While writing the last post, I let my dog, Monroe, out through this glassed-in area adjacent to the living room. This area is a poorly-constructed "greenhouse" made by the previous owner. I leave the outer door open because it makes no difference whether it is open or closed, in relation to heat.
When I let Monroe out, I heard this fluttering and looked up to see the shadow of what I thought may be a Hummingbird Moth, considering how much noise it was making, stuck between the wispy curtain and the glass...but Hummingbird Moths wouldn't be around this time of year since they have a specific purpose that is way before this. So, I pulled back the curtain and found this trying its utmost to get through the glass.

I put my hand up to direct towards the more open area of glass, which I was able to do, and with a bit of determination, tried to direct it further toward the door out. Instead, it landed on my hand for a moment, looked at me, then lit out for the glass...and then behind the curtain again. Not to be put off easily, I made another attempt to move it back toward the open glass and door again. Although I was able to direct it, I also managed to delay it somehow and it plummeted rather abruptly. Climbing back onto my hand, it took a rest there. And remained there for the duration of the rest of this occurrence.

Jarrod and I also switched desks this weekend. His desk fits much better in my room and holds ALL of my things. My TV now sits 5' up rather than 3, so now I can see it when I watch TV in bed. It's smaller, so there is plenty of floor space around it, which just makes me feel better about life. I hope Jarrod enjoys my desk (from Julie) as much as I like his!

I've also recommited myself to training everyday again. I've been a little lax about my 3-day training. It's hard to force myself out of bed before the sun EVERY DAY. I bought some new shoes today at DSW. I need two pairs of shoes for training, so I bought a pair today in order to have them broken in by the 3-day. Just in case you haven't been counting, but the 3-day is in 39 short days! It's time to get walking and raising money! I'm just $678 away from my goal. If you haven't donated yet, now is the PERFECT time as I'm starting to worry about the last little bit.

You'll be able to catch the connector bus service in:

• Redmond Ridge
• Snohomish
• Woodinville/Monroe
• West Seattle
• Columbia City/Mt Baker
• Leschi/Madrona
• Maple Valley
• South Everett
• Kent/Tukwila/Renton

According to The Seattle Times, Microsoft has provided 380,000 rides to 8650 employees, cutting down single occupancy vehicle trips by 4%.  Kudos to the Microsoft for its Connector Shuttle Service, its continued growth, and helping to take more cars off the roads.

According to the North American programs manager, “This is a great opportunity for motorists to have their shocks or struts checked and replaced, if necessary, while receiving exciting savings on future automotive repairs.”

The campaign encourages consumers to monitor their shocks and struts and replace them at 50,000 miles.  The Save a Squirrel campaign rewards consumers for purchasing premium Monroe products by awarding up to a $60 comeback certificate by mail for future automotive services.

The “Save a Squirrel” campaign advises consumers that vehicle steering, stopping and stability characteristics depend on the “Safety Triangle” undercar system of shock absorbers, struts, brakes, and related parts. When Monroe shocks and struts are worn out, they could lose their ability to hold the tires against the road surface, potentially degrading steering and stopping performance. Monroe shocks and struts also play important roles in promoting vehicle stability by helping to control weight transfer in hard-stopping situations and tight turns.

To buy car parts online and for the latest Monroe shocks and struts, visit RWI America today.

Tracy Smith peste un tunel in flacari lung de 45 de m                                                                                

Rick Meisel, 6 perechi de catuse si 2 lanturi de picioare se elibereaza din masina de spalat

Steve Hudis peste 15 motociclete intr-un autobuz de 7 tone in flacariPreferata mosului e  Mary Ella McLivain, o bunica de 52 de ani pe aripa unui biplan , la mansa Wally Olson, 75 de primaveri

Si inca 10 pe site... but i'd rather prefer it hot this way

I. James Monroe (1758-1831)

II. James Monroe (Democratic-Republican) First Term-- (1817-1821)

Second Term-- (1821-1825)

III. A.  Monroe attended the College of William of Mary for his formal education from 1774 to 1775, when he joined the Third Virginia Regiment.

B.  After being in the Third Virginia Regiment for four years, Monroe went back to Virginia and eventually became a member of the House of Burgesses for the King George County.  In 1783, he became a member of the Continental Congress and seven years later became a U.S. Senator.  Monroe became a U.S. minister to France in 1794 for two years before being governor of Virginia.  Before becoming president, Monroe was the Secratary of State from 1811 to 1817, and Secratary of War from 1814 to 1815.  After his presidency, he often visited the University of Virgina and was rector for some time before his death.

