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Unusual, Weird & Interesting Scholarships

Unusual, weird and interesting scholarships

Many students believe that they won’t be eligible for scholarships unless they’re the valedictorian or a star athlete or got a perfect score on their SAT. What these students don’t realize is that today there are scholarships for almost any skill or unique quality you can think of. You no longer have to break the state track record or win a national science fair to get money for college. Now you can earn scholarship money simply for having an unusual hobby or distinctive trait, for anything from knitting to being left-handed and from duck-calling to being interested in space and science fiction! Take a look at these weird, interesting, and fun scholarships we found and remember that applying for scholarships, just like the whole college admissions process, isn’t about being the world’s most perfect student but about highlighting your personal strengths and abilities.

Scholarships just for being you:

Tall Clubs International (TCI) Scholarship 
This scholarship is for those who have always been asked to get things down from the top shelf. Tall Clubs International (TCI) offers a $1,000 scholarship for tall people, the Kae Sumner Einfeldt Scholarship. Women who are at least 5’10” and men who are at least 6’2” are eligible. Candidates must be under 21 years old and plan to attend college in the fall.

Little People of America Scholarship
By contrast, The Little People of America scholarship is an award given to future and current students who are 4?10? or less in height attending a college or vocational school. Prizes range from $250 to $1,000—sometimes more. Although one does not have to be a little person to apply, the greatest preference is given to LPA members who have been diagnosed with a form of dwarfism. Students with dwarf-diagnosed family members and those who demonstrate financial need are also given preference.

Scholarship for Left-Handed Students
For those in the company of greats like Albert Einstein, Picasso, and Jimmi Hendrix, Juniata College offers the Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship of up to $1,000 for left-handed students.

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Do you delight in finding new ways to cook tofu? Do your parents roll their eyes at your “meat is murder” bumper sticker? If so, you might be eligible for the Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship. High school seniors who promote vegetarianism in their schools and communities are eligible to win one of the group’s two $5,000 scholarships.

National Beef Ambassador Program
For those fonder of big macs than veggie burgers, a few lucky award winners will get the chance to represent the beef industry, and will receive a college scholarship. The National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP) is a speech and interview competition for students between the ages of 16 to 19. Winners can earn between $250 and $2,500.

Twins Who Don’t Mind Seeing Each other for 4 More Years
Several schools offer scholarships for twins: Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, waives tuition for one twin when both enroll, Lake Erie College in Painsville, Ohio, offers half-off tuition for each twin, Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has 45% discounts available on tuition for female twins only, Carl Albert State College in Oklahoma offers the Paula Nieto Twin Scholarship, George Washington University in Washington, DC gives a 50% discount for the second sibling, Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, VA gives a 15% discount, Sterling College in Kansas offers a 50% discount for each twin, and West Chester University of Pennsylvania offers the Bonnie Evans Feinberg Scholarship for twins.

Last Name Scholarships
A number of schools offer scholarships for students with particular last names. The Zolp Scholarship is restricted to students at Loyola University in Chicago who are Catholic and whose last name is Zolp. The good news is, the scholarship provides full tuition for four years; the bad news is, have you ever heard of anyone named Zolp? Texas A&M University pays full cost of attendance at for anyone whose last name is Scarpinato by birth or marriage. The John Gatling Grant provides scholarships for students who were born with a surname of Gatling or Gatlin to attend NC State University. The scholarship provides up to $9,000 for in-state students and $18,000 for out-of-state students. The Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship awards $1,000 to students with the Van Valkenburg name or a similar variation . Even Harvard University has several scholarships based on the student’s last name, including Baxendale, Hudson, Thayer, Downer, Bright.

Money for that unique hobby you never thought would pay off:

Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest
Students who can quack their hearts out for 90 seconds using four calls: hail, feed, comeback and mating and can win big ducks, I mean, bucks for higher education (we couldn’t resist a least one bad pun). Seriously though, The Duck Calling Contest awards $1,500 to the best duck-calling high school student. The first runner-up receives $500, the second $300 and the third $200 in scholarship money.

Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship
Now how to land a kickflip? Could you do Ollies in your sleep? The Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship awards one $5,000 and three $1,000 scholarships to skateboarders who are high school seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale and submit an essay on how skateboarding has had a positive impact on their lives. Recipients must enroll as a full-time undergraduate at an accredited college or university the fall after high school graduation.

Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest
In our first scholarship for sci-fi enthusiasts, student authors and artists can submit science fiction stories and/or illustrations to be considered for this award of up to $4,000. An entry consists of three black and white works illustrating a science fiction or fantasy story with no recurring theme. Entries may not have been previously published. Should the artist win the Illustrators Contest with their first entry, he is then sent a story from the companion L. Ron Hubbard Writers of The Future Contest for which to render an illustration. This illustration then becomes his or her entry in the yearly Grand Prize competition. Three winners are selected each quarter and are awarded $500 each; the yearly Grand Prize winner is awarded $4000.

American Welding Society Scholarships
Student welders familiar with trade skills such as allied joining, brazing, soldering and thermal spraying are eligible for this scholarship. The American Welding Society Foundation offers numerous scholarships to students interested in welding-related education or training programs. Award sizes depend on the scholarship.

SPAACSE Scholarships
The Society of Performers, Artists, Athletes and Celebrities for Space Exploration, Inc. (SPAACSE) offers two $1,000 scholarships: The SPAACSE Galaxy Music Scholarship for graduating high school seniors who are pursuing an interest in space music as a means of expressing the beauty and inspiration of the universe and The SPAACSE Liliane Webb Art Scholarship for graduating high school seniors who have an interest in space art.. The music submission must be recorded on either a cassette or CD and should be 4-6 minutes in length.
Candidates for the art scholarship must provide an original two-dimensional space artwork to be considered for this award. Candidates must also include a 1-2 page description of prior artistic and other school activities and awards.

Knitting
If you know the different between a knit stitch and a purl stitch and your friends make fun of you for having a grandma-hobby, you may be able to get scholarships. The American Sheep Industry Association sponsors four scholarships for applicants who submit a sample of an article of clothing they created completely with wool. Philadelphia University also offers the Bernard Steur Scholarship for textile engineering students with an interest in knitting. Also, The National Make It Yourself with Wool (NMIYWW) competition awards $2,000 and $1,000 scholarships for knitting wool garments. Winners are selected based on the appropriateness to the contestant’s lifestyle, coordination of fabric/yarn with garment style and design, contestant’s presentation, and creativity.

David Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship
Because David Letterman was a C student at Ball State University, he established a scholarship at his alma mater that is awarded to telecommunications majors based strictly on the creativity of a submitted project, rather than a student’s GPA. The awards are intended for average students who nevertheless have a creative mind. Projects may involve a variety of media, including written work, research, audio, video, graphics and film. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship. The first runner-up receives $5,000. The second runner-up receives $3,333.

Aspiring Children’s Television Stars
Similarly, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awards three $10,000 scholarships annually in the name of the late Fred Rogers (yes, Mr. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” Rogers) to college students pursuing a career in children’s media.

Rodeo
At last those lasso skills can rope you some money. Institutional awards, like Colorado State University’s rodeo scholarships, are usually reserved for students on the school’s rodeo team. Private awards, like the San Angelo Rodeo Scholarship, give students more flexibility in their college choice, but often have other requirements, like county of residence.

Puppetry
The Connecticut Guild of Puppetry offers the Margo Rose Scholarship for students involved in puppetry who wish to attend the National Puppetry Conference. The American chapter of the theatre organization Union Internationale de la Marionette, offers scholarships for students with experience in puppetry to study at the Institut Internationale de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mezieres, France. Since puppetry degree programs are rare, most scholarships in this field are for private programs or for puppetry studies within a theatre arts department. Pinocchio would be proud.

Chess
Chess stars could turn their winning moves into money for college. Several colleges, including Texas Tech University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and the University of Texas at Dallas, offer promising chess players up to four-year, full-tuition scholarships. The United States Chess Federation provides information on chess tournaments and available chess scholarships, both college and privately-sponsored. Casual chess players, be warned, these scholarship programs are often very competitive.

Rugby
Rugby may not be an official sport at most U.S. universities, but it can still help pay your college costs. Rugby scholarships are offered at New Mexico University, Texas A&M University, saint bonaventure University and many other colleges. Playing rugby can also send you abroad. The Center for International Studies offers a rugby study abroad program for students to study for one or two semesters in Wellington, New Zealand and play in a local rugby club. A $500 scholarship is available to make this program more affordable. Check with USA Rugby for more rugby scholarships.

