Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

Palm trees were once thought to be suitable for planting only in tropical landscapes, however, several cold hardy palm trees occur naturally, growing in America, where snows fall during winter. The windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei; the Dwarf Palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor; the Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens; and the Sabal Palm, sabal palmetto; and the Needle Palm, Rhapidophyllun hystrix; Much of the information that is published in book from, magazine articles and Internet websites is extremely conservative, perhaps because the testing for national cold hardiness is of a recent origin; and also temperature fluctuations caused by global warming increases the survival rate of palm tree plantings in recent years. Try buying a few palm trees in your garden to plant and grow. Very large specimen palm trees can be purchased for semi-truck fast delivery at a few Internet nursery websites.

The Windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei, also is called a Chusan palm and a Chinese Windmill palm tree, was imported from Japan, perhaps first, into the United States, but most botanists believe that this palm tree originated in China, where many seed and specimen trees were purchased to import into the US. Windmill palm trees are a common landscape sight throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada. These Windmill palm trees are very cold hardy, and can be see flourishing along the city streets of Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, where the palms grow up to 40ft in height. The slender, graceful trunks are covered with brown-black fibers that appear as hair from a distance, and with aging, the fibers turn gray, and on large old trees the fibers fall off to reveal a slick beautiful trunk. The waxy leaves are bright green above and silver-green below; growing 2 feet long and 2 feet wide, smaller than most other palm trees. Windmill palm trees grow a flower stalk 2 feet long, with yellow, pleasantly aromatic flowers developing into ½" long blue fruits.

Windmill palm trees, Trachycarpus fortunei, are so cold hardy that semi-truck loads of large specimen sized trees have been nursery distributed for customers in Canada who wish to buy a palm to place in a tropical landscape design. The famous Cloister Hotel at Sea Island, Georgia plants grouping of large Windmill palms, some 20-30 feet for planting near entrances and landscape positions close to buildings. Windmill palms are tolerant of salt water spray and are very adaptable for planting and growing in most areas of the United States.

The Dwarf Palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor, is not a fast growing plant, and gorws abundantly in pine tree forests, and in poorly drained lowlands. Innumerable colonies of dwarf palmetto palm grow next to the highway between Albany, Georgia and Blakely, Georgia on swampland, that is under water periodically, and the dwarf palmetto palms grow in very heavy shade. Native to the Southeastern US, this palm grows small trunks that remain hidden behind the leaves. The flower stalk grows four to six feet, and white flowers grow into one-half inch, black fruit. This extremely adaptable palm tree is drought tolerant, and popularly is grown as a native, landscape specimen shrub or in rows as a privacy screen. This dwarf palmetto grows beautiful, pest resistant leaves, and can be seen growing as a salt water resistant plant in large landscape borders of Sea Island, Georgia, where land purchasers value the natural appearance and incorporate the plant into landscape designs.

Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens, is one of the native Southeastern plants that has become the rage for planting as a cold hardy palm in Northern States, where it can survive temperatures of -10 F. The beautiful blue or green colored leaves are shiny and waxy, growing about five feet long. The flower stalk grows 3 feet long and appears in the heat of the summer, covered with white flowers that form blue fruit one inch in diameter. The saw palmetto palm tree is very adaptable for cold hardy growing in Northerne states, where temperature extremes damage most other palms. These palm trees are grown mostly as clumping shrubs in naturalistic landscapes. You should buy large Saw palmetto palms, as they do not transplant well and should be planted and grown from a container plant nursery. Very exotic trunks form on century old Saw palmetto palms, that can be seen growing on the sand dunes next to salt water waves spraying the leaves at Sea Island, Georgia. Trunks on these trees had the lower leaves removed to reveal trunks 4ft long that can grow parallel to the ground or at right angels or twisted. All palm tree trunks obviously shaped by storms or hurricanes, that may have blown over the plants rooted in the sand, only to regrow at a different angle. These palm trees must be seen to appreciate a dune of sand landscaped properly.

The Cabbage palm tree (Sabal palmetto) is also called the Sabal Palm, and is believed to be the most commonly planted palm tree in the Southern US. This palm tree is native to that area, and grows in forests throughout Florida and coastal Georgia. The Cabbage palm tree can grow to 40 feet, but only grows about one foot per year. Upon aging, the lower leaf stem remains (petioles) attached for many years, giving the trunk a bazaar, forbidding appearance. After many years, the leaf remains can be removed artificially, or naturally, giving the trunk a slick, desirable look in the landscape. During hot weather, white flowers grow fast, to 6 feet long, to produce one-half inch black fruit that fall to the ground. Sabal palm trees grow as far North as coastal Virginia, and Carolina landscapes, and are cold hardy to below zero temperatures. This Cabbage palm is drought resistant, requires little care or growth maintenance when planted in the landscape, and is so salt water tolerant, it can be found growing along the sea coast, sometimes falling into the ocean with sea erosion.

Sabal palm trees are considered as the State tree in Florida and South Carolina. Because Sable palm tree roots do not branch like other palms, transplanting the tree can be difficult unless the leaves are all removed before transplanting into home landscapes, and since they are not fast growing, it is not unusual for the palm tree to require 3 to 4 years to regrow the canopy leaves to normal size. The cabbage palm is also susceptible to hurricane damage, because its roots are not largely branched like other palm trees to anchor the trunk into the earth.

The Needle Palm, Rhapidoe phyllum histrix, is native to the Southeastern United States, and is considered to be one of the most cold hardy palm trees growing in the United States. Buyers find it difficult to purchase this palm tree, because it has been removed from most of the forests, where it is not a fast growing palm tree. Large trunks up to 4 feet tall are rare, and very expensive, costing each thousands of dollars. But, this needle palm has survived minus 10 degrees F at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York for many years, unaffected by the snow and cold temperatures. The leaves are two feet long and 4 feet wide, and the trunk is dangerously armed with white, sharp, 5 inch needles, easily being detached from the trunk, with the overall appearance like that of a porcupine. Even though the needle palm trees hundred of years old are expensive, it is possible to buy smaller plants at reasonable prices for fast shipment at many Internet nursery websites.

Copyright 2006 Patrick Malcolm

Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Video Clips. Duration : 4.43 Mins.

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

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Ovarian Cystadenoma - Learn How to Treat This Type of Ovarian Cyst

It is not uncommon for women of childbearing age to develop ovarian cysts. There are many different types of cysts of which ovarian cytsadenoma is one of them. Most cysts are functional cysts that occur during a woman's monthly reproductive cycle when the egg is not properly released or the follicle that holds the egg does not dissolve as it normally does.

An ovarian cystadenoma is not a functional cyst but a neoplasm. A neoplasm, meaning new growth, develops on its own from ovarian tissue not from a malfunctioning follicle that seals off to form a cyst. Of the ovarian neoplasms, the cystadenoma is the most common. They are usually benign but can become cancerous.

Even among ovarian cystadenoma there are different classifications. A cystadenoma filled with a watery fluid is called a serous cystadenoma. They occur most often in women between 30 and 40 years of age and are larger than most functional cysts. This type of cyst does not cause much in the way of symptoms unless it gets very large. They are easy to spot during a routine gynecological exam.

Another type of ovarian cystadenoma is a mucinous cystadenoma which can become extremely large but is usually discovered during a routine exam before it does. The size of this type of cyst is the most common problem that arises as its presence can disrupt the normal functioning of the organs in the abdomen causing stomach, bowel and intestinal difficulties. If an ovarian cystadenoma ruptures or becomes twisted it can cause extreme pain and treatment should be sought immediately.