IV. Opponents in Elections:

A.  1816

1.  Federalist -  Rufus King

- The majority of the United States population believed that Monroe would become the next president after Madison.  Monroe ended up winning more than five times the amount that candidate King had; 183 to 34.

B.  1820

1.  Independent -  John Quincy Adams

- This election would be one of the last of which the president had little opposition.  There was no campaign and the nation was happy with Monroe.  The “Era of Good Feeling” had started and the United States was fairly relaxed.

V. Vice President

A.  First Term-- Daniel D. Tompkins

B.  Second Term-- Daniel D. Tompkins

VI. Major Domestic Events

A.  Beginning of the Era of Good Feelings (1817) -  The Era of Good Feelings was a time period of about five years in which there was little political tension and an overall happiness throughout the U.S.  The Federalist party had fallen apart and the nation was united behind the Democratic-Republican and James Monroe.  In the election of 1820, Monroe was almost unanimously voted; only one elector cast a vote against him.  The nation as a whole was happy with Monroe and because there was no Federalist party, political debates were at a minimum.  

B.  Mississippi enters the Union (1817) -  Mississippi entered the Union as the twentieth state and a part of the South.  It entered as a slave state and would be a part of the conflict between the North and South prior to the Civil War.

C.  Convention of 1818 (1818) -  This was essentially a treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain that was yet another step toward rebuilding their relations.  The treaty settled issues with boundary lines, especially the Oregon country.  It also set provisions for slaves in British territory, fisheries in Newfoundland and the regulations of commerce between the two countries.  

D.  Illinois enters the Union (1818) -  Illinois became the twenty-first state in the Union and was a free state that did not allow slavery.  

E.  McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) -  Maryland had imposed taxes on all notes of banks that had not been established in Maryland.  The Second Bank of the United States was the only out-of-state bank in Maryland at the time and the Supreme Court ruled that the taxes were not constitutional.  In the end, the case established that the Congress had “implied powers” and states could not make laws that concerned federal government property.

F.  Financial Panic of 1819 (1819) -  This was the first economic depression that the United States experienced.  Trade had been increasing after the War of 1812, but suddenly came to a stop.  Along with this, banks closed, unemployment increased, mortgages fell through and land prices fell, sometimes decreasing by half.  Citizens of the United States panicked and bankrupcy was very common.  Poverty also became a big issue and raised awareness to the economic status of the poor for the first time.

G.  Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819) -  The State of New Hampshire wanted to change Dartmouth College’s charter so that the school became a public school instead of a private one.  The Board of Trustees of the college did not agree and wanted the Supreme Court to call the action unconstitutional.  Daniel Webster, an alumnus of Dartmouth, argued for the trustees against the New Hampshire legislature and William H. Woodward, the secratary of the board of trustees.  The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dartmouth and the college stayed a private college and kept its campus and charter.

H.  Alabama enters the Union (1819) -  Alabama, the third state to enter the Union under Monroe’s presidency, enters the Union as a slave state and part of the Southern economy.

I.  Missouri Compromise (1820) -  This agreement was a settlement of slavery issues with the pro-slavery and anti-slavery parts of Congress.  This compromise allowed slavery south of latitude 36o30’ north.  The agreement also allowed slavery in the state of Missouri.  Besides these areas, Congress prohibited the sale and/or possesion of slaves north of that latitude line, besides Missouri.  

J.  Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) -  This Supreme Court case started when Aaron Ogden was licensed to run his steamboat service on the route between New York City and Elizabeth point in New Jersey.  Thomas Gibbons was the head of another ferry service that was already running those waters.  Ogden wanted Gibbons to be kicked out of New York territory, but the Court favored Gibbons saying that the waterways were open for competition of businesses.

VII. Major Foreign Policy Events

A.  Rush-Bagot Agreement (1817) -  This treaty was between the United States and Great Britain regarding the British forts that remained in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain region.  The treaty established a plan to slowly lessen the amount of military on the line between the United States and British North America.  The United Kingdom and the U.S. were trying to improve relations following the War of 1812, and this was one of the first steps towards that goal.

B.  Adams-Onis Treaty (Transcontinental Treaty) (1819) -  This treaty was between the United States and Spain regarding the growing tension about boundaries.  This treaty gave the U.S. the Spainish territory of Florida as well as settling disputes over boundaries in Texas.  The treaty also extended the United States to the Rockie Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.  The treaty ended tensions between the United States and His Catholic Majesty.

