How I Met the Man of My Dreams

This is an excerpt from a new book, A Midwife in Amish Country: Celebrating God’s Gift of Life (Salem Books, April 30, 2018)  Three years later I was released from high school.

I say released because, though I made significant improvements in attitude and approach to my education, as my academic performance remained persistently less than stellar, my folks offered to provide me another year or two of homeschooling. I refused their offer, however, and heartily.

I also managed to wiggle out from under the pressure levied upon me to attend Nazareth Nursing College. Instead, I signed on with Carla Hartley’s home study course, Apprentice Academics and, through Karen, slipped into the mysterious world of homebirth midwifery. I attended my first Michigan Midwives Association conference the autumn after my graduation and, there, met a midwife I hoped to secure an apprenticeship with.

But, alas, as is so often the case, I was more interested in working with that midwife than she was interested in working with me. Naturally, I can’t blame her. I don’t know how crazy I’d be over the idea of taking a squeamish eighteen-year-old virgin on as my next apprentice, either.

I met a cute boy around that time, anyhow, and most likely wouldn’t have been quite as attentive as my apprenticeship would have warranted. He was, after all, really cute.

His name was Brent Woodard.

I wasn’t so sure of Brent at first. One of the decisions I made as I surrendered the reins of my life to God was, rather than wasting my time and energy searching out a man I’d be willing to marry, I’d trust God to bring exactly the right man to me at exactly the right time. Then, in order to strengthen my resolve to wait and to help me recognize the man when he finally appeared, I crafted a fantastic description of him. I wanted a man who loved the Lord more than anything – who’d dedicated his life to God and to his God-ordained destiny, just as I had. I wanted a man who’d appreciate and celebrate my strength and my potential – who’d realize I, too, was created with purposes to fulfill – purposes sure to extend beyond being a wife and mother – and who would consider it his sovereign duty to see all my purposes realized. More:

I was angry with engineer for revealing worth of my Lekki house – Malaika

Malaika

When Nigerian fuji musician, Alhaji Alao Adekunle Malaika, completed a house worth N200 million in Lekki, Lagos, last year, it instantly became a topic of discussion on social media.

While some people argued that the house was not worth the reported N200m, others questioned the legitimacy of the musician’s source of income.

However, in an encounter with Sunday Scoop, Malaika said he found it disturbing that people did not believe he could build a house worth N200m. He said, “I have been in the music industry for over three decades. I started my music career when I was 10-year-old before I later formed my band. If someone has been doing something from such a young age and he does it well, why wouldn’t he be able to build such a house for himself? If I’m into terrible things, people would have known by now. As a matter of fact, I have achieved a lot but I don’t like bragging about things I do or have. The Lekki home, which generated a lot of reactions, is not my first achievement in life.”

Malaika, however, revealed that he did not tell anybody the worth of his house. He said, “I never gave anyone the figure but my engineer later told me that some journalists called him and he told them. I told him I didn’t like it and I warned him to always inform me whenever he wanted to answer questions about me.”

The fuji singer, who recently celebrated his 45th birthday in different countries, stressed that he was not the type who got disturbed about comments on social media. “Being criticised or questioned is the price we pay for stardom. Fame comes with a lot of negative and positive things. If you are getting positive results and you don’t expect any negativity, it means you are not thankful to God,” he stated. More:

Headies awards 2018: Niniola speaks on poor performance, gives reason

Nigerian singer, Niniola has apologised to her fans over her poor performance at the Headies award night.

The singer, while giving reasons for performing below standard, said she had not practised with the band as she had just returned from a trip to Owerri.

Nini in a series of tweets on her Twitter page wrote: “I honestly was not going to address this issue but I was very firmly convinced within me that I owed each and every one of you a detailed explanation on why I had a performance that was far below the usual expectation of my performances.

“I had flown in from Owerri after a performance yesterday (the evening of the Headies), to grace the Award event that has served as a platform for us as entertainers and I unfortunately could not rehearse with the Band or even work on any performance set for the Show.

“I am thankful to everyone that messaged and called to enquire about my performance at the Headies Awards. It shows a clear understanding of the typical nature of my stagecraft.

“I promptly informed the organizers that I would not be performing as I am very particular about my Brand and the performance delivery I give to my friends and supporters that have helped my career to the point that it is today.” More:

 

Analysts: Giuliani’s media blitz gives investigators new leads, new evidence

 

Rudy Giuliani’s disclosure that President Trump repaid his attorney for the hush agreement with Stormy Daniels could still be a campaign finance violation. (Whitney Shefte/The Washington Post)

Rudolph W. Giuliani’s media blitz to convince the public that neither Donald Trump nor his lawyer had violated the law by paying a porn star to keep quiet about an alleged affair might have backfired, giving investigators new leads to chase and new evidence of potential crimes, legal analysts said.

Giuliani made statements that speak to Trump and lawyer Michael Cohen’s intent — an important aspect of some crimes — and he made assertions that investigators can now check against what they have already learned from documents and witnesses, legal analysts said. His comments to media outlets underscore a growing tension for the White House: The FBI investigation of Cohen presents a legal problem for the president that his own lawyer might have exacerbated.

“I’m sure his strategy was damage control,” said Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches at the University of Michigan, “but I’m not sure he controlled much.”