Treatment for ovarian cystadenoma is surgical removal. This is done because this type of cyst tends to grow in size and cause problems. It is also the best means of evaluating the tissue for malignancy. A small cyst can be removed by laparoscopy but a large ovarian cystadenoma may require a more in depth surgical procedure.

Regardless of the type of ovarian cyst or the treatment recommended by your physician, a holistic approach to treatment can improve results and help eliminate discomfort more quickly. Our bodies have a tremendous capacity to heal themselves given the right conditions. Too often we do not eat properly or pay close enough attention to the affects of additives, preservatives and environmental toxins on our bodies. All of these things can make women more prone to developing ovarian cysts and make it more difficult for them to be resolved.

Keeping hormone production in balance can help eliminate recurring ovarian cysts and taking steps to create lifestyle habits that support this can work in harmony with any recommendations made by your physician. A connection has been shown between the development of ovarian cysts and obesity. Women whose diet includes sugar, white flour, processed foods, fast foods and unhealthy fats are more likely to develop ovarian cysts than those who eat a diet of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and lean protein.

Stress has also been linked to the development of ovarian cysts as it has a powerful impact on hormone production. Exercise is beneficial for stress reduction, weight loss and overall health. A holistic approach to the treatment of ovarian cystadenoma and other types of ovarian cysts often includes vitamins, minerals and herbs as well. They provide necessary antioxidants and help build the body's immune system.

Ovarian Cystadenoma - Learn How to Treat This Type of Ovarian Cyst

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Video Clips. Duration : 4.43 Mins.

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

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Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

Palm trees were once thought to be suitable for planting only in tropical landscapes, however, several cold hardy palm trees occur naturally, growing in America, where snows fall during winter. The windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei; the Dwarf Palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor; the Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens; and the Sabal Palm, sabal palmetto; and the Needle Palm, Rhapidophyllun hystrix; Much of the information that is published in book from, magazine articles and Internet websites is extremely conservative, perhaps because the testing for national cold hardiness is of a recent origin; and also temperature fluctuations caused by global warming increases the survival rate of palm tree plantings in recent years. Try buying a few palm trees in your garden to plant and grow. Very large specimen palm trees can be purchased for semi-truck fast delivery at a few Internet nursery websites.

The Windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei, also is called a Chusan palm and a Chinese Windmill palm tree, was imported from Japan, perhaps first, into the United States, but most botanists believe that this palm tree originated in China, where many seed and specimen trees were purchased to import into the US. Windmill palm trees are a common landscape sight throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada. These Windmill palm trees are very cold hardy, and can be see flourishing along the city streets of Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, where the palms grow up to 40ft in height. The slender, graceful trunks are covered with brown-black fibers that appear as hair from a distance, and with aging, the fibers turn gray, and on large old trees the fibers fall off to reveal a slick beautiful trunk. The waxy leaves are bright green above and silver-green below; growing 2 feet long and 2 feet wide, smaller than most other palm trees. Windmill palm trees grow a flower stalk 2 feet long, with yellow, pleasantly aromatic flowers developing into ½" long blue fruits.

Windmill palm trees, Trachycarpus fortunei, are so cold hardy that semi-truck loads of large specimen sized trees have been nursery distributed for customers in Canada who wish to buy a palm to place in a tropical landscape design. The famous Cloister Hotel at Sea Island, Georgia plants grouping of large Windmill palms, some 20-30 feet for planting near entrances and landscape positions close to buildings. Windmill palms are tolerant of salt water spray and are very adaptable for planting and growing in most areas of the United States.

The Dwarf Palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor, is not a fast growing plant, and gorws abundantly in pine tree forests, and in poorly drained lowlands. Innumerable colonies of dwarf palmetto palm grow next to the highway between Albany, Georgia and Blakely, Georgia on swampland, that is under water periodically, and the dwarf palmetto palms grow in very heavy shade. Native to the Southeastern US, this palm grows small trunks that remain hidden behind the leaves. The flower stalk grows four to six feet, and white flowers grow into one-half inch, black fruit. This extremely adaptable palm tree is drought tolerant, and popularly is grown as a native, landscape specimen shrub or in rows as a privacy screen. This dwarf palmetto grows beautiful, pest resistant leaves, and can be seen growing as a salt water resistant plant in large landscape borders of Sea Island, Georgia, where land purchasers value the natural appearance and incorporate the plant into landscape designs.

Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens, is one of the native Southeastern plants that has become the rage for planting as a cold hardy palm in Northern States, where it can survive temperatures of -10 F. The beautiful blue or green colored leaves are shiny and waxy, growing about five feet long. The flower stalk grows 3 feet long and appears in the heat of the summer, covered with white flowers that form blue fruit one inch in diameter. The saw palmetto palm tree is very adaptable for cold hardy growing in Northerne states, where temperature extremes damage most other palms. These palm trees are grown mostly as clumping shrubs in naturalistic landscapes. You should buy large Saw palmetto palms, as they do not transplant well and should be planted and grown from a container plant nursery. Very exotic trunks form on century old Saw palmetto palms, that can be seen growing on the sand dunes next to salt water waves spraying the leaves at Sea Island, Georgia. Trunks on these trees had the lower leaves removed to reveal trunks 4ft long that can grow parallel to the ground or at right angels or twisted. All palm tree trunks obviously shaped by storms or hurricanes, that may have blown over the plants rooted in the sand, only to regrow at a different angle. These palm trees must be seen to appreciate a dune of sand landscaped properly.

The Cabbage palm tree (Sabal palmetto) is also called the Sabal Palm, and is believed to be the most commonly planted palm tree in the Southern US. This palm tree is native to that area, and grows in forests throughout Florida and coastal Georgia. The Cabbage palm tree can grow to 40 feet, but only grows about one foot per year. Upon aging, the lower leaf stem remains (petioles) attached for many years, giving the trunk a bazaar, forbidding appearance. After many years, the leaf remains can be removed artificially, or naturally, giving the trunk a slick, desirable look in the landscape. During hot weather, white flowers grow fast, to 6 feet long, to produce one-half inch black fruit that fall to the ground. Sabal palm trees grow as far North as coastal Virginia, and Carolina landscapes, and are cold hardy to below zero temperatures. This Cabbage palm is drought resistant, requires little care or growth maintenance when planted in the landscape, and is so salt water tolerant, it can be found growing along the sea coast, sometimes falling into the ocean with sea erosion.

Sabal palm trees are considered as the State tree in Florida and South Carolina. Because Sable palm tree roots do not branch like other palms, transplanting the tree can be difficult unless the leaves are all removed before transplanting into home landscapes, and since they are not fast growing, it is not unusual for the palm tree to require 3 to 4 years to regrow the canopy leaves to normal size. The cabbage palm is also susceptible to hurricane damage, because its roots are not largely branched like other palm trees to anchor the trunk into the earth.

The Needle Palm, Rhapidoe phyllum histrix, is native to the Southeastern United States, and is considered to be one of the most cold hardy palm trees growing in the United States. Buyers find it difficult to purchase this palm tree, because it has been removed from most of the forests, where it is not a fast growing palm tree. Large trunks up to 4 feet tall are rare, and very expensive, costing each thousands of dollars. But, this needle palm has survived minus 10 degrees F at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York for many years, unaffected by the snow and cold temperatures. The leaves are two feet long and 4 feet wide, and the trunk is dangerously armed with white, sharp, 5 inch needles, easily being detached from the trunk, with the overall appearance like that of a porcupine. Even though the needle palm trees hundred of years old are expensive, it is possible to buy smaller plants at reasonable prices for fast shipment at many Internet nursery websites.