C.  Monroe Doctrine (1823) -  This doctrine granted United States the right to be involved with the economies of newly acquired independent nations of the Americas.  It also prohibited any European nations from becoming involved in these affairs.  Later on, President Theodore Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary which extended this doctrine to the Phillipines, Cuba etc.

VIII. Major Social Movements or Events

A.  First public high school opened in the U.S. (1821) -  The first public high school was established in Boston and was the first step to promoting education for the whole population so that more citizens would become actively involved in United States commerce which would strengthen the economy.

B.  Henry Clay’s American System (1824) -  This system was an economic idea that would strengthen the United States economy.  The plan involved levying a tariff on imported goods which would decrease the amount of foreign business competition.  It also suggested chartering a national bank that was based on one currency which would make trading easier and to improve transportation systems so that trade could be carried out more efficiently.  

IX. Major Inventions of Technological Events

X. Major Conflict:

A.   The main debate during Monroe’s office was the arguments over Missouri and slavery.  Missouri was entered as a slave state into the Union, but was further north than most of the slave states of the south.  The North was mostly against slavery and did not want Missouri to have slaves at all.  Eventually Monroe did settle the debate by passing the Missouri Compromise which allowed slavery in the Missouri state, but nothing further north of that.

XI. Presidential Evaluation:

A.  When Monroe came in as President, the U.S. had been in the War of 1812 and there was tension in both foreign and domestic affairs.  Monroe wanted to simply ease that tension and get the population relaxed so that the federal government could focus on rebuilding after the war and making the economy stronger.  He succeeded in this as is evident by the Era of Good Feeling.  The nation was much more relaxed, politcal tension was at a minimum and foreign relations were fairly good.

B.  Monroe was influenced by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  He worked with both of them before becoming president in both the Continental army and in studying law.  Their views on politics and government were absorbed by Monroe and effected how he made his decisions.  Monroe studied law with Jefferson and made him a very good person to deal with different decisions.

C.  Monroe was extremely good at answering the population’s whims while still be an effective president that helped the nation in both the short and long term.  He was a firm leader who did not waver from his decisions easily.  But he also recognized when and where tensions were growing and dealt with them accordingly.  This talent helped prolong the Era of Good Feelings.

D.  Monroe had just as many, if not more successes than all of the former presidents starting with the Monroe Doctrine.  The Monroe Doctrine would be a big part of politics for the next hundred years or so and Theodore Roosevelt would also use this doctrine when the U.S. gained the Phillipines.  Monroe also secured good relations with Great Britain after the War of 1812 and fought back from the Panic by supporting Henry Clay’s economic plan.

E.  The only failure that was even remotely substantial was the Missouri slave disputes.  Missouri was farther south than any other slave states and very close to several free, northern states.  For some time, there was tension that grew, but eventually the Missouri Compromise was passed which eased tensions making this a relatively minor incident.

F.  He stopped the bad relations with foreign nations that had occured when President Madison was in office.  Relations with Great Britain and Spain had been especially bad, but by passing the Rush-Bagot Agreement and the Adams-Onis Treaty, he made the relations with Spain and Great Britain stronger which went along with George Washington’s advice of keeping good relations with foreign countries, especially European countries.

G. The Monroe doctrine is the most influential thing that Monroe left for other presidents to build on.  It was the first time of the idea of expansion and the protection of newly acquired American nations was introduced, and many presidents after Monroe would try to be a part of this idea.

H.  Monroe gets an 8.5 rating from me because of his popularity and many successes.  During his office, Monroe was always loved by the majority of the population and never hurt the United States in anything long term or short term.  Monroe not only cared for the United States, but he secured the U.S. financially, and made relations with foreign nations that would effect how the U.S. would run its economy and society later on.

You can now watch the entire service from the final 7|22 at 722.org Click on the all access link and Next Is Now should be listed first. Just make sure to mute the audio player that is floating on the right side of the page.

Last night was the final 7|22.

Ever.

The theme of the night was Next Is Now, mainly because ever since Jarrett announced the end of 7|22 in July, everyone has been asking “What’s next?”. They even passed out business cards with the Next Is Now graphic on the front and nothing on the back, along with golf pencils. 

Jarrett began his message with 1 Chronicles 28:1-6.

