financial metrics can cause the document to expire. Again, loan preapproval is not the same thing as formal loan approval. It’s also not a binding step. You can seek preapproval from multiple lenders.

Some lenders may allow you to alter the date and the preapproval amount (up to your max) in order to craft a strong offer without tipping your hand. You might be preapproved for a $300,000 loan, but it may not be in your best interest for home sellers to know how high you can go.

While this document isn’t any kind of guarantee, a preapproval letter gives you a clear sense of what you can afford and what it will likely take to land a VA home loan. Loan preapproval also gives you the confidence and clarity to start seriously shopping for your home. Sellers and their agents will be looking for this.


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Essential drawstring Joggers in Pacific

Essential drawstring Joggers in Pacific

Regular price $30.00 $0.00
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Essential Cotton Drawstring Joggers in “Pacific”

H + G’s classic & essential jogger bottoms (with faux drawstring). Meticulously handcrafted from our signature light/medium weight cotton-spandex blend.  From nature walks & jungle gym scaling, to snuggly cuddles & counting sheep😴... these pants were BUILT to outperform.

Fit: Our joggers are designed to be a slim-structured [unisex] fit. Their cotton/spandex composition and slightly more relaxed fit around the rise & upper thighs perfectly accommodates busy babes on the go!!  Our double wide waist band gently hugs the waist without digging in or applying pressure. Consult our size guide to lock in the perfect fit for your mini.

Construction: Cotton/Spandex/Poly blend.  Our premium textiles are locally sourced & designed just for us. Each and every one-of-a-kind item is handcrafted in Rhode Island.

Care: Hand wash using phosphate-free detergent, wash inside out to preserve color. Hang dry or dry on low heat. In a pinch, machine wash on cold.

Our tops and bottoms run true to size. If your little one is between two sizes we recommend sizing up.

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2020 Football

HBCU 2 NFL 2020

A complete guide of all your HBCU favorites playing in the NFL in 2020.

HBCU football may be on pause this year, but dozens of former HBCU stars will be in the NFL in 2020.

HBCU 2 NFL 2020 by the numbers

There are a total of twenty-nine HBCU players on active and practice squad rosters (practice squad rosters are still being filled out. this number is accurate as of 10am EDT on Monday September 7th, 2020) in the NFL.

South Carolina State leads the pack with a total of six former Bulldogs in the NFL. North Carolina A&T is not far behind with four.

The MEAC leads all HBCU conferences with thirteen players in the NFL, while the SWAC has eight.

There are two Division II HBCU players in the league, one each from the CIAA and SIAC.

HBCU players in the NFL for the 2020 season

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Practice Squad

Baltimore Ravens

hbcu nfl 2020

Baltimore Ravens Safety Anthony Levine Sr. is one of the most veteran HBCU players in the NFL.

Entering his ninth season in the pros he has been a key cog in the Ravens secondary rotation, playing in every game since only seeing action twice during his rookie year.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

HBCU 2 NFL 2020
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HCCF is always looking for volunteers to help with a variety of activies.  If you are interested in helping HCCF, please fill out the online form to be a volunteer.  Or, download our volunteer form and mail it in.

Volunteer Sign-Up Form

    First Name (required)

    Last Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Please check times when you are available:

    Are there specific HCCF events you are interested in voluneering for?

    Please free to send a message to our volunteer coordinator.

    Please type in the letters above (to prove you're a human and not a spam bot):


text:
In light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, and following Health Canada’s ‘Risk-informed decision-making for mass gatherings’, we have decided to cancel our Spring Show and Auction  this weekend.
We understand that this is disappointing but the health and safety of all involved are our highest priorities.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 551

79 Hamilton St N

Waterdown, ON

In response to the terrible bushfires that have ravaged Australia, H&DAS will be donating the club share of proceeds to the Australian Conservation Foundation.

This will not affect proceedings for Auction buyers, sellers, or entrants in the Show.

Auction Chairperson: Carla MacDonald (Tel: 905-515-3771)

Pre-register as a seller by contacting Albert at by Thursday, March 12th.

Doors open at 8:00 AM, and the auction starts promptly at 10:00 AM. Sellers, please pick up your seller sheet by 9:30 AM and have your entries submitted and tabled by 9:45 AM.

