31
Fun, Games And Silliness / Re: Keep A Word, Drop A Word, Add A Word
« on: February 13, 2024, 05:14:23 PM »
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33
Articles / Heartbreaking footage shows Wimbledon crash victim Selena Lau, eight, playing...
« on: February 05, 2024, 12:28:58 PM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13045957/wimbledon-school-crash-footage-selena-lau-death.html
Heartbreaking footage shows Wimbledon crash victim Selena Lau, eight, playing the piano at an end-of-term tea party before Land Rover smashed into grounds of school killing her and another classmate
Selena's parents say they are desperate for answers and justice seven months on
By Danya Bazaraa
Published: 10:33, 5 February 2024 | Updated: 11:57, 5 February 2024
Heartbreaking footage shows eight-year-old Selena Lau beautifully playing the piano moments before she was killed when a 4x4 ploughed into an end of term party at her Wimbledon school. Selena, who was a pupil at The Study Prep, was performing at a concert before the £80,000 Land Rover crashed through the primary school's gates during an end of term picnic which followed last July. Shortly after she was given a warm round of applause and the concert finished, pupils and their families went outside for the picnic, where the car smashed through a fence. Selena and her friend Nuria Sajjad, also eight, were both killed in the incident while dozens of other children and parents were injured. Seven months on from the tragedy, a video of Selena playing Scott Joplin's ragtime classic The Entertainer has been released by the Times. It is the last video made of Selena before her death. Selena's parents Franky and Jessie Lau, both 45, treasure the clip of their daughter's faultless performance, but have spoken out about being desperate for answers and justice. They also revealed in a new, emotional interview with Talk TV that they suffer flashbacks and nightmares, saying they are 'suffering every day' and sharing their agonising frustration over the long-running police investigation. The couple broke down in tears as they spoke about their 'funny, cheeky daughter' and admitted they are haunted by guilt over not being with her when she died. A police update also confirms a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving is currently released under investigation. Jessie wept as she recalled seeing her daughter's body. 'I first saw her lying on a bed near the reception area. So alone with a tube in her mouth, blood stains and bruises on her face. It comes flashing back every day, every night, and I wish that was me lying there not her, I wish I could swap with her, I'd give anything I have to have her back.'
Recounting the phone call from Selena's school receptionist, Selena's mother said: 'She was like, 'Just come, something really serious has happened at school. I thought it may be a broken arm, I didn't expect anything else. Her voice was shaking, and she was like, 'You have to come now.'
'I was thinking why don't you take her to the hospital, it takes me an hour to get there. It doesn't make sense to wait for me to go to the hospital. And then I start crying.'
Franky, who had been working from home, had already made his way to the school. He said: 'There was so much traffic at that point because the school was cordoned off. All the police were there I caused a bit of a scene outside and they took me inside to the hall. And I saw my mum and a friend, the parents there, and they just came to me and said Selena's gone.'
Video of Selena playing piano at a concert on the tragic day has also emerged. But shortly after she was given a warm round of applause and the concert finished, pupils and their families went outside for the picnic, where the car smashed through a fence. Selena's parents Franky and Jessie treasure the clip of their daughter's faultless performance, but have spoken out about being desperate for answers and justice. Jessie told the Times: 'It was the end of my world.'
Franky added: 'Each day it drags on, we are replaying what happened. We just want answers and justice. We are owed answers to what happened to our daughter.'
Selena's father Franky told Talk TV he will always regret not attending her final piano performance that fateful afternoon: 'We replay that day in our head every day. Was there anything we could have done to make that not happen? Should I have gone to see the performance? She would have been speaking to me for an extra few seconds, which would have made all the difference. If it rained, they wouldn't be having the picnic outside. All these different scenarios, every day.'
The pain and uncertainty is also taking a heavy toll on Selena's twelve-year-old sister. 'They were best buddies since the day Selena was born, doing piano, netball, dancing and singing classes together,' said Jessie.
'Now she's withdrawn from all those activities. That's not fun anymore. She's been sobbing at night because they used to listen to songs together before going to sleep and chat. She's been crying on her own.'
Police said a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving is currently released under investigation. Enquiries are ongoing. Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland, in charge of policing for south west London, told MailOnline: 'Our thoughts remain with the families of Nuria and Selena who we know are greatly loved and missed. This was a tragic incident and we understand that the families want and need answers as to what happened. We are continuing to give them specialist support through our dedicated family liaison officers who are providing updates on the investigation where they can. Specialist detectives are working tirelessly to establish the circumstances of that day, including analysing CCTV and examining the expert report from forensic collision investigators. The incident involved the large scale deployment of joint resources from the Met, LAS and LFB and we are working closely with them, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service, as part of our investigation. We recognise that the time taken can cause further distress but it is only right and fair to all involved that we carry out a thorough and extensive investigation.'
Heartbroken family members previously described Selena as a 'cheeky' young girl who was 'adored by everyone'. Selena's classmates said she was 'beautiful inside and out'. Tributes left alongside flowers outside the school described Selena as a 'star'. One said: 'You will always be our shining star. We will miss you so much.'
Another note left for Selena from one of her friends read: 'I will never forget you.'
* The full interview with Selena's parents can be seen on TalkTV on the Vanessa Feltz show.
Heartbreaking footage shows Wimbledon crash victim Selena Lau, eight, playing the piano at an end-of-term tea party before Land Rover smashed into grounds of school killing her and another classmate
Selena's parents say they are desperate for answers and justice seven months on
By Danya Bazaraa
Published: 10:33, 5 February 2024 | Updated: 11:57, 5 February 2024
Heartbreaking footage shows eight-year-old Selena Lau beautifully playing the piano moments before she was killed when a 4x4 ploughed into an end of term party at her Wimbledon school. Selena, who was a pupil at The Study Prep, was performing at a concert before the £80,000 Land Rover crashed through the primary school's gates during an end of term picnic which followed last July. Shortly after she was given a warm round of applause and the concert finished, pupils and their families went outside for the picnic, where the car smashed through a fence. Selena and her friend Nuria Sajjad, also eight, were both killed in the incident while dozens of other children and parents were injured. Seven months on from the tragedy, a video of Selena playing Scott Joplin's ragtime classic The Entertainer has been released by the Times. It is the last video made of Selena before her death. Selena's parents Franky and Jessie Lau, both 45, treasure the clip of their daughter's faultless performance, but have spoken out about being desperate for answers and justice. They also revealed in a new, emotional interview with Talk TV that they suffer flashbacks and nightmares, saying they are 'suffering every day' and sharing their agonising frustration over the long-running police investigation. The couple broke down in tears as they spoke about their 'funny, cheeky daughter' and admitted they are haunted by guilt over not being with her when she died. A police update also confirms a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving is currently released under investigation. Jessie wept as she recalled seeing her daughter's body. 'I first saw her lying on a bed near the reception area. So alone with a tube in her mouth, blood stains and bruises on her face. It comes flashing back every day, every night, and I wish that was me lying there not her, I wish I could swap with her, I'd give anything I have to have her back.'
Recounting the phone call from Selena's school receptionist, Selena's mother said: 'She was like, 'Just come, something really serious has happened at school. I thought it may be a broken arm, I didn't expect anything else. Her voice was shaking, and she was like, 'You have to come now.'
'I was thinking why don't you take her to the hospital, it takes me an hour to get there. It doesn't make sense to wait for me to go to the hospital. And then I start crying.'
Franky, who had been working from home, had already made his way to the school. He said: 'There was so much traffic at that point because the school was cordoned off. All the police were there I caused a bit of a scene outside and they took me inside to the hall. And I saw my mum and a friend, the parents there, and they just came to me and said Selena's gone.'
Video of Selena playing piano at a concert on the tragic day has also emerged. But shortly after she was given a warm round of applause and the concert finished, pupils and their families went outside for the picnic, where the car smashed through a fence. Selena's parents Franky and Jessie treasure the clip of their daughter's faultless performance, but have spoken out about being desperate for answers and justice. Jessie told the Times: 'It was the end of my world.'
Franky added: 'Each day it drags on, we are replaying what happened. We just want answers and justice. We are owed answers to what happened to our daughter.'
Selena's father Franky told Talk TV he will always regret not attending her final piano performance that fateful afternoon: 'We replay that day in our head every day. Was there anything we could have done to make that not happen? Should I have gone to see the performance? She would have been speaking to me for an extra few seconds, which would have made all the difference. If it rained, they wouldn't be having the picnic outside. All these different scenarios, every day.'
The pain and uncertainty is also taking a heavy toll on Selena's twelve-year-old sister. 'They were best buddies since the day Selena was born, doing piano, netball, dancing and singing classes together,' said Jessie.
'Now she's withdrawn from all those activities. That's not fun anymore. She's been sobbing at night because they used to listen to songs together before going to sleep and chat. She's been crying on her own.'
Police said a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving is currently released under investigation. Enquiries are ongoing. Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland, in charge of policing for south west London, told MailOnline: 'Our thoughts remain with the families of Nuria and Selena who we know are greatly loved and missed. This was a tragic incident and we understand that the families want and need answers as to what happened. We are continuing to give them specialist support through our dedicated family liaison officers who are providing updates on the investigation where they can. Specialist detectives are working tirelessly to establish the circumstances of that day, including analysing CCTV and examining the expert report from forensic collision investigators. The incident involved the large scale deployment of joint resources from the Met, LAS and LFB and we are working closely with them, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service, as part of our investigation. We recognise that the time taken can cause further distress but it is only right and fair to all involved that we carry out a thorough and extensive investigation.'
Heartbroken family members previously described Selena as a 'cheeky' young girl who was 'adored by everyone'. Selena's classmates said she was 'beautiful inside and out'. Tributes left alongside flowers outside the school described Selena as a 'star'. One said: 'You will always be our shining star. We will miss you so much.'
Another note left for Selena from one of her friends read: 'I will never forget you.'
* The full interview with Selena's parents can be seen on TalkTV on the Vanessa Feltz show.
34
Faith / Re: Devotions
« on: January 31, 2024, 01:12:13 PM »
httpsrs://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/04/20/what-if-the-person-im-struggling-to-forgive-is-me?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=252894622&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9WWqBYt6_GmIN8A3Je4wUxzlCiBOX-H7-SiWXZ7exB-kr_Xsu6936lGUghxz7luz4YaM4ky3q6iZ7sbNL-JhTSdfTDSg&utm_content=252894622&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
What if the Person I'm Struggling To Forgive Is Me?
APRIL 20, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5 (NIV)
Do you ever feel like the hardest person to forgive is actually yourself?
I understand this. Deeply. I so wish we were sitting together having a conversation right now instead of you just reading these words on a screen. But while you're reading, I’d love to share my story with you. When I was in my early 20s, I made a decision that, with everything in me, I wished I could go back and change. I had an abortion. Knowing nothing could be done to reverse that decision filled me with the deepest kind of despair. Afterward, every time I heard others talking harshly about abortion, I was filled with shame. It felt like a life sentence I would never be healed from. I would say, “I can’t forgive myself.” What I meant was, “I don’t think forgiveness is possible for a person like me. And I don’t think I’ll ever be free from the shame of what I’ve done.”
Maybe this is where you are right now struggling to overcome feelings of shame and regret from choices you wish you could go back and change. That’s why it feels so important to share with you what I’ve learned. When I researched the concept of forgiving ourselves, I was a little shocked to discover it’s not in the Bible. I started to realize that just like we can’t accomplish salvation apart from God, we can’t bestow forgiveness upon ourselves. Forgiveness starts with God. Since we are not the judge, we can’t pardon ourselves. So when we feel like we are struggling with forgiveness for ourselves, what’s really happening is a struggle to fully receive the forgiveness of God. Jesus gave His very life to provide forgiveness for our sins, which isn’t just a part of the Christian faith. Forgiveness is the very cornerstone of the Christian faith. Forgiveness for our sins isn’t just a hope we have; it is the greatest reality for all who choose to receive salvation through accepting Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Often what keeps us from walking as forgiven people is the struggle with feelings of shame and regret. These are very heavy burdens to bear. In my own life, I’ve carried many burdens. But the weight of shame is by far the heaviest I’ve ever known. It’s a burden God doesn’t want any of us to carry. And I’m so thankful for these three things that eventually helped me fully receive His forgiveness and get out from underneath shame’s condemning weight:
1. I needed to have a marked moment of confessing, repenting and asking God for forgiveness.
Psalm 32:5 reads, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” I couldn’t do this by myself because I wanted someone, a witness, who could forever remind me I had asked for God’s forgiveness and was therefore forgiven. I also verbalized out loud that I received God’s forgiveness, so I could have a definite memory of acknowledging His gift of mercy.
2. I had to remember that shame and accusation come from the enemy.
Satan will do everything possible to try and keep us from sharing a testimony of the forgiveness and redemption of Jesus. And the enemy loves to hold people hostage to shame by keeping what they did hidden in the darkness. I was terrified to tell people what I’d done. But I did tell God I would share my story if ever I met a young girl in danger of making the same uninformed decision as I did. When I eventually let God use my painful choice for good, I started to see glimpses of redemption. Seeing God take what the enemy meant for such evil and use it for good didn’t take away my grief, but it did start to heal my shame.
3. I let my experience make my heart tender and compassionate.
Knowing what it feels like to make a mistake gives us more compassion when others make mistakes. This isn’t excusing unwise behavior in the name of compassion. But at the same time, having an attitude of compassion helps us not to shame others. I don’t ever want another human to carry the awful weight of shame, and I probably would not be as sensitive to others as I am now if I hadn’t ever carried that weight myself.