1 David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. 3 But God said to me, You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood. 4 Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5 And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

If you want to know about the layout of the temple and it’s history and what all went on there, you can Google it or go to Wikipedia. The one thing Jarrett made mention of was the Holy of Holies. This is where God “resided”. Of course, we know that God is everywhere, but this was where the High Priest would come once a year to make an offering to God. Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. It’s replacement was built between 537 B.C. and 515 B.C. and later renovated by Herod the Great. Jarrett compared Herod’s renovation to our churches in 2008 by saying “How often do we as Christians, and especially church staff, think ‘We should add ministry department XYZ to our church; that’ll bring in more people.’” And he’s right - I’ve heard plenty of messages that were really just pep rallies for a new ministry or idea that was supposed to flood the church with unchurched people. And it didn’t. 

Jarrett continued by quoting Matthew 27:50-51

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Not going to go too deep here, but what happened was at the exact moment Jesus died (thus becoming the ultimate sacrifice for our sins), the curtain separating the people from the Holy of Holies was torn down the middle, thereby ending the separation between God and man. God was no longer restricted to a certain space; no longer did you have to go to a certain place to worship God. 

Jarrett then quoted 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Growing up in church, this scripture was used many times; but not in the context in which Jarrett used it. This was always the “Don’t get tattoos, don’t get piercings, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do ANYTHING!” scripture. I have two tattoos and you would not believe how many times I’ve had this scripture quoted at me. “You have tattoos!?! Don’t you know you are the temple of God? 1 Corinthians 3:17 says that you are the temple of God and that you aren’t supposed to destroy that temple and a tattoo is destroying your body because Leviticus says no tattoos!”

However, here’s how Jarrett used this scripture: YOU are the temple; YOU are the church. It is not about this building (i.e. wherever you meet for services). If you’re sitting here waiting for the unchurched to come here to this building to hear the Gospel, you’ll be waiting a long time. YOU are the church.

Before someone misunderstands me, church (corporate gathering) is a good thing. At least, its supposed to be. But if we are not going out into the world and being God’s light, then what’s the point? That doesn’t mean to go to your local mall and ask every person you see “Do you know Jesus?”. You don’t want to alienate people. But you don’t want to ignore divine appointments either. Each of us should know someone who doesn’t know Jesus. It could be a friend, coworker or relative. And if you don’t know any non-Christians, what are you doing? Get out there; befriend people. Invest time in people’s lives. Love them. I have a friend that I’ve known for nearly twenty years; he still isn’t a Christian. He knows I am, he knows what I believe. He’s been to church with me many times; yet, he still is not a Christian. I don’t know why; that’s between him and God. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to give up and cut all ties with him. Why? Because, our friendship is not dependent upon his salvation, but his salvation may be dependent upon our friendship. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” I may be the only Jesus he ever sees.

By this time, Jarrett was at the end of his message. He reminds us of the cards and pencils we received when we arrived and says, in essence:

Sure, we could continue 7|22. Or we could replace it with another ministry. And it could bring in thousands more. But what if doing so would cause us to miss out on something huge God is doing now? What we’ve been asking God for the past few months is, “What are you doing now? Where is God working now?”. It’s a cliche now, but it still applies: Instead of asking God to bless what you’re doing, maybe you should ask God to show you what He is doing.

Jarrett then asked us to take the next couple minutes to write on the back of our card what we feel God stirring in us. He gave some examples that people had emailed him. One was a couple that had met at 7|22; they’ve started a small ministry where they cook food and then take it to the homeless. Instead of making the homeless go to a soup kitchen or food pantry, they go to the homeless, wherever they’re at. Another person emailed Jarrett saying that he was starting a website where people could anonymously ask questions about God, Jesus, Christianity, etc. that maybe they wouldn’t feel comfortable asking face to face. So here’s what I wrote: Northeast Louisiana. Ever since I left last year, I’ve felt a burden for my home. And seeing what God is doing through churches in the Atlanta metroplex actually makes that burden more painful. The churches here aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty; they’re not afraid to go into the world and love. And they aren’t afraid to help each other. That alone made a huge impact on me - to see churches lift each other up in prayer, to see churches offering resources and training to each other instead of competing and tearing each other down. But while all that is awesome, it reminds me of Northeast Louisiana, where churches don't get along very well. They aren't very open to helping each other. It is more about who has the largest attendance, instead of being about going into the community and making your community a better place. We've forgotten what it's all about: it isn't about who has the best music department, or children's department, or youth group, or holiday celebrations - it's about Jesus and making Him famous. We're focused more on doing church than on being the church.

What does this mean for me? I don't really know. I'm still waiting on an answer from God. The only thing I know for sure is it means spending more time in the community than in church. I'm sure some people will ask, "Why'd you leave in the first place?" God. I truly believe God brought me to Atlanta, even if only for a year, so I could see examples of the Great Commission being done correctly. Church done right. Some may say this is a financial decision, but the truth is, I've been feeling this way for several months now; finances have only dictated that I leave now, as opposed to putting it off. To be honest, if I had spent less time wrestling with God maybe I would have left earlier, before finances became an issue.