United States Bowling Congress (USBA) Scholarships
Yes, bowling congress. And each season, bowling associations, councils, tournaments and proprietors offer over $6 million in scholarship money. Some of these programs include the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award for $1,500 per year for three years, the Annual Zeb Scholarship for $2,500, the Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow for $1,500 per year for three years, the Youth Ambassador Award for $1,500, and the Gift for Life Award for $1,000.

Bagpipe Majors at Carnegie Mellon
One of the least competitive scholarships in the U.S.—it’s not unusual for there to be zero applicants—is the Carnegie Mellon University Bagpipe Scholarship. It offers $7,000 per year to a student who intends to major in bagpiping. You even get a kilt subsidy.

Just plain unusual scholarships:

Duck® brand duct tape Stuck at Prom® Contest
The Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck on Prom Contest is open to students ages 14 years or older who are attending a high school prom in the spring. Entrants must enter as a couple and attend a high school prom wearing complete attire or accessories made from duct tape. The submission must include a color photograph of the couple together in prom attire. The winning couple gets $3,000 each towards college and some cash for their school to boot. Other prizes include $1,000 for second place, $500 for third, and Duck Tape sportswear for honorable mentions. The winning couple will be selected based on a variety of criteria, including originality, workmanship, quantity of Duck Tape used, use of colors, and creative use of accessories.

Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award
If you demonstrate excellence in academics, athletic performance, leadership and community service, and like to sport a milk mustache, this is the scholarship for you. Candidates must also be a resident of one of the 48 contiguous states or the District of Columbia. Each of 25 winners receives $7,500 in scholarship money, a designated place in the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex and a role in a USA Today Milk Mustache special.

Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership Award
Candidates of this awardmust have made a commitment to raising awareness of organ donation and transplantation. Selection is based on effectiveness, leadership, creativity and sustainability of efforts. Applications may be based either on a report of previous events that have successfully raised organ donation awareness, or a detailed and realistic plan to raise donor awareness. One or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships will be awarded.

Evans Scholars Foundation Scholarship
Where would golfers be without their caddies? Not very far. For all of their help, caddies are finally being rewarded by the Evans Scholars Foundation. Each year, the Western Golf Association awards scholarships to more than 200 student caddies. Scholarship winners are required to reside in the scholarship house at each participation college. They must also demonstrate academic merit, financial need, exceptional character and, of course, a great caddie record.

Klingon Language Institute Award
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a Klingon-loving Trekky to apply. The Klingon Language Institute (KLI) awards this $500 scholarship award to one graduate or undergraduate student each year. The scholarship was created to encourage the study of and achievement in the area of language. Applicants must be nominated by a school department and must demonstrate academic merit. Submissions should include the nomination letter, two recommendation letters, a resume and a statement of future intent.

The National Candy Technologists Scholarship
The American Association of Candy Technologists (AACT) awards a $5,000 scholarship to sophomore, junior and senior students who demonstrate an interest in confectionary technology. The award is paid in two $2,500 installments to winners who attend an accredited four-year college or university. Applicants must earn a 3.0 GPA and be majoring in food science, chemical science, biological science or a related field, and, of course, be a bit of a chocoholic.

National Marbles Tournament Scholarship
This isn’t your friendly game of marbles—this game is for keeps for the eight to fourteen-year-old players who compete. The King and Queen of Marbles (yes, that’s what they call the winners) will each receive $2,000, and, to calm things down a bit, a sportsmanship award of $1,000 will also be granted. The eight pages of rules, albeit in large child-like print, will show you just how serious these competitors are.

The Spirit of the Hiram College Hal Reichle Scholarship
Here is some chicken soup for the college student soul. This scholarship is administered by the Secret Society of Serendipitous Service to Hal, otherwise known as SSSSH. Hal Reichle had a history of secretly surprising people with sweet gifts. He was a modern-day Santa Clause and SSSSH is convinced that Hiram College has more of them. It’s about time being nice got you some cash!

 

About the Author

James Maroney, the author of this article, is the founder of First Choice College Placement, an educational consulting firm located in Milford, Connecticut. He has been working with students and families for over 10 years helping them find, apply to, and finance the college of their dreams. FirstChoice College Placement is a full service educational consulting firm located in Milford. For more information, contact James Maroney at 203-878-7998

jesus for nonbelievers

Unbelievable Truth

The first six verses of chapter eight reminded the Corinthian Christians that the knowledge they had was a consequence of their regeneration. Our knowledge of God is a reflection of His knowledge of us. Remember that God's knowledge of us and God's love for us are not separate things. God loves us truly because He knows us truly, and God knows us truly because He loves us truly.

Yet, from the beginning Paul pointed out that, though we all have knowledge of some kind, we all do not know as we ought to know. This concern is the continuation of the major theme of First Corinthians -- the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom of Christ. We have further identified this theme as the difference between Greek thinking, which is dualistic, and biblical thinking, which is trinitarian. Greek thinking is always necessarily humanistic because it cannot comprehend the true character of reality because it cannot see reality from God's perspective, the trinitarian perspective. Greek thought exists in a kind of dualistic world that can only comprehend two dimensions, where reality is more three dimensional -- trinitarian. It is the reality of regeneration that brings the perspective of the Holy Spirit -- of the Trinity -- to the minds of believers and opens their eyes to God's reality and truth.

In verse 7 Paul said that "not all possess this knowledge," reminding the Corinthians that believers are fundamentally different than nonbelievers. Believers are different than nonbelievers because Christian faith is real. This reality, this difference, is completely unbelievable and unacceptable to the unregenerate. The trinitarian reality is only available to those who are inhabited by the Holy Spirit. "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:23). "Truly, truly, I say to you," said Jesus, "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

And why is this true? Because it is not the flesh that sees or understands the things of God, it is the Holy Spirit. "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:11-13). It is the Holy Spirit who inhabits born again believers, who sees the reality of the trinitarian God of Scripture, not the eyes of the unredeemed flesh.

Thus, Paul wrote, "However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled" (1 Corinthians 8:7). Some of the Corinthian Christians who had formerly been associated with false beliefs and false gods (idols) falsely believed that there was some reality that was associated with the sacrifices and worship activities related to their former religious beliefs, like the consecration of food and holiday (holy day) celebrations. Though they now associated themselves with jesus christ, they had not made a clean break with their former beliefs. They brought many of those former beliefs -- false beliefs and the false worldview of Greek philosophy -- into the Corinthian church.

Consequently, Paul described them as having weak consciences. It is not insignificant that those who had been captured by the categories of Greek thinking were described as having weak consciences, of being morally weak. It is common knowledge that both Greek and Roman societies had little regard for what we understand as biblical morality. The fact that biblical morality was a non-issue to the Romans and Greeks can be seen in Paul's lists of behaviors and character traits that would not be found in the kingdom of God.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the lord jesus christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

The Corinthians knew about the immorality of the Greeks and Romans because many of them were themselves Greeks and Romans. And it was precisely this mindset that was to be abandoned in christ. This was the mindset that Paul described as morally weak and defiled. It was unrighteous, impure, immoral, degenerate, worldly, fleshly, limited, flawed, faulty and wrong. And Paul told them so every chance he could get. "Not all possess this knowledge" (1 Corinthians 8:7), he said. And he meant two things by it: 1) not all people possessed orthodox knowledge of God and Christ, and 2) not all Christians possessed it either. The whole problem in Corinth was that well-meaning Christians had brought their Greek thinking and Roman habits into the Corinthian church with them. This was the problem he was trying to correct.

About the Author

For over 25 years Phillip A. Ross founded http://www.Pilgrim-Platform.org in 1998, which is loaded with information about historic Christianity. His exposition of First Corinthians in 2008 demonstrates the Apostle Paul's fierce opposition to worldly Christianity. Arsy Varsy -- Reclaiming the Gospel in First Corinthians, Ross's book, shows how Paul turned the world upside down.

jesus vampire hunter

The 'new Dark Ages'

The 'New Dark Ages' is a blatant attempt to implicate its followers down the deadly wrong path to un-enlightenment and everlasting perdition. I am quite sure that many adults are completely unaware of all this. Because what I write of is just so 'unbelievable' and/or so totally strange and foreign to most adults, many will think I am exaggerating things to make a more exciting and readable article. Unfortunately, I am not, but I truly wish I were. I call to mind, and would put ‘The New Dark Ages’ into the very same unbelievable and ridiculous category of the last fad our kids were drawn to, called ‘The Choking Game’. After all who would be so dopey as to choke another until they passed out, because of robbing their brain of critical oxygen, just so they would experience a brief, zero cost and drug free ‘high’ upon returning from being passed out-if they returned? However, police departments across the nation have reported far too many participants of this deadly ‘game’. Therefore, as a suggestion please remember that I encourage you to stop reading this article at any time and call the non-emergency line of your local police department to have them validate and confirm all I am revealing to you today. Until parents and other adults in authority understand this ‘new-dark ages’ many teens will be in grave danger and involved in activities that no one of any intellect would recommend.