See Owners (Sellers) Sheets (PDF) .
See Owners (Sellers) Sheets (Word) .

Auction Rules

  • You need not be a member of the H&DAS to buy or sell items at this auction.
  • Items must be listed with the auction committee by 9:30 am.
  • Seller’s numbers may be obtained in advance from Albert  (
  • Individuals with pre-registered numbers must be at the auction 30 minutes before the beginning of the auction, otherwise their numbers will be reassigned.
  • Sellers must be present to register items.
  • H&DAS will retain 30% of the selling price. Note: Payment to the owners will be made by mail or as soon as possible after the auction. Payments will be made during auction day to the registered seller ONLY, otherwise it will be mailed.
  • Items to be auctioned may be fish, plants or any new fish related items.
  • Please limit the amount of each species or product to ensure top dollar.
  • No open containers of fish food or medication will be allowed. No expired products allowed.
  • No Used equipment.
  • No books or magazines
  • Used aquariums 30 gallons and under are allowed, only if there are no cracks or leaks, and they are clean and empty. No filters or other electrical equipment.
  • All fish must be in leak proof vessel which will be sold with the fish. Please bag your fish properly and bring a few spare bags: a charge of $2.00 will be levied for each “leaker” we have to re-bag.
  • Fish in distress due to improper bagging will be rebagged and a charge of $2.00 will be levied against the seller.
  • Zip-lock bags and twist ties are not allowed. Jars and bottles are not allowed. If an organism is too large or spiny to be bagged it may be housed in a bucket or bin with a lid. The auction chairman may reject any items not meeting these standards.
  • H&DAS reserves the right to refuse unacceptable items for sale.
  • All items must be labelled with the fish, quantity in bag, sex if possible, condition of goods (especially for equipment) and minimum bid amounts where applicable.
  • H&DAS reserves the right to limit the number of items per seller- 2 lots per seller only. 1st sheet must be completed before obtaining 2nd sheet.
  • At the time of registration, sellers’ numbers will be assigned.
  • An auction form is included when registering at the table, or in advance. This may be filled out in advance to save time at the auction. PLEASE PRINT YOUR COMPLETE NAME, MAILING ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER ON THE FORM AS THIS IS OUR ONLY RECORD OF WHERE TO SEND PAYMENT.
  • The auction will be run with a 20 table system therefore a lot consists of no more than 20 items. Here is how it works: Sellers’ number their items using the letters of the alphabet from A through V (excludes I & O). Label each item with your lot number and item letter starting with table “A”, (eg. Seller #4 and the 2nd item in the lot will be labelled, “4B”). Each item will be placed on the table having the same letter of the alphabet. The auctioneer will sell all items of table “A”, then continue to table “B:, and so on until all items are sold. Only when a seller has more than 20 items will another sellers’ number be required.
  • Once entered, auction item MAY NOT BE WITHDRAWN.
  • Minimum bids will be allowed but may not be changed without the consent of the auctioneer.
  • H&DAS reserves the right to group similar items and sell them at any point in the auction. (eg, grouping 5 bags of ½ lb. of salt).
  • All buyers must register and receive a buyers’ number. H&DAS reserves the right to request identification for buyer’s numbers.
  • Payments by buyers must be made in cash immediately following the item.
  • H&DAS personnel are required to completely enter all table chits at their discretion before allowing anyone to cash out. -eg. Table M needs to be completely entered and checked by HDAS staff before anyone can cash out from that table. We will not cash out in the middle of entering any table information. To ensure everyone gets cashed out quickly, no cashing out after Table S until the remainder of the auction information is entered.
  • H&DAS assumes no liability or responsibility for any items bought or sold, or any personal injury occurring during the event.
  • H&DAS reserves the right to inspect baggage and/or containers upon leaving.
  • No native Ontario fishes will be sold at the auction
  • No sales taxes will be levied on any items sold in the auction.
  • All sales are final and at the discretion of the auctioneer.
  • All monetary transactions are CASH only.

$2.00 to advance an item (must speak with Carla before moving an item from a table).

