Efforts Of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan For Public Library Legislation And Service- A Review

Dr. Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan was a visionary who realized the importance of library legislation for the promotion and development of library movement in India. He was a far-sighted person fully devoted to the cause of library and information science. He was fully aware regarding the role of libraries in the enhancement of education in any society. He understood the impact of educational advancement for the development of country and the effectiveness and utility of libraries to promote education.

In 1924, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan visited a number of public libraries during his stay in United Kingdom. These visits enabled him to study the system, functioning, funding and services of various libraries. As a consequence he was convinced that library legislation alone would provide a systematic, well-knit and efficient public library service. Since public libraries are informal agencies of education, therefore it is obligatory for a welfare state to provide, maintain and develop a network of public libraries to meet the needs of the masses. A public library being essential a peoples' institution is to be maintained out of public funds, which have to be collected most equitably. Only the government has got the power and authority to impose and collect taxes through legal sanction, hence library legislation is essential to collect the library cess. Thus it is apparent that it is imperative for the government to enact library legislation for the establishment and smooth functioning of a network of public libraries to cater to the educational needs of the general public.

Dr. S. R. Ranganathan was the first person in India who ever thought about the need for library legislation in 1925 after returning to India from England. He drafted a 'Model Library Act' and presented it for discussion at the First All Asia Educational Conference, which was held in Banaras on 27-30 December 1930. The participants of the conference were fully convinced with the advantages of draft legislation and the views of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan. This 'Model Library Act' was published by the Madras Library Association during the year 1936. He later on amended the draft Act twice- once in 1957 and again in 1972. This Model Library Act was introduced in the shape of Bill in the Madras Assembly in 1933, through Mr. Basher Ahmed Sayeed, the member of the Assembly an enthusiast of public library system.

Salient features of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan's Model Library Act are: -

Except the Kerala Public Libraries Act, 1989, all the Acts, which have passed in India during the years 1948 to 1990, have the influenced of Model Public Libraries Act drafted by Dr. S. R. Ranganathan.

Dr. S. R. Ranganathan made persistent efforts for getting the library Acts passed by various States in India and dreamt of having it a land of libraries. He prepared a number of Model Bills for various States. Following is a list of them: -

He also prepared a Model Union Library Bill in 1948 and redrafted it in 1957.

India got the first Public Library Act through the ceaseless efforts of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan. For the first time the Public Library Act was passed by the Madras Legislature in 1948. There is an interesting story behind the success of getting the Library Bill enacted in the third attempt in 1946 although the two attempts made earlier had failed. The first attempt was made by Janab Basher Ahmed Sayeed when he introduced the Bill in Madras Legislature in 1933 but it could not get through as the Madras Legislature was dissolved in 1935. A second attempt was made in 1938 but later on the World War-II began and the Bill could not be adopted. In 1946, Mr. Avinashalingam Chettiar, who was an old student of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, became the Education Minister in Madras State. One day, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan took a copy of the Model Library Act and went to meet the Minister at his house after his usual morning walk. The Minister was surprised to see his "Guru" early in the morning and enquired about the purpose of his visit. Dr. S. R. Ranganathan replied that he came to demand his "Gurudakshina". When the Minister promised to offer the same, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan gave a copy of Model Act and expressed his wish to have it enacted into a law during his tenure as Minister. Mr. Avinashalingam Chettiar piloted the Bill and got it enacted in 1948.

Sir Winston Churchill, His Life and Nobel Prize

Do you know in what area Sir Winston Churchill got the Nobel Prize in 1953? Churchill had very diverse talents. He was an amateur painter, had great literary skills and provided an active and significant contribution as a leader in politics and later as prime minister and minister of defence for UK.

Winston Churchill was born in 1874 in UK. After education and brief serving at the army, he became a conservative member of parliament in 1900, just at the age of 26. For three decades, he served in many high posts both in Liberal and Conservative governments.

In May 1940, he became the prime minister and minister of defence and continued in this position until 1945. In 1951 he again became prime minister until he took retirement in 1955.

Churchill was a gifted painter but he remained amateur in this area. Giving an account of his painting hobby, he wrote the book 'painting as a pastime' in 1948. He also wrote an autobiographical account about his childhood - 'My early life' in 1930.

Churchill had great literary and speaking talent. His radio broadcasts were inspirational during the world war. During his early years, his campaign reports were the first literary pieces.

His first and only Novel 'Savrola' was published in 1900. Later he wrote the biography of his father, Lord Randolph Churchill. His another biography about the life of his great ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough became quite famous. It ran into four volumes and was published between 1933 and 1938.

Churchill also wrote the history of first world war under the title 'The World Crisis' in four volumes and his memories of second world war in six volumes. Churchill wrote 'The history of the English speaking peoples' in four volumes after his retirement.

Winston Churchill was nominated for Nobel Prize in 1953 for both peace and Literature. Many people think he was awarded Nobel Prize in Peace, however he actually got the award for Literature.

The Nobel citation states that Churchill's award is "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values".

Each of his works was like a magnum opus and his fluent oratory skills were visible both in his writing as well as in his speech and influenced many across the world. He was called the man of the twentieth century by historians.

Winston Churchill was famous for his wit and repartee, which were quite natural and spontaneous and here is one example:

Sir, If you were my husband, I would give you poison.

Churchill: 'If I were your husband, I would take it'.

Demon Possession - How to Cast Out Devils

Jesus gave us power over all of the power of the enemy to break demon power and set the captives free (Luke 10:17-21).

I have extensive experience dealing with demon possession, mind renewal, inward transformation, and helping confused individuals become integrated and congruent. The anointing of the Holy Spirit enables me to move in the supernatural power of God to break demonic influences destroying human beings. The truths I am about to teach you, I have personally proven and applied to impact people on every continent.

It is first needful to understand the weapons of our spiritual warfare by which demon power is stopped in its maneuvering. The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God (2Corinthians 10:4). We must remember that our sufficiency is of God and not of ourselves (2Corinthians 3:5). Here are some weapons of our warfare by which we stop the devil from devouring us.

1.The Name of Jesus - (Luke 10:17-19)

2.The blood of Jesus - (Exodus 12:13; Hebrews 9:14; 11:4)

3.The Holy Spirit and His gifts -- (Matthew 12:28; 1Corinth.12:7-11)

4.The Word of God - (Matthew 4:10; 8:16; Ephesians 6:17)

5.Praise and worship - (Psalm 8:2; 22:3; 1Samuel 16:23)

6.Prayer -- (Daniel 10:10-13; Ephesians 6:18)

7.Spanking and discipline - (Proverbs 22:15; 23:13-14)

If you or anyone you know needs deliverance from demonic spirits, but cannot get to a man or woman of God to pray for and lay hands on them; here are some steps for self-deliverance and how to stay free from demonic influences.

Self-deliverance

8.Get unforgiveness out of your heart - (Matthew 6:15; 18:33-35)

9.Pray for your enemies and yourself - (Job 42:10; Isaiah 52:1-3)

10.Repent of sin that opened the door to demonic influences (Eph.4:27; 1Jn.1:9)

11.Invite Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior acknowledging His death, burial and

resurrection (Rom.10:8-13; 8:9; Eph.1:12-13)

12.Associate with godly people who fervently love Jesus (Heb.10:25; Prov.13:20)

Jesus told his disciples to cast out devils (Mark 3:13-15; 16:15-20), but we have created denominations. Man-made tradition and doctrines nullify the Word of God and keep people spiritually powerless (Matthew 15:3,9; 22:29; Mark 7:13).

Orlando Wedding Minister - Central Florida and Beyond

Weddings are a family affair that you want to give an extra bit of special tender love and care to. That being said, when you select a wedding minister to officiate the ceremony, you want someone who is sensitive to people.

Nowadays people who have no ministerial training are officiating weddings. A notary may have a degree of legality, but certainly no spirituality or platform presence. As a worldwide professional speaker who has for over 15 years been speaking across the globe, I have heard and seen a lot. I can't tell you often I hear sad stories of special days gone awry when an unprofessional person officiated a ceremony.

Considering the thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands, spent for the perfect dream wedding; you would think the family would be diligent to hire a wedding minister to bring it all together and officiate their daughter's marriage. To my surprise this is often where people pinch pennies the most and reap a lifetime full of disappointment.

You can't repeat a wedding ceremony. It is very hurtful to watch your wedding on video and see in performed improperly and without heart. A rigid and frigid ceremony isn't what you want when your daughter gets married.

Nevertheless when families don't attend church and have no access to a minister, it can be tough to figure out how to secure an officiant you can trust. Sadly Pastors often seem bound to their buildings and rarely stray away to officiate a ceremony outdoors or in a more elaborate setting.

As a native Floridian, I truly love my state and know some amazing places I myself enjoy visiting. It's a pity more Pastors don't perform their own congregation member's ceremonies outdoors in some of these exciting venues. I guess when time is limited and needs countless, there is only so much a Pastor can do.

As for me however I prefer to be extraordinary rather than ordinary. The moments that we most remember and reminisce about throughout our lives are those where we personally indulged and did something different.

Live your dreams and beware of the enemy called average.