Shame isn’t from God, and He doesn't condemn those who repent of sin. Confess what you’ve done. Ask for God’s forgiveness. Receive His forgiveness. And then walk in His freedom. You can live the greatest testimony of truth the testimony of redemption.
What if the Person I'm Struggling To Forgive Is Me?
APRIL 20, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5 (NIV)
Do you ever feel like the hardest person to forgive is actually yourself?
I understand this. Deeply. I so wish we were sitting together having a conversation right now instead of you just reading these words on a screen. But while you're reading, I’d love to share my story with you. When I was in my early 20s, I made a decision that, with everything in me, I wished I could go back and change. I had an abortion. Knowing nothing could be done to reverse that decision filled me with the deepest kind of despair. Afterward, every time I heard others talking harshly about abortion, I was filled with shame. It felt like a life sentence I would never be healed from. I would say, “I can’t forgive myself.” What I meant was, “I don’t think forgiveness is possible for a person like me. And I don’t think I’ll ever be free from the shame of what I’ve done.”
Maybe this is where you are right now struggling to overcome feelings of shame and regret from choices you wish you could go back and change. That’s why it feels so important to share with you what I’ve learned. When I researched the concept of forgiving ourselves, I was a little shocked to discover it’s not in the Bible. I started to realize that just like we can’t accomplish salvation apart from God, we can’t bestow forgiveness upon ourselves. Forgiveness starts with God. Since we are not the judge, we can’t pardon ourselves. So when we feel like we are struggling with forgiveness for ourselves, what’s really happening is a struggle to fully receive the forgiveness of God. Jesus gave His very life to provide forgiveness for our sins, which isn’t just a part of the Christian faith. Forgiveness is the very cornerstone of the Christian faith. Forgiveness for our sins isn’t just a hope we have; it is the greatest reality for all who choose to receive salvation through accepting Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Often what keeps us from walking as forgiven people is the struggle with feelings of shame and regret. These are very heavy burdens to bear. In my own life, I’ve carried many burdens. But the weight of shame is by far the heaviest I’ve ever known. It’s a burden God doesn’t want any of us to carry. And I’m so thankful for these three things that eventually helped me fully receive His forgiveness and get out from underneath shame’s condemning weight:
1. I needed to have a marked moment of confessing, repenting and asking God for forgiveness.
Psalm 32:5 reads, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” I couldn’t do this by myself because I wanted someone, a witness, who could forever remind me I had asked for God’s forgiveness and was therefore forgiven. I also verbalized out loud that I received God’s forgiveness, so I could have a definite memory of acknowledging His gift of mercy.
2. I had to remember that shame and accusation come from the enemy.
Satan will do everything possible to try and keep us from sharing a testimony of the forgiveness and redemption of Jesus. And the enemy loves to hold people hostage to shame by keeping what they did hidden in the darkness. I was terrified to tell people what I’d done. But I did tell God I would share my story if ever I met a young girl in danger of making the same uninformed decision as I did. When I eventually let God use my painful choice for good, I started to see glimpses of redemption. Seeing God take what the enemy meant for such evil and use it for good didn’t take away my grief, but it did start to heal my shame.
3. I let my experience make my heart tender and compassionate.
Knowing what it feels like to make a mistake gives us more compassion when others make mistakes. This isn’t excusing unwise behavior in the name of compassion. But at the same time, having an attitude of compassion helps us not to shame others. I don’t ever want another human to carry the awful weight of shame, and I probably would not be as sensitive to others as I am now if I hadn’t ever carried that weight myself.
Shame isn’t from God, and He doesn't condemn those who repent of sin. Confess what you’ve done. Ask for God’s forgiveness. Receive His forgiveness. And then walk in His freedom. You can live the greatest testimony of truth the testimony of redemption.
35
Faith / Re: Devotions
« on: January 29, 2024, 12:53:36 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/04/18/why-your-story-matters?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=252888584&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9D6u1tZ4VY9A8CxFdIxDMaXMboh6XA5tMr-2vB-TatBeYhLlFiugi7vh-pDdW8TToDa3R-ZyufRmRxAhQw3y2ivKIkPw&utm_content=252888584&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
Why Your Story Matters
April 18, 2023
by Sharon Jaynes
"Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me." Psalm 66:16 (NLT)
I was 16 years old and a fairly new Christian. My friend’s dad, Mr. Evans, gathered up a few of us teenagers and drove us to a church just outside my hometown. We were going to give our testimonies at a Saturday-night gathering of strangers. I’d never stood behind a podium, spoken into a microphone, or stared at a sea of faces who thought I had something to say. I had been in a Bible study for teenagers for two years, but I certainly didn’t feel qualified to talk to a room full of adults and kids about Jesus. What in the world am I doing here? I thought as I waited for my turn to walk up the steps that led to the podium.
When Mr. Evans called my name, I walked up the stage steps, took a deep breath, and simply told all those staring eyes my story. I told them about how Jesus plucked me out of a very difficult home situation, about parents who fought all the time, and about hiding in the closet. I also told them about the woman who introduced me to Jesus and how I accepted Him as my Savior when I was 14. I told them how Jesus was making me not so afraid anymore and how I was praying for my parents to know Jesus too. Was I eloquent?
No. Did I quote Scripture?
No. Were there tears?
Yes. Several of my peers also shared that night. Like me, they didn’t know a lot of theology, but they knew their stories, and that was enough. There wasn’t much room left at the front of the sanctuary when Mr. Evans gave the altar call that night. And so it began my journey of learning just how important stories are. In Mark 5:1-20, we read a story of Jesus casting out a legion of demons from a man who lived in the tombs across from the shore of Galilee. This unrestrainable man broke chains, shattered shackles, cried out in the night, and cut himself with stones. After Jesus delivered him, he was miraculously healed. When Jesus got in the boat to leave, this man wanted to hop in the boat and go with him. I would have too! But Jesus said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19, NIV).
I didn’t know this verse when I was 14, but I know now that it sounds a lot like Psalm 66:16: “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.”
Every redemptive story, like a seed, realizes its potential when it is planted in the heart of another human being. And that plant, born of a seed, will become a plant that bears more seeds. Make no mistake about it: Your story matters. Don’t be afraid to tell it! There is an enemy, the devil, who doesn’t want you to tell what God has done in your life. He wants you to keep it bottled up and hidden away. He doesn’t want you to tell how you traded in your broken pieces for a beautiful masterpiece. But if we listen to the wrong voice, we will make the wrong choice. The devil will do everything he can to keep us silent, yet the Bible says God's people will overcome the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11, NKJV).
Your willingness to place your story in God’s holy hands will lead to full redemption, where the pain loses its power to do you harm and gains the power to do others good. So don’t hide your story. Own it! Tell it! Rejoice in it! Realize that no matter what has happened in your life, your lows, your disappointments and your struggles can be the most compelling parts of your story as God redeems them all. People will rally around you, and you will find love and connection in the process. With God, your wounds can become the source of your greatest strengths.
Why Your Story Matters
April 18, 2023
by Sharon Jaynes
"Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me." Psalm 66:16 (NLT)
I was 16 years old and a fairly new Christian. My friend’s dad, Mr. Evans, gathered up a few of us teenagers and drove us to a church just outside my hometown. We were going to give our testimonies at a Saturday-night gathering of strangers. I’d never stood behind a podium, spoken into a microphone, or stared at a sea of faces who thought I had something to say. I had been in a Bible study for teenagers for two years, but I certainly didn’t feel qualified to talk to a room full of adults and kids about Jesus. What in the world am I doing here? I thought as I waited for my turn to walk up the steps that led to the podium.
When Mr. Evans called my name, I walked up the stage steps, took a deep breath, and simply told all those staring eyes my story. I told them about how Jesus plucked me out of a very difficult home situation, about parents who fought all the time, and about hiding in the closet. I also told them about the woman who introduced me to Jesus and how I accepted Him as my Savior when I was 14. I told them how Jesus was making me not so afraid anymore and how I was praying for my parents to know Jesus too. Was I eloquent?
No. Did I quote Scripture?
No. Were there tears?
Yes. Several of my peers also shared that night. Like me, they didn’t know a lot of theology, but they knew their stories, and that was enough. There wasn’t much room left at the front of the sanctuary when Mr. Evans gave the altar call that night. And so it began my journey of learning just how important stories are. In Mark 5:1-20, we read a story of Jesus casting out a legion of demons from a man who lived in the tombs across from the shore of Galilee. This unrestrainable man broke chains, shattered shackles, cried out in the night, and cut himself with stones. After Jesus delivered him, he was miraculously healed. When Jesus got in the boat to leave, this man wanted to hop in the boat and go with him. I would have too! But Jesus said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19, NIV).
I didn’t know this verse when I was 14, but I know now that it sounds a lot like Psalm 66:16: “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.”
Every redemptive story, like a seed, realizes its potential when it is planted in the heart of another human being. And that plant, born of a seed, will become a plant that bears more seeds. Make no mistake about it: Your story matters. Don’t be afraid to tell it! There is an enemy, the devil, who doesn’t want you to tell what God has done in your life. He wants you to keep it bottled up and hidden away. He doesn’t want you to tell how you traded in your broken pieces for a beautiful masterpiece. But if we listen to the wrong voice, we will make the wrong choice. The devil will do everything he can to keep us silent, yet the Bible says God's people will overcome the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11, NKJV).
Your willingness to place your story in God’s holy hands will lead to full redemption, where the pain loses its power to do you harm and gains the power to do others good. So don’t hide your story. Own it! Tell it! Rejoice in it! Realize that no matter what has happened in your life, your lows, your disappointments and your struggles can be the most compelling parts of your story as God redeems them all. People will rally around you, and you will find love and connection in the process. With God, your wounds can become the source of your greatest strengths.
36
Articles / Tragedy of teens killed in horror double stabbing: Heartbroken mother and ....
« on: January 29, 2024, 12:47:08 PM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13018131/Boys-stabbed-knifemen-sister-tribute.html
Tragedy of teens killed in horror double stabbing: Heartbroken mother and sister of one of two boys, 15, and 16, knifed to death in front of horrified bus passengers, pay tribute to 'beautiful, kind soul' and 'one of a kind'
By Rory Tingle, Home Affairs Correspondent and Elena Salvoni
Published: 08:41, 29 January 2024 | Updated: 12:08, 29 January 2024
Heartbreaking tributes have today been paid to two boys who were stabbed to death in front of horrified bus passengers in Bristol on Saturday night. Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were attacked by 'a number of people' in Knowle West at around 11.20pm and later died in hospital. Max's sister, Kayleigh, paid tribute to her 'baby brother', calling him 'one of a kind'. 'You sleep tight. A beautiful, kind soul gone. Just taken 16 years so young and innocent oh my heart is broken,' she wrote on Facebook.
'I really hope you know how much we love you. How much I love you. 'You will be missed kiddo I'll always look out for you in every sunset, shine bright lil' bro.'
Max's mother, Leanne, wrote: 'Devastated, our lives will never be the same without you my boy.'
Police are looking to speak to passengers on a bus that was passing through Illminster Avenue at the time of the attack. Scott Alden, Max's football coach, called him the 'cheekiest', 'funniest' boy and a 'very talented footballer'. 'He world is a cruel and dangerous place now, you will be missed by everyone who knew you, thinking of all your family and friends with love,' Mr Alden continues.
A GoFundMe page to raise money for the boys' funerals has been launched by Max's aunt, Christine Fothergill. Police have launched a murder inquiry and are vowing to 'leave no stone unturned' in the hunt for 'further suspects'. Two arrests have been made a 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, who remain in police custody. A vehicle has also been seized as police continue their enquiries. Tributes were left for the teenagers at a vigil in their memory last night, where a heartbroken local told how she held one of the victims in her lap as emergency services raced to the scene. Parents and children were among some 150 people who gathered last night to pay their respects, with mourners lighting candles and laying flowers with messages remembering Max and Mason and expressing sympathy for their loved ones. Anti-knife crime campaigner Leanne Reynolds gave an emotional address to the gathered mourners saying: 'We need to stand up and we're not going to put up with this. No one should be on our streets with a knife. 'It needs to stop, we still need to push to get education we need to explain to these kids that knives are not the way. They need to stop carrying knives.'
England rugby star Ellis Genge went to nursery on Illminster Avenue, where the attack too place, and was among those to offer his support. He wrote on social media: 'My thoughts are with the families affected by this tragic incident. I went to nursery at Illminster Avenue and although I know what the west is like, it still shocks you to see news like this. Kids in these communities need more support and help to be kept away from violence.'
Teenager Shere, 18, said he knew the two boys well and was shocked by the news. Speaking at the scene today, he said: 'I knew Max. I messaged him yesterday morning to try and meet. We heard about the news and came down here last night. It is so messed up. Mason had only just lost his dad - I don't know how his mum is coping right now. Our mums are friends. It's a cruel world. More police are needed here to sort this out. They need to do more stop and searches on these lads and need to block off where they are getting everything from. It's not just knives, it's guns too it's all sorts. I just can't believe they are gone.'
One girl, who lives a couple of houses down from the scene of the crime, said she saw the aftermath of the stabbings. She said: 'I saw the group jump into the car after the boys were stabbed. I saw definitely two in the car, with three in a van - squished in all sitting in bunched together. It's why the police will find it hard to get them all. The bus stop is right by our house there were witnesses and I think a lot of them have come forward. It's been scary, everyone around here is shaken.'