Fortunately for most, at this time, this problem is more of a big city problem. However, family’s today move around a lot and children from the 'big city' are introducing many 'cool-things' to the local small town kids. Either way, it is best to understand the background and climate that led to this problem and to know what signs to be on the look out for.

The climate that this problem has grown out of is the new double standard with regards to Christians and Christianity. For the rules that apply to many other groups, Jews, Muslim, or Blacks seem to not apply to Christians any longer. We need understand that our children are witnessing a time of 'talking down' Christianity. Popular books and media services are 'exposing' so called hidden secrets and down right lies about our faith. In this climate it isn't so far fetched for someone to claim that they are not a Christian, and that they are against and not supportive of Christianity because Christianity doesn’t support their group. We are beginning to see quite a high level of distasteful rhetoric from the gay community in specific lately. Because Christianity does approve of the ‘gay lifestyle’ various gay groups are now overtly disrespectful of all things Christian. Your teen sees his or her ‘favorite’ actor or actress out-right bashing Christianity because they are either, gay or very liberal, and simply because it’s the new ‘cool’ thing to do in Hollywood. Many local newspapers tend to lean left and are supportive of various subversive lifestyles offended by Christianity's beliefs and so an anti-Christianity disposition comes through whatever they report or don’t report, on purpose. There are many ‘safety-nets’ in place today to prevent any actions or speech to come across as ‘anti-Muslim’. However, it appears to be ‘open season’ for Christian’s and Christianity. I make this point not because my feelings are hurt or I wish for things to be different. No, I make this point in an attempt to explain the polluted climate that ‘The New Dark Ages’ has grown out of.

Another factor aiding this climate is popular publishing houses. Many recent best-selling books are on or have been on the market taunting the claims of undiscovered secrets and purposive lies in Christianities history. As when times are tough and supposed lies are being 'discovered’, it isn't difficult for us to see a, 'rewriting' of historical fact as well as a twisting and replacement of the facts with convoluted misunderstandings and conspiracy theories. Whereas twenty five years ago if someone would have claimed the same, they would have been ‘locked up’ and their mental faculties questioned at great lengths.

It may be a bit cliché however; it has served us all very well up to now. We have always understood the general unwritten ‘rule’ that the guys with the white hats were good guys and the ones in black hats were the bad guys. We understood this basic ‘rule’ that dark or black was bad and light or things of the light were positive. This ‘rule’ came from our Judeo-Christian upbringing and the general comparisons found in our Bible about light and dark. However, today there appears to be so many more shades of grey and things aren’t as ‘cut and dry’ as they used to be. Today because of the various shades of grey, real or not, we are witnessing an almost total reversal of the once general opinion of all things dark and/or black. For an example today our children have witnessed their parents graduate from dopey horoscopes in the daily newspaper to having psychic's tell their fortune and pick out more favorable days for certain family events. These activities were once considered dark and are still an activity for Christians to avoid. Pop culture today has many very popular television shows during prime time, dealing with 'spirits' or ghosts of the dead, who need someone's help in what they call 'crossing-over'. This too was and is still considered dark and not an activity Christians should partake of.

However, in pop culture these dark activities are often seen in a ‘new light’, pun intended, as not so very dark or scary any longer. The younger generation that always seems willing to challenge the older generation’s rules and guidelines can find something that someone is going to take offense to. Therefore, the younger generation that takes offense to the unwillingness of the older generation, to accept things that are dark. This gives the younger generation something to be offended over and something to shake their head over. As you can now see the unwillingness is the issue and not the dark or negative action(s). Just a simple quick twist and the issue is lost in the emotions. I’m sure you now can see that within this type of polluted and ‘cloudy’ climate something dark, something bad, something very bad, could thrive long enough to be a problem, with just a bit of tweaking to the over all 'script' of things. Allow me to now clarify the things of days past with the new twist and tweaking to produce desired results in and with our children.

In our generation, back when we were teens, mostly all of us enjoyed going to the movies and being frightened by some spooky, dopey and completely fictitious monster. Knowing that it was unreal didn’t lose its scariness with most of us. The most frightening and serendipitous of characters for most of us was that of the vampire. There were many others however, the vampire seemed to be the scariest for most of us. A completely fictitious, dark and evil character that took what they wanted without ever asking! This was seen and held to be almost as brash and distasteful and even looked upon as rape. Because vampires 'needed' and wanted blood to drink was even scarier and totally gross to us.

The reason I used the word serendipitous is because today's pop culture is again resurrecting, so to speak, and no pun intended, the character of the vampire, once again. This time though the facts of this character are being deviously twisted, tweaked, convoluted and portrayed completely untrue and different than originally intended in days past. However, because we are talking about a fictitious character, many of us adults don’t find the need to argue the fine points; we state that it just doesn’t matter. Rather, I suggest we need to understand that because of this twisting and/or replacement of the commonly held facts that it truly is important because it is now being done purposely twisted so that once fearful dark and evil characters are simply now more appealing to our children. The why of this in the first place, is because this has lead to many misunderstandings and a reversal of things dark and once considered evil.

If Hollywood can somehow and in someway twist things just a bit, then this bad, evil guy, in the black hat or not, isn’t so bad or evil any longer. Now because he isn’t so evil any longer, he is purposely made to look tough and attractive to the ladies. So then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if one of us wanted to look like him or dress like him, in an attempt to also be popular with the ladies. This twisting and tweaking must happen; because, no one would ever consider emulating such a totally evil character unless they were deranged. Therefore it becomes sort of okay to twist and re-write the character description to a more fitting ‘modern’ one.

This twisting is a bit difficult to completely understand. However, as with most deception, if one takes notice of the results, positive or negative, and then follows those results back to the intension, they can make a determination based on the results. Bad results equal bad intension; Good results equal good intension. Why would Hollywood want to re-write, twist, and tweak an evil character into a ‘not-so-bad’ guy with a lot of good-looking lady friends? Simply because it makes things evil more appealing and acceptable to our impressionable children. Allow me to continue and if you begin to have trouble following, come back and re-read this paragraph again. Let’s apply this understanding to the new twisted character they intend for our children to emulate.

Vampires of the past were held to be evil and inhumanely cannibalistic by just about everyone. Vampires were creepy looking and acting characters. In our day, vampires had to endlessly roam the night looking to drink the blood of their next unwilling victim. Vampires were damned souls destined to roam the earth and to never experience the final resting place of heaven. Additionally, the only thing a vampire really had to fear was the shape of a cross and/or a wooden stake that was to be driven into their heart as they slept in their coffin (uh, gross) during the daytime. Women were not drawn or sexually attracted to vampires, on either side of the big screen. Vampires were not 'sexy' or seen as attractive because they were completely disgusting, gross and evil beasts that slept in coffins! Pretty much a total turn-off for most if not all women. Women would and could fall under the 'spell' of the evil creature of days past; sort of an unwilling hypnotic trance, but surely not because of any sexual attraction was implied or ever existed. Now again follow closely for a moment this is a key point. Yes, even in days long ago, vampires would 'penetrate' the neck of their victims in order to drink their blood; however, there was no sexual connection via the ‘penetration' comparison ever made or understood by anyone in the past. However scary and repulsive vampires were generally held to be completely fictitious and scary only for the purpose of entertainment or until our popcorn ran out.

However fun and innocent vampires were in our day, it can’t be said of our children because of the current plot of deception to mislead our children into accepting all things evil as simply different shades of grey. It is here that the intension becomes clearer as to why anyone would be guilty of twisting and tweaking.