5 Ways to Minister to Your Preteen Sunday School Students

Preteens, or "tweens," are at sort of a crossroads in their lives. The alarming fact is that they are exposed to so much more than we were at that age. Evil influences are everywhere, and wrong behavior is often glorified by their peers. More than ever, we need to make our ministry life-changing and relevant to their lives. Many of us only have about an hour Sunday morning to do this. Here are some suggestions to help you get started

1. Know them by name.

This might sound obvious, but our church is very large, with approximately one thousand people in attendance every Sunday. My Sunday school class averages twelve to fourteen children each week, but they're not always the same kids. And I only see them for that hour. So I have to make a special effort to remember their names, first and last. Nothing makes a person feel less important than when you don't know his or her name.

2. Spend time chatting with them before class starts.

As the students are arriving and you are waiting to start the lesson, sit and talk with them. Try to say something to each student, even if it is brief. Ask them how their week went, how school was, if anything special happened during the week. It's not hard to draw them out, especially the preteen age - or any age for that matter. Kids love to talk about what's going on. They need to know you care about them.

3. Correct gently.

There are always going to be children who are noisy, rowdy, or even undisciplined. Try to deal with them in such a way as to not discourage them from coming to Sunday school. Don't yell at them or speak rudely to them. You are the role model. If one child is disrupting so much that the other children are not being able to learn, it is more serious. Of course, the child can't be allowed to hit or hurt the other children if he or she is aggressive.

You might try talking to your pastor or children's director about the problem. You could start asking parents to take turns sitting in on class to help out. Make sure that the problem student's parent is one of the first ones to come in. Pray a lot about this. You don't want to lose the child who is the discipline problem, or any of the other students either.

4. Make your lessons interesting and engaging.

Preteens get bored very quickly, and they don't hesitate to let you know. Mix things up a bit. Make sure to include Bible stories, real-life stories applying the lesson for kids their age, skits, games, and crafts.

5. Pray for them every day.

This is so important. You may be the only person in the world who is praying for them. Make a list of your students and pray for each one by name, including any special needs or situations that you happen to know about in their lives. Pray also that they will have hearts to receive God's instruction, that they will accept Christ, and live godly lives. Pray for them to resist all of the evil influences that abound today.

Preteens are in a unique age of life. Keep a pleasant, kindly attitude towards them. Let them know you enjoy being with them. Remember that our actions speak louder than our words. Reap the benefits of serving the Lord in this important ministry.

Motivational Story - Amazing Effects of Positive Thinking

One day, there was a kingdom that was ruled by an emperor. He was assisted by the prime minister to help him managing the kingdom. The prime minister was also an adviser and a close friend of the emperor because the emperor always asked for his advice or opinion about something, and he always accompanied the emperor hunting in the forest. One of the emperor's favorite hobbies was hunting rabbits. The prime minister had a unique characteristic. He was so positive in every situation that happened to them. Whenever he was asked by his emperor about his opinion, his answer was only one - 'it's good.'

When it's raining and the emperor asked for the prime minister's opinion about that, he answered, "it is good, my emperor. We will not feel hot, we are protected from the dryness and the plants will fertilely grow."

When it's hot, no rain fell down and the emperor asked him, he answered, "it's good, my emperor. If it is not raining, emperor can go to the forest for hunting some rabbits."

Whenever the prime minister was asked by the emperor, his answer was always good, good, good, good and good. Sometimes the emperor was a little disappointed with the prime minister's answer. The prime minister believed that everything was good and there were always positive sides behind something that was happening.

One day, the emperor accidentally cut his finger that made him lost his little finger. And as usual, the prime minister said, "it's good." And the emperor was in great anger and hatred. The prime minister was sent to the prison because he said it was good even if the emperor had lost his little finger. The emperor felt that his prime minister had been impolite and insulted him.

One day, he wanted to go hunting. Because the prime minister was in the prison, he decided to go alone into the forest to hunt some rabbits. He was out of luck because he had not yet found the rabbit. But he did not give up and kept walking and searching. When the day reached dusk, the emperor could not find the way home because he had walked too far. He lost in the forest. He shouted loudly if there was someone hearing his voice. After a while, a group of men came toward the emperor. However, they looked strange, they brought spears, looked like primitive men. Then they raised their spears targeted to him and because the emperor could not fight with all of them alone, he surrendered when they caught, bound and subsequently brought him away. He was brought into village, a primitive village where they lived in. they gathered sticks and put them around the emperor. The emperor knew that he would be burned down by fire. He was sorrowful because he realized he would die that way. Suddenly, one of the primitive paid attention to his hand and realized that one of his fingers had been lost. The primitive man began to shout in loud voice and told others. The others were scared about that. The primitive man said that someone who had incomplete hand fingers was a demon and that would curse them bad. After a long conversation, they eventually set him free and let him away from their village.

The emperor ran at his highest speed to get out of the fearful village. Fortunately he could find the way to his palace and was finally safe. With the exhaustion striking him, he went to the prison and told the guard to free the prime minister. He was so sorry and apologized to the prime minister. The emperor then told him what he had experienced a few moments ago in the primitive village. He realized that if he did not lose his little finger, maybe he had been burned and dead. He knew it was good losing his little finger because he had been saved by his incomplete fingers.

When the prime minister was asked about his opinion when he was sent to the prison, he answered with his favorite words, "it's very very good, my emperor. If I was not in the prison, I perhaps would go hunting with you and we both would be caught by the primitive men. Because I had complete finger, I would be burned down and died. I'm so lucky and my life is saved by the emperor sending me to the prison. Thanks a lot, my emperor."

Message for readers:

Everyday, every hour, every minute and every second, something happens. Everything always change, no matter it is good or bad one. We believe that we have ever experienced either something good or bad in our own life. If what is coming to us is good, we will be glad and face this world confidently. We will have positive thinking when something good happens. And when something bad is coming to us, we will behave differently. We will have negative thinking, feeling, emotion or whatsoever and we will probably face this world worse. We know that we or everybody in this world must have had something bad striking us. Nobody has never experienced something bad in their life. However, we must know and realize that when we're in bad feeling, emotion, mood, or thinking, it will not help us overcoming the problem and also the problem we are facing will not go away from us. We must think clearly that it is far better to have positive thinking than to have negative thinking when the problem is coming to us. By having positive thinking, we will face the world better, we will be happier, we will think clearly and wisely, and eventually we will find the way to solve that problem. When we are ruled by our negative thinking, we will be in more problems and everything is not going to be better. You now have choice for positive or negative thinking. You are fully responsible for your own life.

There is a law of universe that is called law of opposite. This law states that everything in this world always has two sides oppositely. So we can say that for every negative or bad thing, there will be positive or good thing, Bad-good, sad-happy, poor-wealthy, failure-success, positive-negative, etc. Nobody can break this law. This law works for everything and everyone in this universe. All we can do is doing the best we can in response to what happens to us. Remember, what happens to us will not make differences, but our attitude in response to what happens to us will make huge change to our life. We give the meaning of what is happening to us. We can respond it in positive or negative way. Once again, it depends on you to decide what your attitude is to something that is happening to you. Everything has no meaning until you give it the meaning either good or bad. It's better to delete all of negative things from your mind. Always be positive and you will see the changes in your life and realize that it will make your life easier.

Interview for "Growing Up Pentecostal" Author J. Stephen Conn

Today we are talking with J. Stephen Conn, ordained Protestant minister and award winning author of the new highly acclaimed memoir, “Growing up Pentecostal.” Welcome to Reader Views J. Stephen.

Juanita: Thanks for joining us today Stephen. Your book “Growing up Pentecostal” has recently been released. Please give us a little background into your memoir.

J. Stephen: For many years there have been books out about growing up Catholic, Jewish, Amish, Fundamentalist, etc. But until now there has not been such a book for Pentecostals. I felt I was uniquely qualified to write it for two reasons. First, I grew up in the home of the General Overseer (CEO) of the Church of God, the world’s oldest Pentecostal denomination. This gave me an insider’s view of the church, both locally and globally, even as a child. Secondly, after spending more than 30 years as a Pentecostal minister, I was ordained in a mainline Protestant church and now consider myself a post-Pentecostal. This helps me to write with no hidden agenda to either criticize or defend the Pentecostal faith.

Juanita: What inspired you to write your book at this time?

J. Stephen: I have been planning to write this book and have collected materials for at least 20 years. Having recently retired, I felt the time was ripe. Enough years have passed since my involvement in the Pentecostal church to give me a good perspective. Also, 2006 marks the centennial of the Azusa Street Revival, generally regarded as the birth of modern-day Pentecostalism. It has been by far the fastest growing religious movement of the past century. My story focuses on growing up in the 1950s and early 1960s, the midway point. Much has been written about the earliest days of the Pentecostal movement, and new books are constantly coming out about Pentecostalism in the present day, but there are relatively few written records of the movement in the crucial transitional period of the mid-20th century.

Juanita: Why did Pentecostalism go through such a dramatic transition during the mid-20th century, and what can we learn by exploring this transition period?

J. Stephen: Until the early 1960s, Pentecostalism was confined almost entirely to the Classical Pentecostal denominations such as Church of God, Assemblies of God and Pentecostal Holiness. We felt we had exclusive access to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Charismatic renewal, in both mainline Protestant churches and the Catholic Church, changed all of that. Today there are millions of Spirit-filled Christians (Charismatics) who are Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, etc. You might say that the Classical Pentecostals learned that they did not have an exclusive franchise on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This has forced those of the Holiness/Pentecostal tradition to rethink their former stand on some of their isolationist and legalistic attitudes. With only a few exceptions, the Classical Pentecostal churches have moderated their standards to reflect the new reality that God pours out His Spirit on whomever He chooses.