Among the growing number of tributes left at the scene was a note from one of the victim's teachers. They said: 'Today there will be a missing smile in my classroom. You will always be remembered lovey boys.'
Local school Oasis Academy Connaught, which is a short walk from the scene of the tragedy, said it would be supporting pupils today following the weekend's events. 'Many of you will have heard of the tragic event that happened last night in our community. Our love goes out to all,' the elementary school said in a statement on Facebook. 'We will make sure your children have their adults available to talk to in school if and when they need them. Please look after each other and those who are in need at this sad time.'
On Sunday night, dozens gathered on Newquay Road, near the scene of the double stabbing, with many expressing their anger and sadness. A message on one card remembered Max as 'the loveliest boy' and said he 'will most definitely never be forgotten'. Another person said their 'heart is broken' and that they would never forget Max's 'cheeky smile'. Julie O'Reilly was among those in attendance - and revealed she witnessed the immediate aftermath. Visibly shaken, she said: 'I was there. I went out to the young chap on the floor I went out to him. I had his head on my lap. Trying to tell him: 'Stay with us, stay with us we've got help coming'. That was last night. [Today has been] awful. I can't get it out of my head. He was a good boy.'
Another local, Rianne, said she woke up to the news. She said: 'It's shocking, really sad but you're expecting to wake up to something these days. I don't know the families I'm in the community, but I don't know the families. But I've got kids myself. I've just been in a right state. My kids have got to grow up around here.'
The vigil was organised on social media yesterday afternoon. One of those in attendance urged parents to be vigilant to prevent their youngsters from getting caught up in knife crime. 'We need to stand up now, as a community, as a city. We need to stand up and we are not going to put up with this. No child should be on our streets with a knife, they have no reason,' she said in video recorded at the scene
'Go home, search your children's room. Anything you find, get it out of the room and stand together. Don't be frightened to look for help. Don't let your children come in with new clothes, new trainers, and you don't know where they're from. They are being groomed, get them off the street. We need to work together as a community, we need to bang on doors. We need funding, we need our kids off the streets.'
Police scrambled to the scene 'within minutes' of a call to an address on Ilminster Avenue, in Knowle West, at around 11.20pm yesterday. Police carried out first aid at the scene before the two boys were rushed to hospital by ambulance after sustaining fatal stab wounds. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that the boys had been attacked by 'a number of people' who fled from the scene in a car. The teenagers sadly died at Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in the early hours of Sunday morning, with the boys' families by their side. Police have launched a murder investigation, which is being led by the force's Major Crime Investigation Team. A heavy police presence remains at the scene with house-to-house enquiries underway and CCTV and doorbell footage being gathered by investigating officers. Forensic officers could also be seen combing the street. Police say it is not yet clear at this stage what the motive was behind the attack or if the attackers and victims were known to each other. Neither boy has yet been formally identified and post-mortem examinations will be carried out in due course. In a press conference on Ilminster Avenue yesterday, Bristol Commander Superintendent Mark Runacers said that boys' families had been made aware of the two arrests, and are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers. He told reporters: 'The boys' families were with them at hospital and our thoughts are with them as they process these awful events'.
He added: 'I'd like to reassure people that we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to catch those responsible for this reprehensible attack, and provide answers to the victims' families. We are in the early stages of our enquiry but we have already identified a number of witnesses who we will be taking statements from'.
Further suspects are 'being sought' amongst the group believed to be responsible, he said. He urged anyone who has any information to come forward to either the police or Crimestoppers anonymously 'as soon as possible'.
Detectives are particularly keen to speak with passengers on a double-decker bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of attack, and remains at the scene. It's not believe anyone involved in the incident was on or got off the bus, Supt Runacres said. A mobile police station has been setup near the scene where a large cordon remains in place on Ilminster Avenue, between Newquay Road and Tavistock Road. CCTV cameras are dotted around the area - including one at the junction between Newquay Road and Ilminster Avenue. A worker in a shop on Newquay Road said the cameras were a sign of problems. He said: 'This area's been hit [bad] for donkey's years. Two young kids this time. You tell me any other street in the UK that needs two cameras either side of it?'
Locals in Knowle West said the violence had left them feeling 'panicked' and unsafe. One man, who did not want to be named, said: 'I have two kids. My daughter is 23. My son is 15. Have a think about how I feel as a father? I feel so bad and panicked. My son is 15 I can't believe it. I thought it was a joke at first. How is this possible in 2024? This is the problem. I don't feel safe with my kids here.'
A woman who arrived at the cordon claimed her neighbour's son was one of the teenagers who died. The resident, who also did not want to be named, said: 'It was my next door neighbour's son right outside my house last night. No one's seen my neighbour, which is understandable.'
She refused to give further details. Supt Mark Runacres said: 'This is an incredibly shocking and tragic incident where two young boys, who had their whole lives ahead of them, have sadly died. Our collective thoughts are with their families at what is undoubtedly a very difficult time. Specialist family liaison officers will now be assigned to the families to provide them with support and keep them updated on the investigation. A cordon is in place on Ilminster Avenue between Newquay Road and Tavistock Road, and members of the public can expect to see a large police presence as forensic searches and other enquiries are conducted. There are a significant number of properties within the cordon and we would like to apologise for the disruption caused, but we hope people understand the importance of the work being carried out. House-to-house enquiries are underway and CCTV and doorbell footage continues to be gathered. We have also identified several witnesses who we will be taking statements from. Detectives are particularly keen to speak with passengers on a bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of the incident. The neighbourhood policing team will be setting up a mobile police station near the scene. We encourage anyone with any concerns or questions to speak to any of the officers. High-visibility patrols will also be carried out to provide reassurance to the community.'
He added: 'It is extremely important there should be no commentary or sharing of information or images online which could in any way prejudice any future proceedings. It can be an offence to identify anyone who witnessed all or part of the incident as well as those who have been arrested. I'd also like to remind people of the impact the sharing of images, footage or even discussing the incident online may have on the families of the two boys. They are already going through the most difficult of times and you may cause them further upset.'
Avon and Somerset Police added that 'tragedies such as this are a stark reminder of the awful consequences of knife crime'.
The force added: 'Reducing knife crime is one of our key priorities as a police service, it's something we work all year round tackling'.
Anyone with information about the incident or with any relevant footage, has been asked to contact 101 and quote reference 5224023382.
Tragedy of teens killed in horror double stabbing: Heartbroken mother and sister of one of two boys, 15, and 16, knifed to death in front of horrified bus passengers, pay tribute to 'beautiful, kind soul' and 'one of a kind'
By Rory Tingle, Home Affairs Correspondent and Elena Salvoni
Published: 08:41, 29 January 2024 | Updated: 12:08, 29 January 2024
Heartbreaking tributes have today been paid to two boys who were stabbed to death in front of horrified bus passengers in Bristol on Saturday night. Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were attacked by 'a number of people' in Knowle West at around 11.20pm and later died in hospital. Max's sister, Kayleigh, paid tribute to her 'baby brother', calling him 'one of a kind'. 'You sleep tight. A beautiful, kind soul gone. Just taken 16 years so young and innocent oh my heart is broken,' she wrote on Facebook.
'I really hope you know how much we love you. How much I love you. 'You will be missed kiddo I'll always look out for you in every sunset, shine bright lil' bro.'
Max's mother, Leanne, wrote: 'Devastated, our lives will never be the same without you my boy.'
Police are looking to speak to passengers on a bus that was passing through Illminster Avenue at the time of the attack. Scott Alden, Max's football coach, called him the 'cheekiest', 'funniest' boy and a 'very talented footballer'. 'He world is a cruel and dangerous place now, you will be missed by everyone who knew you, thinking of all your family and friends with love,' Mr Alden continues.
A GoFundMe page to raise money for the boys' funerals has been launched by Max's aunt, Christine Fothergill. Police have launched a murder inquiry and are vowing to 'leave no stone unturned' in the hunt for 'further suspects'. Two arrests have been made a 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, who remain in police custody. A vehicle has also been seized as police continue their enquiries. Tributes were left for the teenagers at a vigil in their memory last night, where a heartbroken local told how she held one of the victims in her lap as emergency services raced to the scene. Parents and children were among some 150 people who gathered last night to pay their respects, with mourners lighting candles and laying flowers with messages remembering Max and Mason and expressing sympathy for their loved ones. Anti-knife crime campaigner Leanne Reynolds gave an emotional address to the gathered mourners saying: 'We need to stand up and we're not going to put up with this. No one should be on our streets with a knife. 'It needs to stop, we still need to push to get education we need to explain to these kids that knives are not the way. They need to stop carrying knives.'
England rugby star Ellis Genge went to nursery on Illminster Avenue, where the attack too place, and was among those to offer his support. He wrote on social media: 'My thoughts are with the families affected by this tragic incident. I went to nursery at Illminster Avenue and although I know what the west is like, it still shocks you to see news like this. Kids in these communities need more support and help to be kept away from violence.'
Teenager Shere, 18, said he knew the two boys well and was shocked by the news. Speaking at the scene today, he said: 'I knew Max. I messaged him yesterday morning to try and meet. We heard about the news and came down here last night. It is so messed up. Mason had only just lost his dad - I don't know how his mum is coping right now. Our mums are friends. It's a cruel world. More police are needed here to sort this out. They need to do more stop and searches on these lads and need to block off where they are getting everything from. It's not just knives, it's guns too it's all sorts. I just can't believe they are gone.'
One girl, who lives a couple of houses down from the scene of the crime, said she saw the aftermath of the stabbings. She said: 'I saw the group jump into the car after the boys were stabbed. I saw definitely two in the car, with three in a van - squished in all sitting in bunched together. It's why the police will find it hard to get them all. The bus stop is right by our house there were witnesses and I think a lot of them have come forward. It's been scary, everyone around here is shaken.'
Among the growing number of tributes left at the scene was a note from one of the victim's teachers. They said: 'Today there will be a missing smile in my classroom. You will always be remembered lovey boys.'
Local school Oasis Academy Connaught, which is a short walk from the scene of the tragedy, said it would be supporting pupils today following the weekend's events. 'Many of you will have heard of the tragic event that happened last night in our community. Our love goes out to all,' the elementary school said in a statement on Facebook. 'We will make sure your children have their adults available to talk to in school if and when they need them. Please look after each other and those who are in need at this sad time.'
On Sunday night, dozens gathered on Newquay Road, near the scene of the double stabbing, with many expressing their anger and sadness. A message on one card remembered Max as 'the loveliest boy' and said he 'will most definitely never be forgotten'. Another person said their 'heart is broken' and that they would never forget Max's 'cheeky smile'. Julie O'Reilly was among those in attendance - and revealed she witnessed the immediate aftermath. Visibly shaken, she said: 'I was there. I went out to the young chap on the floor I went out to him. I had his head on my lap. Trying to tell him: 'Stay with us, stay with us we've got help coming'. That was last night. [Today has been] awful. I can't get it out of my head. He was a good boy.'
Another local, Rianne, said she woke up to the news. She said: 'It's shocking, really sad but you're expecting to wake up to something these days. I don't know the families I'm in the community, but I don't know the families. But I've got kids myself. I've just been in a right state. My kids have got to grow up around here.'
The vigil was organised on social media yesterday afternoon. One of those in attendance urged parents to be vigilant to prevent their youngsters from getting caught up in knife crime. 'We need to stand up now, as a community, as a city. We need to stand up and we are not going to put up with this. No child should be on our streets with a knife, they have no reason,' she said in video recorded at the scene
'Go home, search your children's room. Anything you find, get it out of the room and stand together. Don't be frightened to look for help. Don't let your children come in with new clothes, new trainers, and you don't know where they're from. They are being groomed, get them off the street. We need to work together as a community, we need to bang on doors. We need funding, we need our kids off the streets.'
Police scrambled to the scene 'within minutes' of a call to an address on Ilminster Avenue, in Knowle West, at around 11.20pm yesterday. Police carried out first aid at the scene before the two boys were rushed to hospital by ambulance after sustaining fatal stab wounds. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that the boys had been attacked by 'a number of people' who fled from the scene in a car. The teenagers sadly died at Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in the early hours of Sunday morning, with the boys' families by their side. Police have launched a murder investigation, which is being led by the force's Major Crime Investigation Team. A heavy police presence remains at the scene with house-to-house enquiries underway and CCTV and doorbell footage being gathered by investigating officers. Forensic officers could also be seen combing the street. Police say it is not yet clear at this stage what the motive was behind the attack or if the attackers and victims were known to each other. Neither boy has yet been formally identified and post-mortem examinations will be carried out in due course. In a press conference on Ilminster Avenue yesterday, Bristol Commander Superintendent Mark Runacers said that boys' families had been made aware of the two arrests, and are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers. He told reporters: 'The boys' families were with them at hospital and our thoughts are with them as they process these awful events'.
He added: 'I'd like to reassure people that we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to catch those responsible for this reprehensible attack, and provide answers to the victims' families. We are in the early stages of our enquiry but we have already identified a number of witnesses who we will be taking statements from'.
Further suspects are 'being sought' amongst the group believed to be responsible, he said. He urged anyone who has any information to come forward to either the police or Crimestoppers anonymously 'as soon as possible'.