Due to many recent high dollar box-office hits in Hollywood, today’s vampires are portrayed by young and attractive boys. Some would even go as far as to say 'sexy' and sexually appealing movie stars. Now the very suggested sexual analogy of sexual penetration isn't just suggested, it is surely intended and even made crystal clear for those too young to completely understand any off-handed and cloudy analogy. The once dreaded curse of having to wander the earth endlessly isn't considered now, really all that negative. This has been shown in more favorable light and is now almost seen as a good bonus. It is seen as a type of immortality that can’t be achieved by any other means. Today vampires still drink another’s blood however, in the new script they can do it 'less completely' or not as much as in days long gone. Now drinking just a little is sort of okay, after all, we all need to eke out a living somehow. Remember, in days past, when one was bitten by a vampire they too, were then doomed to roam the earth endlessly in search of their next unwilling victim? Today, on the other hand, one can be bitten just a little or can even give permission for another to drink, but only a small amount so that they won't become a full-fledge vampire in the process. This new behavior is almost as similar to 'making out'. Good girls can let it (making-out) go on for a bit, but when things begin to get out of hand, they must be stopped it at once, so as to remain a 'good girl'. Nowadays with 'this new twisted script' for vampires, with ‘sexy’ and attracted actors, and the new fact that one can be bitten just a little, the once fearful vampire has been greatly reduced to just a mischievous young lad.

Because of this reduction, evil beast to more mischievous lad, there isn't as much a need for the once brave and feared 'vampire hunter'. The twisting and tweaking continues with this character; nowadays, the vampire hunter is simply portrayed as a bumbling idiot or by a fallen priest. Gone too are the days when just any old cross would frighten the vampire into a cringe and to a quick flight away. In today’s new twisted script one must now have a strong religious faith as well as a cross to achieve the same results. Do you see how the once all-powerful religious item has been reduced to a product of another’s understanding instead of simply being full of power from God. Gone also are the days when a vampire had to fear the light of day and the fact that they didn't have a reflection in a mirror. In the old days the vampires stayed hidden in their coffin, in some secret room of their house, until there was no possibility of any sunshine shinning on them. Can you now remember the inference of just how bad/evil these characters were? They couldn’t tolerate any of the light and would die if left in the sunlight. Remember the inference to all the Bible stories about light? The story of how things evil and dark feared all things of the light, AKA Jesus the Light of the world? Can you see now the cloudy twists and tweaks with the intension to deceive? Tie all things twisted together to see the hidden intent to deceive. With the promotion of the vampire to mischievous lad; the demotion of the vampire hunter to less than respected idiot or bad priest as well as the facts of vampires being a bit more accepting of the light of day we have one character that our impressionable kid’s can now have empathy for. All one must do is to cultivate empathy a bit and we will get children who wish to emulate as well. What an amazing twist that has the incredible power to make evil more appealing for our kids!

I truly hope you can see my reason to point out the various differences, simply to highlight, uncover and expose for you what I see as and what I will call the ‘hand of Satan’. If not Satan, who then could benefit from such wonderfully powerful twisting and tweaking of evil things to be more appealing to our kids? Surely not God or anything of the Light! Exposing our children to the dark side (evil), a little bit at a time, while changing evil into simply mischievousness makes evil more appealing, or not as affront. Understand that the twisting and tweaking must be subtle and non-descript in order to get pass our adult radar. Surely those with devious intent could not come out on the six-o’clock news and declare that they wanted to make our children more drawn to dark and evil things! Because of how subtle their intent is, one appears to be a religious nut! Now one can accuse me of over-doing things a bit or accuse me of making something wrong out of nothing. I truly wish I was. However, if I were not telling the truth, than why do our children see vampires in a new light; why do they empathize with them and why do they actually wish to emulate them? Allow me to develop this point a bit more for clarity.

Simply put, I hope you can now see the devious twisting and tweaking to make evil more palatable for our children. We all know and believe that a frequent exposure, applied with various twisting and tweaking will callus people to the point where the once strange appears less-than-strange and more ‘normal’ or acceptable. I can almost hear you parents asking out loud as you read this saying, “we are still talking about make-believe here, right”? “This is just a fictional story and characters created to sell tickets for the theatre industry, right”? Yes we are still talking about a once make-believe character; for me and for most, average Christian adults. Our children however, are being manipulated for devious dark and evil reasons. The reason is simply, to make them more accepting of things dark and evil. If this can be done, our children can easily walk away from God and all things of the Light. Or as we have seen a recent rapidly growing trend towards pagan beliefs and actions as well as the practice of ‘white’ witchcraft (also called Wicca) by our youth. So yes folks, we were talking about make-believe for you and me. For our children, we did not know it until recently, but they, our children, are talking about real things taken from our make-believe! The following will prove all that I am saying. If more proof is needed, as I said back when we started, call your local police and hear it directly from them! I tell you honestly, if this were not true, the following activities would not be happening to our children across the country.

In just about every major city today there are rather large groups of youngsters who have bought into the new twisted and tweaked script for vampires, and in doing so many of our kid’s wish to seriously emulate today’s scripted vampire characters, because they are ‘cool’, sexy and all powerful! All attributes our children wish to possess. Yes, that statement is rather difficult to take, however it is so very true to our children!

Now there are varying degrees to all of this. However, I know you couldn’t be one of the few who didn’t notice that our children began dressing and acting rather strange lately, we all brushed it off as some new fad called, Goth or Gothic. Whereas that is partly right, a group of our children equate looking Gothic as looking like a vampire. So now with the want to look as Goth and as a vampire, is to dress in all dark/black clothing and to wear long black top coats. Strong overly done, large buckets on super thick and strong looking combat boots, and things such as coloring their faces pale white with dark sunken eyes and to have black painted finger nails, all in order to look more like a vampire and/or the Gothic characters of today’s screen stars. Multiple body piercing and tattoos go hand-in-hand with this new look to vary degrees of intensities, and those children who would have shunned this type of behavior and dress at one time, are now falling right in step. Unfortunately, we parents in general, sat back and watched it all happen shaking our parental heads at the new fad.

The most extreme of this group are found hanging out in ‘underground’ or ‘secret’ unknown to most parents, Gothic/vampire nightclubs and/or youth centers depending on the age of the kids involved. Out east, police have found ‘secret’ club rooms behind normal corner bars that the locals (adults) didn’t know anything about it. To stir the pot a bit, so to speak, we now even have several Hollywood stars who also dress and act like this and their contribution to the vampire culture is very strange and violent lyrics in their popular songs. Some claim that these stars fuel this new pop culture; others see it as just a passing fad in music and filling a need. Simply because of how ‘cool’, how sexy and how much in control, yet untouchable and powerful the modern immortal vampires are, they now have a new and very serious following... Our teen children in the form of Gothic vampires.

You are now welcomed and even encouraged to call your police and validate everything I wrote here. I know it sounds very strange, bizarre and too difficult to swallow. I also know that I am beginning to sound like a ‘conspiracy theory expert’ and a ‘right-wing’ nut, who sees ‘the devil’ around every corner as well as in the details! However, I merely attempted to provide you with as much of the background and the climate that lead to this, as well as to the over all devious reasons. I truly wish it all was untrue! Your local police can fill you in more and validate what I have stated.

However, before you go, allow me tell you that there are two major groups of Goth/vampire cults. One, unfortunately, do actually drinks each others blood! The fear of Aids or Hepatitis isn’t a real issue for these ‘all powerful vampire kids’. The other group of Gothic/vampires are called ‘psychic energy-vampires’! The extreme group, however small, who actually drink blood, do so by various blood letting rituals found in occult and satanic books. This radical group usually wish to ‘hide out’ or sleep most of the day away and then to come out ‘only at night’ to hang out in local 'secret' Gothic clubs. The other group is a bit less dangerous and do not drink blood but do go around sucking ‘energy’ from people and younger children, so they confess. With both groups and with some of the ‘Goth only’ kids, a good majority of these youths do not want anyone to label them good, Christian or even simply average. No, they would rather we call them evil, Gothic and/or a true vampires. Just about anything in line with son of the devil or Satan's son and wicked would be preferred. As well as the fact that school violence goes hand-in-hand with this vampire/Goth culture so does inverted pentagrams, the number 666 and other occult and Satanic symbols that are used and truly cherished by these youths. The so-called ‘new age’, Wicca or white witchcraft appears to be another on-ramp, not the only way to this Goth/vampire culture due to the amount of pagan practices and beliefs that have infiltrated. Statement such as, the triple goddess as well as the ‘horned’ god of the hunt are phrases tossed around as though the meanings were universal and understood by all.