Juanita: Tell us about the life altering born-again experience you had at age seven.

J. Stephen: I experienced very few if any lifestyle changes as a born-again seven-year-old. Other than “original sin,” I had nothing to repent of, except for one lie I had told my first grade teacher. However, my new birth was life altering in the sense that all Evangelical Christians speak of their lives in terms of before and after the moment they accepted Jesus as their Saviour. That’s why I call my conversion – somewhat tongue in cheek – the turning point of my life.

Juanita: Through your ministry, you traveled throughout this country and to many others. How did these experiences contribute to the passion of your faith?

J. Stephen: Travel, which included meeting and visiting with people from many different religious traditions, broadened my faith. I mention in the Afterword of my book that I have been an ordained minister in three different denominations – two of them Pentecostal. People have often asked me if my theology changed over the years to cause me to leave one church and affiliate with another. I answer that my theology has not changed so much as it has expanded. I have discovered that God is much bigger than any one church body. The God I knew as a child lived in a tiny box. The better I get to know Him, the more I realize that God is far greater than my finite mind can comprehend.

Juanita: Can you elaborate a little further on how your discoveries led you to change your realization of God?

J. Stephen: Throughout my life, God has had a way of constantly surprising me. Every time I have thought I had Him figured out, He has shown me in some way that He was bigger than my theology. For example, in my book I tell how I was taught from childhood that a person who wore shorts or smoked tobacco could not be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then I met an Episcopalian who wore shorts, smoked a pipe, and also spoke in tongues and prayed for the sick to be healed, just like a Pentecostal. God has stepped outside my box like that a thousand times. Romans 11:34 asks the rhetorical question, “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been His counselor?”

Juanita: How has the Pentecostal religion changed since the days you remember from your childhood?

J. Stephen: It is well documented that Pentecostalism grew out of the Wesleyan Holiness movement, which gave birth to the Methodist church. Historically, most Pentecostals were Holiness first and then Pentecostal. As Holiness people the early Pentecostals often expressed their beliefs in the negative, defining their faith by the long list of things they did not do. We were extremely legalistic in our dress and behavioral codes. There are still many pockets of that kind of legalism, but today most Pentecostals are more positive and less rigid than they were when I was young. Also, many of today’s Pentecostals are more inclusive and accepting of other Christians.

Juanita: In the changing times that we live in, there seems to be a huge shift towards spirituality as opposed to religion. Do you think the power of fundamentalist religion is fading in light of the new spirituality movement?

J. Stephen: Fundamentalist religion is still very strong. Many Fundamentalists have minds like concrete – all mixed up and firmly set. To me there is no person who is more to be pitied than one who sincerely believes that he and his little group alone know God’s truth, and that everyone outside their group is lost and doomed to Hell. However, I do have a sense that far more people today are willing to question old beliefs and explore new ideas than was the case a generation or two ago.

Juanita: As a child, how did you deal with the ridicule from outsiders regarding your faith?

J. Stephen: I definitely thought of myself as part of a despised minority group, but I took it all in stride. On one level, I was even proud of it. To be “persecuted for righteousness sake” was considered a sign of God’s approval, and a guarantee of eternal blessings in Heaven.

Juanita: What were your happiest times when you were growing up Pentecostal?

J. Stephen: There were many happy times. First, I greatly enjoyed being part of a large family of twelve children. Stories of adventures with my siblings add a lot of spice and humor to my book. Although I speak truthfully about my uneasy relationship with a Father who was a very stern disciplinarian, I still felt very much loved.

On a broader level, the thing I enjoyed most about being a Pentecostal was the sense of belonging. As long as I was a true believer, and fully adhered to the church’s teachings and practices without question, I found myself embraced as part of a wonderful caring community.

Unfortunately, whether a person is Pentecostal or a part of any other fundamentalist sect, once he or she openly questions the faith or dares waver from the accepted practices, that person is often ostracized and shunned. I’ve seen this happen not only to Pentecostals, but also to those in many other religious groups, from Amish to Mormon.

Juanita: Did you ever wonder as a child what it may have been like growing up under different circumstances?

J. Stephen: Yes, I thought of that often – maybe too much. It especially concerned me in high school that I had friends from so many different denominations who were good people, but they sincerely thought I was lost and going to Hell because I didn’t belong to their particular church. Sadly, I felt the same about them. I was a true believer in the Pentecostal faith, but often wondered whether it was because of genuine conviction or due to my upbringing. I go into some detail about my search for true religion in chapter 19 of the book, “Banana Box Religion.”

Juanita: With all of the experiences you’ve had, and the long history of exploring theology, what does your faith look like today?

J. Stephen: I would say that my faith is strong, but my understanding is very limited. When I was 21, I felt I knew most of the answers. Now, at the age of 61, my faith can be boiled down to this: I believe there is one God, who for his own reasons, chooses to remain a mystery to the finite human mind. I also believe that He is a loving God, who watches over his children and orders our steps. However, He sees our lives in an eternal dimension, which is beyond our ability to fully comprehend.

Juanita: What do you miss the most from the old days of the mid-twentieth century?

J. Stephen: I miss the simpler life. I grew up without television, and rarely watch it today because TV is such a waste of time. We children were creative in our play and had adventures that most of today’s youth miss.

Juanita: Why do you think the world is a much more complicated place that it was back in the days of your childhood?

J. Stephen: Modern technology has changed everything, and much of it for the better. The first book I wrote, in the 1970s, was on an old manual typewriter. This one was composed on a word processor. I don’t want to go back. With modern technology, faster, more efficient transportation, etc. people in the 21st century have a greater ability than they once did to do either good or evil.

Juanita: What is the feedback from your other family members upon reading your book?

J. Stephen: My siblings have enjoyed reading the childhood adventures of which they were such an important part, and are glad that I have preserved a record of those times. Frankly, some feel I have revealed more family secrets than they would have if they had written the book. I tried to be honest but not critical.

Juanita: There is quite a bit of humor in “Growing up Pentecostal,” and I have heard that is a part of your distinct storytelling style. Please give us a little insight into your unique quality of perception.

J. Stephen: I suppose a good sense of humor comes with my gene pool. My parents, especially Dad, had a great sense of humor, and my Grandfather Conn had a reputation as one of the best storytellers in Atlanta, Georgia during his day. I consider my ability to see the funny side of things, and even to laugh at myself, one of the best gifts God has given me.

Juanita: That is a tremendous gift that is eloquently displayed in your book. Who would enjoy reading “Growing up Pentecostal”?

J. Stephen: “Growing up Pentecostal” is definitely not for Pentecostals only. The first three people to review the book have all been non-Pentecostals, and each of them has said the book is very interesting – even eye-opening – and an enjoyable read to a person of any religion, or no religion at all. Besides the Pentecostal part, there are many great stories of our large family. Those who enjoy nostalgia and memoirs will find a lot to interest them. Also, I have already received numerous calls and emails from people who grew up Pentecostal or in similar churches. They especially relate to the book and have thanked me for also telling “their” story.

Juanita: You have written a heart-felt, honest, and humorous look at the transition time of a major religion in this country. What would you like your readers to take with them after reading your “Growing up Pentecostal?”

J. Stephen: I had two audiences in mind when I wrote the book. One group is those who either are or have been Pentecostal. Many of these have already told me that the book was therapeutic for them because they have suffered under the abuses of legalism. My other audience is those who know little of Classical Pentecostalism, including my own grandchildren. I wanted to leave a record with them of the way things were. Hopefully it will help them better understand their ancestors, and appreciate more the life that they now have.

Juanita: Please tell your readers of your other endeavors and how they may contact you.

J. Stephen: I am recently retired from full-time pastoral ministry and am now devoting much of my energies to writing. I also still enjoy guest-speaking as the opportunities arise. My website is [http://www.growinguppentecostal.com], and readers may contact me at jstephenconn@yahoo.com.

Juanita: Thank you for joining us today J. Stephen. You have certainly opened our eyes to an aspect of religious history through your personal journey. Do you have any last thoughts for your readers?

J. Stephen: Thank you, Juanita. I’ve enjoyed the interview.

I am not a sociologist, a theologian or a historian, but a storyteller, although I endeavor to make my stories historically accurate. I have written with the perspective of a former insider who is no longer active in the Pentecostal church, although I still maintain many close ties to Pentecostal family and friends. My goal has been to simply tell, as honestly as possible, the story of how it was to grow up in that tradition in the mid-20th century. Some say they have received insight or inspiration from my book, and that is very gratifying. Whatever else readers may gain, I hope they also enjoy a fascinating story.

Biker Wedding Vows

If you are into leather and bikes you can have the wedding of your dreams, and never worry about what anyone has to say about it. You can wear white leather, black leather or even red leather - to make your dreams come to. Your wedding day is all about stating your wedding vows. Creating a spectacular show of your love for one another, and telling everyone else, you know about your love for each other. Your wedding vows are going to be the most important part of your wedding, and you can make them special using our tips and ideas for biker wedding vows.

Biker wedding vows are going to be based on love. Sure you love your bike, and you love your soon to be spouse, maybe you want to be married on your bikes, but you still have to find the words that are just right for how the two of your feel together.