Copyright 2006 Patrick Malcolm

Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Tube. Duration : 4.32 Mins.

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Best video shots of the Big Mountain event at the Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Featuring Team Europe's own: Kaj Zackrisson, Sverre Liliequist, Markus Eder, Richard Permin, Nicolas Vuignier, Paddy Graham and Fabio Studer. Opposed to Team Americas: Cody Townsend, KC Deane, Rory Bushfield, Charley Ager, Josh Daiek, Logan Imlach, Tim Dutton and Greg Lindsey. www.swatchskierscup.com

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

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Mesquite Trees in Arizona

Mesquite trees belong in Arizona. As Jay Sharp, editor and author for the website DesertUSA.com, expresses, "the mesquites symbolize our Southwestern deserts" as much as "the Coyote, the Black-tail Jackrabbit, the Western Diamondback, scorpions, the Saguaro and prickly pear cacti." Indeed, mesquite trees in Arizona are "as blended into the life of the land as cornbread and tortillas." (Lometa)

Perfectly Adapted to the Desert

Mesquites are very hardy desert trees, having adapted over the centuries to life in the desert landscapes in and around Arizona. All of their physical characteristics ensure their survival here, including their foliage, their bean pods, and their root systems. They grow well in full sun and high temperatures, but will also tolerate the cold during Arizona's winter (down to 0º Fahrenheit). They are sometimes found in rather high elevation and will adapt to shallow rocky soils. According to reports by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service, a mesquite tree can live for more than two centuries. (Sharp)

Mesquite trees in Arizona can survive in areas that receive very little rainfall because of their expansive root system. The lateral roots of a mesquite tree reach out many times farther than its canopy. They also have very deep tap roots that can dig for a drink as deep as 175 feet below ground level, though a depth of 50 feet is more typical. So, they simultaneously have access to water both at the very top and bottom layers of the soil.

The tiny waxy leaflets of mesquite trees retain precious moisture by minimizing the moisture lost through transpiration. They are deciduous trees, meaning they offer excellent shade during the summer but drop their leaves and allow the sunshine through during the winter for warmth. During extreme drought, they will diminish transpiration even further by prematurely dropping their leaves.

The mesquite tree is a member of the legume family (relatives of beans and peas), which makes it especially adapted to an arid environment. Mesquite trees have the ability to fertilize themselves and surrounding plants through a symbiotic relationship with colonies of soil bacteria. The bacteria that inhabit mesquite tree roots convert or "fix" atmospheric nitrogen, making available in the soil this mineral that is essential for the growth and germination of plants. Many gardeners utilize this same process to enrich soil by planting nitrogen fixing cover crops. (Sharp, Schalau)

Mesquite trees in Arizona are amazingly prolific. Their beans, encased in protective pods, are very durable. In fact, "A seed left undisturbed in its pod can stay viable for up to 40 years." (Clayton) Animals play an important role in the scarification of the seeds (needed for germination) and dispersal through fecal matter.

Appearance

Mesquite trees are easy to identify, looking almost like a giant fern bush. They can reach a height of 30 feet, but the average mesquite tree growing wild in the Arizona desert is about half that size. Many have multiple trunks. Under the harshest of conditions, the mesquite will resemble a bush more than a tree. Their branch structure is often very twisted and jointed, adding to their individual uniqueness. In the spring and early summer, they display clusters of finger-shaped protuberances covered in tiny delicate flowers. These are followed by the formation of the long, thin bean pods, which are usually a shade of brown but vary in appearance between species. Many types of mesquite trees have thorns of some kind, which can either be very short or monstrous in length (and all are horribly sharp!).

Three Arizona Mesquite Tree Natives & Their Cousins

There are about 40 mesquite varieties found worldwide, but three species are native to the state of Arizona. They grow not only in the Sonoran desert, but also in the Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts. Their range is astonishing, spanning tens of millions or acres from western Texas to California, from Mexico to southern parts of Utah. They can thrive in a great diversity of habitats as found within the range described. (Lometa, Sharp)

The three mesquite tree species native to Arizona are:

Prosopis glandulosa - known as the honey mesquite or Texas Mesquite. These usually have a weeping form, and can be quite pretty. Prosopis velutina - known as the Arizona mesquite or native mesquite. Also called the velvet mesquite because of the soft hairs that cover young growth. They are rather shaggy and snarled in appearance. They are popular in nurseries, and will grow well on lawns and golf courses. Prosopis pubescens - known as the screwbean mesquite, earning its name from the spiraled or coiled shape of their seed pods.
Besides these three, there are many other types of mesquite trees that grow in Arizona. Many are hybrids of the honey, velvet or screwbean mesquite, occurring mostly where the respective ranges of these native species overlap. Others are nonnative mesquite species, most originating from South America. There is the Argentine mesquite (Prosopis alba), the Chilean mesquite (Prosopis chilensis), and numerous other varieties and their hybrids. No nonnative species will be as suited to the climate here as the mesquites that are native to Arizona. For example, the Chilean mesquite does not seem as tolerant of the lower winter temperatures in Arizona.

Botanical Foes

Despite their many positive qualities, mesquite trees are considered by many as an invasive weed. In many countries outside of North and South America where they have been introduced they have been extremely invasive and troublesome, especially in Australia.

The mesquite tree is cursed by inhabitants of our own Arizona desert as well. Cattlemen especially dislike them, but the overgrazing of their herds over the past couple of centuries has exacerbated the very problem that they complain about, which is the mesquite tree's competition with grasses. In an area that is overgrazed, cattle not only threaten the populations of the natural grasses that compete with mesquite trees for water, but they also help the mesquites spread by eating and dispersing the seeds. As Frank Dobie puts it, "The white man sowed with over-grazing; he is now reaping thickets of mesquites that are stabbing millions of acres of land into non-productiveness." All efforts to thwart or control this stubborn native Arizona tree have all failed and been deemed impractical or ineffective. Whether by fire, herbicide use, or physical tree removal of various means, the costs and environmental side effects of trying to control the population and spread of the mesquite have made it a problem with no easy solution.

Sharp reminds us: "Uninvited guest or welcome neighbor, the mesquites belong to the desert.  They evolved in the desert.  They play a core role in the desert ecosystem." (Jay Sharp)

Historic Significance and Modern Uses

"Over the past several centuries, no one plant has probably played a greater and more vital role in the lives of humankind in the southwestern United States than the short stature, crooked mesquite." (excerpted from The Magnificent Mesquite by Ken E. Rogers.) Indeed, the mesquite trees strewn across the Southwest have literally saved numerous lives. They provided the "manna from heaven" for the suffering men of the 1841 Texas Santa Fe Expedition, as recorded in the journal of George W. Kendall (also quoted by Rogers). The beans are sweet and nutritious, and more protein-rich than the soybean. (Lometa)

Another food that comes from the mesquite trees in Arizona (though not directly) is honey. The swarms of bees that are strongly attracted to the mesquite flower's nectar do more than just fill their important role as pollinators, after all. This, however, does not complete the list of foods derived from the mesquite. Even their sap has been utilized as sweet gum or as black dye.

'Pinole' is made by grinding the pods, with or without the beans still inside. It can be used as four or, because of its sweetness, as a condiment or spice. This mesquite flour is said to be healthy for diabetics, because it is sweetened by fructose, which the body processes without insulin. This is just one example of the many digestive and nutritional advantages of the mesquite tree and other foods of the desert that has been discovered. (Lometa)

Various parts of the mesquite tree have also been used as remedies for many different ailments by the Indians and settlers of the frontier era. Examples of the ailments that the mesquite tree helped to ease or heal are: diarrhea, dysentery, colic, flesh wounds, headaches, ailing eyes, and sore throat.