So what's next? Only God knows, but next is now.

J

With two pending transactions, I'm just $528 shy of my goal of $2,200. I'd LOVE to hit this by October 1st. I think I can do it. I know there is more money out there. I know some of you are reading this right now and it's been on your heart to donate but you're shy. Or you only have $5. Or you don't know me. Don't worry. I've received donations from $10-250. Every little bit helps. And it doesn't matter if you know me or not. You will completely make my day if I get an e-mail that says that you've donated $5 to help save a life.

My friend has come to a new place in her battle against breast cancer. Her bedroom now looks like a hospital. Her spirits are so high. Higher than mine after a tough day of running around. I'm walking for her. I'm walking so that we can find a cure because I'm tired of breast cancer being such a common prayer concern in church. We hardly flinch anymore. I'm sick of that. I want it to be shocking. It IS shocking. The treatment is brutal. The surgeries are invasive. And the cost is too much. My children will know me. My daughter will live in a world where she does not have to fear getting breast cancer. That is my motivation to keep walking, keep working, and keep giving everything that I have.

School is on my mind as well. :-) I do a lot of school. I'm really enjoying it and feel like I've gotten the swing of things again. I'm pretty good at going to school. I like doing my work, I like writing and reading, I like discussions with intelligent people. But I'm also ready to read all kinds of books just for fun. I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. I'm ready to see where God wants me to work and doing what. Why did I get my Masters degree? Surely God has something planned for me (in Slidell) that I couldn't have done had I not spent the past year+ at Perkins. I wonder what it is.

Louisiana is on my mind. I'm headed to Monroe on Thursday afternoon. The only thing I've found to do besides watch the season premier of Grey's Anatomy, is go see a movie for just $2.50! (New movies and everything!) I'd really like to see My Best Friend's Girl, but that might be a mild fight... Thankfully, sweet Jarrod likes Grey's, movies, and doing things that make me happy. :-)

I'm headed off to the airport to pick up my dear roommate, Amy. She's been gone for the weekend in Montana meeting with committees, etc for her ordination. I can't wait to see her! (And neither can Walker!)

What could you do with eight hours? We recommend you use it to take our fast-track anger management class. Sessions held in our Charlotte, North Carolina office. Please call 704.804.0841 for details.

On Thursday morning at 8:30am, I (finally) took my DMV Driving Test at the Monroe office. No need to get on the edge of your seat, what would the point of posting be if I had failed? No, I PASSED!!! I'm back on the black top, this time with a license. :)

See you on the road...

La deseada francesa, que continua sorprendiendonos con un cuerpo diez realmente estupendo, llevaba un biquini blanco, cuya parte de arriba desapareció mágicamente, y para alegría de todos nosotros, a la hora de tomar el sol. Marlene se quedó sólo con un pequeño tanga encima de la toalla.

I hate cultural stereotype, especially when they involve areas native to me. True Bloodis set among the bayous of Louisiana, an area not that foreign to me. Many of the characters force an unnatural Southern accent, creating an unrealistic feel to a show before the subject of vampires is even introduced.  Likewise, it appears that the creative staff has little, if any, knowledge of the geography of Louisiana. It appears that the story takes place either in eastern Louisiana or in southern Louisiana, as supported by several visual and cultural references. However, after sustaining injuries in a bar fight, one character mentions driving to "the hospital in Monroe," which is in the western corner of the state.

I accept that with a subject matter like vampires, reality must temporarily be suspended. If I look past some of the negative cultural stereotypes (don't think I didn't notice the not-so-subtle references to racism and intolerance in the rural south) and geographic inaccuracies, the series presents several promising possibilities. I suspect that over the course of the next few episodes we will see some serious character development, a speciality of HBO.  The possibilities of Anna Paquin's character ("Sookie Stackhouse") alone intrigue me enough to give HBO my time for at least two more episodes. Also, will we find out that Bill Compton, played by Stephen Moyer, is some historical figure from the past.

All in all, I think it's far too early to make a decision on True Blood, though its' debut wasn't as impressive as Fringe.

Bila anda lihat dalam jarak dekat, akan tampak foto Albert Einstein. Cobalah anda lihat dalam jarak sekitar 3 meter dari monitor, maka akan terlihat seperti Marilyn Monroe. ^^