The minister will be dressed in black, standing in front of the two you as you gaze into each other's eyes. You should be able to look at each other seriously and say I love you, no matter who is there in front of you. While you are not going to just say I love you, you need to find ways to express your love, in a language that the two of you understand.

Here is an original saying you might want to try:

I love you more than my hog. I love you more than the wind whipping through my hair, but never ask me to take back seat while you drive, and we will be happy forever. I will love you and take you anywhere we can ride on two wheels, please take my heart and drive with me.

You have seen me at my worst, as my Harley failed me, but you brought me back to life, as we brought her back to ride again. As we take our vows of marriage, I vow to love you as much as I love my leather, and to ride you as much as I do my bike.

For the bride, you might like a few softer words to express the many things that you feel. Being a biker doesn't mean you can't express your love on this special day.

I love my leather, and I love the way that I can snuggle up with you on the Harley, I want to share those many sunsets from everywhere in the world we will travel, but I only want to share them with you. I love you, and the way that we fit together as we ride seamlessly through the sunshine in the early morning. I want to ride with you every morning for the rest of our lives.

Being with you, holding you tightly as you take the turns tightly, I can feel a connection with you, with your spirit, and I love that feeling. I want to hold you forever, riding off down any highway we come to. Our marriage and love will take us through any weather, and it makes me very happy to now become your wife.

How Mauritian Tourism Copes With the Depreciation of Euro

A high level "Economic Intelligence Unit" will soon be operational within the Ministry of Tourism. This was announced at the 37th Annual General Meeting of the "Association of Hotels and Restaurants In Mauritius" (AHRIM) on the evening of 24th June 24, 2010.

The Tourism Minister has described that the new economic unit will work in his department as "the econometric of tourism". The high level "Economic Intelligence Unit will be operated by a staff of world-class professional and experienced in economic and tourism.

The Economic Intelligence Unit, of his department will play an important role in achieving the aim of the government. Their tactic is to identify measures that could make the tourism industry and recreation become a wider segment of the population in the medium and long term. This unit will connect between the tourist operators, the Bank of Mauritius and the Ministry of Finance.

It is required to search right to the least details at the rankings and indices in terms of tourist arrivals and competitiveness, to see if Maurice has a capacity to improve its rankings. The Tourism Minister has also said that the aim of his ministry is to boost the reputation of the country internationally. The Economic Intelligence Unit is working closely with industry to see how the process is going on.

According to the Minister, Europe remains the main market of Mauritius. He reminds us that the European customer represents approximately 70% of the tourist market of the island. Instead of resorting to emergency measures such as depreciation or devaluation of the rupee to cope with the crisis of the euro, they must find solutions to long-term growth and secure the sustainability of the tourism sector.

Apart from the creation of the Economic Intelligence Unit, ministry of tourism launches an intensive campaign in September 2010 on European markets, particularly the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and the peripheral markets in Europe. Mauritius will partner with marked events such as the Festival de Cannes, the Cartier Polo International and Royal Ascot. Moreover, tourism potentials of the Middle East, India and China are also exploited.

But also there is a potential strategy of considering the islands of the Indian Ocean through the combined stay in Mauritius which now is looked upon as the hub. The cost of airline tickets with Air Mauritius will be more attractive and partnerships with other airlines will be negotiated. The Ministry of Tourism will also engage in the popular project entitled "Maurice Ile Durable".

The minister of tourism has boldly declared that the government of Mauritius is using economic crisis as an opportunity to bounce. The government dares to approach every situation with a bold attitude, innovative and resilient. It also expected that the new Board of Directors of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) will be appointed on 1 July 2010, and that the stimulus package as setup by the Ministry of finance will be reviewed.

In the evening of that day, AHRIM introduced the members of their new board for 2010-2011. Tommy Wong gave way to Jean-Jacques Vallet to the presidency of the association. Eynaud Francis will assume the position of Vice President and Patrice Hardy, the treasurer of AHRIM. Jean-Jacques Vallet told that during his reign as president, he wanted to focus on two points. First, the image of the destination which, has been tarnished by drastic reductions of tariffs in general due to the crisis and in response to requirements of tour operators and the market. Secondly, the tourism development which is the backbone of Mauritian economy and which supports thousands of jobs direct and indirect.

The Korean Way

In the 1970's, a certain Korean visited the Philippines. He was amazed and envious on what he saw. He prayed, "Lord, please make Korea as green as the Philippines." A couple of decades passed and a certain Filipino was invited to Korea for a visit at a prayer mountain there. On their way to the site, they passed through the green fields and forests. He was astounded and cannot help it but to compare. He then prayed, "Lord, please make the Philippines as green as Korea."

Funny but it is a painful reality. But would you believe that Korea was not that progressive then as they are right now? They actually passed through a long learning process. And the people behind were not the prominent figures of society, but the ordinary ones. These people had asked what they could do for their country, not what their country could do for them.

In World War II, Japanese Imperial Army ransacked both their natural resources and national treasures. Their food crops and forest products were seized by Japanese soldiers. Years passed after the devastating effects of World War II, civil war erupted. Korea wage war with itself. Later on, it was divided into North and South.

As South Korea was recovering from the ravages of war, an ordinary citizen made an extra ordinary contribution to its struggling economy via innovative farming. His style is unbounded from traditional to one of the most effective at that era. With the support of his family and workers, harvests multiplied. In just a matter of years, his success and method were being followed. He became an inspiration and later on inspired the head of state. He was even recognized by political figures. Later on, a law was passed urging other Korean farmers to follow his footsteps. Other Korean leaders then were inspired and saw the potentials in turning agriculture as a backbone of their struggling economy. They have developed it as their stepping stone to what they are right now, and they succeeded. The farming style was named, "Canaan farming." And a farming school was even established out of it. The man behind was an ordinary farmer-entrepreneur who started from scratch. His name is Kim Yong-Ki. This serves as proof that even sweet potato could change the course of history, if we are determined.

This ordinary man's achievement later on inspired Japan and other countries. In 1966, one of Philippines most prolific and prestigious award giving bodies has recognized his contributions. He was a "Ramon Magsaysay awardee for Public Service." The Board of Trustees recognized his example of Christian principles practically applied to improve agriculture and imbued rural life with new joy and dignity.

KIM YONG-KI is a son of ordinary farmer parents, Kim Choon Kyo and Kim Kong Yoon. He was born on September 5, 1908 at Nungnai-ri, Wabu-myun, a rural community of Yangjoo County, Kyoungi Province, in the central area of the Korean Peninsula. His father had attended a Presbyterian school and his mother was a devout, practical Christian. Kim was the fourth among 5 sons. Kim's childhood was very normal yet well read and was tasked to help his parents in the field. The vision of rejuvenating Korean rural life led Kim to establish Canaan. It started on his youth days.

He was 23 when he inherited from his father a small farm in Bongan, Kyoungi, not far from his parental home. His faith, good example and hard work had influenced for a better change the plight of the common man in farming. The farm was a wasteland so he elected to plant sweet potatoes because they would grow in poor soil and under any climatic conditions in Korea. His determination and practical approach had produced perhaps the best sweet potato and an outstanding farmers in Korea.

In the previous year KIM had married Kim Bong Hi, who became his partner in the enterprise. First, the idealistic young husband sent his bride, who had received only a primary education, to Seoul for further schooling. Living was never easy but there was satisfaction for the family in the produce of their labor. The KIMs' three sons and two daughters, like their father, began as small children to share in the family work.

After seven years of experimentation, KIM developed a method for storing sweet potatoes for 12 months which highly trained Japanese farmers had failed to do. The achievement called him to the attention of Japanese officials and the secretary to the Japanese Governor of Korea paid a visit to his farm. This success confirmed his decision to be a "studying farmer." Since then he has continuously experimented to increase production and up-grade field crops, vegetables, fruits, and livestock, and better preserve and store produce. The Bongan farm flourished in the 15 years from 1930 to 1945.With his desire for an expansion, Kim sold the Bongan farm in 1945 and reinvent everything. He bought in Koyang County of Kyoungi Province another piece of wasteland where he established an entirely new settlement. In it he established not just a farm but a community with school was for farmers.

KIM and his family are the core faculty of the Canaan Farmer's School, working from four in the morning until 10 in the evening. But they also invited well experienced and specialist lecturers. And in just a matter of four years, less than 2,000 men and women have trained. The school has revolutionized farming then on their area and made new breed of farmers with openness to new ideas. Of course, they learned the basic planting and raising of field crops, vegetables, fruit trees, strawberries, bees, rabbits, goats, cattle and much else. Self esteem and contentment was also uplifted among farmers. The sense of nearness to God and nature that this allows; these they have carried with them to other villages.

It was in the 1950s that KIM moved to Yongin County where he led in creation of the Farmer's Evangelical Folk High School. After five years he could leave this institution to the management of associates and move on to found the Canaan farm and school. Kim has literally influenced the spiritual awakening of farmers in Korea on that era.In just a span of five years, KIM sold the Koyang farm and again "ventured for victory" on a piece of mountain land in Yong-in County of Kyoungi. It became the core of a third "model" village. There KIM organized an Evangelical Farming Institute and a Farmers' Evangelical Junior School. But this farm was again sold after three years to intimate friends in the community who are not farmers but have continued the Evangelical Junior School using KIM's principles.