Detectives are particularly keen to speak with passengers on a double-decker bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of attack, and remains at the scene. It's not believe anyone involved in the incident was on or got off the bus, Supt Runacres said. A mobile police station has been setup near the scene where a large cordon remains in place on Ilminster Avenue, between Newquay Road and Tavistock Road. CCTV cameras are dotted around the area - including one at the junction between Newquay Road and Ilminster Avenue. A worker in a shop on Newquay Road said the cameras were a sign of problems. He said: 'This area's been hit [bad] for donkey's years. Two young kids this time. You tell me any other street in the UK that needs two cameras either side of it?'
Locals in Knowle West said the violence had left them feeling 'panicked' and unsafe. One man, who did not want to be named, said: 'I have two kids. My daughter is 23. My son is 15. Have a think about how I feel as a father? I feel so bad and panicked. My son is 15 I can't believe it. I thought it was a joke at first. How is this possible in 2024? This is the problem. I don't feel safe with my kids here.'
A woman who arrived at the cordon claimed her neighbour's son was one of the teenagers who died. The resident, who also did not want to be named, said: 'It was my next door neighbour's son right outside my house last night. No one's seen my neighbour, which is understandable.'
She refused to give further details. Supt Mark Runacres said: 'This is an incredibly shocking and tragic incident where two young boys, who had their whole lives ahead of them, have sadly died. Our collective thoughts are with their families at what is undoubtedly a very difficult time. Specialist family liaison officers will now be assigned to the families to provide them with support and keep them updated on the investigation. A cordon is in place on Ilminster Avenue between Newquay Road and Tavistock Road, and members of the public can expect to see a large police presence as forensic searches and other enquiries are conducted. There are a significant number of properties within the cordon and we would like to apologise for the disruption caused, but we hope people understand the importance of the work being carried out. House-to-house enquiries are underway and CCTV and doorbell footage continues to be gathered. We have also identified several witnesses who we will be taking statements from. Detectives are particularly keen to speak with passengers on a bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of the incident. The neighbourhood policing team will be setting up a mobile police station near the scene. We encourage anyone with any concerns or questions to speak to any of the officers. High-visibility patrols will also be carried out to provide reassurance to the community.'
He added: 'It is extremely important there should be no commentary or sharing of information or images online which could in any way prejudice any future proceedings. It can be an offence to identify anyone who witnessed all or part of the incident as well as those who have been arrested. I'd also like to remind people of the impact the sharing of images, footage or even discussing the incident online may have on the families of the two boys. They are already going through the most difficult of times and you may cause them further upset.'
Avon and Somerset Police added that 'tragedies such as this are a stark reminder of the awful consequences of knife crime'.
The force added: 'Reducing knife crime is one of our key priorities as a police service, it's something we work all year round tackling'.
Anyone with information about the incident or with any relevant footage, has been asked to contact 101 and quote reference 5224023382.
37
Articles / How a hipster preacher served as Kenneth Eugene Smith's 'spiritual advisor' ....
« on: January 27, 2024, 12:55:48 PM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13009853/kenneth-eugene-smith-preacher-advisor-sobs-murderers-executed-death-row.html
How a hipster preacher served as Kenneth Eugene Smith's 'spiritual advisor' who marches with a giant crucifix and SOBS when murderers are executed on Death Row
By TOM COTTERILL
PUBLISHED: 08:16, 27 January 2024 | UPDATED: 09:07, 27 January 2024
He's the bespectacled hipster preacher who serves as the 'spiritual advisor' to twisted Death Row killers before they're executed. Sporting a bushy beard, oval glasses and sometimes carrying a huge wooden cross, Reverend Dr Jeff Hood is often the last friendly face some of the most heinous criminals in America get to see before their lives are snuffed out. Among those aided by the sandal-wearing religious man was Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was put to death on Thursday during a nightmarish, botched execution at a correctional facility in Alabama. The 58-year-old murderer became the first person in the world to be executed with nitrogen gas. But what was meant to be a quick death turned into a shocking 22-minute ordeal as he slowly suffocated. Liberal Rev Dr Hood who supports gay and trans rights and once staged a Black Lives Matters rally which ended in five police officers in Dallas being shot and killed in 2016 was in the room as Smith thrashed on the gurney while the gas took hold. The moment was the 'worst thing' the spiritual guider said he had ever seen. After praying with the killer and telling him that he 'loved him and he wasn't alone', Hood broke down as he recounted the 'horror show' of Smith's final moments. 'When they turned the nitrogen on, he began to convulse, he popped up on the gurney over and over again, he shook the whole gurney,' he said. 'I could see the corrections officers, I think they were very surprised that this didn't go smoothly - one of the state officials in the room was so nervous she was tap dancing,' he continued.
'(Smith) kept breathing for what could possibly be up to nine minutes, 10 minutes, unbelievable evil was unleashed tonight in Alabama.'
Hood's claims of Smith's execution being a 'horror show' directly oppose the narrative put out by Alabama officials, who praised it as a step forward for safe death row justice as an 'effective and humane method of execution.'
'When I agreed to be Kenny Smith’s spiritual advisor, I did so because I didn’t want him to be alone in the darkest hour of his life,' he added.
It's not the first time married father-of-five Rev Dr Hood has courted controversy. In 2016. the pastor was caught up in the mayhem of a gun battle during a Black Lives Matter protest he helped stage in Dallas, Texas. What started off as a peaceful demonstration ended in carnage, with five police officers being shot and killed, with seven other people injured. Rev Dr Hood, a staunch anti-police-brutality activist had held a gathering earlier in the evening to protest the police shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. As gunfire erupted on the streets of Dallas, the white Baptist pastor shepherded people to safety a large, wooden cross as a beacon. Speaking after the bloodshed, Hood said: 'Never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that five police officers would be dead this morning.'
But critics were quick to slam the reverend, accusing him of giving a very different message shortly before the shooting started, potentially inflaming racial tensions. Filmed speaking on a megaphone, Rev Dr Hood yelled: 'God damn white America.
'White America is 'f***ing lie. I'm sick of the bodies and black and brown people being slaughtered in our streets.'
And in the media firestorm that followed, Rev Dr Hood found himself facing death threats online. 'You should feel so proud. Because of you and your rally five people are dead. And now you’re on TV for your 5 minutes of fame. Crawl back in your hole scumbag,' wrote one person.
Another added: 'I can only hope and pray that you are killed soon...'
While a third said: 'Just wait till you get dragged through the street. Racist loser.'
In the aftermath that followed, the pastor was forced to shelter from the world, fearing he would be gunned down, with police patrolling his home. Hood grew up Georgia part of America's Bible Belt famed for its staunch religious views in a Christian fundamentalist family. But he became a racial-justice advocate, describing his home state as the 'cradle of the civil rights movement'.
As a child of six or seven, he remembers his teacher in first grade assigning him the task of reciting the 'I Have Dream Speech' by famed civil rights activist, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. 'From very early on I realized these struggles were complicated, but the complication didn’t keep me from going in my desire to be a part of the change,' he told GQ.
Not afraid of speaking his mind, Hood fiercely opposes the death penalty and fights for LGBT rights. In a biography online, he proudly boasts of having been arrested three times and having written more than 70 books. 'With three arrests, various assaults endured and thousands of miles marched, Dr. Hood is not afraid to step into the shoes of Jesus and give his body for justice,' the biography reads.
While in the death chamber with Smith, Rev Dr Hood took the time to pray with the convicted killer, touching Smith's feet with a bible before the gas was administered. Smith was convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire killing of Elizabeth Sennett. Prosecutors said he was one of two men who were each paid $1,000 to kill Ms Sennett on behalf of her pastor husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance. She was found with eight stab wounds to the chest and one in each side of her neck. In a final statement, Smith said: 'Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards I'm leaving with love, peace and light.'
He made the 'I love you sign' toward his wife and other family members who were witnesses. 'Thank you for supporting me. Love, love all of you,' Smith said.
Smith started violently shaking, writhing, and thrashing up and down on the gurney for two whole minutes after the nitrogen gas started filling up his mask. This was followed by five to seven minutes of heavy breathing and slight gasping. In total, Smith, 58, was visibly conscious and struggling in apparent pain for nearly 10 minutes before his breathing seemed to slowly stop at 8.08pm. The viewing curtains closed at 8.15pm and he was pronounced dead at 8.25pm. Prior to the fiasco, Rev Dr Hood hit out at the State of Alabama for refusing to 'share even the simplest of evidence of safety precautions that they have in place for the first nitrogen hypoxia execution'.
In a blistering personal blog ahead of the botched execution of the Death Row inmate, Rev Dr Hood accused state officials of 'secrecy' over the new killing method. 'We have put out several safety demands…to which the State of Alabama has not responded,' Rev Dr Hood wrote.
'They are not willing to engage the simplest safety measures. The State of Alabama has not responded to the truth that experts have shared over and over. I guess this should make sense… since they are so comfortable taking the life of a human being in this manner…suffocation. If they are prepared to kill someone in such a way…what would it mean to kill someone else? It seems that it would mean very little. The tyranny of uncertainty that the State of Alabama has created has given tremendous stress to people that I deeply love. Once again, they should be ashamed. But of course, they won’t be. Those who are this comfortable being murderers have no shame.'
How a hipster preacher served as Kenneth Eugene Smith's 'spiritual advisor' who marches with a giant crucifix and SOBS when murderers are executed on Death Row
By TOM COTTERILL
PUBLISHED: 08:16, 27 January 2024 | UPDATED: 09:07, 27 January 2024
He's the bespectacled hipster preacher who serves as the 'spiritual advisor' to twisted Death Row killers before they're executed. Sporting a bushy beard, oval glasses and sometimes carrying a huge wooden cross, Reverend Dr Jeff Hood is often the last friendly face some of the most heinous criminals in America get to see before their lives are snuffed out. Among those aided by the sandal-wearing religious man was Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was put to death on Thursday during a nightmarish, botched execution at a correctional facility in Alabama. The 58-year-old murderer became the first person in the world to be executed with nitrogen gas. But what was meant to be a quick death turned into a shocking 22-minute ordeal as he slowly suffocated. Liberal Rev Dr Hood who supports gay and trans rights and once staged a Black Lives Matters rally which ended in five police officers in Dallas being shot and killed in 2016 was in the room as Smith thrashed on the gurney while the gas took hold. The moment was the 'worst thing' the spiritual guider said he had ever seen. After praying with the killer and telling him that he 'loved him and he wasn't alone', Hood broke down as he recounted the 'horror show' of Smith's final moments. 'When they turned the nitrogen on, he began to convulse, he popped up on the gurney over and over again, he shook the whole gurney,' he said. 'I could see the corrections officers, I think they were very surprised that this didn't go smoothly - one of the state officials in the room was so nervous she was tap dancing,' he continued.
'(Smith) kept breathing for what could possibly be up to nine minutes, 10 minutes, unbelievable evil was unleashed tonight in Alabama.'
Hood's claims of Smith's execution being a 'horror show' directly oppose the narrative put out by Alabama officials, who praised it as a step forward for safe death row justice as an 'effective and humane method of execution.'
'When I agreed to be Kenny Smith’s spiritual advisor, I did so because I didn’t want him to be alone in the darkest hour of his life,' he added.
It's not the first time married father-of-five Rev Dr Hood has courted controversy. In 2016. the pastor was caught up in the mayhem of a gun battle during a Black Lives Matter protest he helped stage in Dallas, Texas. What started off as a peaceful demonstration ended in carnage, with five police officers being shot and killed, with seven other people injured. Rev Dr Hood, a staunch anti-police-brutality activist had held a gathering earlier in the evening to protest the police shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. As gunfire erupted on the streets of Dallas, the white Baptist pastor shepherded people to safety a large, wooden cross as a beacon. Speaking after the bloodshed, Hood said: 'Never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that five police officers would be dead this morning.'
But critics were quick to slam the reverend, accusing him of giving a very different message shortly before the shooting started, potentially inflaming racial tensions. Filmed speaking on a megaphone, Rev Dr Hood yelled: 'God damn white America.
'White America is 'f***ing lie. I'm sick of the bodies and black and brown people being slaughtered in our streets.'
And in the media firestorm that followed, Rev Dr Hood found himself facing death threats online. 'You should feel so proud. Because of you and your rally five people are dead. And now you’re on TV for your 5 minutes of fame. Crawl back in your hole scumbag,' wrote one person.
Another added: 'I can only hope and pray that you are killed soon...'
While a third said: 'Just wait till you get dragged through the street. Racist loser.'
In the aftermath that followed, the pastor was forced to shelter from the world, fearing he would be gunned down, with police patrolling his home. Hood grew up Georgia part of America's Bible Belt famed for its staunch religious views in a Christian fundamentalist family. But he became a racial-justice advocate, describing his home state as the 'cradle of the civil rights movement'.
As a child of six or seven, he remembers his teacher in first grade assigning him the task of reciting the 'I Have Dream Speech' by famed civil rights activist, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. 'From very early on I realized these struggles were complicated, but the complication didn’t keep me from going in my desire to be a part of the change,' he told GQ.
Not afraid of speaking his mind, Hood fiercely opposes the death penalty and fights for LGBT rights. In a biography online, he proudly boasts of having been arrested three times and having written more than 70 books. 'With three arrests, various assaults endured and thousands of miles marched, Dr. Hood is not afraid to step into the shoes of Jesus and give his body for justice,' the biography reads.