The wood, bark and pods of mesquite trees are popularly used for barbecue and for other purposes. The dry wood burns slow, hot and with very little smoke. It has an unmistakable aroma. Some insist that burning the pods along with the charcoal and wood chips make the flavor even richer. (Lometa) Besides for heat and for cooking, the wood has been used for the construction of Spanish missions, colonial haciendas, ranch houses and fencing. (Sharp) The Native Americans used the hard mesquite wood for spears and arrowheads, and the bark of the mesquite tree for making baskets and fabrics. The thorns were used as needles. Today the wood is artistically valuable for making furniture or sculpture because of its sometimes dark colors and beautiful gnarled patterns.

Of course, mesquite trees in Arizona are beneficial not only to humans but also to our wildlife. Animals use the mesquite as shelter, habitat and food. In the late summer and fall, mesquite beans make up as much as 80 percent of the coyote's diet!  The bean pods also can serve as fodder for livestock when the grasses are inadequate.

Maintenance, Problems and Treatments

Though mesquite trees in Arizona do not require much maintenance, the specimens growing around our homes could benefit from a little extra care during unusually hot summers or times of extended drought. Sun-scorch is one of the very few problems that can plague mesquite trees planted as part of landscaping, though they are not as susceptible to this as are citrus and other fruit trees in Arizona. Infrequent but deep watering and occasional fertilizing will help ensure that the mesquites around our homes do not suffer a decline of health and beauty.

During years when Arizona receives plentiful rainfall, mesquite trees do not need extra watering. However, in times of drought, the leaves will become sparse and allow more sunlight through to the branches. This is exacerbated by the need in the city to keep mesquite trees thinned out to survive storms and heavy winds, so as not to cause damage to homes and other structures. If the bark is exposed to too much intense sun, sun-scorch may occur, especially where the sunlight is most direct (i.e. on the top of horizontal branches at midday). Sun-scorch causes permanent damage to the cambium, or the sapwood layer underneath the bark. The cracked bark and dead tissues resulting from severe sun-scorch can lead to secondary infections and infestations, such as bark beetles and a fungus called 'sooty canker'.

Sun-scorch on mesquite trees in Arizona can be prevented but not undone. Reflective paint on the most vulnerable branches will minimize a mesquite tree's chances of being sun-damaged. Branches already affected should be removed back to a branch with healthy tissues. The best way to prevent sun-scorch is to encourage leafy growth to protect the tree during the hotter part of the year by some watering and by light fertilizing. Give the mesquite trees ammonium sulfate once in the springtime. Unless already fed by drippers or sprinklers (whether in your own or in a neighboring yard), water them deeply every two months from early spring to early fall. If the monsoons bring adequate water, skip deep-watering during this period.

A mesquite tree that is planted in someone's yard may not be as hardy as the volunteer trees growing wild in the desert. Most likely, a nursery-grown mesquite tree planted for landscaping purposes has spent some time in a pot. The more time any tree spends in a pot, the more likely it is to become root-bound. An impaired root system makes for a mesquite tree that not only struggles to receive what little water they need to thrive, but also is more prone to falling over because their 'anchoring' is not as sturdy. John Begeman says, "Try as you may, it is impossible to get a wobbly tree to anchor in the ground. By putting up stronger stakes and wires, righting the tree when it falls over, [...] you are just prolonging the inevitable. [...] The best thing to do with an unstable tree is to get rid of it and start over with a healthy specimen." Please refer to his article entitled Remove Wobbly Mesquite Trees [http://ag.arizona.edu/gardening/news/articles/17.29.html] for more information on the subject.

If nothing else, I hope that this article on mesquite trees in Arizona increases some Arizonans' appreciation for this native plant as something that undeniably belongs in this desert we call home.

"Primroses burn their yellow fires

Where grass and roadway meet;

Feathered and tasseled like a queen,

Is every old mesquite."

-J. Frank Dobie

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Begeman, John. "Remove Wobbly Mesquite Trees." Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information. Sep 2003.

Begeman, John. "Sun-Scorched Mesquite and Palo Verde." Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information. Mar 2000.

Clayton, Robin N. "Velvet Mesquite Tree." Arizona Highways.

Dobie, Frank J. "The Mesquite." Arizona Highways. Nov 1941.

Lometa. "Mesquite (Thing)." Everything2. Aug 2002.

Shalau, Jeff. "Respect the Mesquite Tree." Backyard Gardener. Jan 2007.

Sharp, Jay W. "The Mesquite: Something that Belongs." DesertUSA.

Mesquite Trees in Arizona

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Video Clips. Duration : 4.43 Mins.

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

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Secrets of the Freemason's Book - Chamber of Reflection and Alchemy in Masonic Philosophy

CHAMBER OF REFLECTION

"Let your heart therefore be perfect with the
Lord our God, to walk in his statutes and
to keep His commandments..."

1 Kings 8:61

According to Jewish literature and traditions, great care was taken of the personal condition of every Israelite who entered the Temple for Divine worship. The Talmud dictated the following requirements: "No man shall go into the Temple with his staff or with his shoes on his feet, or with his outer garment, or with money tied up in his purse." Masonry has adopted portions of this ancient Jewish custom regarding the preparation of the candidate for entry into a lodge.

Although not Jewish in its origin, the Chamber of Reflection, which has been incorporated into a candidate's preparation in some American lodges, is an updated version of the ancient cave of initiation. Nevertheless, it similarly serves to prepare the candidate for entry into holy ground. Generally, the chamber is a small room lit only by a candle that casts feeble light on a number of ornaments, including a human skull, human bones, a lump of bread, a flask of water, an hourglass, a saucer containing salt and another containing sulphur. The candidate is seated inside by himself to silently contemplate the holy significance of his intended Masonic journey.

Seated at a table, the candidate must write a philosophical will that will later be read aloud in lodge. In order to compose that will, the candidate must search his soul for his true feelings about life, death and the transformation of the self from its material nature to its spiritual destiny. It should come as no surprise that the symbols situated within the chamber derive primarily from alchemy - the science and philosophy of metamorphosis.

Alchemists believed that salt which is extracted from sea water by the process of evaporation constitutes the element of fire delivered by water. Sulphur is to the human body what the Sun is to the earth. The coupling of salt and sulphur symbolizes life and death, or light and darkness nourishing one another. Thus, while the general candidate for Masonic degrees is not entirely knowledgeable about either alchemy, or the symbols it employs, it is intended that he meditate upon such esoteric matters as the evolution and continuity of all life, as well as the fact that the transformation from material life to spiritual existence is a matter of personal experience. Each and every human being will live, die and live again, but nobody can fully appreciate how that will feel until it actually happens.

For Masons, the time passed in the Chamber of Reflection symbolizes the trials of life. The first lesson to be learned is that nothing is intrinsically good or bad. People are responsible for making matters better or worse depending upon how they conduct themselves. Thus, the first lesson relates to the importance of accepting responsibility for one's own actions.