Your local police will inform you if there are any groups like this in your town or if it hasn’t hit there yet, you can take it as being fore-warned. Lastly, while I am speaking of warnings you need to know that there is one group of male adults predators that hang around these kids. There appears to be many forty and fifty year old males dressing and acting like the most extreme kid’s, in order to be able to be close to the young impressionable girls. Buying alcohol and teaching the younger girls how to be Goth/vampire as well as other activities such as Tantra sex magic (magic spelled with a k) being propagated by these ‘adult’ predators. A popular reality television show recently had a contestant that would fit the description of an adult male in his forties or early fifties, acting and dressing as one of the kid’s in some vampire/Goth cult. He favored dark clothes, body piercing, multiple tattoos and being called evil, wicked and so on. I only point him out as an example. I do not know if he hangs around the kids or not in his home town or is guilty of any propagated actions. However, every town seems to have a large enough group of adult males in very close with the local females. Be on the watch for this type. Their in is ‘just how much they understand while your parents don’t’! Similar enough to the on-line predators that use the same logic to have young girls open up and become victims.

Now, no not all the children dressing and acting in this way are against Jesus, in with the devil and going to cause some sort of school violence. However, it goes a long way to understand the very mass mind set of our children. Yes, to certain extents kids go through various fads that adults find silly. This action and these kids involved in the Goth/vampire culture are not just another passing fad. When these children wish to emulate a once fictitious evil character, simply because many are portrayed as strong and sexy in today’s media something is wrong and needs immediate attention. This is very difficult for many adults to grasp, I understand. It is equally difficult for a parent to empathize and actually comprehend the fact that their very own child wants to look dead, or pale faced with dark sunken eyes. Their child wants to paint their fingernails black and to shun any and all bright and cheery things because they are for ‘losers’. I understand that this article is a rather large morsel for anyone to swallow. However, if we are going to ever offer any help and to pull these kids back into the fold, we must completely understand what we are dealing with. We must also understand the general condition of their soul and their level of true clinical mental depression.

Simply because this is so bizarre and strange, please do not turn away and hide from the facts. It truly doesn’t help you or your child! Don’t allow your children to be involved in all this without you sitting down and having several serious talks. If your child isn’t involved to a dangerous degree, great! If your child is however, take this article re-read it several times until you know what you are talking about and then pull your child back by unconditional love and not ridicule. If this article helps you in any way please pass it around to every adult and authority you know. Information is power and information clothed with sincere concern out of unconditional love can and will bring our children back to their families. God bless you and yours!

About the Author

Theresa Twogood is Executive Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company- http://olin.tk
Denver Colorado-
Visit OLIN'S e-bookstore at http://olinepublishing.com/ebookstore_index.html .

saint knight's tale

King Arthur

King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain. He is the central character in Arthurian legends (known as the Matter of Britain), although there is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever actually existed and in the earliest mentions and Welsh texts he is never given the title "king". Early texts refer to him as dux bellorum ("war leader") and High Medieval Welsh texts often call him amerauder ("emperor"). However, a recent translation of newly discovered documents may have referred to him as a king.

King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain. He is the central character in Arthurian legends (known as the Matter of Britain), although there is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever actually existed and in the earliest mentions and Welsh texts he is never given the title "king". Early texts refer to him as dux bellorum ("war leader") and High Medieval Welsh texts often call him amerauder ("emperor"). However, a recent translation of newly discovered documents may have referred to him as a king.
One school of thought believes Arthur to have lived some time in the late 5th century to early 6th century, to have been of Romano-British origin, and to have fought against the Saxons. His power base was probably in either Wales, Cornwall or the west of what would become England, but controversy over the centre of his power and the extent and kind of power he wielded continues to rage.

History of King Arthur

Some members of this school, most notably Geoffrey Ashe and Fleuriot, have argued for identifying Arthur with one Riothamus, "King of the Brettones", who was active during the reign of the Roman Emperor Anthemius. Unfortunately, Riothamus is a shadowy figure of whom we know little, and scholars are not certain whether the "Brettones" he led were Britons or Bretons.

Other members suggest that Arthur should be identified as one Lucius Artorius Castus, a historical Roman of the 2nd century, whose military exploits in Britain may have been remembered for years afterward.

Another school of thought believes that Arthur is at best a half-forgotten Celtic deity devolved into a personage (citing sometimes a supposed change of the sea-god Lir into King Lear) or a possibly fictive person like Beowulf.

Subscribers to this school of thought argue that another Roman Briton of this period, for example Ambrosius Aurelianus, led the forces battling the Saxons at the battle of Mons Badonicus.
Early History of Arthur

Arthur first appears in Welsh literature. In a surviving early Welsh poem, the Gododdin, (c. 594) the poet Aneirin (c. 535–600) writes of one of his subjects that "he fed black ravens on the ramparts, although he was not Arthur" — but this poem as it currently exists is full of interpolations, and it is not possible to decide if this passage is an interpolation from a later period. Possibly of an earlier date are the following poems attributed to Taliesin: The Chair of the Sovereign — which refers to "Arthur the Blessed" — Preiddeu Annwn ("The Treasures of Heaven") which mentions "the valour of Arthur" and states "we went with Arthur in his splendid labours", and the poem "Journey to Deganwy" which contains the passage "as at the battle of Badon with Arthur, chief giver of feasts, with his tall blades red from the battle which all men remember".

Another early reference to Arthur is in the Historia Britonum, attributed to the Welsh monk Nennius, who is said to have written this compilation of early Welsh history around the year AD 830. In this work Arthur is referred to as a "leader of battles" rather than as a king. Two separate sources within this compilation list twelve battles that he fought, culminating in the battle of Mons Badonicus, where he is said to have single-handedly killed 960 men. According to the Annales Cambriae, Arthur was killed at the Battle of Camlann in 537.

king arthurArthur also appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, a narrative that is usually associated with the Mabinogion. In that work, Culhwch visits his court to seek his help in winning the hand of Olwen. Arthur, who is described as his kinsman, agrees to the request, and fulfills the demands of Olwen's giant father Ysbadden, which includes his hunt for the great boar Twrch Trwth, described at length by the author.

In some of the Welsh biographies of their best-known saints (also called Vitae or the "Life" of a specific saint), Arthur makes a number of appearances: for example, in the Life of Saint Illtud, he is said to be a cousin of that churchman. Many of these appearances portray Arthur as a fierce warrior, and not necessarily as morally impeccable as in later Romances. According to the Life of Saint Gildas, written in the 11th-century by Caradoc of Llancarfan, Arthur killed Gildas' brother Hueil, a pirate on the Isle of Man.

Lifris writes in his Life of Saint Cadoc that Arthur was bettered by Cadoc: Cadoc gave protection to a man who killed three of Arthur's soldiers; Arthur was awarded a herd of cattle from Cadoc as wergeld for his men; Cadoc delivered them as demanded; but when Arthur took possession of the animals, they were transformed into bundles of ferns. The likely original purpose of this story would be to promote popular acceptance of the new Christian faith by "demonstrating" that Cadoc, the Christian leader, had magical powers traditionally ascribed to Druids and of sufficient intensity to outsmart the temporal ruler, Arthur. Similar incidents are described in the late medieval biographies of Carannog, Padern, and Goeznovius.

This may be related to legends where Arthur is depicted as the leader of the Wild Hunt, a folk motif that is also recorded in Brittany, France, and Germany.

Later parts of the Trioedd Ynys Prydein, or Welsh Triads, mention Arthur and locate his court in Celliwig, which is located in Cornwall. Celliwig was identified by older Cornish antiquaries with Callington, but Rachel Bromwich, the latest editor of the Welsh Triads, matched it to Kelly Rounds, a hill fort in the Cornish parish of Egloshayle.
Arthurian romance

In AD 1133, Geoffrey of Monmouth produced a manuscript called the Historia Regum Britanniae. This work was the mediaeval equivalent of a best seller and helped draw the attention of other writers, such as Robert Wace and Layamon who then expanded on the tales of Arthur. One theory as to why this happened is that after the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066 there was renewed interest in the Arthurian Legend as described by Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:

During a period of five hundred years the tradition of his exploits was preserved, and rudely embellished, by the obscure bards of Wales and Armorica, who were odious to the Saxons, and unknown to the rest of mankind. The pride and curiosity of the Norman conquerors prompted them to inquire into the ancient history of Britain; they listened with fond credulity to the tale of Arthur, and eagerly applauded the merit of a prince who had triumphed over the Saxons, their common enemies. [Chapter 38, Footnote 138]

Thus, according to Gibbon, the once obscure 500-year-old Welsh legend went mainstream (through the works of Anglo-Norman poet Wace and others), creating a unified cultural icon under which the Norman rulers and the native Welsh could rally against their common enemy: the Saxons.