While in the death chamber with Smith, Rev Dr Hood took the time to pray with the convicted killer, touching Smith's feet with a bible before the gas was administered. Smith was convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire killing of Elizabeth Sennett. Prosecutors said he was one of two men who were each paid $1,000 to kill Ms Sennett on behalf of her pastor husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance. She was found with eight stab wounds to the chest and one in each side of her neck. In a final statement, Smith said: 'Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards I'm leaving with love, peace and light.'
He made the 'I love you sign' toward his wife and other family members who were witnesses. 'Thank you for supporting me. Love, love all of you,' Smith said.
Smith started violently shaking, writhing, and thrashing up and down on the gurney for two whole minutes after the nitrogen gas started filling up his mask. This was followed by five to seven minutes of heavy breathing and slight gasping. In total, Smith, 58, was visibly conscious and struggling in apparent pain for nearly 10 minutes before his breathing seemed to slowly stop at 8.08pm. The viewing curtains closed at 8.15pm and he was pronounced dead at 8.25pm. Prior to the fiasco, Rev Dr Hood hit out at the State of Alabama for refusing to 'share even the simplest of evidence of safety precautions that they have in place for the first nitrogen hypoxia execution'.
In a blistering personal blog ahead of the botched execution of the Death Row inmate, Rev Dr Hood accused state officials of 'secrecy' over the new killing method. 'We have put out several safety demands…to which the State of Alabama has not responded,' Rev Dr Hood wrote.
'They are not willing to engage the simplest safety measures. The State of Alabama has not responded to the truth that experts have shared over and over. I guess this should make sense… since they are so comfortable taking the life of a human being in this manner…suffocation. If they are prepared to kill someone in such a way…what would it mean to kill someone else? It seems that it would mean very little. The tyranny of uncertainty that the State of Alabama has created has given tremendous stress to people that I deeply love. Once again, they should be ashamed. But of course, they won’t be. Those who are this comfortable being murderers have no shame.'
38
Faith / Jewish school was 'in denial' over bullying of 14-year-old girl who took her ...
« on: January 23, 2024, 04:16:26 PM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12996565/Jewish-school-denial-bullying-14-year-old-girl-took-life-boys-mocked-female-pupils-messages-photos-Snapchat-inquest-hears.html
Jewish school was 'in denial' over bullying of 14-year-old girl who took her own life after boys mocked female pupils with messages and photos on Snapchat, inquest hears
Mia Janin was found dead at her family home in Harrow on March 12, 2021
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org
By Frankie Elliott
Published: 15:34, 23 January 2024 | Updated: 15:59, 23 January 2024
A Jewish school was 'in denial' over bullying of 14-year-old girl who took her own life after being tormented by a group of boys for years, an inquest heard today. Mia Janin, a year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north-west London, was found dead at her family home in Harrow on March 12, 2021. Barnet Coroner's Court heard statements from children in Mia's year describe how she was bullied online and in person for the three years she attended the school. The inquest was told how a Snapchat group was used by Mia's tormentors to mock the teenager and post nude photos of her and other female students. The school denies being aware of the bullying and the difficulties it was causing Mia, but pupils claim they must have been aware but did nothing to stop it. In statements read out to the the inquest, one of Mia's friends said: 'JFS probably did know about Mia's bullying. Could they not see anything? How did they miss the bullying that was happening in front of them?'
Another added: 'The school was in denial all the time. They didn't know she was being bullied and didn't hold those who bullied her accountable. One of the statements described how the group of boys bullied her and other students 'on buses, class and at home'.
Another described how boys kicked footballs at her and her friends, whilst also filming her and calling her names. Some of them described how one of the boys labelled Mia's friendship group the 'suicide squad' seven months before Mia took her own life, and that this name stuck. They also described the Snapchat group chat named 'Panacha' which included more than 60 boys from JFS and possibly other schools. The pupils claimed this chat was widely known about at the school. Boys used the chat, the inquest heard, to post messages mocking girls at the school, and to post photos of their faces superimposed onto nude bodies of porn stars. One said they also used the group to share nude photos of girls at the school, which they pressured girls to send them. In their evidence Mia's friends said they had not seen the group, but knew when someone had been targeted because the boys would talk about it at school. One child, who described the group as 'intimidating' and 'disrespectful' said: 'I never saw the group chat but did know things would be shared on it because people would talk about what was being shared at school.'
A TikTok video she posted the evening before she died criticising two of her bullies was shared on the Snapchat group. This led to Mia feeling intensely anxious and she left a voice note with a friend in which she said she was 'mentally preparing herself to get bullied' as a result of the video. A number of the children said that the next day she seemed 'normal', but one of her friends recalled a conversation they had had at lunch: 'She said 'if you died, would people care about you the next day?'
'I didn't think it was a big deal, we laughed it off,' she said.
Most of the children who gave statements knew Mia was being bullied, but didn't know how bad things were getting, with one saying: 'She hid it really well.'
The inquest heard that the Snapchat group was deleted at the request of Rabbi Cohen, the school safeguarding lead, a few weeks after Mia's death.
Mia's father Mariano Janin gave a moving speech in which he described his daughter as a 'special person'. 'Mia was a special person. She was beautiful, bright and full of life, full of light,' he said.
'On the last night of Mia's life we were sitting at the table having dinner, and she told us she had a hard week. I was surprised as to what she said, as she had only been back at school one day. She said she wanted to leave JFS. Marisa [Mia's mother] told her she could and we could look into home schooling. I was very concerned what would have happened after one day at school, that she should come home distressed. I didn't realis e at the time just how bad things were for her.'
Mr Janin said that when he dropped Mia off at school on 12 March 2021, 18 hours before her death, she had been 'full of plans' for the future. He said she had plans to take up drama again, and to go on holiday to Greece in the summer. 'The only thing she asked me was permission to go with her friends to Camden Market on Saturday,' he said.
'She was planning the weekend and starting to plan the holidays and planning to start cheerleading and drama again.'
Mr Janin asked the coroner: 'Can you assure me she was not the victim of a pornography ring inside the school? Can you tell me this? This will be my goal, to find the answer to this question.'
The coroner assured him that 'anything that happened in the school is what we are looking at. There is no evidence that Mia was involved in that.'
The inquest is scheduled to finish tomorrow.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
Jewish school was 'in denial' over bullying of 14-year-old girl who took her own life after boys mocked female pupils with messages and photos on Snapchat, inquest hears
Mia Janin was found dead at her family home in Harrow on March 12, 2021
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org
By Frankie Elliott
Published: 15:34, 23 January 2024 | Updated: 15:59, 23 January 2024
A Jewish school was 'in denial' over bullying of 14-year-old girl who took her own life after being tormented by a group of boys for years, an inquest heard today. Mia Janin, a year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north-west London, was found dead at her family home in Harrow on March 12, 2021. Barnet Coroner's Court heard statements from children in Mia's year describe how she was bullied online and in person for the three years she attended the school. The inquest was told how a Snapchat group was used by Mia's tormentors to mock the teenager and post nude photos of her and other female students. The school denies being aware of the bullying and the difficulties it was causing Mia, but pupils claim they must have been aware but did nothing to stop it. In statements read out to the the inquest, one of Mia's friends said: 'JFS probably did know about Mia's bullying. Could they not see anything? How did they miss the bullying that was happening in front of them?'
Another added: 'The school was in denial all the time. They didn't know she was being bullied and didn't hold those who bullied her accountable. One of the statements described how the group of boys bullied her and other students 'on buses, class and at home'.
Another described how boys kicked footballs at her and her friends, whilst also filming her and calling her names. Some of them described how one of the boys labelled Mia's friendship group the 'suicide squad' seven months before Mia took her own life, and that this name stuck. They also described the Snapchat group chat named 'Panacha' which included more than 60 boys from JFS and possibly other schools. The pupils claimed this chat was widely known about at the school. Boys used the chat, the inquest heard, to post messages mocking girls at the school, and to post photos of their faces superimposed onto nude bodies of porn stars. One said they also used the group to share nude photos of girls at the school, which they pressured girls to send them. In their evidence Mia's friends said they had not seen the group, but knew when someone had been targeted because the boys would talk about it at school. One child, who described the group as 'intimidating' and 'disrespectful' said: 'I never saw the group chat but did know things would be shared on it because people would talk about what was being shared at school.'
A TikTok video she posted the evening before she died criticising two of her bullies was shared on the Snapchat group. This led to Mia feeling intensely anxious and she left a voice note with a friend in which she said she was 'mentally preparing herself to get bullied' as a result of the video. A number of the children said that the next day she seemed 'normal', but one of her friends recalled a conversation they had had at lunch: 'She said 'if you died, would people care about you the next day?'
'I didn't think it was a big deal, we laughed it off,' she said.
Most of the children who gave statements knew Mia was being bullied, but didn't know how bad things were getting, with one saying: 'She hid it really well.'
The inquest heard that the Snapchat group was deleted at the request of Rabbi Cohen, the school safeguarding lead, a few weeks after Mia's death.
Mia's father Mariano Janin gave a moving speech in which he described his daughter as a 'special person'. 'Mia was a special person. She was beautiful, bright and full of life, full of light,' he said.
'On the last night of Mia's life we were sitting at the table having dinner, and she told us she had a hard week. I was surprised as to what she said, as she had only been back at school one day. She said she wanted to leave JFS. Marisa [Mia's mother] told her she could and we could look into home schooling. I was very concerned what would have happened after one day at school, that she should come home distressed. I didn't realis e at the time just how bad things were for her.'
Mr Janin said that when he dropped Mia off at school on 12 March 2021, 18 hours before her death, she had been 'full of plans' for the future. He said she had plans to take up drama again, and to go on holiday to Greece in the summer. 'The only thing she asked me was permission to go with her friends to Camden Market on Saturday,' he said.
'She was planning the weekend and starting to plan the holidays and planning to start cheerleading and drama again.'
Mr Janin asked the coroner: 'Can you assure me she was not the victim of a pornography ring inside the school? Can you tell me this? This will be my goal, to find the answer to this question.'
The coroner assured him that 'anything that happened in the school is what we are looking at. There is no evidence that Mia was involved in that.'
The inquest is scheduled to finish tomorrow.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
39
Faith / You Matter
« on: January 14, 2024, 04:10:41 PM »
https://outreachmagazine.com/features/77098-you-matter.html?utm_source=omag-om-daily-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button&utm_campaign=omag-om-daily-nl-&maropost_id=714607821&mpweb=256-10067443-714607821
Greg Laurie
August 11, 2023
You Matter
Every person in the church has an effect on it, for better or for worse.
If you are strong spiritually, then you build up the church a little more. If you are weak spiritually, you weaken it a little more. If you allow God to use you to touch lives, you help the church a little more. And if you’re compromising spiritually, you weaken it a little more. Every person has an effect.
Writing to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NLT).
But Paul also reproved this church because they were boasting about bringing in someone who claimed to be a believer but was living immorally. They were proud of how tolerant they were.
Paul told them, “You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship” (1 Corinthians 5:2 NLT).
You matter in the church. Every person lifting their voice in worship matters. Every gift in the offering matters. And every act we do outside the church matters. If you’re a Christian, then you are an important part of the body of Christ.
We need to get rid of this me-first, what’s-in-it-for-me mindset and start thinking biblically. We need to start asking what we can do to help others and serve others. We need to ask how we can learn to resolve conflicts and maintain the unity that is in the church.
Instead of approaching church like a consumer looking to simply get in and get out every weekend, come in and use the gifts that God has given you.
It can change your life, and it can certainly change the way you see the church.
Greg Laurie
August 11, 2023
You Matter
Every person in the church has an effect on it, for better or for worse.
If you are strong spiritually, then you build up the church a little more. If you are weak spiritually, you weaken it a little more. If you allow God to use you to touch lives, you help the church a little more. And if you’re compromising spiritually, you weaken it a little more. Every person has an effect.
Writing to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NLT).
But Paul also reproved this church because they were boasting about bringing in someone who claimed to be a believer but was living immorally. They were proud of how tolerant they were.
Paul told them, “You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship” (1 Corinthians 5:2 NLT).
You matter in the church. Every person lifting their voice in worship matters. Every gift in the offering matters. And every act we do outside the church matters. If you’re a Christian, then you are an important part of the body of Christ.
We need to get rid of this me-first, what’s-in-it-for-me mindset and start thinking biblically. We need to start asking what we can do to help others and serve others. We need to ask how we can learn to resolve conflicts and maintain the unity that is in the church.
Instead of approaching church like a consumer looking to simply get in and get out every weekend, come in and use the gifts that God has given you.
It can change your life, and it can certainly change the way you see the church.
40
Faith / Re: Devotions
« on: January 14, 2024, 04:05:03 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/04/11/if-youre-not-where-you-thought-you-would-be?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=252497293&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_wtq-GfCgFKF9LI8luy44lAxHsv_B73auX1XT18YU5Y2kqPVIkWER6oJlSR1eRGpAmE_3NlEjtFS25gf0nTVhjMWC_vQ&utm_content=252497293&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
If You’re Not Where You Thought You Would Be
April 11, 2023
by Meghan Ryan
“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:10-11 (ESV)
I read a book recently about struggling with body image, and the author asked this question: “Do you want to live free from shame?”
Immediately I took a picture of the quote and texted this to a friend: “I don’t know if I want to live free from shame? If I let go of shame, I feel like I have to accept the reality of who I am. But I don’t want to stay here. Because who I am isn’t who I thought I would be.”