Bidding starts at $2.00

$2.00 charge for rebagging an item

Show Chairperson: Catherine Salmon

Entry tags

Download (PDF, 30KB)

Show tags (Excel)

Registration form

Download (PDF, 47KB)

Registration form (Word)

Show Rules

    • $2.00 per entry for the first ten entries and $1.00 for each entry over ten. The first entry for every Junior registrant (16 years or younger) is free.
    • Provisions will be made for the well being of fish; however HAMILTON AND DISTRICT AQUARIUM SOCIETY accepts no responsibility for losses or damage sustained during the show.
    • All entries will be under the jurisdiction of the show chairman until tear down (approx. 5 pm.) and may not be removed from the show until conclusion of the auction, unless authorized by the show chairperson..
    • Entrants will provide their own tank and water. Entrants may provide their own pump, airline and air stone, if they wish.
    • Tanks must have a cover that can be removed for judging. One flat side is required.
    • Anyone is eligible to enter. You need not be a member of a fish club.
    • All live entries must be in the possession and care of the entrant for at least two months prior to showing.
    • No entry may be entered in more than one class.
    • Fish which display any disease or deformity may be disqualified.
    • The show will be judged by C.A.O.A.C. certified judges and/or apprentice judges.
    • Their decisions will be final and not subject to appeal at the show. If in their opinion the entries in a class do not come up to show standards, a non-contest may be called. If there are only two entries that are satisfactory then any combination of 1st, 2nd and 3rd may be awarded.
    • In any case of dispute the show chairperson’s decision will be final and binding.
    • Family classes: each entry will consist of one spawning pair and at least 10 young from the pair, less than three months old. Tank dividers and pots may be used if necessary
    • No snails, ornaments, sand, plants or stones etc. may be present in a tank (excepting invertebrate class, plant class and novelty class).
    • It is the responsibility of the entrants to make sure their fish are in the correct class. The show chairperson will help upon request.
    • No aerosol sprays or mist type cleaners will be permitted in the show area.
    • All accessories and equipment (i.e. pails, nets, etc.) must be kept out of sight.
    • All show fish to be auctioned after the show must be labelled as such by the owner and registered prior to the show. lt is also the responsibility of the owner to bag the fish for auction after the awards presentation has taken place.
    • No Coloured water will be allowed.
    • No moving other peoples show tanks without the approval of the show person first
    • Junior class is any variety of fish owned and kept by someone 16 years of age or younger.
    • Photography prints must not be larger than 81/2”x11” and must have been taken by the entrant in the past 12 months.
    • Arts & Crafts entries must be works completed within the past year.
    • People’s Choice will be decided by the votes of those attending the show. Each person entering the show room will be asked to sign in and will receive a ballot at that time.
    • Registration will open at 8:00 a.m. and all fish must be registered by 9:30 a.m. All entries must be benched by 10:30 a.m. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 9:30 AND THE SHOW ROOM WILL BE CLOSED AT 10:30 FOR JUDGING
    • Pre-registration is welcome and forms may be sent to up to midnight the day before the show.
    • All pre-registered entries will have a reduced entry fee of $1
    • There will be cash prizes and certificates for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the 30 classes. There will also be gift card awards for Best of Show, People’s Choice, High Aggregate, Best Egglayer and Best Livebearer.

Show Class Sponsorship

Hamilton & District Aquarium Society welcomes show class sponsonship from individuals, families, organisations and businesses.
Best in Show – $100
Best Egglayer – $50
Best Livebearer – $50
High Aggregate – $50
People’s Choice – $50
Classes 1-30 – $35ea

To sponsor a class, contact

 Major Awards

Best in Show
Best Livebearer
Best Egglayer
High Aggregate
People’s Choice

Class Name

1 Anabantids (other than Betta splendens)
2 Betta splendens, Half Moon, Male
3 Betta splendens, All other forms, Male
4 Betta splendens, Female
5 Guppy Male
6 Guppy Female
7 Killifish
8 Corydoras, Brochis, Aspidoras, Scleromastyx
9 Suckermouth Catfish
10 A.O.V. Catfish
11 Characins
12 Minnows and Rainbowfish
13 Barbs
14 Sharks and Loaches
15 Swordtails
16 Platies and Variatus
17 A.O.V. Livebearer
18 Goldfish and Koi
19 Any Other Variety
20 Angels and Discus
21 Dwarf Cichlids (not Rift Lake)
22 Rift Lake Cichlids
23 A.O.V. Cichlids
24 Invertebrates/Aquatic Animals
25 Junior Class
26 Family Class
27 Plants
28 Novelty
29 Arts and Crafts
30 Photography Prints