While many scholars believe that Geoffrey is the source for medieval interest in Arthur, at least one scholar, Roger S. Loomis, has argued that many of the tales surrounding Arthur actually come from Breton oral traditions, which were spread through the royal and noble courts of Europe by professional storytellers known as jongleurs. The French medieval writer, Chrétien de Troyes, recounted tales from the mythos during the mid-12th century, as did Marie de France in her narrative poems called lais. In any case, the later stories told by these two writers and by many, many others, appear to be independent of what Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote.

In these versions, which gained popularity beginning in the 12th century, Arthur gathered the Knights of the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and others). At his court, most often held at Camelot in the later prose romances, could sometimes be found the wizard Merlin. Arthur's knights engaged in fabulous quests, famously including one for the Holy Grail. Other stories from the Celtic world came to be associated with Arthur, such as the tale of Tristan and Isolde. In the late prose romances the love affair between Arthur's champion, Lancelot, and the Queen, Guinevere, becomes the central reason for the fall of the Arthurian world.

In Robert de Boron's Merlin, later followed by Thomas Malory, Arthur obtained the throne by pulling a sword from a stone and anvil. In this account, this act could not be performed except by "the true king", meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. This sword was presumably the famous Excalibur and the identity is made explicit in the later so-called Vulgate Merlin Continuation. However in what is sometimes called the Post-Vulgate Merlin Excalibur was taken from a hand rising from a lake and given to Arthur sometime after he began to reign by a sorcerous damsel (confused by post-medieval writers with The Lady of the Lake). In this Post-Vulgate version the sword's blade could slice through anything and its sheath made the wearer invincible.

Arthur was a casualty in his last battle, the Battle of Camlann, which he fought against the forces of Mordred. The Prose Lancelot and the later prose cyclic romances state that Mordred was also a Knight of the Round Table and the child of an incestuous union between Arthur and his sister Morgause. In almost all accounts Arthur was said to be mortally wounded, but after the battle he was taken away to Avalon (sometimes identified with Glastonbury in Somerset, England), where his wounds were healed or his body was buried in a chapel. Some texts refer to a return of Arthur in the future.

The Arthurian mythos spread far across the continent. An image of Arthur and his Knights attacking a castle was carved into an archivolt over the north doorway of Modena Cathedral in Italy sometime between 1099 and 1120. A mosaic pavement in the cathedral of Otranto, near Bari also in Italy was made in 1165 with the puzzling depiction of Arturus Rex bearing a sceptre and riding a goat. 15th century merchants set up an Arthurian hall in his honour in Gda?sk, Poland.

Retellings of the Arthurian cycle include the works of Gottfried von Strassburg, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

In 1191, monks of Glastonbury Abbey announced that they had found the burial site of Arthur and Guinevere. Their grave was shown to many people, and the reputed remains were moved to a new tomb in 1278. The tomb was destroyed during the Reformation, and the bones lost. The antiquary John Leland reports that he saw the cross found with the remains, and transcribed its inscription as

Hic iacet sepvltvs inclytvs rex artvrivs in insvla avalonia — "Here is buried the famous king Arthur in the Island of Avalon".
If Leland accurately reproduced the script of this inscription, then it can be dated to the 10th century. At least one scholar has suggested that the cross was added when Arthur's remains were translated to the Abbey.

Historical Armouries manufacturers of authentic historical arms an armour of any Century.

www.historicalarmouries.com

About the Author

Historical Arms and Armour Institute was established a few years ago by a group of dedicated men, who hold to their heart and have great concern towards our rich European culture, especially that of Malta, The Island of the Great Siege of 1565, the island where the era of the Knight was eased out., Amongst others Historical Arms and Armour Institute have Master craftsmen and Master armourers who have been producing functional authentic replicas of Arms and Armour for the past twenty-five years of experience in professional consultancy in all the stages required for manufacturing of Arms and Armour.

easter bike

10 Eggstremely Eggciting Things to do on Your Easter Break in Devon

Devon is without doubt one of the most popular destinations in the UK. This huge county has everything that you could wish for to give you and your family the most fun-filled and exciting Easter breaks in Devon. Why not choose from the following list, or even try all ten?

Family breaks and self-catering accommodation

Self-catering accommodation is the perfect way to plan an Easter break in Devon. It gives you the flexibility to plan your break around your own itinerary and not around hotel timetables or menus. Devon has a huge range of self-catering accommodation available for families of all sizes. From fisherman's cottages on the coast through to large houses that can accommodate family groups of up to 22 people, Devon has every type of self-catering accommodation available. Many providers are dog friendly, so there's no reason to leave the pet at home!

Surfing

The north coast of Devon has some of the best surfing beaches in the UK and with a mild climate and the effects of the Gulf Stream warming the coastal waters, it offers visitors the perfect opportunity to try this exciting sport. The best surfing beaches are also ideal for families with young children, as the waters are shallow and safe for swimming.

Theme parks and Zoos

During an Easter break in Devon the children will need entertainment. Devon has a wealth of theme parks and award winning zoos that all open their doors for the Easter holidays. Even if the weather takes a turn for the worse, there are plenty of indoor attractions to keep everyone of all ages entertained and amused.

South West Coastal Path

If you enjoy hiking, the South West Coastal Path gives walkers the opportunity to explore the entire coastline, both north and south. The wild north coast is lined with dramatic cliffs with spectacular views over the Atlantic, while the south coast is rich in Jurassic history and is designated a World Heritage Site.

Fishing

Devon has some superb rivers, with some of the best salmon and trout fishing in England. If you enjoy offshore fishing, charterboats are available at most of the ports along the coast.

Activity holidays

Easter breaks in Devon are the ideal opportunity to indulge in your favourite outdoor activity. Hundreds of miles of bridlepaths and trails are perfect for mountain-biking fans, the rivers allow ample opportunity for canoeing and kayaking and rock climbing on the moors is always popular.

Romantic breaks

Self-catering accommodation in Devon offers plenty of chances to indulge in a romantic break away this Easter. The stunning countryside is the perfect setting for a romantic walk amongst the bluebells or a stroll along a beach.

Theatres and Concerts

Despite being a primarily rural location, Devon has some superb concert and theatre venues that really come into their own during the Easter break. West End shows and touring theatre productions bring a touch of glamour to an Easter break in Devon (with the benefit of much cheaper ticket prices!) and music of all kinds plays an important part in the culture of the region. Festivals and events are planned throughout the country during Easter, so check what's happening in your area.

City breaks

Devon's county town of Exeter is a mix of ancient culture and modern life, while the naval city of Plymouth is a vibrant and evolving city that is proud of its seafaring heritage. Easter breaks in Devon don't have to be rural - for those who love the bright lights there's plenty of opportunities to enjoy a city break as well.

By the sea

The English Riviera is the perfect location for a traditional, seaside holiday or if you're looking for somewhere off the beaten track there are plenty of secret coves and deserted beaches to discover. If you like being by the sea, Easter breaks in Devon provide plenty of choice for a perfect seaside break.

About the Author

For
Easter Breaks In Devon
visit Coast and Country Cottages

the jesus prayer

The Personal Prayers of Jesus

The records of Jesus' prayers constitute a priceless document of one perfect being expressing himself to another.

Though Jesus must have been involved in prayer all the time, all we have in the Bible is six prayers of Jesus.

There are three kinds of prayers, and we know for sure that the mortal Jesus was involved personally in two of them. The three types of prayers were:

a. Personal prayers, offered by an individual in seclusion.

b. Public prayers, where one person acts as the voice of the group.

c. Set prayers, offered up only in connection with sacred ordinances, such as the ordinances of the temple.

Jesus taught us how to pray in public, and we know that prayer as "the Lords Prayer". "Lead us not into temptation", "Give us today our daily bread", etc, are givaways that it is a public prayer.

There is not one single mention of first person in singular, showing that it is, in deed, a public prayer.

But we will not look at the public prayers of Jesus in this article. We shall look at the two privately uttered prayers that we have in writing.

We do have a couple of private prayers that was uttered in public, but we must consider them as teachings of the crowds, and testaments to the history of man, as much as personal prayers.

The two genuinely personal prayers that we have access to are his intercessory prayer, offered shortly before he entered into the Garden of Gethsemane and his heart-rending plea to his Father that the cup, if possible, would pass him by.