Suddenly this wasn’t just about my struggles with my body. Being OK with myself physically just represented a deeper issue: I thought I would be someone else at this point in my life. The version of who I am is not the girl I thought I would be. Maybe you’ve felt this too. By this age, you thought you’d have:
A better position in your career …
Or a thriving marriage …
Or a kid …
Or a house of your own …
Or a certain kind of body …
Or freedom from a certain sin struggle …
But you’re just not there yet. And you’re beginning to wonder if you will ever stop striving to get there. I’ve felt this all too deeply. I am trying to become OK with who I am, not the idealized version of who I thought I would be at this point. And it's been messy. I have to choose to ask God what is true about me, and then I have to choose to believe Him. Today’s key verses remind me of what the Lord longs to see in me: “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Psalm 147:10-11).
God is not looking at our outward appearances or worldly definitions of “success.” He is looking at our hearts and how we see Him. Do we fear Him?
By “fear Him,” I mean: Do we trust that He is powerful and in control of our circumstances?
Do we trust He is making us into the best version of ourselves?
When we have to wrestle with our sins and imperfections, He does not expect us to figure everything out. He offers us an invitation to bring it to Him. Do we put our hope in His steadfast love?
His love does not change when we change. God’s love for us is not dependent on what we look like or how much we accomplish. He loves us simply because, when we are in Christ, we are His daughters. One day I may be more comfortable with who I am, or maybe some part of me will continue to wrestle with my expectations for myself. But in the meantime, here’s what I’ll cling to: If God offers me grace for where I am today, I can offer it to myself too. Can I offer the same grace to you?
It's OK if who you are is not who you thought you would be. The woman God is forming you to be has more purpose than you can dare to dream. You can put your trust and hope in Him.
If You’re Not Where You Thought You Would Be
April 11, 2023
by Meghan Ryan
“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:10-11 (ESV)
I read a book recently about struggling with body image, and the author asked this question: “Do you want to live free from shame?”
Immediately I took a picture of the quote and texted this to a friend: “I don’t know if I want to live free from shame? If I let go of shame, I feel like I have to accept the reality of who I am. But I don’t want to stay here. Because who I am isn’t who I thought I would be.”
Suddenly this wasn’t just about my struggles with my body. Being OK with myself physically just represented a deeper issue: I thought I would be someone else at this point in my life. The version of who I am is not the girl I thought I would be. Maybe you’ve felt this too. By this age, you thought you’d have:
A better position in your career …
Or a thriving marriage …
Or a kid …
Or a house of your own …
Or a certain kind of body …
Or freedom from a certain sin struggle …
But you’re just not there yet. And you’re beginning to wonder if you will ever stop striving to get there. I’ve felt this all too deeply. I am trying to become OK with who I am, not the idealized version of who I thought I would be at this point. And it's been messy. I have to choose to ask God what is true about me, and then I have to choose to believe Him. Today’s key verses remind me of what the Lord longs to see in me: “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Psalm 147:10-11).
God is not looking at our outward appearances or worldly definitions of “success.” He is looking at our hearts and how we see Him. Do we fear Him?
By “fear Him,” I mean: Do we trust that He is powerful and in control of our circumstances?
Do we trust He is making us into the best version of ourselves?
When we have to wrestle with our sins and imperfections, He does not expect us to figure everything out. He offers us an invitation to bring it to Him. Do we put our hope in His steadfast love?
His love does not change when we change. God’s love for us is not dependent on what we look like or how much we accomplish. He loves us simply because, when we are in Christ, we are His daughters. One day I may be more comfortable with who I am, or maybe some part of me will continue to wrestle with my expectations for myself. But in the meantime, here’s what I’ll cling to: If God offers me grace for where I am today, I can offer it to myself too. Can I offer the same grace to you?
It's OK if who you are is not who you thought you would be. The woman God is forming you to be has more purpose than you can dare to dream. You can put your trust and hope in Him.
41
Fun, Games And Silliness / The Elderly
« on: January 12, 2024, 12:44:21 PM »
They call us "The Elderly."
We were born in the 40-50-60's.
We grew up in the 50-60-70's.
We studied in the 60-70-80's.
We were dating in the 70-80-90's.
We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's.
We venture into the 80-90's.
We stabilize in the 2000's.
We got wiser in the 2010's.
And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.
Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades...
TWO different centuries...
TWO different millennia...
We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world.
We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and WhatsApp.
From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, color TV and then to 3D HD TV.
We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix.
We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones.
We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, parachute pants, shell suits, and blue jeans.
We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19.
We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol, or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric.
Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had!
They could describe us as "exennials"; people who were born in that world of the 50s/60s, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood.
We've kind of seen it all!
Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.
change.
A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE.
We were born in the 40-50-60's.
We grew up in the 50-60-70's.
We studied in the 60-70-80's.
We were dating in the 70-80-90's.
We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's.
We venture into the 80-90's.
We stabilize in the 2000's.
We got wiser in the 2010's.
And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.
Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades...
TWO different centuries...
TWO different millennia...
We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world.
We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and WhatsApp.
From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, color TV and then to 3D HD TV.
We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix.
We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones.
We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, parachute pants, shell suits, and blue jeans.
We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19.
We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol, or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric.
Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had!
They could describe us as "exennials"; people who were born in that world of the 50s/60s, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood.
We've kind of seen it all!
Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.
change.
A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE.
42
Fun, Games And Silliness / Relatives
« on: January 12, 2024, 12:41:13 PM »
Researchers have recently discovered that the artist Vincent Van Gogh had quite a few interesting relatives:
A grandfather that moved to Yugoslavia: U Gogh
A brother who worked at a convenience store: Stopen Gogh
A magician uncle: Wherediddy Gogh
The aunt who taught positive thinking: Wayto Gogh
A psychiatrist nephew: E. Gogh
The brother who bleached his clothes: Hue Gogh
A very obnoxious brother: Please Gogh
A sister with a small bladder: Gotta Gogh
A cousin that moved to Illinois: Chica Gogh
A niece that moved to Mexico: Ami Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt: Tan Gogh
A second cousin that drove a stagecoach: Wells Far Gogh
The bouncy nephew: Po Gogh
A birdwatching uncle: Flamin Gogh
A grand-niece that no one has heard from because she's been traveling around the USA for years: Winnie Bay Gogh
A grandfather that moved to Yugoslavia: U Gogh
A brother who worked at a convenience store: Stopen Gogh
A magician uncle: Wherediddy Gogh
The aunt who taught positive thinking: Wayto Gogh
A psychiatrist nephew: E. Gogh
The brother who bleached his clothes: Hue Gogh
A very obnoxious brother: Please Gogh
A sister with a small bladder: Gotta Gogh
A cousin that moved to Illinois: Chica Gogh
A niece that moved to Mexico: Ami Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt: Tan Gogh
A second cousin that drove a stagecoach: Wells Far Gogh
The bouncy nephew: Po Gogh
A birdwatching uncle: Flamin Gogh
A grand-niece that no one has heard from because she's been traveling around the USA for years: Winnie Bay Gogh
43
Faith / Re: Devotions
« on: January 10, 2024, 12:50:06 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/04/06/god-is-not-gone?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=251693247&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Sqs__Fd1p3cfsrFlNw6t5tdWVXdSZjmF97XjchXiXxjZ8lXG6iWnZn5E88SSzh4QxY7NhimUSDGI4YUz-y09FuA1XdA&utm_content=251693247&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
God Is Not Gone
April 6, 2023
by Lisa Whittle
“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.” Job 23:8-10a (NLT)
One day last fall, I was feeling overwhelmed. My husband and I were in California, celebrating our anniversary, but it wasn’t pretty. I was physically sick and didn’t even have the energy to wash my hair. We sat out on a big rock overlooking the Pacific Ocean. At some point, sitting there, I said to him, “I want to jump in that ocean and swim as far as I can and not swim back for a long time.” I never say things like that, so it scared him. I didn’t want my life to be over. I just wanted to escape the pressures of it for a while. Sometimes we mistakenly think if we build a good enough life, we will never have thoughts of wanting to run away from it. But it’s not true. Even the best life on earth will still be a life in which we long for relief from its pain and imperfection. In moments of feeling overwhelmed, the words of Job 23:8-10a feel particularly relatable: “I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.”
God feels hidden. He feels far away. You can’t see traces of Him. When Job uttered these words, he had lost nearly everything he loved. And yet, after expressing his angst, he relayed a sentiment of confidence in these seven words: “But he knows where I am going” (Job 23:10a).
Job didn’t need to know where God was because he trusted that God knew where he was. If you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone. If you want to escape the pressures of life, know that sometimes we all have that feeling. But feelings don’t change the truth:
* God is not gone. The silence of God in our waiting and worrying can make us feel desperate. The prevalence of evil in this world can seem out of control. And yet we have proof throughout Scripture that He is forever present.
* God knows, so you don’t have to. Breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not your job to know how to work out that situation how to right that wrong how in the world to overcome your limitations. The world is not in your control. You can’t see the future. What if you said the words “God knows” and rested in His reliability? How would that help you rest versus continuously wrestle?
God’s omniscience His intimate knowledge of things past, present and future, both in the world and your world means that there is not one thing you have faced, are facing or will face that He does not know about. Right now, you may be making plans, but He is handling the things you cannot. The comfort and relief you are looking for cannot be found in more self-help; they’re found in the understanding that God sees the injustice no one else sees and will one day make it right. In ways you don’t even realize, He is holding your life together. God is not gone. He sees you. Your worries, questions of “why” and feelings of overwhelm do not change the reality of who He is and what He knows about your life and future. Good news: You’ll never get away from that.
God Is Not Gone
April 6, 2023
by Lisa Whittle
“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.” Job 23:8-10a (NLT)
One day last fall, I was feeling overwhelmed. My husband and I were in California, celebrating our anniversary, but it wasn’t pretty. I was physically sick and didn’t even have the energy to wash my hair. We sat out on a big rock overlooking the Pacific Ocean. At some point, sitting there, I said to him, “I want to jump in that ocean and swim as far as I can and not swim back for a long time.” I never say things like that, so it scared him. I didn’t want my life to be over. I just wanted to escape the pressures of it for a while. Sometimes we mistakenly think if we build a good enough life, we will never have thoughts of wanting to run away from it. But it’s not true. Even the best life on earth will still be a life in which we long for relief from its pain and imperfection. In moments of feeling overwhelmed, the words of Job 23:8-10a feel particularly relatable: “I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.”
God feels hidden. He feels far away. You can’t see traces of Him. When Job uttered these words, he had lost nearly everything he loved. And yet, after expressing his angst, he relayed a sentiment of confidence in these seven words: “But he knows where I am going” (Job 23:10a).
Job didn’t need to know where God was because he trusted that God knew where he was. If you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone. If you want to escape the pressures of life, know that sometimes we all have that feeling. But feelings don’t change the truth:
* God is not gone. The silence of God in our waiting and worrying can make us feel desperate. The prevalence of evil in this world can seem out of control. And yet we have proof throughout Scripture that He is forever present.
* God knows, so you don’t have to. Breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not your job to know how to work out that situation how to right that wrong how in the world to overcome your limitations. The world is not in your control. You can’t see the future. What if you said the words “God knows” and rested in His reliability? How would that help you rest versus continuously wrestle?
God’s omniscience His intimate knowledge of things past, present and future, both in the world and your world means that there is not one thing you have faced, are facing or will face that He does not know about. Right now, you may be making plans, but He is handling the things you cannot. The comfort and relief you are looking for cannot be found in more self-help; they’re found in the understanding that God sees the injustice no one else sees and will one day make it right. In ways you don’t even realize, He is holding your life together. God is not gone. He sees you. Your worries, questions of “why” and feelings of overwhelm do not change the reality of who He is and what He knows about your life and future. Good news: You’ll never get away from that.
44
Articles / Proof you CAN die of a broken heart: It's called takotsubo and doctors are ....
« on: January 10, 2024, 12:44:25 PM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12946759/Death-broken-heart-doctors-treatment.html
Proof you CAN die of a broken heart: It's called takotsubo and doctors are finding new ways to treat it
By Fiona Macrae
Published: 11:56, 10 January 2024 | Updated: 11:56, 10 January 2024
After Sinead O'Connor's tragic death last year, an ex partner yesterday insisted confirmation of her dying of natural causes means she died from a 'broken heart'. The star, 56, was found 'unresponsive' by police at her flat in Herne Hill, south-east London, in July last year 18 months after her beloved 17-year old son Shane killed himself. On Tuesday officials ruled she had died of natural causes. Dermot Hayes, who dated singer Sinead for two years after writing an early autobiography of her, told The Irish Sun: 'From this you can surmise that a broken heart is a real illness symptom, and a cause of death. It doesn’t make Sinead’s passing any less painful. It was more to do with a broken heart than anything else.'
Here, Mail Online examines how doctors are now looking at new ways to treat broken heart syndrome (medically known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy). Veterinary nurse Sarah Woodward was at work when she received a phone call to say her best friend’s father had died. ‘I’d known him for 45 years,’ says Sarah, from Worthing, West Sussex. ‘It was like losing my own father.’