The hourglass asks the candidate to reflect upon the irreversibility of the passage of time. Material life is on a continuing progression toward decay and there is precious little time available to participate in the development of the spirit. The bread denotes the transformation from the raw to the fully cooked - from raw wheat to the bread which is fit for human consumption. A Mason is not valuable to the world in which he lives simply because he has been initiated into the Order. Rather, he must prepare himself by study and the application of the knowledge that he acquires, if he is ever to benefit society and mankind. The flask of water represents fertility, or regeneration, of which lustration, or baptism is also a symbol. The regeneration explained in this symbolism is not that of the resurrection of the spirit and soul, but of the resurrection to moral and virtuous living of the material body. Regeneration of the spirit and soul benefits the individual, while renewal of the resolve to live will benefits others. Most religions teach that unless a man renews his material life to the doing of good works, he will not fully prepare himself for eternal life.

It is essential for the candidate to understand that Masonry does not teach that good works achieves salvation of the spirit and soul. Rather, religions variously teach that lesson. Freemasonry instructs upon how a life should be lived - how the "works" of one human life actually reflect upon the "faith" that one holds. Therefore, the journey for which the Chamber of Reflection prepares the candidate is the journey toward better living, not salvation which can only come by the grace of God - never by man's own works and deeds.

The human skull that is placed in the chamber is intended to remind the candidate that death is the great leveler. No man may escape its grasp and no man can truly know how it feels to be dead until he himself has experienced death. The skull is also intended to teach the candidate that death is also a source of life. As vegetable and animal life dies to be consumed by human life, the truth that death contributes to life is profoundly illustrated. As a good man dies, his deeds remain and contribute to the welfare of those who continue to live. The converse is true of a bad man. While his bad deeds die with him, the effect of those deeds may live long after he has passed away. The lessons acquired in Masonry enable the member to make it more likely that his own dying will be a source of life to others - not a source of grief and torment.

The symbols arranged in the Chamber of Reflection are also intended to inculcate in the mind of the novitiate the importance of distinguishing between that which is real and that which is fantasy. When man attaches to that which is real, he frees himself from the phantoms that so quickly set light and darkness into opposition. More often than not, evil conduct is the consequence of a confused imagination. In Hitler's twisted fantasy, the Jew was responsible for the ills of his society. A serial murderer frequently fantasizes that taking life viciously and violently brings pleasure.

Energy is the fruit of contradictory forces which resist each other. It either becomes positive energy, or negative energy depending upon whether or not the dark side of life becomes too excessive. Light does not always shine in a man's soul any more than it always illuminates the earth. For approximately twelve out of every twenty-four hours in each day, darkness prevails. In man's life he does not always enjoy good health - for at least a few days, his body is ill. It is not a question of how to remove darkness, for that is contrary to the laws of Nature. Rather, it is a matter of what to do when surrounded by the dark that dictates whether or not positive energy will eventually prevail.

In preparation for the Masonic journey, whether or not that journey commences with a period of private contemplation in the Chamber of Reflection, a candidate should be led to reflect upon where he is in his own life, where he wishes to be when his life on earth ends and how he should best accomplish the journey between those two points. Many lodges in America have stopped teaching this valuable lesson at the outset of a candidate's Masonic career. Candidates are most often merely "prepared" by the manner of their attire, which is eventually explained after the journey has begun. Little if anything is said about what it means to pursue Masonry, or why that pursuit is meaningful to man and society until after one or more degrees are conferred upon the candidate.

Is it possible that by re-instituting the important symbolism of the Chamber of Reflection into the workings of every Masonic lodge that some who leave the Craft after a very short journey would continue their pursuit? Is it important to teach a candidate what is expected of him before he receives Masonic degrees? Symbolism is a way of showing how words create images and how those images become elements of myths, imaginary tales which have the ring of truth because they run along winding paths that lead from desires to ideas to actions. Because Masonry communicates its wise and serious truths by the symbols that have been selected throughout time, it is quite likely very important that a candidate for degrees appreciate the meditation required of him before he ever embarks upon his Masonic journey.

For many Masons, the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom is a continuing process of study, application, review of what has previously been studied and further application of new lessons learned. This process is consistent with the exhortation frequently uttered in Masonic lodges - "gather what has been scattered and reconcile what appears to be contradictory." Each of us has experience the need to both conform and to be different. We have also experienced believing and disbelief; certainty and doubt; and order and chaos. Those of us who are able to read this writing have yet to experience the difference between what we know as life and death, and whether or not there is any difference at all.

If in your Masonic career you were not permitted the opportunity to contemplate within a Chamber of Reflection before you received your degrees, you may do so now by bowing your head and offering a prayer to the Great Architect for understanding about where you are in your life, how you got there and how you shall journey to the end of your life. As in all Masonic matters, the choice is yours to make. As is also true in all Masonic matters, no man should ever enter upon any great or important undertaking without first invoking the blessing of God.

Secrets of the Freemason's Book - Chamber of Reflection and Alchemy in Masonic Philosophy

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Video Clips. Duration : 4.32 Mins.

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Best video shots of the Big Mountain event at the Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Featuring Team Europe's own: Kaj Zackrisson, Sverre Liliequist, Markus Eder, Richard Permin, Nicolas Vuignier, Paddy Graham and Fabio Studer. Opposed to Team Americas: Cody Townsend, KC Deane, Rory Bushfield, Charley Ager, Josh Daiek, Logan Imlach, Tim Dutton and Greg Lindsey. www.swatchskierscup.com

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

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Traditional Mexican Recipes For Bread

Mexicans love their bread recipes and perhaps you have been lucky enough to try some authentic Mexican bread. Cornbread is perhaps the best known type of Mexican bread and this goes beautifully with a Mexican soup recipe or stew recipe. It is perfect for dunking in chili con carne and equally good served as a dessert with honey poured over it.

Bolillos are one of the most popular breads sold in Mexican bakeries. This bread is baked on the bottom of the oven, to give it a crunchy, thick crust. Puerquitos are fun, piglet-shaped breads made with a piglet-shaped cookie cutter. The main ingredients in this bread are milk, sugar, molasses, and wheat flour.

Sweet Mexican Breads and Pastries

Feite is a sugary bread, made by alternating butter and dough layers. When it is baked, the moisture trapped between the layers fluffs the feite up. Pan fino is always found in a Mexican bakery. This is a cinnamon-flavored, soft bread. It is shaped by hand so comes in all different shapes. It might be frosted or filled with fruit.

Conchas, which literally translates to mean, "shells," are also very popular. These sugar-rich buns come in all colors including pink, yellow, white and brown and they contain eggs and butter. They are made by hand and then covered in a sweet paste. They look like shells because of the design on top. There are many more Mexican bread and pasty recipes too and if you have a Mexican bakery near you, it is a great idea to check out some of the delicious buns, rolls and baked goods on sale there.

Recipe for Authentic Mexican Bolillos

This easy bread recipe makes thirty six bolillos. These Mexican buns smell gorgeous while they cook and they are incredible when served warm from the oven. You do not need a bread machine or any special equipment for this simple Mexican bolillos recipe.

What you will need:

6 cups sifted all purpose flour 1 package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cups warm water 2 teaspoons white sugar Oil or melted butter, for greasing Extra flour, for sprinkling

How to make them:

Combine the sugar with the yeast and then stir in the warm water. Add the salt and then beat in four cups of the flour gradually. Add the rest if necessary, until the dough becomes too stiff for stirring.

Turn it on to a lightly floured cutting board and knead the dough for about ten minutes or until it is smooth. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and turn it so it is greased all over. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise somewhere warm for an hour or until it doubles in size.

Punch the dough down and let it double in size again. Cut it into thirty six pieces and shape each one like a flattish ball with twisted ends. Arrange them a couple of inches from one another on a floured baking sheet and slash the tops using a sharp knife.