Later Kim purchased in 1954 the 10,000 pyung plot known as "Whangsan," or "Wasted Hill." (roughly three and one-half hectares). KIM wanted now to be near the capital so that more people would see what could be done with unproductive land. It was located only some 40 minutes by local bus from Seoul, near the southeast boundary of the city in the administrative district of Pungsan Ri.He was finally recognized by the Korean government in 1960. He received the Cultural Award from the Minister of Public Information and the following year a citation from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

In 1962 he received three letters of appreciation from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, from the National Reconstruction Movement Kyoungi Branch, and from the Minister of Public Information, as well as a citation from the Governor of Kyoungi Province. The Chief of Staff of the Korean Air Force addressed a citation to KIM on June 26, 1964 and earlier invited him to lecture before a group of officers and enlisted men. His audience was so enthusiastic that similar lectures were arranged at every airbase and the Air Force sent enlisted men to Canaan Farm for training. In 1965 KIM received a third commendation from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Government officials have asked KIM what they could do to help but he refuses assistance: "Please do not make any disturbance," he requests, "that is the best way to help me."KIM's success symbolizes the hope of all Korean farmers, and perhaps even in other nation. He has proven to himself that even a waste land can turn out to be your dream land. But what amazes me is that in spite of his attained status, he never forgotten where he came. His success is also the uplifting of other farmers below him. His motivation is to serve his fellow farmers. "His Christian devotion and patriotic zeal are the source of abundant inspiration to all Koreans," as the title of his book suggests, he has shown to Korean farmers 'the way to a true living'."

Joel Osteen and the Law of Attraction

Joel Osteen may be the best known minister in the United States at this moment. With best-selling books and a church that has a weekly attendance of somewhere around 30,000 as well as being syndicated on television, he has reached a pinnacle of success and influence that very few people can.

Even if you are not religious, you can still get something from his weekly sermons. One of the things that he dose a little differently than the ministers of old is that he preaches principles of success to his congregation. And he is an example of success himself. Although he does not refer to the law of attraction by name, he refers to the principles behind the law of attraction in his sermons.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE REAL LAW OF ATTRACTION...

As I have already mentioned, he is an example of success himself. At a young age, he took over the duties of minister after his father died. After the death of his father, he took over the duties of minister to the congregation with no prior experience or training. Despite the odds going against him, he was able to grow his church into the largest in the U.S.

The law of attraction works when we get ready to take action. Had Joel Osteen waited until he felt he was ready, he probably would not have grown his church the way that he has and he probably would not also be a best-selling author as well. Many people feel that they have to wait and wait and wait for the law of attraction to work.

That is not the case. You can get up and take action with the faith and belief that you are ready and eventually things will fall into place. But, they will not fall until you are willing to take action!

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Wedding Officiants

Tracking down a wedding officiant can be a little intimidating. Perhaps you remember a time when it was hard to get one if you weren't among the "regularly churched"! But times have changed, and hiring an officiant for your wedding is now standard procedure.

Basically, brides-to-be find themselves in one of two camps: Either they have a regular church and a favorite minister, who might be a longstanding family friend, or they need to find one through word-of-mouth or web sites.

The latter situation often costs more, but allows for a lot of flexibility. Depending on your tastes and faiths, you can often find a judge, a Catholic priest to marry you outdoors, a Rabbi to officiate at an interfaith wedding, a non-denominational officiant who encourages you to write your own vows, and so on.

How to find officiants
A good national directory for finding Catholic officiants is www.rentapriest.com.

If you're stuck for ideas, try asking vendors. Your florist or caterer is probably well acquainted with local options.

Another excellent way to find officiants is to visit a large wedding forum, like The Knot, and post on boards for your local geographic area. You can often get an idea of the flavor, preparedness, flexibility and even appearance of a popular local officiant.

When should you book an officiant?
Some officiants book early. If you're really particular about whom you want to do the service and can't budge on the date, try to book more than six months in advance. Some couples book a year ahead.

How much do officiants charge? A minister at your own church may not charge anything at all, but may accept donations. In that case, a $100-200 donation is about average. Ask the minister yourself if there's any doubt.

An officiant you engage yourself will set his or her own rates. Rates generally range from $250-600, but some well-known officiants may charge more.

Do we send an invitation?
By custom, you invite your officiant to your rehearsal dinner as a guest. You also invite the officiant and his or her spouse to your reception with a formal invitation, just like other guests. Unless the officiant is an old family friend, he or she may decline to stay, but an invitation is proper. You aren't expected to invite the officiant's children.

Can you use a friend as an officiant?
It's done all the time, and can make weddings very personal. A father, mother, or the friend who introduced you can make for an amazing event. Be sure to pick someone comfortable speaking in front of large crowds, and brush up on your state's laws and licensing requirements. Here's a good site to begin your research:

www.northernway.org/marriagelaws.html

Your chosen friend or family member can become ordained "instantly and online" at the Universal Life Church, which in some areas will enable them to perform legal weddings. Again, be sure of your state's laws. Many times, ministers ordained by ULC will also have to register in their state and obtain a license before they can practice. Call your local county clerk for clarification.

Universal Life Church: www.ulc.org

Do I meet with the officiant before or after booking, and what should I expect at the meeting?
Ideally, an officiant will allow a "getting to know you" meeting before you book them, though not all will. Most at least offer telephone interviews, which helps you see how they fit with your personal style.

During your first meeting, the officiant will typically tell you about his or her background, discuss the logistics, bring up any premarital counseling requirements, ask some questions about your personal history, and show you a sample ceremony script. This is a good time to discuss special unification ceremonies or personal vows, bring up interfaith issues, and learn whether your officiant plans to attend your rehearsal.

The Frequency of Federal Elections in Australia

Within three years since the first meeting the Australia's new parliament is held the federal election. This means that the life of any parliament since 1945 is just 2 and half years. Traditionally, the general elections will be held by the time the Governor-General, appointed by the Queen of Great Britain, agrees to the request of the incumbent Prime Minister regarding the exact date of the election.

Since 1901 when the federation was first founded, the governing parliament will only be changed after five years of service to the people of Australia, however, the length of term of every parliament varied greatly as the years passed. Mostly, the length of term is based on the status quo of the country. During the war, the interests for politics have decreased considerably considering the fact that the state and the federal government cannot afford to change leaders in the midst of the crisis caused by war.

The political party which led a coalition and had the record of having the longest hold is the Liberal Party which has 23 years, from 1949 to 1972. This, too, had great reasons why it happened.

Before the World War I, there were times that a governing party lasted only for about a year, but when the Second World War ended in 1945, there have been 7 changes that happened to the Parliament of Australia. When stability was regained in Australia, new politicians came up to take a lead for the country under the sovereignty of the Queen Elizabeth II. And it was only then that the state and the federal governments made the length of every term consistent until now.

During the election, all citizens have the right to choose the person whom they believe and think would be a great help for the country. Australian are more concerned about their country considering the fact that their country is one of the most progressive countries in the 20th and 21st centuries. Its economic status is far way too good when compared with the surrounding countries. Thus, they cannot afford to put someone in position that cannot help country.

A person over 18 years of age is obliged to vote both for the state and the federal governments. Should he fails to do so, he will be subject to fines or even prosecution for not exercising his right to help Australia have good leaders. For them, having really good leaders is one way to easily make their lives easier.

This year, Australia will have to choose its new Prime Minister during the Federal Election in August. It is one of the most important times in Australia wherein freedom will be manifested and exercised by everyone. The 2010 Australian Federal Election will also be a great fight between the incumbent PM Julia Gillard and the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Who Are America's False Prophets? Satire

[This article first appeared May 14, 2008. It was last updated Oct. 15, 2011. Updates are often, but not always, in brackets.]

God sealed prophecy. He plainly stated that He did in the books of Daniel and Revelation. If we believe that God tells the truth, we must also believe that prophecy is sealed.

And yet every minister on earth seems to have claimed that he understands prophecy. We are left to wonder why ministers are compelled to contradict God on this point. There must be some overwhelming need ministers have to make their claims.

Look at me, Mamma!

Early experiences formed the personalities of ministers. In this, we are all the same. We wanted our mother's attention and for her to adore our antics. Some children did anything to get their mother's attention.

Some people continued to demand their mother's attention after they grew up. Some ministers still have a need to be the center of attention. Their mothers have turned into congregations and television audiences.

Televangelists think that their entertainment is so important that it is worth billions of dollars from their audiences.

In order to validate the worthiness of their television programs, hosts invite prophecy ministers who claim to have divinely given prophecy that will dazzle audiences. But, we already know that God sealed prophecy, so whatever the minister has to say is just more theory. But, the prophecy minister tries to convince the audience that he is a really special person who has an in with God. He has an in with God like he had an in with his adoring mamma.

Make a living- find a hook

So, what compels such a minister to claim that he has a special in with God so that God gives prophetic revelations ONLY to him?

One answer is that ministers need to make a living. Income of ministers is determined by donations and book sells. A minister that is just entering the religious industry might decide he could make a good living as a special man to whom God gave prophetic understanding. Special prophetic understanding would be his hook. In advertising terminology, he would be using a main selling point for a target market.

Retread Prophecy

A minister that decides to make a living using the prophecy hook needs special revealed prophecy to dazzle potential donors with.

So, he reads everyone else's books and literature and plagiarizes their revelations. Remember that Adam and Eve stole the forbidden fruit? To this day, Satan's followers steal forbidden fruit.