Before she’d even put the phone down, a stabbing pain started in her chest. It then radiated through her back, into her jaw and down her left arm. She started to struggle to breathe and turned the colour of chalk all classic signs of a heart attack. Sarah, 54, was, however, exceptionally fit, doing at least ten hours of exercise a week, including kickboxing. She didn’t smoke, cooked from scratch every day with husband Kevin, 58, a gas engineer, and drank alcohol only once a week. So it never crossed her mind that she was having a heart attack. Instead, she thought it was just a panic attack or that she’d pulled a muscle while exercising. A colleague, however, called an ambulance and, a few hours later, tests revealed it was something else entirely. Sarah had broken heart syndrome where there is a sudden weakening of the muscle in the heart’s left ventricle, its main pumping chamber. The mysterious and potentially fatal condition affects around 2,500 Britons a year and often occurs after a bereavement, hence its name. Around 90 per cent of patients are women aged 50 or over, and around one in 20 will die in hospital as a result. In survivors, the heart’s shape and pumping capacity usually return to normal within three months, but many suffer long-term problems including chest pain, palpitations and breathlessness. While symptoms such as sudden intense chest pain and shortness of breath mirror those of a heart attack, takotsubo is not caused by blocked arteries as heart attacks generally are. Instead, says Dr David Gamble, a clinical research fellow in cardiology at the University of Aberdeen, in around 70 per cent of cases a stressful event is to blame (in other cases, the cause is unclear). This can be emotional, such as the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, or physical, such as an assault or car crash. Intriguingly, the stress needn’t be negative; happy occasions can also spark the condition. A 2016 study by University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland of 485 patients whose takotsubo had an emotional trigger found that while 96 per cent had experienced sad events, in the remaining 4 per cent, it followed a joyful occasion such as a birthday party, winning at a casino or even a surprise marriage proposal. That’s because all these events and the stress response they trigger in the body lead to a surge in adrenaline, a hormone released to prepare the body for ‘fight or flight’ which tells the heart to beat faster to boost blood flow to the brain and muscles. In takotsubo syndrome, however, the rush of adrenaline shuts down the bottom of the left ventricle, its main pumping chamber, says Dr Alexander Lyon, an honorary consultant cardiologist at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital. Unable to contract, the bottom of the ventricle balloons outwards. This characteristic shape is visible on X-rays of the heart and is key in diagnosing the syndrome. It’s what led Japanese researchers in 1990 to name it after a ‘takotsubo’ a traditional narrow-necked, wide-bottomed pot used to trap octopuses when fishing. One mystery for doctors seeing those affected has been understanding why this rush of adrenaline affects some people, especially women, but not others. Now scientists may have an answer which could pave the way for better treatments for the condition. In a study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research in June, Dr Lyon and colleagues at Imperial College London, investigated how human and rat heart cells responded to adrenaline. They found heart cells were much more sensitive to adrenaline if they were also exposed to two molecules, microRNA-16 and microRNA-26a. In those that were, it took only about a fifth of the normal amount of adrenaline to stop them contracting. MicroRNAs are small compounds that control protein production in cells. It’s not known from where these two emanate, but one theory is they are released by the brain in times of depression, anxiety and stress and travel in the blood to the heart. Chronic stress may raise the levels to such an extent that some people are more likely to have a takotsubo attack when they later have a sudden shock. Put another way, if two people experience the same rush of adrenaline after a shock, the person who has higher amounts of these microRNAs in their blood would be more likely to have a takotsubo attack, says Sian Harding, a professor of cardiac pharmacology involved in the study. ‘It may be that chronic stress is priming people to have this syndrome when they then suffer acute stress,’ she adds.
A study from Massachusetts General Hospital in March supports this theory. It found patients undergoing cancer scans who displayed heightened activity in their amygdalas (the part of the brain that detects stress) were more likely to get broken heart syndrome over the next five years. Dr Gamble says depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders are more common in those who experience takotsubo syndrome, and he is researching whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) a talking therapy that improves mental health will aid recovery. Thirty patients will undergo 12 weeks of CBT and have their heart health compared with that of patients who are either prescribed a 12-week exercise programme (exercise lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and improves blood sugar regulation) or are simply treated with standard care. Little is known about the best treatments for the syndrome, but there is some evidence ACE inhibitors, drugs prescribed to treat high blood pressure, are useful. Genes and hormones may also play a role genes, because the condition can run in families, and hormones because the overwhelming majority of cases are in post-menopausal women. It is thought that male and female sex hormones may protect against the condition, leaving women more vulnerable after the menopause, when levels of oestrogen are lower. Higher levels of stress and anxiety in post-menopausal women may also help explain the link, says Dr Gamble. One possibility in the future could be a test that measures levels of the two microRNAs identified in the recent Imperial study, to predict if a patient is at risk of experiencing a second attack of broken heart syndrome. Similarly, drugs that block the action of the two microRNAs could provide a much-needed way of preventing recurrences. Around one in five broken heart patients has a recurrence and Sarah was one of them. After her first takotsubo attack she was prescribed ACE inhibitors, beta blockers (blood pressure drugs that block the effects of adrenaline), as well as blood thinners to reduce the risk of clots, which could cause a stroke. But on January 4, 2021, almost three years to the day since she collapsed at work, she felt the same stabbing pain in her chest. The trigger was a call from her GP in which he gave her some upsetting news about another, unrelated, health condition. ‘I remember sitting in the staff room, clutching my chest, crying and thinking I was going to die while looking at the waste-paper bin, which was overflowing. It was a feeling of utter resignation and hopelessness,’ says Sarah, who has three grown-up children.
Eight months on, she still has chest pain and breathlessness and while she still goes to the gym, she needs to nap before and intensive workouts are out of the question. At the back of her mind is the fear she will have another attack. ‘The more I think about it,’ she says, ‘the more I worry that a third time might be the last.’
Happy hour
Everyday activities that boost your happiness hormones
This week: Karaoke
Not only does the physical action of filling and emptying the lungs while singing release feelgood chemicals called endorphins, several studies have found it also triggers the bonding, calming hormone oxytocin. ‘One study showed that when oxytocin levels were measured after people chatted with each other or sang together, they were higher in the singing group,’ explains Graham Welch, a professor and chair of music education at University College London (UCL).
In fact, oxytocin levels increased five times more in the singing group than in the chatting one, according to the 2014 study, by researchers at UCL, published in the journal Music and Medicine. While it’s not known exactly why singing with others means that more oxytocin is released, singing ‘also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases lung activity and heart rate, which boosts oxygenation of the blood, creating a greater sense of alertness and happiness’, says Professor Welch.
Proof you CAN die of a broken heart: It's called takotsubo and doctors are finding new ways to treat it
By Fiona Macrae
Published: 11:56, 10 January 2024 | Updated: 11:56, 10 January 2024
After Sinead O'Connor's tragic death last year, an ex partner yesterday insisted confirmation of her dying of natural causes means she died from a 'broken heart'. The star, 56, was found 'unresponsive' by police at her flat in Herne Hill, south-east London, in July last year 18 months after her beloved 17-year old son Shane killed himself. On Tuesday officials ruled she had died of natural causes. Dermot Hayes, who dated singer Sinead for two years after writing an early autobiography of her, told The Irish Sun: 'From this you can surmise that a broken heart is a real illness symptom, and a cause of death. It doesn’t make Sinead’s passing any less painful. It was more to do with a broken heart than anything else.'
Here, Mail Online examines how doctors are now looking at new ways to treat broken heart syndrome (medically known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy). Veterinary nurse Sarah Woodward was at work when she received a phone call to say her best friend’s father had died. ‘I’d known him for 45 years,’ says Sarah, from Worthing, West Sussex. ‘It was like losing my own father.’
Before she’d even put the phone down, a stabbing pain started in her chest. It then radiated through her back, into her jaw and down her left arm. She started to struggle to breathe and turned the colour of chalk all classic signs of a heart attack. Sarah, 54, was, however, exceptionally fit, doing at least ten hours of exercise a week, including kickboxing. She didn’t smoke, cooked from scratch every day with husband Kevin, 58, a gas engineer, and drank alcohol only once a week. So it never crossed her mind that she was having a heart attack. Instead, she thought it was just a panic attack or that she’d pulled a muscle while exercising. A colleague, however, called an ambulance and, a few hours later, tests revealed it was something else entirely. Sarah had broken heart syndrome where there is a sudden weakening of the muscle in the heart’s left ventricle, its main pumping chamber. The mysterious and potentially fatal condition affects around 2,500 Britons a year and often occurs after a bereavement, hence its name. Around 90 per cent of patients are women aged 50 or over, and around one in 20 will die in hospital as a result. In survivors, the heart’s shape and pumping capacity usually return to normal within three months, but many suffer long-term problems including chest pain, palpitations and breathlessness. While symptoms such as sudden intense chest pain and shortness of breath mirror those of a heart attack, takotsubo is not caused by blocked arteries as heart attacks generally are. Instead, says Dr David Gamble, a clinical research fellow in cardiology at the University of Aberdeen, in around 70 per cent of cases a stressful event is to blame (in other cases, the cause is unclear). This can be emotional, such as the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, or physical, such as an assault or car crash. Intriguingly, the stress needn’t be negative; happy occasions can also spark the condition. A 2016 study by University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland of 485 patients whose takotsubo had an emotional trigger found that while 96 per cent had experienced sad events, in the remaining 4 per cent, it followed a joyful occasion such as a birthday party, winning at a casino or even a surprise marriage proposal. That’s because all these events and the stress response they trigger in the body lead to a surge in adrenaline, a hormone released to prepare the body for ‘fight or flight’ which tells the heart to beat faster to boost blood flow to the brain and muscles. In takotsubo syndrome, however, the rush of adrenaline shuts down the bottom of the left ventricle, its main pumping chamber, says Dr Alexander Lyon, an honorary consultant cardiologist at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital. Unable to contract, the bottom of the ventricle balloons outwards. This characteristic shape is visible on X-rays of the heart and is key in diagnosing the syndrome. It’s what led Japanese researchers in 1990 to name it after a ‘takotsubo’ a traditional narrow-necked, wide-bottomed pot used to trap octopuses when fishing. One mystery for doctors seeing those affected has been understanding why this rush of adrenaline affects some people, especially women, but not others. Now scientists may have an answer which could pave the way for better treatments for the condition. In a study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research in June, Dr Lyon and colleagues at Imperial College London, investigated how human and rat heart cells responded to adrenaline. They found heart cells were much more sensitive to adrenaline if they were also exposed to two molecules, microRNA-16 and microRNA-26a. In those that were, it took only about a fifth of the normal amount of adrenaline to stop them contracting. MicroRNAs are small compounds that control protein production in cells. It’s not known from where these two emanate, but one theory is they are released by the brain in times of depression, anxiety and stress and travel in the blood to the heart. Chronic stress may raise the levels to such an extent that some people are more likely to have a takotsubo attack when they later have a sudden shock. Put another way, if two people experience the same rush of adrenaline after a shock, the person who has higher amounts of these microRNAs in their blood would be more likely to have a takotsubo attack, says Sian Harding, a professor of cardiac pharmacology involved in the study. ‘It may be that chronic stress is priming people to have this syndrome when they then suffer acute stress,’ she adds.
A study from Massachusetts General Hospital in March supports this theory. It found patients undergoing cancer scans who displayed heightened activity in their amygdalas (the part of the brain that detects stress) were more likely to get broken heart syndrome over the next five years. Dr Gamble says depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders are more common in those who experience takotsubo syndrome, and he is researching whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) a talking therapy that improves mental health will aid recovery. Thirty patients will undergo 12 weeks of CBT and have their heart health compared with that of patients who are either prescribed a 12-week exercise programme (exercise lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and improves blood sugar regulation) or are simply treated with standard care. Little is known about the best treatments for the syndrome, but there is some evidence ACE inhibitors, drugs prescribed to treat high blood pressure, are useful. Genes and hormones may also play a role genes, because the condition can run in families, and hormones because the overwhelming majority of cases are in post-menopausal women. It is thought that male and female sex hormones may protect against the condition, leaving women more vulnerable after the menopause, when levels of oestrogen are lower. Higher levels of stress and anxiety in post-menopausal women may also help explain the link, says Dr Gamble. One possibility in the future could be a test that measures levels of the two microRNAs identified in the recent Imperial study, to predict if a patient is at risk of experiencing a second attack of broken heart syndrome. Similarly, drugs that block the action of the two microRNAs could provide a much-needed way of preventing recurrences. Around one in five broken heart patients has a recurrence and Sarah was one of them. After her first takotsubo attack she was prescribed ACE inhibitors, beta blockers (blood pressure drugs that block the effects of adrenaline), as well as blood thinners to reduce the risk of clots, which could cause a stroke. But on January 4, 2021, almost three years to the day since she collapsed at work, she felt the same stabbing pain in her chest. The trigger was a call from her GP in which he gave her some upsetting news about another, unrelated, health condition. ‘I remember sitting in the staff room, clutching my chest, crying and thinking I was going to die while looking at the waste-paper bin, which was overflowing. It was a feeling of utter resignation and hopelessness,’ says Sarah, who has three grown-up children.
Eight months on, she still has chest pain and breathlessness and while she still goes to the gym, she needs to nap before and intensive workouts are out of the question. At the back of her mind is the fear she will have another attack. ‘The more I think about it,’ she says, ‘the more I worry that a third time might be the last.’
Happy hour
Everyday activities that boost your happiness hormones
This week: Karaoke
Not only does the physical action of filling and emptying the lungs while singing release feelgood chemicals called endorphins, several studies have found it also triggers the bonding, calming hormone oxytocin. ‘One study showed that when oxytocin levels were measured after people chatted with each other or sang together, they were higher in the singing group,’ explains Graham Welch, a professor and chair of music education at University College London (UCL).