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Master of Divinity (MDiv) Program

The education of learned ministers has been central to the mission of Harvard since its founding. Recognizing that the world is religiously diverse, master of divinity (MDiv) students of many faith communities study side by side in order to foster a greater understanding of interreligious dialogue and work.

The uniqueness of the HDS MDiv experience lies in the belief that to be a learned minister it is imperative both to study one's own religious tradition and to be exposed to others. MDiv students at HDS learn to let the knowledge gained in one setting—a classroom or hospital or congregation, for example—inform and enhance the knowledge gained in another.

Graduating master of divinity students leave HDS with knowledge and experience that prepare them to serve within a religious community, to explore spiritually formative intellectual work, to evaluate and act on the needs and questions of religious communities, and to speak with both a pastoral and a public voice.

This three-year full-time degree program is for those preparing for:

  • Ordained or lay ministry and leadership in congregations and other religious communities

  • Ministries in social service, hospital and prison chaplaincy

  • Interfaith ministry on college campuses

  • Teaching and scholarship

  • Other careers in service to a just world at peace.

MDiv students work at the intersections of academic study, religious practices, classroom study and field study, and the convictions and practices of their own religious tradition and others. HDS believes that MDiv study should include:

  • Rigorous education in the religious traditions that shape the scholarly, spiritual and practical dimensions of a vocation to ministry

  • The capacity to use the fundamental intellectual tools of the study of religion

  • Genuine reading competence in a scriptural language and/or a language of theological scholarship that allows for the lifelong use of that language in ministerial leadership and scholarly inquiry

  • Education in the arts of ministry pursued in both the classroom and the field

  • Significant learning in a religious tradition other than one's own

  • Cultivation of the intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral agility that will enable graduates to move with skill, confidence, generosity and grace across the complex and diverse religious, cultural, and moral spheres of modern society.

View a comparison chart of HDS degree programs

At HDS, there is almost no field of study that does not touch in some way upon ministry preparation. While the entire Faculty of Divinity is, in this sense, engaged in ministry teaching and supporting MDiv students, the Office of Ministry Studies (OMS) and the faculty members who work specifically in ministry studies provide a focal point for the MDiv program and its relation to professional ministry.

MDiv students may declare a religious tradition they are studying at the beginning of their program; using that tradition as the foundation, with the advice of their advisor, they build a cohesive 24-course program. It is not required, however, that an MDiv student declare a religious tradition.

Basic Requirements

  • Three years of full-time study

  • Twenty-four courses (96 units)

  • Completion of Introduction to "Ministry Studies and Theories," "Methods in the Study of Religion," and "Meaning Making—Thinking Theologically about Ministry Experience"

  • Two field education placements

  • Twelve courses within Histories, Theologies, and Practices and Scriptural Interpretation as follows:

    • Minimum of six courses within Histories, Theologies, and Practices, any mix of traditions

    • Minimum of three courses with Scriptural Interpretations, any mix of traditions

    • No more than 9 courses total may be in the same tradition, or no tradition

  • Three semesters of a single language appropriate to the religious tradition of study

  • Completion of three Arts of Ministry

  • Completion of Senior Seminar and paper

  • Residency requirement: students must complete four courses each in two of their first three consecutive terms

  • "B" average must be maintained throughout the program

For additional requirements, policies, and details consult the HDS Handbook for Students and Field Education

Language requirement

HDS offers instruction in several languages. Students may also choose from the extensive language offerings of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Students are expected to address their language requirements as early in their programs as possible.

MDiv students may meet the language requirement in one of two ways: 1) by completing the MTS language competency requirement, or 2) by satisfactorily completing three semesters of study in one language relevant to their program through coursework at Harvard.