The intercessory prayer we appear to have in its fullness, but Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane must be but a fragment of the entire prayer (remember that there was time enough for the disciples to fall asleep).

Why do we have one prayer from A-Z, and only a fragment of the other prayer? In order to answer that question there is one thing we must realize.

Since Jesus was all alone when he offered up these two prayers, there was no-one present to record them for inclusion in our Scriptures. If no-one was present to record the prayers, how come we still have them today?

In order for us to have access to these two prayers of jesus today, God must have revealed the content of them to someone who was worthy to view these holy moments, and who could be trusted to accurately record the occurrences.

No doubt, this trusted man was a prophet, seer and revelator. This prophet was obviously permitted to view and record the entire intercessory prayer of the Lord, and recorded it to our benefit.

The content of this prayer is doctrinally important, since it declares how the Father and the Son are one, and that every believer can become one in the exact same way.

There is no room for a dissection of the entire prayer in this article, but it can be found in John 17: 1-26.

Whether the prophet who was invited to view the personal prayers of the Master was permitted in his revelation to witness the entire suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane we know not, but it is clear that only a small portion of Jesus' prayer was public domain;

"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt". (Mathew 26:39)

Perhaps the words of the suffering God were so poignant that we could not bare to hear them.

Perhaps such a moment is too sacred to be had among the children of men, who will not shun to make light of the most sacred of things.

Perhaps we should rejoice that the words of that pivotal moment never could become part of "The Life of Brian".

About the Author

Arnold Ahlstrom is a Scripture-Sleuth, which is why he is building the site http://www.jesus-explained.org. He completed his Masters research in Psychology at the University of Lund in Sweden. Figuring out the How's and Why's, and sharing it with others, makes him truly happy.
Read more about the prayers of Jesus at my website which is at http://www.jesus-explained.org/jesus-prayer.html

jesus revolution

We Can Begin the World Again

Jerusalem-On June 26, 2006 this reporter attended a world wide satellite linked Interfaith Peace Conference at Jerusalem's Notre Dame Cathedral. Dan Rather moderated from Washington DC and the Holy Land interfaith panel were all moderates attempting to reclaim the battlefield of ideas from extremists on both sides.

Rev. Theodore Hessburgh, President Emeritus University of Notre Dame began the evening with a pledge and a summons: "The Peace of the world begins in Jerusalem."

Dr. Tsvia Walden, Board of Director of the Peres Center and Geneva Initiative stated, "There is a need for a third party in the negotiations that could enable both sides to trust each other. There are more people in this region interested in making concessions, they all want peace so desperately."

The Coordinator of World Bank emergency services to the Palastinian Authority, Rania Kharma commented, "We all need to be the bridges to our leaders that justice, equality, and human rights will bring peace. Give people justice and they will reward you with peace."

Sheik Imad Falouiji warned, "Religions must go back to their origins. God commands us to love each other and live together. This Holy Land was given to all people. This land is on fire. There is an occupation that musty be removed. The language of peace cannot succeed without justice for all."

President Bush in his second inaugural address promised, "In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without liberty…. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand or liberty we will stand with you."

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Riah Abu Assal affirmed, "Peace is an act. Blessed are the peacemakers not the peace talkers. Peace is possible in the Holy Land. The root cause for the lack of peace since 1967 is the occupation. For peace to make progress in the Middle East we need to deal with the root cause…Religion was not meant to bring death. All those involved in searching for peace should commit themselves to work for justice and truth."

On November 1, 2006, Jeff Halper, American Israeli, Founder and Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions/ICAHD and a 2006 Noble Peace Prize nominee informed this reporter:

"It has been said that the Israeli's do not love this land, they just want to possess it. There have been three stages to make this occupation permanent. The first was to establish the facts on the ground; the settlements. There are a quater of a million Israeli's and four million Palestinians here. They have been forced into bantusan; trunkated mini states; prison states. It is apartheid and Bush and Hillary are both willing collaborators. In 1977, Sharon came in with a mandate, money and resources to make the Israeli presence in the West Bank irreversible. The second stage began in April 2004 when America approved the Apartheid/Convergence/Realignment Plan and eight settlement blocs. This is just like South Africa!

"The Bush Sharon letter exchange guaranteed that the USA considers the settlements non-negotiable. The Convergence Plan and The Wall create the borders and that is what defines bantusans. Congress ratified the Bush plan and only Senator Byrd of West Virginia voted no and nine House Representatives."

With the turnover in Congress the words of Tom Paine come to mind, for in solidarity "we have it in our power to begin the world again."

The gospel of jesus christ can become relevant in the 21st century if all who claim to be Christian's follow his philosophy. Thomas Jefferson weeded out the miracle stories from the gospels and clarified the teachings of Christ in "The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" which clarify what Christ was really all about:

To be just and justice comes from virtue which comes from the heart. To treat people the way we want to be treated. To always work for PEACEFUL resolutions, even to the point of returning violence with COMPASSION. To not judge others and bear no grudges, and those who think they know the most are the most ignorant.

"Soon after I had published the pamphlet "Common Sense" [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion. The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."-Tom Paine

Christ's other name is "The Prince of Peace" and he walked and preached the good news that God is within all people. To truly follow Christ means one will rise up, [in Arabic the word is "intifada"] for the oppressed, the outcast, the widow, the orphan, the poor, the prisoner and refugees. Christ taught that we are to pursue justice, and justice is the only way to security and peace.

The Christian population of the Holy Land has decreased from 20% of the total population to less than 1.3% since 1948. 90% of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land never even meet any Palestinian Christians; thus they are known as The Forgotten Faithful.

Prior to 1948, 70% of West Jerusalem was Palestinian. From '48 to '67, Jerusalem was divided into Israeli West Jerusalem and Palestinian East under Jordan's control. When Israel captured and occupied the West Bank in 1967, the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem were also redefined. Israel annexed the greater Jerusalem area but did not 'adopt' the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem as Israeli citizens.

Today, Palestinians living in Jerusalem are classified differently from those in the West Bank. They are called permanent residents, they can vote in local elections but not in Israeli national elections. Most do not bother to vote as a statement against the occupation.

Today, West Jerusalem in nearly 100% Jewish. The Palestinians in East Jerusalem pay the same taxes as those on the West side, but receive only 8% of the total municipal budget. Orthodox Jews pay no taxes. Palestinians make up 1/3 of the total Jerusalem population, but pay over 40% of the taxes. One is immediately aware when one walks from the East to the West that one is truly in two different worlds. On the West side of town there are many parks, the roads and streets are well maintained and sanitation pick up is predictable. Twenty-six of the thirty-one City Council members of Jerusalem are Orthodox Jews. The East side of Jerusalem resembles the lower east side of New York.

While the Israeli government considers Jerusalem the capitol of Israel no foreign country does. There are no international embassies in Jerusalem, except for a fundamentalist International Christian Zionist one.

The Wall that was begun after the Second Intifada/Rise Up, has expanded the municipal boundaries established in 1967 and the Israeli settlements/colonies are growing unabated.

According to International Law all the settlements are illegal and the world is silent. In the 1930's Ben Gurion said that the settlements will define the boundaries of Israel.

In 1973, Ariel Sharon told Winston Churchill III, "We'll make a pastrami sandwich of them. We'll insert a strip of Jewish settlement, in between the Palestinians, then another strip of Jewish settlement, right across the West Bank, so that in 25 years time, neither the United Nations, nor the United States, nobody, will be able to tear it apart."

But all things are possible and miracles do occur.

God has always spoken through Jewish prophets and Jeff Halper is one. On November 1, 2006 he informed this reporter, "Israel has set up a matrix of control; a thick web of settlements guaranteed to make the occupation permanent by establishing facts on the ground. Israel denies there is an occupation, so everything is reduced to terrorism. It is our job to insist upon the human rights issue, for occupied people have International Law on their side."

While International Law guarantees the rights of the occupied to rise up with violence against their occupiers. But, prophetic organizations such as ICAHD, Anarchist's Against the Wall, International Solidarity Movement and Sabeel all promote Creative Nonviolence.

Jeff stated, "When Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan, the East side was 6 sq. km. Since 1967, Israel has added 64 km. The West side was 38 sq. km until '67 and is now 108 sq. km's. Israel plans to develop 17 settlements. Israeli policy is to maintain a 72% Jewish and 28% Arab population. Palestinians cannot get building permits to build upon their legally owned land. The Arab land has been re-zoned as green space, and the green space will be re-zoned for the settlements.