In fact, oxytocin levels increased five times more in the singing group than in the chatting one, according to the 2014 study, by researchers at UCL, published in the journal Music and Medicine. While it’s not known exactly why singing with others means that more oxytocin is released, singing ‘also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases lung activity and heart rate, which boosts oxygenation of the blood, creating a greater sense of alertness and happiness’, says Professor Welch.
45
Articles / East London borough led by disgraced mayor once barred from public office ....
« on: January 08, 2024, 11:12:04 AM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12936707/east-london-borough-disgraced-mayor-barred-office-corruption-palestine.html
East London borough led by disgraced mayor once barred from public office for five years for corruption is accused of 'criminal offences' over failure to take down Palestinian flags
UK Lawyers for Israel claims display of Palestinian flags is breaking the law
It wrote to the Metropolitan Police claiming the council could be held liable
READ MORE: Met police make arrests as pro-Palestinian protesters stage sit-in
By Jon Brady
Published: 01:56, 8 January 2024 | Updated: 08:06, 8 January 2024
An east London borough whose mayor was once barred from public office for corruption has been accused of 'criminal offences' because of its failure to take down Palestinian flags. It has called on the borough, whose elected mayor is Lutfur Rahman, to remove the displays of Palestinian support in case their 'inflammatory content' constitutes a criminal offence, for which it says the council would ultimately be responsible. Tower Hamlets, which has the largest Muslim population of any local authority area in the UK at 39.9 per cent as of the 2021 census, says it is not aware of any criminal offences being committed through the displaying of Palestinian flags. Its mayor, Mr Rahman, was re-elected in 2022, seven years after he was forced to stand down following a civil case that found him personally guilty of corrupt and illegal practices in the lead up to the election. He was banned from holding office for five years, a measure that has now lapsed. UKLFI said it has reported the council to the Metropolitan Police over its failure to act on what it claimed were incendiary materials throughout its borough. Some of the signs included accusations that Israel was committing 'genocide' in Gaza and calls for 'victory to the intifada', the Arabic word for an uprising. The Metropolitan Police has made arrests during pro-Palestine protests in Central London over a number of alleged declarations of support for Hamas, which is a proscribed terror group and therefore illegal to support. Jonathan Turner, chief executive, said in a letter to the authority that under the Town and Country Planning Act, it would be held liable for any criminal offences committed through the displaying of the materials. He did not state which offences, if any, were being committed through the displaying of the signs and flags. 'Our attention has been drawn to serious concerns on the part of Jewish residents of Tower Hamlets regarding the proliferation of large Palestine flags on lamp-posts in public streets as well as posters and stickers with inflammatory content,' Mr Turner wrote.
'These displays intimidate Jewish people and may encourage violence against them. We believe that many of the flags, posters and stickers are displayed on land owned or occupied by Tower Hamlets Council. The Council has not taken all reasonable steps to secure the removal of flags, posters and stickers on its land and therefore has committed and is committing criminal offences.'
Mr Turner, himself a practicing intellectual property lawyer, added that responsible council officers could also be construed as being guilty of an offence under the same law including the mayor, Mr Rahman. The letter concluded: 'It appears that the Mayor of Tower Hamlets has neglected to ensure the removal of the flags, posters and stickers.
'Accordingly, both the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and the Council appear to be guilty of multiple criminal offences in this matter.'
Yesterday, UKLFI also reported what it said was another criminal offence to the police, of a man putting up a guerilla campaign poster in a bus stop in Tower Hamlets that bore the slogan: 'Palestine has the right to resist'.
Caroline Turner, director of the group, said in her letter to the police: 'In my view all these slogans are likely to stir up racial hatred of Israelis and Jews, and to encourage violence against Israelis and Jews contrary to the Public Order Act 1986.'
Mr Rahman was re-elected as mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2022 after being kicked out for electoral fraud. He and his supporters were found to have used intimidation, vote-rigging and false claims about his Labour rival to secure his victory in 2014. He founded a new party, Aspire, in order to stand on the ballot two years ago, and said after being re-elected: 'A large number of people came and trusted me and Aspire and our activists to deliver for them going forward.'
A spokesman for Tower Hamlets council told the Telegraph: 'As one of the most diverse areas in the country, we are monitoring any community tensions closely with our Tension Monitoring Group, which includes the police and representatives from a broad range of community organisations. 4A number of Palestinian flags have been put up by the public in recent months. While we appreciate people want to express their support for Palestine, we have a routine responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure. The situation is under regular review. Separately to Palestinian flags, the council will remove at the earliest opportunity any graffiti, posters or flags which are racist or generally offensive. We are not aware of any criminal offences related to Palestinian flags not being removed, and we will continue to work closely with police partners to manage the situation.'
UKLFI has been advocating for Israel for several years with sometimes controversial tactics. In a written submission to the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2017, it claimed that bodies such as the UN spent 'vast sums of money seeking to find fault with Israel at every turn'. In 2020, it settled out of court with the charity Defense for Children International Palestine after describing the non-profit as being 'terror linked' and as having 'close links to a terrorist organisation'. In recent days, the organisation has been vocal in its opposition to a motion lodged with the International Court of Justice by South Africa accusing Israel of perpetuating genocide in the Gaza strip. Natasha Hausdorff, chair and legal director of UKLFI, repeated a claim from the IDF on Michael Portillo's GB News programme earlier today that the number of civilians being killed compared to Hamas militants 'two-to-one'. Quoting a UN estimate that the normal civilian-to-combatant ratio of casualties is nine-to-one, she said: 'That puts the lie to any suggestion that international law is being violated in terms of the broader humanitarian law.'
Police made a number of arrests on Saturday after hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters rallied in Central London and marched from St James's Park to Westminster Bridge, where they staged a sit-in. More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in the three months since Israel began its counter-offensive in Gaza, following the October 7 attacks that saw Hamas terrorists kill an estimated 1,200 Israelis. International observers have made repeated calls for Israel to show restraint in its bombardment of the occupied Palestinian territory amid mass civilian casualties. The UN says up to 85 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced. Israel insists that it is bombing Hamas targets, accusing the terror group of inserting itself into civilian populations and infrastructure in order to use innocent Gazans as human shields. There are fears that the months-long conflict could spark a wider Middle Eastern war amid flaring tensions with neighbouring Lebanon. Two more journalists working for Qatar-based network Al Jazeera were killed in what it said was a 'targeted killing' by Israeli troops. Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria were killed while on their way to carry out reporting in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army told AFP that it had 'struck a terrorist' as it carried out the strike. Hamza was the son of Wael Al-Dahdouh, the Al Jazeera bureau chief who lost his wife, grandchild and two of his children to Israeli bombs in October. The journalist staunchly returned to work to continue reporting on the conflict a day later. The Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 79 journalists and media professionals, the vast majority Palestinian, have been killed since October 7. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is set to arrive in Israel shortly for talks, in which he will urge Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and to ensure that Palestinians can return home once the conflict ends. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has vowed to continue fighting. 'The war must not be stopped until we achieve all the goals: the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,' he said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.
East London borough led by disgraced mayor once barred from public office for five years for corruption is accused of 'criminal offences' over failure to take down Palestinian flags
UK Lawyers for Israel claims display of Palestinian flags is breaking the law
It wrote to the Metropolitan Police claiming the council could be held liable
READ MORE: Met police make arrests as pro-Palestinian protesters stage sit-in
By Jon Brady
Published: 01:56, 8 January 2024 | Updated: 08:06, 8 January 2024
An east London borough whose mayor was once barred from public office for corruption has been accused of 'criminal offences' because of its failure to take down Palestinian flags. It has called on the borough, whose elected mayor is Lutfur Rahman, to remove the displays of Palestinian support in case their 'inflammatory content' constitutes a criminal offence, for which it says the council would ultimately be responsible. Tower Hamlets, which has the largest Muslim population of any local authority area in the UK at 39.9 per cent as of the 2021 census, says it is not aware of any criminal offences being committed through the displaying of Palestinian flags. Its mayor, Mr Rahman, was re-elected in 2022, seven years after he was forced to stand down following a civil case that found him personally guilty of corrupt and illegal practices in the lead up to the election. He was banned from holding office for five years, a measure that has now lapsed. UKLFI said it has reported the council to the Metropolitan Police over its failure to act on what it claimed were incendiary materials throughout its borough. Some of the signs included accusations that Israel was committing 'genocide' in Gaza and calls for 'victory to the intifada', the Arabic word for an uprising. The Metropolitan Police has made arrests during pro-Palestine protests in Central London over a number of alleged declarations of support for Hamas, which is a proscribed terror group and therefore illegal to support. Jonathan Turner, chief executive, said in a letter to the authority that under the Town and Country Planning Act, it would be held liable for any criminal offences committed through the displaying of the materials. He did not state which offences, if any, were being committed through the displaying of the signs and flags. 'Our attention has been drawn to serious concerns on the part of Jewish residents of Tower Hamlets regarding the proliferation of large Palestine flags on lamp-posts in public streets as well as posters and stickers with inflammatory content,' Mr Turner wrote.
'These displays intimidate Jewish people and may encourage violence against them. We believe that many of the flags, posters and stickers are displayed on land owned or occupied by Tower Hamlets Council. The Council has not taken all reasonable steps to secure the removal of flags, posters and stickers on its land and therefore has committed and is committing criminal offences.'
Mr Turner, himself a practicing intellectual property lawyer, added that responsible council officers could also be construed as being guilty of an offence under the same law including the mayor, Mr Rahman. The letter concluded: 'It appears that the Mayor of Tower Hamlets has neglected to ensure the removal of the flags, posters and stickers.
'Accordingly, both the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and the Council appear to be guilty of multiple criminal offences in this matter.'
Yesterday, UKLFI also reported what it said was another criminal offence to the police, of a man putting up a guerilla campaign poster in a bus stop in Tower Hamlets that bore the slogan: 'Palestine has the right to resist'.
Caroline Turner, director of the group, said in her letter to the police: 'In my view all these slogans are likely to stir up racial hatred of Israelis and Jews, and to encourage violence against Israelis and Jews contrary to the Public Order Act 1986.'
Mr Rahman was re-elected as mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2022 after being kicked out for electoral fraud. He and his supporters were found to have used intimidation, vote-rigging and false claims about his Labour rival to secure his victory in 2014. He founded a new party, Aspire, in order to stand on the ballot two years ago, and said after being re-elected: 'A large number of people came and trusted me and Aspire and our activists to deliver for them going forward.'
A spokesman for Tower Hamlets council told the Telegraph: 'As one of the most diverse areas in the country, we are monitoring any community tensions closely with our Tension Monitoring Group, which includes the police and representatives from a broad range of community organisations. 4A number of Palestinian flags have been put up by the public in recent months. While we appreciate people want to express their support for Palestine, we have a routine responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure. The situation is under regular review. Separately to Palestinian flags, the council will remove at the earliest opportunity any graffiti, posters or flags which are racist or generally offensive. We are not aware of any criminal offences related to Palestinian flags not being removed, and we will continue to work closely with police partners to manage the situation.'
UKLFI has been advocating for Israel for several years with sometimes controversial tactics. In a written submission to the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2017, it claimed that bodies such as the UN spent 'vast sums of money seeking to find fault with Israel at every turn'. In 2020, it settled out of court with the charity Defense for Children International Palestine after describing the non-profit as being 'terror linked' and as having 'close links to a terrorist organisation'. In recent days, the organisation has been vocal in its opposition to a motion lodged with the International Court of Justice by South Africa accusing Israel of perpetuating genocide in the Gaza strip. Natasha Hausdorff, chair and legal director of UKLFI, repeated a claim from the IDF on Michael Portillo's GB News programme earlier today that the number of civilians being killed compared to Hamas militants 'two-to-one'. Quoting a UN estimate that the normal civilian-to-combatant ratio of casualties is nine-to-one, she said: 'That puts the lie to any suggestion that international law is being violated in terms of the broader humanitarian law.'
Police made a number of arrests on Saturday after hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters rallied in Central London and marched from St James's Park to Westminster Bridge, where they staged a sit-in. More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in the three months since Israel began its counter-offensive in Gaza, following the October 7 attacks that saw Hamas terrorists kill an estimated 1,200 Israelis. International observers have made repeated calls for Israel to show restraint in its bombardment of the occupied Palestinian territory amid mass civilian casualties. The UN says up to 85 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced. Israel insists that it is bombing Hamas targets, accusing the terror group of inserting itself into civilian populations and infrastructure in order to use innocent Gazans as human shields. There are fears that the months-long conflict could spark a wider Middle Eastern war amid flaring tensions with neighbouring Lebanon. Two more journalists working for Qatar-based network Al Jazeera were killed in what it said was a 'targeted killing' by Israeli troops. Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria were killed while on their way to carry out reporting in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army told AFP that it had 'struck a terrorist' as it carried out the strike. Hamza was the son of Wael Al-Dahdouh, the Al Jazeera bureau chief who lost his wife, grandchild and two of his children to Israeli bombs in October. The journalist staunchly returned to work to continue reporting on the conflict a day later. The Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 79 journalists and media professionals, the vast majority Palestinian, have been killed since October 7. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is set to arrive in Israel shortly for talks, in which he will urge Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and to ensure that Palestinians can return home once the conflict ends. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has vowed to continue fighting. 'The war must not be stopped until we achieve all the goals: the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,' he said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.