What is the difference between an MDiv and an MTS?

The master of divinity (MDiv)  is a three-year full-time program, in which students work at the intersections of the academic study of religion and the practices of religious communities, the past and the present, classroom study and field study, and the convictions and practices of their own religious tradition and the convictions and practices of traditions other than their own. The MDiv prepares students for ministerial engagement in a wide range of settings.

The master of theological studies (MTS) program is a two-year full-time degree that enables students to explore deeply and broadly the languages, literatures, thought, institutions, practices, normative claims, and structures of a variety of theological fields and religious traditions. It also enables students to think critically, with sophistication and self-awareness, about the scholarly study of these concepts and traditions.

View a comparison chart of all HDS degree programs.

I am not Christian. Should I get an MDiv?

If you do not plan to become ordained, an MDiv can also prepare you well for interfaith work, chaplaincy, lay ministry in your own tradition, or any other field you are interested in, such as nonprofit work and community organizing. This is true for people of all faiths as well as those who are not part of a faith tradition. Unitarian Universalist students, who are not Christian, pursue an MDiv for ordination toward a vocation as a community minister.

In addition, many students of diverse faiths will complete an MDiv before going onto further professional school, such as law, medicine, or social work.

How should I explain an MDiv degree to my family?

The MDiv is a hands-on degree in ministry, with professional and academic components. MDiv students learn how to read carefully, write and speak expressively. Students learn the nuances of religion, spirituality, history, practice, and the human experience. Students may focus on one or more tradition, and become fluent in the histories, theories, practices, language, and writings of that religion. Engaging in the Field Education Program enables MDiv students to integrate theory and practice from the classroom with that in the field while working with a supervisor certified in supervision for ministry.

Does HDS prepare students who plan to be ordained and lead congregations?

If your call is to be ordained and serve a church, HDS has a deep and long-standing commitment of preparing people for pastoral ministry. This is supported by denominational counselors who work with students in fulfilling the specific requirements of particular denominations. Students engage in field education in church placements and take classes that meet denominational requirements. Ordination in Buddhist communities usually is arranged by that community. Similarly, ordination as a Rabbi (smicha) usually follows extensive work with appropriate Jewish authorities in addition to the degree requirements of HDS.

What if I don’t find a field education site from the approved HDS list? Can I design my own project or propose a site?

HDS enables students to pursue their unique calling through the student-initiated placement process to complete one of the two required field education placements. Students propose a variety of organizations beyond the HDS list; recent examples have included the Albert Einstein Institution, Centro Presente, and The History Project. Each placement is approved by the Director of Field Education to ensure the site and supervisor meet The Field Education Program’s criteria.

I chose HDS because of our sense of wholeness when it comes to spirituality. The sense that we can take a class at the Medical School or the Education School and turn that into ministry. I love that HDS honors that, and that’s a big part of why I came here."

- Steven Fisher

MDiv grad Steven Fisher's Humans of HDS interview

Steven Fisher is a third-year master of divinity degree candidate at HDS and serves as a chaplain at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Read more


text:
Commuting is the pits

Body odour on the London underground should be punishable by death.

Or a bath.

As soon as the acrid stench filled my nose (and those of the other sardines packed in the tin with me), the very attractive, tall blonde to my left looked at me and I suddenly realised she may think the niff is coming from me.

Don’t get me wrong here…I’m a happily married man, but that doesn’t mean I’m content with this woman thinking I smell like an armpit.

And it was a STRONG smell; the type that had been fermenting for a long, long time.

So I did what anyone would do in a situation like this, I held my fist under my nose in a theatrical attempt to indicate it WASN’T me.  Basically I was miming “Pheeeuw! What is that noxious smell? It’s clearly not me as I’m attempting to mask it.  See, I’m very obviously attempting to mask it with my fist and the inside of my jacket, so it’s obviously not me!”

Everyone was shiftily looking around trying to figure out who the culprit was, like some kind of silent game of Cluedo.

Luckily, whenever the train started moving it wafted the fetid stink through the carriage like a stagnant curry fart under a disturbed duvet.

I think it was Professor Pong, on the tube, with the empty can of deodorant.

Or the blonde.

Tube Stench

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