"Every single Palestinian home in Jerusalem has a demolition order. The entire West Bank has been zoned as agricultural land by Israel, and that will also be re-zoned again for more settlements.

"It has been said that the Israeli's do not love this land, they just want to possess it. There have been three stages to make this occupation permanent. The first was to establish the facts on the ground; the settlements. There are a quater of a million Israeli's and four million Palestinians here. They have been forced into bantusans; trunkated mini states; prison states. It is apartheid and Bush and Hillary are both willing collaborators. In 1977, Sharon came in with a mandate, money and resources to make the Israeli presence in the West Bank irreversible. The second stage began in April 2004 when America approved the Apartheid/Convergence/Realignment Plan and eight settlement blocs. This is just like South Africa! The Bush Sharon letter exchange guaranteed that the USA considers the settlements non-negotiable. The Convergence Plan and The Wall create the borders and that is what defines bantusans.Congress ratified the Bush plan and only Senator Byrd of West Virginia voted no and nine House Representatives."

Orwellian doublespeak has also been employed in the USA to turn the illegal colonies into "neighborhoods". A new highway has already begun to link all the settlements. The Eastern Ring Road will have bridges for Israelis but is just another wall against the Palestinians. The settlements-and all settlements are considered illegal under international law- will ring around the Old City of Jerusalem.

Jeff concluded with, "I don't just have a political problem with this Judiaization of the Old City, it is ecologically and environmentally offensive."

I add it also is spiritually impoverished. The raping and pillaging of what is claimed holy ground refutes and denies the biblical meaning of dominion. The ancients understood dominion meant to nurture, love and protect and the destruction of Palestinian homes, the stealing of their legal property, their water is an abomination.

On May 14, 1948 The Declaration of the establishment of Israel stated:

"One the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations."

"What does God require? He has already told you o'man! Be just, be merciful and humble."-Micah 6:8

"The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people."-Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis

The "fierce urgency of now"-Rev. MLK, Jr should compel we the people of the United States to rise up and demand Congress hold President Bush to the promise in his Second Inaugural Address:

"In the long run, there is no justice without FREEDOM. There can be no human rights without LIBERTY. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for liberty, we stand with you."

The "war on terror" must be fought at the root and all roads lead to Jerusalem.

About the Author

Eileen is a retired RN, activist, author, poet, reporter and editor for the WAWA Blog:

http://www.wearewideawake.org

She has been to the Occupied Palestinian Territories four times since June 2005.

christmas carol song list

Free Christmas Scrapbook Checklist

So here is a FREE checklist to help you gather memories for your Christmas 2007 scrapbook. Free download attachment.

http://selfhelpresources.bravehost.com/shr7.html

Print the page one each side, front and back so the one sheet can be tacked to the refrigerator or another convenient place. Here are some tips to keep in mind for your checklist that you can use for your scrapbook.

CUT/PURCHASE TREE: Take pictures and make notes of where, when, how and what kind of tree was used for Christmas. Was the tree bought or was it cut down? Did the kids pick out the tree? What was the date and weather conditions that day? How was the tree transported home? Take pictures of all these steps.

DECORATE TREE: Take pictures as the tree is getting set up, who was there and who all helped in the decorating and trimming. Take pictures of the tree top ornament and who is hanging it. Decorating the tree is a special event for all especially when it is completed and the lights go on for the first time.

INSIDE/OUTSIDE DECORATING: Don’t forget to get pictures of your outside light displays and any inside areas that have been decorated. When the family goes for the annual Christmas Eve drive to view the Christmas lights displays around town, take the camera for more pictures and journal the event as to all who went for the ride.

SANTA CLAUS PARADE: Journal and take pictures of the children at this event. The pictures of the floats etc and the crowds make great colourful memories.

FAMILY TRADITIONS: Journal and take pictures of all the family traditions. For example, the Christmas Eve storybook that is read to the children every Christmas Eve. The family movie that is watched together on the evening of Christmas day. The annual Christmas baking and menu preparations. Journal the trip up and down the streets singing Christmas Carols, which songs were sung and who all was singing.

LETTERS/NOTES/LISTS TO SANTA: Keep copies of letters to Santa and or any notes or Christmas wish lists as memorabilia for the scrapbook. Children love to write to Santa.

CHRISTMAS EVE: Take pictures of family gatherings, the tree and stocking, the milk and cookies left for Santa and one last picture at the end of the night with just the glow of the Christmas tree lights. Sneak a picture of the children sleeping in their beds. Have the camera ready for Christmas morning.

CHRISTMAS MORNING: Grab as many pictures as possible before the paper flies and then take individual pictures with favorite gifts. Take a picture of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ cleanup. Take a picture of the family breakfast.

CHRISTMAS VISITING/VISTORS: Take notes and pictures of all visitors to your home and all family and friends that were visited. Try to include all names and for family or relatives, create names on a ‘family tree’ type scrapbook page.

CHRISTMAS CARDS/NEWSLETTER: Include in the scrapbook all Christmas cards and all Christmas newsletters. Family pictures in Christmas cards are great for this section.

CHRISTMAS PICTURES/PORTRAITS: Take pictures of children sitting on Santa’s lap. Include here formal and professional family portraits and don’t forget the pets.

Use the CHRISTMAS PLANNER as well to help you record and journal more information for your scrapbooking pleasures as it carries even more details along with the ones above.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!!!!!

About the Author

Dorothy Krusky was born in Guelph, Ontario in 1956. As a child she enjoyed playing games and going on adventures. Coming from a large family there was always material readily available.
She dabbled in the various areas of education her most proud moment was when she received her high school diploma in her mid forties. She went on to further her education in Creative Writing and Computer studies.
Her love of animals, nature and people has allowed her to express herself through her poetry. She enjoys writing for children. The Christmas Cat written in 2005 is her first book that has won many rave reviews.
She resides in the small community of Hanmer, Ontario where one can often find her immersed in her writing.

st. peter's in the vatican

Wedding at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan?

I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not I could walk to Pachelbel's Canon. I know the church limits weddings to a list of specific songs, and the Canon isn't on the list. But, do you think that with a a greater donation to the church that they will allow it? I mean, I know that St. Mark's in Venice and St. Peter's in Vatican City both allow it.

Hi. Well, I don't attend that church, but almost every Catholic wedding I go to has that as the processional. It is very, very common and very beautiful! I can't see why they would NOT allow it.

childrens easter dresses

The Fun of Fancy Dress

As children most people wanted to become fantastic characters or heroic figures from television, the movies or favorite stories. Just because someone has “grown up” however, does not mean that they must abandon the joy of fancy dress and costumes.

Today there is an enormous amount of business around fancy dress and costumes for events that take place year round. Though the Halloween season is probably the time of year with the heaviest demand for ensembles, accessories and props, there are many other reasons that people don a disguise.

Among the most popular costumes are those of historic and famous individuals, from Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, to Marie Antoinette and Robin Hood, people love to pretend they are their idols or heroes.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when choosing their fancy dress gear is to forget about props and makeup. Slipping into a white billowy dress and a platinum blonde wig might let people know you are “supposed” to be Marilyn Monroe, but an individual can really “wow” friends and family when they seek out the correct makeup and jewelry as well as appropriate shoes and other items that will complete the look.

Wearing fancy dress doesn’t mean becoming someone else at all, some people will wear fancy dress for special or silly occasions, such as a hen party where the guests might sport feather boas, sequined caps and flashing badges indicating their status as a “vamp”, “flirt” or innocent “bride to be”.

Children love fancy dress gear as well, and there are many items for their birthday parties and other events that will really add an element of fun to the occasion. Young girls will love such “princess” or “fairy” items as wings, wands and beaded head bands, while boys might enjoy gear from professional trades like a fire fighter or policeman.

There are also a great many accessories and fancy dress items for holidays like Christmas, Easter and St. Patrick’s Day, when people attend parties and special public events, and a good vendor will have an ample supply of items like badges, glasses, hats and other props that can add fun to an all ready entertaining occasion.

Fancy dress and costumes do not have to “break the bank” they can serve to simply accessorize an outfit, or they can be the entire outfit on their own, the key is to remember that they are supposed to be fun, safe and comfortable, and those are the best things to remember when shopping for them.

About the Author

Party-Shop.ie offers a wide range of fancy dresses and fancy dress accessories. Whether you are dressing up for a party, holiday or just for fun you can find fancy dress costumes at http://www.party-shop.ie/fancy-dress-costumes-c-214.html.