Cover them again with a towel and let them double in size again. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the tops of the rolls, using a pastry brush, then bake them for twenty five minutes or until they are golden brown.

Traditional Mexican Recipes For Bread

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Tube. Duration : 4.32 Mins.

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Best video shots of the Big Mountain event at the Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Featuring Team Europe's own: Kaj Zackrisson, Sverre Liliequist, Markus Eder, Richard Permin, Nicolas Vuignier, Paddy Graham and Fabio Studer. Opposed to Team Americas: Cody Townsend, KC Deane, Rory Bushfield, Charley Ager, Josh Daiek, Logan Imlach, Tim Dutton and Greg Lindsey. www.swatchskierscup.com

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

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Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

Palm trees were once thought to be suitable for planting only in tropical landscapes, however, several cold hardy palm trees occur naturally, growing in America, where snows fall during winter. The windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei; the Dwarf Palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor; the Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens; and the Sabal Palm, sabal palmetto; and the Needle Palm, Rhapidophyllun hystrix; Much of the information that is published in book from, magazine articles and Internet websites is extremely conservative, perhaps because the testing for national cold hardiness is of a recent origin; and also temperature fluctuations caused by global warming increases the survival rate of palm tree plantings in recent years. Try buying a few palm trees in your garden to plant and grow. Very large specimen palm trees can be purchased for semi-truck fast delivery at a few Internet nursery websites.

The Windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei, also is called a Chusan palm and a Chinese Windmill palm tree, was imported from Japan, perhaps first, into the United States, but most botanists believe that this palm tree originated in China, where many seed and specimen trees were purchased to import into the US. Windmill palm trees are a common landscape sight throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada. These Windmill palm trees are very cold hardy, and can be see flourishing along the city streets of Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, where the palms grow up to 40ft in height. The slender, graceful trunks are covered with brown-black fibers that appear as hair from a distance, and with aging, the fibers turn gray, and on large old trees the fibers fall off to reveal a slick beautiful trunk. The waxy leaves are bright green above and silver-green below; growing 2 feet long and 2 feet wide, smaller than most other palm trees. Windmill palm trees grow a flower stalk 2 feet long, with yellow, pleasantly aromatic flowers developing into ½" long blue fruits.

Windmill palm trees, Trachycarpus fortunei, are so cold hardy that semi-truck loads of large specimen sized trees have been nursery distributed for customers in Canada who wish to buy a palm to place in a tropical landscape design. The famous Cloister Hotel at Sea Island, Georgia plants grouping of large Windmill palms, some 20-30 feet for planting near entrances and landscape positions close to buildings. Windmill palms are tolerant of salt water spray and are very adaptable for planting and growing in most areas of the United States.

The Dwarf Palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor, is not a fast growing plant, and gorws abundantly in pine tree forests, and in poorly drained lowlands. Innumerable colonies of dwarf palmetto palm grow next to the highway between Albany, Georgia and Blakely, Georgia on swampland, that is under water periodically, and the dwarf palmetto palms grow in very heavy shade. Native to the Southeastern US, this palm grows small trunks that remain hidden behind the leaves. The flower stalk grows four to six feet, and white flowers grow into one-half inch, black fruit. This extremely adaptable palm tree is drought tolerant, and popularly is grown as a native, landscape specimen shrub or in rows as a privacy screen. This dwarf palmetto grows beautiful, pest resistant leaves, and can be seen growing as a salt water resistant plant in large landscape borders of Sea Island, Georgia, where land purchasers value the natural appearance and incorporate the plant into landscape designs.

Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens, is one of the native Southeastern plants that has become the rage for planting as a cold hardy palm in Northern States, where it can survive temperatures of -10 F. The beautiful blue or green colored leaves are shiny and waxy, growing about five feet long. The flower stalk grows 3 feet long and appears in the heat of the summer, covered with white flowers that form blue fruit one inch in diameter. The saw palmetto palm tree is very adaptable for cold hardy growing in Northerne states, where temperature extremes damage most other palms. These palm trees are grown mostly as clumping shrubs in naturalistic landscapes. You should buy large Saw palmetto palms, as they do not transplant well and should be planted and grown from a container plant nursery. Very exotic trunks form on century old Saw palmetto palms, that can be seen growing on the sand dunes next to salt water waves spraying the leaves at Sea Island, Georgia. Trunks on these trees had the lower leaves removed to reveal trunks 4ft long that can grow parallel to the ground or at right angels or twisted. All palm tree trunks obviously shaped by storms or hurricanes, that may have blown over the plants rooted in the sand, only to regrow at a different angle. These palm trees must be seen to appreciate a dune of sand landscaped properly.

The Cabbage palm tree (Sabal palmetto) is also called the Sabal Palm, and is believed to be the most commonly planted palm tree in the Southern US. This palm tree is native to that area, and grows in forests throughout Florida and coastal Georgia. The Cabbage palm tree can grow to 40 feet, but only grows about one foot per year. Upon aging, the lower leaf stem remains (petioles) attached for many years, giving the trunk a bazaar, forbidding appearance. After many years, the leaf remains can be removed artificially, or naturally, giving the trunk a slick, desirable look in the landscape. During hot weather, white flowers grow fast, to 6 feet long, to produce one-half inch black fruit that fall to the ground. Sabal palm trees grow as far North as coastal Virginia, and Carolina landscapes, and are cold hardy to below zero temperatures. This Cabbage palm is drought resistant, requires little care or growth maintenance when planted in the landscape, and is so salt water tolerant, it can be found growing along the sea coast, sometimes falling into the ocean with sea erosion.

Sabal palm trees are considered as the State tree in Florida and South Carolina. Because Sable palm tree roots do not branch like other palms, transplanting the tree can be difficult unless the leaves are all removed before transplanting into home landscapes, and since they are not fast growing, it is not unusual for the palm tree to require 3 to 4 years to regrow the canopy leaves to normal size. The cabbage palm is also susceptible to hurricane damage, because its roots are not largely branched like other palm trees to anchor the trunk into the earth.

The Needle Palm, Rhapidoe phyllum histrix, is native to the Southeastern United States, and is considered to be one of the most cold hardy palm trees growing in the United States. Buyers find it difficult to purchase this palm tree, because it has been removed from most of the forests, where it is not a fast growing palm tree. Large trunks up to 4 feet tall are rare, and very expensive, costing each thousands of dollars. But, this needle palm has survived minus 10 degrees F at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York for many years, unaffected by the snow and cold temperatures. The leaves are two feet long and 4 feet wide, and the trunk is dangerously armed with white, sharp, 5 inch needles, easily being detached from the trunk, with the overall appearance like that of a porcupine. Even though the needle palm trees hundred of years old are expensive, it is possible to buy smaller plants at reasonable prices for fast shipment at many Internet nursery websites.

Copyright 2006 Patrick Malcolm

Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Video Clips. Duration : 4.32 Mins.

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Best video shots of the Big Mountain event at the Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Featuring Team Europe's own: Kaj Zackrisson, Sverre Liliequist, Markus Eder, Richard Permin, Nicolas Vuignier, Paddy Graham and Fabio Studer. Opposed to Team Americas: Cody Townsend, KC Deane, Rory Bushfield, Charley Ager, Josh Daiek, Logan Imlach, Tim Dutton and Greg Lindsey. www.swatchskierscup.com

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

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The Christian Life & Women's Issues

As an effect of sin, humans are deeply driven toward autonomy, preferring to live independent of God's authority instead of within the shelter of his divine sovereignty. This is the temptation to which Eve would surrender. Instead of a life dependent on God, she evaluated on the basis of her self-appointed authority that the fruit of the forbidden tree was beautiful and an acceptable source for knowledge and sustenance. God was no longer necessary in her new view of the world because she chose instead to believe the twisted words of the serpent, that she could "be like God" (Gen 3:5). She quickly dismissed the distinction between herself, the created, and the Creator.