Amazingly, the plagiarizing minister uses the same old unsealed prophecy that have been used and reused in America's religious community for over a hundred years. He retreads a worn out old tire.

Sometime in the 1800's a Protestant minister created a prophetic scenario that eventually became the standard belief of the religious community. Upon closer examination, we found that the scenario that the Protestant minister created was actually plagiarized from earlier ministers.

The scenario went something like this:

Europe is Babylon. The Beast will be a man who is in the bloodline of the last Roman Caesar. A future Pope will be the False Prophet.

This basic scenario has been adjusted as time passed. Prophecy ministers have created new versions down through time. In the 1950's a popular version was that Germany would be the leading nation in a group of ten. These would be the ten toes (nations) of Babylon and the Beast would be a Furor type leader. The Mark of the Beast would be a tattoo like those given to holocaust victims. But, that version failed because there was never a group of ten nations. There are still adherents to that failed version because they want so much to believe in the leaders that gave that new revelation to them.

With the advent of computers and scanners, the Mark of the Beast was upgraded to a computer chip inserted into a person's right hand.

You can see how ministers altered subjects of prophecy in order to appeal to the latest public fear.

Protestants of the 1800's were still smarting form persecutions and inquisitions inflicted upon them by Rome, so they were receptive to the idea that a Pope at Rome would be the False Prophet. And, Rome was a continuation of Babylon, so it all made sense to people of that time. But, it wasn't the truth from God.

A minister who is hoping to make a living in prophecy has no need for truth. He simply needs an exciting theory that appeals to his audience and brings in donations and results in high book sells. He need only update the classic scenario that originated in the 1800's in order to have an exciting new revelation.

After WWI and WWII, people were terrified of Germany. That was when prophecy ministers conveniently make the Beast a German leader.

The classic scenario has been very saleable, so nobody has altered it that much.

The challenge for new prophecy ministers is to alter the classic scenario just enough to where they can claim it is a new revelation that God gave to them in particular because they are so special.

Look at me Mamma: I went to Heaven!

Some prophecy ministers can get away with less complicated claims of special revelation. It depends on the minister's target audience. One minister who has a folksy way of speaking claimed that God took him on a tour of the City of God in Heaven. The man perfected a version of Red Skelton's Klem Kadiddlehopper and his audience loved his performance. He said that he saw streets of gold, etc. His audience ate it up and ordered his book.

More thoughtful Bible students know that the Book of Revelation is written with symbolic imagery. For example Jesus was the Lamb of God. But, he was not literally a four-legged lamb. And, the City of God does not have golden streets. The verse about golden streets is allegorical and it means that people will be wise (pearls) and walk in righteousness (walk on gold).

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as if it were transparent glass. (Revelation 21:21)

Anyway, the minister was claiming to be so special that God took him to Heaven. If God thought the man was special, the audience ought to agree, buy his book and make donations to him.

At what point does a minister become a predator/worshipper of Beast?

Personally, I do not believe that entertainment by prophecy ministers on religious television programs is worth a tenth of a person's income. But they certainly think their performances are worth it.

At what point does a minister say to himself: This charade has gone far enough and I can no longer claim to understand prophecy?

One has to ask if some prophecy ministers actually believe in God? Surely they know that God sees their scam. Wouldn't their consciences bother them? The only way their consciences would not bother them is when they do not believe in God anyway. Evidently, many a minister is a closet atheist.

These ministers are examples of worshipers of the Beast. They have made a conscious decision to prey on God's sheep like wolves.

Only the Two Witnesses of God are end-time prophets

When we read the Bible we see that only three prophets are mentioned in the end-time. They are Elijah and the Two Witnesses. Actually, Elijah was not a prophet in the sense he told about the end-times. He prophesied about local events. For example, he told a king that a battle would be to his advantage.

In contrast, God's Two Witnesses are prophets like Daniel and John. Daniel and John continue their work through God's Two Witnesses in a metaphorical sense. I say this because both Daniel and John were to finish prophesying in the end time.

The point is that the only two humans to have had prophecy unsealed to them are God's Two Witnesses. God speaks through prophets and there are no other prophets mentioned in the Bible.

In other words, prophecy ministers who claim to have revelations from God have NOT had revelations from God. They are religious predators. They have lie to us. Their motives can only be evil.

We look for ONLY the Two Witnesses of God to unseal prophecy for us.

Look at me Mamma: I'm Elijah!

Some ministers have gone so far as to proclaim that they are the end-time Elijah. This is what happens when people live in closed Church environments. They lose touch with reality. This same phenomenon can be observed with entertainers. When an individual is surrounded with yes men he does not have a realistic self-image. The movie, Sunset Boulevard, illustrates this phenomenon.

Some delusional ministers claim to be Elijah on the basis of their efforts to promote family values. Remember that Elijah was to return the hearts of the fathers to the children?

I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children. (Malachi 4:5-6)

Ministers have misinterpreted this because they don't read or don't understand the Bible. Elijah was a violent man who personally killed hundreds of government leaders. He overthrew his national rulers because they were taking the nation in a direction opposed to the principles of the founding fathers. A thousand government people met bloody deaths because of Elijah.

Now ask yourself, what modern minister is like Elijah? Has any minister overthrown governments and had a thousand government leaders imprisoned and/or executed by firing squad? We know of ONLY one modern day religious leader who did this very thing and he certainly wasn't a Protestant minister. This religious leader is the only option for the real end-time Elijah.

In 1991, Pope John Paul II overthrew the antichrist governments of the Soviet Union. Thousands of Marxist leaders were imprisoned. An undisclosed number were shot to death by firing squad. So, that Pope is the only plausible consideration for Elijah. Any minister who dares to compare his insignificant work to that of Pope John Paul is truly delusional.

Look at us, Mamma: we're the Two Witnesses!

Because egotistical ministers have found it so easy to claim to be Elijah, they probably would like to claim to be one of God's Two Witnesses. Their dilemma is that God's Two Witnesses breathe fire (Rev. 11:5). Because this is impossible for ministers, they shy away from this claim. Ministers do not comprehend that prophecy often uses symbolic imagery that is not literal.

An interpretation of this verse could be: When God's Two Witnesses gave the true meaning of prophecy, ministers that had claimed to understand prophecy were really burned up about it. (Revelation 11:5)

King James Version: And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeded out of their mouths, and devoured their enemies... (Revelation 11:5)

Also, God's Two Witnesses are murdered and their deaths could be gruesome. So, ministers don't really want to be in any pain if they can avoid it. They can make plenty of money without going there.

At the same time, prophecy ministers are instinctively hostile toward the real Two Witnesses. The Two Witnesses will truly unseal prophecy. This could severely damage the income and glory of prophecy ministers because their followers might stop buying books and making donations.

The best a prophecy minister could do is to plagiarize the prophetic understanding that was given by God to His Two Witnesses. After all, the minister had stolen all his material from others anyway. So, why not steal from God's Two Witnesses?

At this point you can see why Church leaders will murder God's Two Witnesses. The Two Witnesses of Christ pose a huge threat to the financial and ego empires of false ministers of Christ.

This only makes sense because 2,000 years ago religious leaders murdered Jesus for the very same reason. The reason that God allows the Two Witnesses to finally be murdered might be to show Christians just how un-Christian they actually are. The Book of Revelation clearly describes the end-time Church as lukewarm. This might lead to great repentance and a worldwide revival of the Christian Church.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, (Revelation 3:15-17)

How dare you know more than I know!

Prophecy ministers are in a constant struggle to validate their special standing with God. They make a living off the claim that God opened prophecy ONLY to them. Or, they tell followers that prophecy is open to anyone who studies the Bible.

This is not so. God reveals prophecy only through prophets. The most learned of scholars have been sealed out of prophecy. So, it is for sure that every other Bible reader is sealed out. God would ask people: What part of no don't you understand?

People are vain and they think that they are equal to prophets and great scholars. They are not equal to either prophets or scholars.

For example, would a high school student walk into an advanced physics class filled with people with Master's Degrees and claim that he knows as much as they do? Would a high school student pass the same test that was given to people with doctorates? He could not pass such a test.

The thing about prophecy is that anyone can claim anything. If a person impersonating Klem Kadiddlehopper claimed he went to Heaven, who can prove otherwise? In this lawless environment charlatans have prospered.

Prophecy ministers are in a constant state of competition with other fakes. Nobody wants anyone else to have more revelation than they do.

Many prophecy ministers become angry when they think that new revelations have come along. Their only defense is to discredit the new information until they can safely plagiarize it.

We can see that the Two Witnesses of God will be hated UNTIL prophecy ministers are able to plagiarize their material. Their objective is to make money, so they will not stick with their claim that their previous understanding was the truth. They will change anything for a buck.

MAI: Mutually Assured Ignorance

When prophecy ministers don't understand some prophecy, they say: Nobody knows that! What they mean is that they are making a living with the claim that they are so special and so close to God that God revealed things ONLY to them. This illusion is burst when someone else actually does have understanding.

Prophecy ministers have a belief that I call the MAI (Mutually Assured Ignorance) whereby ministers claim that nobody knows more than they know about prophecy. Again, we can see why prophecy ministers will despise the Two Witnesses of God, who will not be part of the MAI crowd.

Many religious groups would NOT welcome God's Two Witnesses because special people had founded their groups. They claimed to have been so special that God revealed prophetic understanding ONLY to them.