When faced with difficult life circumstances, we are called to submit to God's wisdom and authority and recognize our own insufficiency. It is true that scripture does not provide explicit answers for each and every situation, so while God's normative method of self-disclosure is not through audible voice, studying God's word is necessary to develop a biblical worldview that will enable godly reflection in the absence of obvious solutions. Trusting God in the midst of any degree of crisis is probably one of the the greatest challenges to living the Christian life.

Popular culture argues, on the other hand, that God, if he even exists, is irrelevant to just about everything. Religion, and specifically evangelical Christianity, is regarded as bigoted and narrow-minded, outside the scope of logic and reason. Christian truth claims are viewed as merely private values, but the "promise" of scientific progress and "hope" through human reason-with little room for ethical reflection-are believed to be neutral sources of information, and therefore, the source of truth for everyone. This way of thinking is dominant in the area of women's issues and is wielding great influence on the lives of women inside and outside of the church.

When biblical and theological reflection on women's issues is tolerated, it is usually through a theology of liberation known as feminist theology. This theology seeks primarily to free women from the oppression of what they describe as patriarchalism, referring to male headship or authority that demands unquestioned female submission. In this context, feminist theology argues that women are not really free due to an imbalance of power. This experience then becomes the interpretive grid to understand revelation, rather than revelation interpreting experience

Locating the meaning of scripture in one's own experience is the equivalent of dethroning God, taking his seat, and wearing his crown. It is an approach that fails to recognize God's authority over his entire creation, the exact problem Eve encountered as she replaced the revealed word of God with her own rationalizations. Our experiences can only describe how we live, they certainly do not prescribe how to live. Yet, this is not a matter of cold hard facts about the nature of God. God is the source of all that is true, he transcends all that is in the earth, yet he cares deeply about it and is closer than it may seem. Scripture reveals that our experiences do matter to God, he cares deeply about the problems we face and solutions we find.

At the core of "women's issues" is a long list of topics that matter to women. The list includes access to abortion, conception and contraception, careers, gender equity in the workplace, end-of-life health care, domestic violence and human trafficking. All issues of great significance to the every day lives of women, yet for the most part, not a part of the evangelical discussion within the walls of the church. Of course, there is a strong Christian voice in defense of the unborn and for the moral status of the embryo-and this voice needs to continue its bold proclamation. As well, there is an appropriate voice reacting against the ideology of secular feminism, a voice that rightly shows how this worldview fails women spiritually and in all other practical ways. What has been lacking, however, is a proactive voice intentionally educating women on these and related issues, a voice that teaches women to think through complicated life issues from a Christian worldview. Organizations like the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority, and NARAL have been declared by the dominant culture to be the source for addressing women's issues and equipping women to live triumphantly in this "patriarchal" society. The Christian community is quick to provide a response to these organizations and issues, but little education has been directed to the women in the pew, women of all ages, ethnicities and economic levels who have been or are potentially swayed by the seductive gospel of unfettered "women's rights."

It is erroneous to believe that with the assurance of salvation comes the instant ability to effectively reason through issues and achieve resolutions that are pleasing to God. The status of "born again" is not a guarantee that a young woman won't consider an abortion, because the dominant culture may have convinced her that the embryo is not really her child or that this is not actually a spiritual issue. A financially-strapped college student may have little knowledge of what is involved in selling her eggs, as an act of good-will to an infertile couple or for research purposes. She may not understand that this egg, when fertilized, is her biological child. What she has been told by the college "women's center" is that the egg is nothing more than tissue and a fertilized egg (an embryo) is nothing more than a "clump of cells." To top all that off, she probably has not been fully informed about the health risks in undergoing such a procedure.

A young married couple in the congregation may struggle with infertility and is willing to pursue the use of reproductive technologies to solve their heart-wrenching crisis. After three years of treatment, they may have 2 children, but four more children are in cryopreservation at the fertility clinic because the most economical route for their family was to have many embryos fertilized at one time. Still, there are other women who are entering into the Christian community, ashamed to talk to anyone about the abusive relationship they are in, fearing judgment, blame, and ridicule.

Right or wrong, women in the church are no less immune to the ideas of culture than are women outside of the church. When they hear "women's issues" or "women's rights," their attention is easily drawn toward these prominent voices as their message has completely saturated the culture we live in. There is no natural inclination toward a voice in the church, because that voice is difficult to locate. The fact is, women's issues are, indeed, women's issues, and the church is in a strategic and unique position to address them.

A Barna research study has recently reported that 60% of all who attend church are women, and around 25% of those attend church without their husbands. One reaction to this study was to point out the obvious, that few men are coming to church. Why? The church has been "feminized." The music, the paint, the activities-they simply aren't masculine enough, so men are staying home. As a result, some have decided that the solution is to de-feminize the church. Plan manly hunting trips, sports activities, and offer more of the older hymns that are obviously more masculine than the praise songs.

The motivation to have more men as members of the body of Christ is right and good, yet strangely, misguided. Please allow me to explain. God is pleased by the fact that so many women are attending church, giving freely of themselves financially, engaged in ministry activity, and so on. Women are present and eager to hear what the Lord has to teach them and how to apply it to their lives.

Young women, who are the next generation of mothers and leaders of all types, are there too, but often not very comfortable with the women's ministry of their mothers and grandmothers. Granted, few women's ministries are addressing "women's issues" proactively, but the young women are entering into youth group and college groups with little contextual opportunity to inquire or learn about these issues that will play a significant role in their lives far into the future. The church has a real opportunity to challenges the ideas of a culture fixated on being a god unto themselves by reaching the women the culture seeks to influence. That 60% of the church is comprised of women should be regarded as a call to a particular ministry; we can see positively that the glass is half full!

As women continue to be the primary caregivers of children and parents while also being a witness to great technological advancement, time must be invested in developing women to reflect on all of life through the lenses of faith. Grandmothers who believe that their grandchildren would have been better off aborted rather than going through the foster care system before arriving at her doorstep is not representative of a consistently applied Christian ethic, and yet this is the reality of a real woman who has professed faith in Christ for many years.

The desire for love, companionship, or children can drive any woman to solutions that do not necessarily cohere with godly wisdom, especially when the voices that he been assisting her in thinking about these issues have primarily belonged to secular feminism. The feminist movement in the early 20th century began with the noble pursuit to obtain for women the right to vote and to gain a substantive voice in society. Little of this noble effort remains in secular feminism, known today chiefly for its fight for unfettered reproductive freedoms. Secular feminism has been a lone voice for women in academics and in popular culture for the better part of the last 100 years. In a real sense, they have been women mentoring other women. For women in the church, now is the time to speak godly wisdom into issues that all women face. As a matter of discipleship and evangelism, we have an opportunity to show how dependence on God is not only the path to true wisdom, but also to righteousness.

The Christian Life & Women's Issues

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Tube. Duration : 4.32 Mins.

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Best video shots of the Big Mountain event at the Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Featuring Team Europe's own: Kaj Zackrisson, Sverre Liliequist, Markus Eder, Richard Permin, Nicolas Vuignier, Paddy Graham and Fabio Studer. Opposed to Team Americas: Cody Townsend, KC Deane, Rory Bushfield, Charley Ager, Josh Daiek, Logan Imlach, Tim Dutton and Greg Lindsey. www.swatchskierscup.com

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

No URL Big Mountain Highlights - Swatch Skiers Cup 2013

The Many Health Benefits of Nopal Cactus Juice

The nopal cactus, also known as Opuntia ficus-indica or prickly pear, is a cactus variety readily found in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and southwestern US. A staple in the diets of many natives of the area, the nopal cactus has been shown to have some amazing health benefits which are just now beginning to gain traction in the nutritional community, particularly when it comes to the health benefits of nopal cactus juice.

A source of unique antioxidants

Nopal cactus juice, made from the fruit of the prickly pear, is a great source of a rare form of antioxidants called Betalains. Betalains are naturally found in just a handful of fruits and vegetables, such as beets, rainbow swiss chard, and the nopal cactus fruit and are responsible for giving those items their pinkish-red pigmentation.

In humans, these rare antioxidants serve a very specific purpose within the cells- they capture and "diffuse" free radicals (unstable molecules) before they have a chance to destroy or damage anything. Free radical damage to the cells is what causes the aging process, which is why nopal cactus juice is said to have anti-aging properties.

Inflammation fighting capabilities

Chronic inflammation is the result of the body's inability to control its own immune response. What starts out as a normal call for help to your white blood cells because you bumped your knee or twisted your ankle, causes a cascade effect which results in your body not being able to "flick the off switch" on the call for help.

A number of ethanol extract studies on the nopal fruit have shown that ingestion of it can inhibit leukocyte (white blood cell) migration, which is the catalyst in the development of inflammatory disease. In addition, the studies showed suppression of edema, or fluid retention.

Lowering Bad Cholesterol

The Nopal fruit is a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber, which is found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels. It does so by decreasing the absorption of sugar in the stomach and intestines. In fact, a study done by Dr. Maria L Fernandez as published in the "Journal of Nutrition" showed that consumption of prickly pear cactus lead to a 28 percent drop in total cholesterol levels in the animals tested which is pretty substantial.

Decrease of Blood Sugar Values

There have been several studies on the effect of nopal cactus extract on blood glucose values. One, done in 1995 and published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology", revealed an 18 percent decrease among participants while another, done by a group in California showed that adding nopal to a high carbohydrate Mexican diet among patients with Type 2 diabetes actually reduced the concentration of glucose in the body immediately after the meal.

The reason for this, again, stems back to the amount of pectin within the fruit. By reducing the absorption of sugar in the stomach and intestines, the overall blood glucose values of the body are reduced.

Overall, the studies on the nopal cactus fruit, and the juice that comes from it, reveal that it's a great asset to anyone's diet. It prevents pre-mature aging, promotes optimal cellular health, reduces inflammation and detoxifies the body. One word of caution, however, for those on medications for any sort of health condition that they hope nopal cactus juice may help with- as with any nutritional change you make to your diet, you should consult your physician before giving nopal cactus juice a try.

The Many Health Benefits of Nopal Cactus Juice

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Tube. Duration : 4.43 Mins.

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

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What Was Life Like For a Military Family in Naples, Italy?

Prior to traveling to Italy our daughter, who was around 10 years old, twisted her ankle and had to be on crutches during the trip. When we arrived in Naples, my wife thought it would be best if we had her and my daughter spend some time in Germany with her parents. Travel to Germany was by train and we had quite an adventure. My daughter's ability to get around was greatly restricted because of her being on crutches. After we got on the train I left our luggage in the car we boarded and then searched for seats for my family. A few cars later we did find seats but never went back to move the many pieces of luggage. It was not until about half way through the trip that we stopped near the Swiss boarder. We seemed to be in the station for quite a while and I happened to look out the window and saw our luggage setting on the boarding platform. The end of the train was gone and they had removed our luggage and placed it on the platform. I quickly retrieved the luggage and we continued the trip.

I returned to Naples by myself and began the search for housing. The local Navy housing office had Italian contacts that would act on our behalf and find us a place to live. I choose the Lucrino area. This area was located about 10 miles north of Naples and, although I did not know it at the time, was the Italian summer resort area. I rented the 2nd story of an Italian villa right on the sea front. I am sorry to say I cannot remember the name of the Italian who helped us find the villa and also helped with our moving in. He helped us obtain and install a transformer on the incoming electric lines to change half of the circuits in the house from 220 to 110 volts. This helped us with our electrical appliances. He also did all the interfacing with the landlord and helped us very much. The Navy provides for the shipment of household goods and a car when a military member is assigned overseas. We knew we would not be moving into government quarters in Italy while we were still in Key West.

The one major appliance we felt we should take with us was a refrigerator. My wife and I went shopping in Key West and bought a very large used refrigerator. It was quite a sight to see one Italian with the refrigerator strapped to his back bring the refrigerator up the stairs. The only problem was that when he set it down he damaged the motor. The moving company took the refrigerator to get it fixed and we ended up getting a new 220 volt motor. All in all it turned out very well and the refrigerator was a good item for resale when we left Italy. The Navy also allowed us to order a living room couch and chairs from Sears and paid to have it shipped to Italy. I feel that the military always provided excellent support to our overseas assignments. Our life in Italy was very good. We could shop for groceries in the military commissary and the local Italian markets also provided good food. We even had an Italian come by every day with fresh fruit and vegetables. Our villa was very comfortable and we only had the landlord living downstairs a few times a year. The driving conditions were good most of the year but during the summer months it became quite hectic.

There were also about 10 other military families in the area so social life was also very good. The fact that my wife was able to visit her family at least once a year was also very nice. Our car, a Dodge Royal Lancer, was not up to driving back and forth to Germany. I was able to sell it and buy a used Cadillac from a military officer that was retiring in Italy. I got it for a good price as he could not afford to keep it and have to pay the taxes on the car to the Italian Government. Now when we traveled the trip was very comfortable. The only problem I had with the Cadillac was one day my wife had driven it and parked on the street outside the medical clinic. An Italian driver managed to run into the back of the Cadillac and the rear pointed plastic break light cover drove itself through his fender. No damage to the Cadillac! While I was stationed in Italy I became involved with the Intelligence service. This meant that my future assignments would be with a core of a few individuals instead of the regular Navy. I remember submitted a letter to my new assignment section requesting my next duty assignment be in either Northeast or Northwest United States. My letter was returned to me with Seattle, Washington written on it. No other comments. When my orders did arrive, I was assigned to the Naval Investigative Office in Seattle, Washington. Duty in the great Northwest! That will be the subject of my next article.

What Was Life Like For a Military Family in Naples, Italy?

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

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Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future

No URL Lil Wayne - Love Me (Explicit) ft. Drake, Future




Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

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What Was Life Like For a Military Family in Naples, Italy?

What Was Life Like For a Military Family in Naples, Italy?
What Was Life Like For a Military Family in Naples, Italy?

Twisted Fruit


Music video by Lil Wayne performing Love Me (Explicit). © 2013 Cash Money Records Inc., under exclusive license to Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

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Best video shots of the Big Mountain event at the Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 in Zermatt, Switzerland. Featuring Team Europe's own: Kaj Zackrisson, Sverre Liliequist, Markus Eder, Richard Permin, Nicolas Vuignier, Paddy Graham and Fabio Studer. Opposed to Team Americas: Cody Townsend, KC Deane, Rory Bushfield, Charley Ager, Josh Daiek, Logan Imlach, Tim Dutton and Greg Lindsey. www.swatchskierscup.com

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Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northern Garden Planting

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Pual Lovlin

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