Thwarting the Work of Two Witnesses- Competitors

But I said, I have worked hard for nothing. I have used my strength, but I didn't accomplish anything. Yet, certainly my case is in the LORD's hands, and my reward is with my God. ( Isaiah 49:4)

Consider the plight of God's Two Witnesses, who actually do have unsealed understanding to share with true believers. Isaiah took on the identity of the two Witnesses and expressed their frustration in the above verse.

Each leader of a Church will instruct his followers to ignore the fresh new understanding that is presented by God's Two Witnesses. This will be done because the minister has built his reputation on revelations he claimed to have received from God- and his revelations contradict the new revelations of God's Two Witnesses.

And, of course, the minister claims that his revelations were given ONLY to him because he is so special to God.

The cold hard truth is that ministers will be afraid of losing their followers and their financial support. After all, people would rather follow God's Two Witnesses than their minister, wouldn't they?

Internet Competition- Mimics

What happens when God's Two Witnesses put up a web site? If they post their revelations, a hundred other web site owners would cut and paste that information onto their own web sites. Many would claim that the information was their own. Or, they would leave the information without an author's name in the hope that readers would attribute the plagiarized information to the web owner.

This very situation was prophesied when Joshua's identity was blended with God's Two Witnesses.

Satan tried every way possible to prevent Joshua from building the temple. And of course, Satan stands right beside the Two Witnesses of God in order to thwart their every work effort.

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. (Zechariah 3:1)

Or: and the Satan at his right hand ready to take up a cause against him. (Zechariah 3:1)

Or: and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. (Zechariah 3:1)

A few web owners would actually make an effort to rewrite the material that they plagiarized from God's Two Witnesses before they put their names on it.

Let's say you are an earnest believer who is seeking God's Two Witnesses. The only way that you would recognize the real Two Witnesses is by their understanding of prophecy. But, if every prophecy site on the Internet steals their material, you could not distinguish them from the mimics. Plus, you would stand a good chance of believing in a person who stole prophetic understanding from the Real Two Witnesses.

You will recognize God's Two Witnesses only if God opens your eyes

You say to yourself: Why don't God's Two Witnesses just come out and admit who they are? If they did that on the Internet, a hundred other sites would cut and paste the very same words into their web sites.

This frustrating dilemma illustrates the chess game between Jesus and Satan. Every time Jesus makes a move, Satan checks the move.

All the prophecy ministers and web site owners that plagiarize information are Satan's chess pieces.

Web site owners who peddle prophecy are almost insane with an obsession to be ahead in search engines. They do unscrupulous things to get clicks. For example, they cut key words from other sites and paste them onto their own sites. Yet, they have nothing to offer that relates to those key words.

Web site owners are like babies screaming, Mamma, Mamma! Look at me, look at me! But when you look at the babies, they have nothing to say. They just want to be looked at. This is unethical conduct for web owners who peddle religion. But, it goes to show why God will kill off most people in Armageddon. And, the painful events of Armageddon are the birth pains of the kingdom of God.

And the dragon took his place before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when the birth had taken place he might put an end to her child. (Revelation 12:4)

God's Two Witnesses prepare chosen people to enter into the Kingdom of God. Satan stands beside the Two Witnesses in order to murder them and those who are with them. We see a repeat of Joshua's experience in building the Temple.

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. (Zechariah 3:1)

The point is that Satan's children are making it impossible for you to link up with the real Two Witnesses of God.

So, how will you eventually be linked up with God's Two Witnesses? I think the answer is in the example of Peter. It seems amazing to us but nobody realized that Jesus was the Christ even though He did astonishing miracles that made His identity obvious.

Even so, nobody was to recognize Jesus as the Christ unless God personally opened the eyes of that person because God had chosen him/her for eternal life.

The same goes for God's Two Witnesses. It will be a wonderful day for you if God opens your understanding and you say: I know who you are. You're God's Two Witnesses! That will mean that your name is in the Book of Life and that you are soon to be in the Rapture.

It also means that you are called to be part of the Ministry of God's Two Witnesses.

Why Jesus did not reveal His identity

Why didn't Jesus reveal His identity? One reason was that God blinded everyone except the chosen. A more practical reason was that Jesus would have violated the law against blasphemy as religious leaders saw it. Jesus could not have publicly stated: I am the Christ. Jesus would have been arrested and His ministry would have ended sooner than it was to have.

Project that situation onto God's Two Witnesses. Jealous prophecy ministers would sue the God's Witnesses for receiving donations under false pretense. In a court of law, jealous ministers would tell the judge that people were tricked into sending donations to imposters. The judge might then require that the Two Witnesses of God cease and desist from accepting donations until such time they could prove their identities.

In the chess game between Jesus and Satan, God's Two Witnesses cannot openly admit their identities to the world. It is left to believers to say: I know who you are! But, God's Two Witnesses must leave it to individuals to believe what they will.

This is actually how God wants it to be because He wants to decide whom to call to eternal life and whom to be part of the ministry of His Two Witnesses.

Where does this leave you?

This leaves you in God's hands. God's Two Witnesses are doing a work like Joshua and Zerubbabel did. They are preparing the Temple for the return of Jesus. I do not know if you are one of the people who are to help them. I do not know if you are one of the fellows of whom Zechariah's prophecy spoke.

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (Zechariah 3:8)

Instead of being an earnest seeker, you might be one of Satan's children. You might be a web site plagiarist or a prophecy minister looking to steal information. If you are one of these, Isaiah spoke of you. You steal information because God does not reveal information to you. God does not have anything to do with thieves like you. So, you have to steal understanding if you are to successfully pass yourself off as a real minister of Jesus.

And so, the word of the LORD is unto them precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:13)

Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield, The Great Awakening

Benjamin Franklin was a dear friend to the great revivalist George Whitefield. A great move of the Spirit was encouraged in Pennsylvania and financed by Franklin. Whitefield was the orator and Franklin the facilitator. The Holy Spirit brought the power.

We are not called to merely preach the letter of the Word, but also minister the Spirit of the Word (2 Cor. 3:6). Unfortunately, many liberal and "modern" theologians know little about the Spirit. They therefore are fireless theologians. Omitting and neglecting God's Spirit, they have to tirelessly toil in their own strength. God however can do by His Spirit in one hour what you cannot accomplish in one-thousand hours of your labor. Prominent clergymen were so incensed by the crowds of thousands who came to hear George Whitefield preach that they attacked him and published pamphlets against him. It seems some theologians are so concerned about wildfire that they oppose any fire altogether and thereby lose what little fire they have of their own.

Whitefield wasn't moved by them and boldly carried on. Whitefield's good friend, John Wesley, saw the Holy Spirit mightily use his quiet messages as people fell to the ground as if thunderstruck.53 God mightily fought for His servants and sent the power of His Spirit to confirm their words (Ex. 14:25; Mk. 16:20; Heb. 2:4).

Though jealous clergymen may have not liked Whitefield, he found a lifelong friend in Benjamin Franklin. Franklin published Whitefield's sermons and journals. God always seems to undertake for His anointed servants to see that His Word on their lips and fire in their spirit makes it on the printed page.

Jesus said, "You shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto me..." (Acts 1:8). Before you can do witnessing, you have to be a witness within. That is your inner life has to give witness of Christ. You have to be a minister within your heart. You have to be willing to first minister before an audience of One - God Himself.

God's Spirit will empower and ignite that passion within you to first be and to secondly do. With the power of the Spirit within and upon you, you will speak God's Word with a new authority and fire! Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (Jn. 6:63). The fire of the Holy Spirit is most important, as it enables God's Word in your heart to pass through your lips with life and power.

Housing Allowance - Do You Have One Set Up For Your Pastor?

A housing allowance is basically payments made by the church to the minister for the minister's estimated housing expenses.

It is a great tax benefit for ministers. Sadly, a lot of ministers or church board members do not know anything about it, especially in smaller churches.

It is very beneficial for ministers to designate part of their compensation package as a housing allowance because it is exempt from federal income tax...but not from the minister's self-employment tax.

I am going to give you a very brief outline on setting one up. If you plan on setting one up for your minister, please do your homework and find out all the facts before you issue that first check.

In order to qualify for the exclusion of a housing allowance from federal income tax, three very important conditions must be satisfied:

Your minister must meet the IRS' 5-test definition of a minister.
It must be board approved before it was paid (A housing allowance is NEVER retroactive)
The minister actually spent the allowance on eligible housing expenses during the year

Your church must determine the HA amount before it is paid. A completed worksheet should be included in the church's minutes. Make sure it is completely filled out by your qualifying minister before your church board meeting.

The predetermined amount should be included in a board approved resolution and properly documented in the church records. Most of the time, it is reviewed and adjusted at the beginning of each new budget year.

Your church does not have anything to do with the second condition. The minister has the responsibility of tracking actual housing expenses and determining the fair rental value of the housing.

Very important... the church does not have any responsibility in making sure that the minister spends all of his housing allowance on housing expenses.

Instead it is the minister's responsibility to report any excess funds as taxable income. The church should never know, and has no right to know, what the minister does with his housing allowance.

The funds may be used for any expense relating to renting a home, purchasing a home, and maintaining a home.

Some of the eligible expenses are:

Mortgage payments/rent
Utilities
Mortgage interest and insurance
Home insurance
Property tax

If minister lives in a church provide parsonage, the minister is not subject to income taxes on the use of the parsonage.

However, the fair rental value of the parsonage is added when figuring his self-employment tax. (The minister is responsible for determining the fair rental value of the parsonage.)

The church is not required to report the minister's housing allowance to the IRS.

However many churches choose to report it in Box 14 of the minister's W-2 as a courtesy to the minister.

Or, churches can just include the amount of the housing allowance amount in a separate letter to the minister. (This separate letter should not be sent to the IRS and will not be included or attached to the minister's personal tax return.)

In conclusion, a housing allowance is a very nice benefit for ministers who do not get very many tax breaks. So...do your research, make sure it is properly set up, and know the regulations regarding housing allowances before you issue that first check.

Berlusconi - The Italian

The somewhat controversial Italian Prime Minister of Italy gets reviewed by the Swedish journalist Kristina Kappelin in the book "Berlusconi - The Italian"

The book is explaining why the Italians have voted Berlusconi to power three times, which most swedes find quite strange. She writes mostly on the topics of maffia connections, media, women, justice, religion and democrasy in Italy.

If you don't know Berlusconi, he is the prime minister of Italy and one of the most successfull business men of the whole world, owning various Tv stations, news papers etc.

He is the party leader of the Italian political party "Il Popolo della Libertà", The People of Freedom which is promoting an centre-righ christian democratic politic with liberal economic views.

The books takes you through all the steps of his financial imperium, his fight against the Italian judiciary over the Tv-channels in the 1980s.

Kristina Keppelin got many years of experience as an correspondent in Italy with some interviews and press converses with Berlusconi. She is also living in Italy so she got a good view on what's going on there.

Berlusconi is known to be a man of scandals, which is pointed out various times in this book. This book is a bit anti-Berlusconi but I think she isn't too bius and Berlusconi is given a fair reflection.

The book isn't focusing on scandals but more the economic/maffia aspect of Italy and Berlusconi. He has never been suspected or sentenced for any maffia meddling or associations.

It's an eye opening book on the subject of Italian politics and explains the mind of the average Italian. The book basically takes you through the life of Silvio Berlusconi, from all his business, to the judiciary but also how he is as a person, which makes him look more "human" to the people who don't know him.

During the last decades in Italy thousands of politicians and businessmen have gotten sentenced to jail for maffia related crimes, Silvio Berlusconi is not one of them. He might not be what non-Italians expect politics to be bu the is honest in his opinions, a good politician and a businessman, which has gotten him respect from many people across the world.

The book is 10 chapters long and contain an introduction, how it all started, the media the maffia and the life of Silvio Berlusconi.

If you get the chance to buy this book I highly recommend it because it got everything you need to know about Berlusconi, why he's in power and how he did it.

Youth Ministry Resources and Ideas

Youth ministry can be an overwhelming job. It is a thankless job that involves sacrifice, effort, time, attention and love. It is in fact a labor of love. Building a successful youth group requires many things, but most of all prayer. Your priorities must first be straight before you do anything. A ministry is better if it is blessed than stressed. Nothing that youth pastors do that is self motivated will succeed the way that something will that is planned and ordained by the Lord. As for building a lasting and effective youth ministry, the principles are simple: Connect, unite, develop, equip, send. Those five steps will turn every youth into a minister of the gospel.

Connect with youth by listening to their problems, preaching relevant messages, hanging out with them when you don't have to and praying for them. Once they are connected with both their youth pastor, they are more likely to return week after week.

Unite kids with each other to create a support system. Dissipate cliques in favor of group gatherings such as lock-ins, retreats and hang out nights. Develop the kids with discipleship tools for spiritual growth. Teach them the foundational principles of the Bible and encourage them to not only come to church to be filled, but to seek God during their daily lives.

Equip youth to minister the Word of God to others. Hold corporate prayer meetings, encourage them to lead classes in youth church and place them in positions of leadership within the youth ministry. Send the kids into active ministry. No, they may not be able to go into full time ministry, but they can create prayer groups at school, street ministry teams and conduct special outreaches.

One of the biggest mistakes that youth pastors make is investing their money and resources into ministry. Though this seems innocent enough, any youth ministry can thrive with little to no money at all. Instead, invest your kids into your resources. They are your greatest tool for ministry. Youth do not need a babysitter. They need somebody that believes in them and will push them to be all they have been called to be.

Even the top youth pastors in the country know that a youth ministry will follow its leader, and that leader needs good training. That leader needs to absorb himself in good books and surround himself with people who love teenagers. There are several good books and resources that effectively ignite passion within the hearts of youth pastors.

Leadership - Types of Leadership

Leadership can be characterized in different ways. Sometimes the focus is on leadership styles while at other times the focus is on the characteristics of a leader. Yet, another way to look at types of leadership is by organizational levels. Leading at different levels of an organization requires a leader to use a different approach at each level. Thus, it is important for leaders to understand the different types of leadership and what they need to do to be an effective leader at each level. Although complex organizations may have many levels, listed here are the basic types of leadership based on organizational levels:

Self-leadership: Regardless of whether you are leading a small team or a large organization, all leadership endeavors begin with self-leadership. Self-leadership begins with introspection and development of one's emotional intelligence. Leaders must know themselves first before they can effectively lead others.

Individual leadership: Individual leadership is about performance at a high level as an individual contributor. Leadership is not only a function of a position on an organizational chart, but also individual performance. Anyone at any level of an organization can be a leader, even when they are not in a formal leadership position.. Individual leaders are recognized for their leadership in setting the pace and high standards in their work.

Team leadership: Team leadership is the leadership of a small team. It involves direct interaction between the leader and their followers. Generally, the leader is in frequent contact with their team members, and the leader is responsible for everything the team does or fails to do.

Organizational leadership: Organizational leadership is leadership at the intermediate and highest levels of an organization. This type of leadership is indirect leadership because the leaders generally do not have direct contact with everyone in the organization. They lead indirectly by influencing the larger organization through subordinate leaders. They also exert indirect leadership on the whole organization by managing cultural norms, rewards and recognition programs, and communications.

Macro leadership: Macro leadership is the leadership of complex organizations or even political units of government where there are many stakeholders. As difficult as it is to lead a large corporation, it is immeasurably more difficult to lead a city, state, or country as the elected political leader. The leader must lead by building political coalitions and use position power and influence to rally followers to their vision. Perhaps this is the most difficult type of leadership because it is so dependent on the leader's power of persuasion and charisma, even when they hold a lofty office like mayor, governor, prime minister, or president.

Although there are common elements of leadership at all of these levels, there are also important differences. Leaders must use different leadership skills to lead a team, an organization, or a city. For example, team leaders who are promoted into an organizational leadership role will find that the direct leadership skills which they used as a team leader will not work as well at the organizational level. If they can't quickly make the transition and learn how to lead indirectly, they will likely not succeed. It is important for the leader to recognize these differences and understand how they must exercise their leadership. Understanding the different types of leadership will be the difference between success and failure as a leader.

Wedding Attire For Outdoor Weddings

At an outdoor wedding site you generally have two things to walk on - grass or concrete. There is the occasional gravel path or stones of some kind, perhaps even good old-fashioned dirt. (in a church or other indoor venue, you have a clean, hard surface that can be easily covered with a satin runner to keep the train clean). This presents some interesting challenges when choosing wedding attire.

Many wedding gowns come with trains - those yards of material on the back of the dress that are supposed to flow behind the bride as she walks up and down the aisle. Beautiful? Yes. Many are beaded and bejeweled on a gown that ranges in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

She also has selected beautiful satin shoes with four inch heels. Her attendants have the same style shoes in the colors that match their gowns. Gorgeous and stylish!

And the processional begins. The officiant is several hundred feet away standing with the groom across an expanse of freshly cut grass that probably has been recently watered. The goal is for everyone to maneuver through the grass in those spiked heels and arrive safely beside the officiant.

The bride's maids, followed by the maid or matron of honor come in and with each step the spiked heels go down into the grass. (As the waiting officiant I often think the gardeners should pay the wedding party for aerating the lawn). It is not only difficult for the women to walk in the grass with spiked heels but also leaves the shoes with green and brown stains from the grass and dirt.

When the wedding party is arranged appropriately on each side of the officiant, the runner, generally made of paper, is rolled down the grassy aisle and the bride comes in, beautiful in her stunning gown with the long train. Her spiked heals sink down catching in the runner and she hangs on to dad to keep from falling. Sometimes the heels sink down through the runner almost tripping the bride and, like her attendants, leaving stains on her shoes. The train, full behind her, is wider than the runner and the outer sides of the train glide across the grass.

If no one removes the runner prior to the processional, the entire wedding party has to navigate the runner on their way out. It is not safe but it does lend some comic relief.

Now come pictures. The train is probably dragged over more lawn, more gravel and more dirt. By the time she is ready for the reception or dinner, the underside of the train is probably quite dirty and grass stained.

This is not made up. As an officiant I see this over and over. The solution? The solution is three fold and very, very simple:

1. Purchase a beautiful gown that has no train.

2. Wear shoes that don't sink down into the ground. (At one wedding the bride and her attendants wore white flip-flops and the groom and his attendants wore black ones. They were dressed elegantly. The flip-flops did not detract from the elegance and everyone walked safely up and down the aisle).

3. Never use a paper runner. (In my opinion these are unsafe both inside and outside).

It seems like safety should outrank high heels and trains but this is just one officiant's opinion. The choice is always the bride's.