[Giuliani: Trump repaid attorney Cohen for Stormy Daniels settlement]

Starting with a Fox News appearance on Wednesday night, Giuliani, who joined Trump’s legal team just a few weeks ago, seemed to be trying to play down Cohen’s $130,000 payment in October 2016 to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and President Trump’s reimbursement of his longtime lawyer. He might have been trying to get ahead of investigators in making public facts they already know, though legal analysts said his statements could reinforce any case they might bring.

Giuliani first contradicted Trump’s assertion last month that he was unaware of the payment to Daniels, then offered details of which federal investigators are sure to take note. He mused on “Fox & Friends,” for example, about what might have happened to Trump’s campaign had Daniels made her allegation on the eve of the election. More:

Updates: A Volcano Eruption In Hawaii Triggered A Powerful Earthquake And Is Spewing Lava Near Homes

Jeremiah Osuna / Via Facebook: jeremiah.osuna

What We Know So Far

• Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano on the Big Island erupted Thursday, sending lava bursting through the ground near homes, closing roads, and prompting evacuations.
• More than 1,500 residents in the communities of Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens have been ordered to evacuate.
• The governor has declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to help with evacuation efforts.
• The volcanic activity has triggered hundreds of earthquakes, the largest occurred Friday when a magnitude 6.9 struck the area. It was the strongest to hit the state in decades.
• At least two homes have been surrounded by the lava, the mayor said.

Updates

Marco Garcia / AP

A powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook Hawaii’s Big Island Friday.

It was one of hundreds of earthquakes triggered by Thursday’s Kilauea volcano eruption and the largest to strike the area in decades, according to the US Geological Survey.

The earthquake was not expected to generate a tsunami, officials said.

At least two homes have been surrounded by lava, Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim told reporters.

A sixth lava fissure had also opened on the eastern edge of the subdivision as of Friday afternoon, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

“Not all fissure vents remain active and no far-traveled lava flows have formed,” the observatory said in a statement.

Residents who were evacuated from Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens were advised not to return home.

As a result of the eruption, emergency water restrictions were put in place for the communities of Leilani Estates, Nānāwale Estates, Kapoho, and Lanipuna Gardens.

The Hawai’i County Civil Defense Agency said in a statement Friday afternoon that all water customers “must immediately restrict water use to health and safety needs only.”

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My Wife Is A Christian

Hi there great fans and thank God is Friday. The post below is for your weekend delight. Happy reading.

Richard said “My wife is a Christian.”
She lets me live my life. She doesn’t talk to me about anything biblical. She doesn’t curse me. She respects me as her husband and always asks for permission when going to church, to use the car and lot things. She keeps washing my clothes. She has never thrown away any beer in the fridge because she is a Christian.

She has never refused me sex because I am drunk. That woman is a Christian”. His friends stopped laughing. “You really mean this?” Daniel asked, “I think she claims she is Christian because you haven’t really tested her faith. She is pretending”. “No. No. No. She doesn’t pretend. She just lives the life of a Christian,” Richard defended. “What if we really test her faith? To see if she is the real deal?”

Andrew deadpanned “I would not treat my wife that way. She is a good woman. She respects me and I wouldn’t go that extra mile,” Rich said adding: “Right now I am ashamed to even bring beer into the fridge again”. “I knew u were lying to us,” John said laughing mockingly. “Okay guys we can test her,” Richard agreed in resignation. “But I can assure you we will not break her”.

First Test
The tests began. From entering the house with his friends with soiled shoes, to eating all relish meant for the whole day, to drinking beer at the living room and living it very messy, Richard wife never complained. She never showed a sad face. She was always glad. In her heart she always sang the song “Must Jesus Bear The Cross alone and All The World Go Free”

Second Test
This Saturday Richard came with his friends at 11:30 PM. Though his wife was asleep, he woke her up and demanded that she cook nsima for his 3 friends too. His wife never complained. She did that and when she was done she told her husband and his friends to go and eat; but Richard took the plates and threw them down shouting the food was undercooked and she had to cook again.

His wife came to him graciously and kneeled down and said: “I am sorry honey, I never meant to embarrass you in the presence of your friends. I am sorry the food was undercooked. I will prepare you another meal”.

It was Andrew who started crying, then Daniel and John joined him. They threw themselves to the floor crying, their hands raised in the air in surrender.
Richard her husband also came apart uncontrollably. “I want to serve the God you serve. Take me to Him,” John said tears flowing freely down his cheeks.
Andrew said the same thing and did the rest.
They accepted CHRIST that day. They became born again. This story teaches us that sometimes God places us in situations deliberately so that we can win souls to HIM.

For those women who pray in tongues for hours but disrespect their husbands at the slightest provocation please learn. Your nagging kills him more than your right and family you’re trying to protect.

God’s blessings!!!

#livesgispirational

Cambridge Analytica: Facebook data-harvest firm to shut

Cambridge Analytica’s name has already been taken down from the wall of the London office it occupied REUTERS

Cambridge Analytica, the political consultancy at the centre of the Facebook data-sharing scandal, is shutting down.

The firm was accused of improperly obtaining personal information on behalf of political clients.

According to Facebook, data about up to 87 million of its members was harvested by a quiz app and then passed on to the political consultancy.

The social network said its own probe into the matter would continue.

“This doesn’t change our commitment and determination to understand exactly what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” said a spokesman.

“We are continuing with our investigation in cooperation with the relevant authorities.”

What are the accusations against Cambridge Analytica?

The company has been accused of using the personal data of millions of Facebook users to sway the outcome of the US 2016 presidential election and the UK Brexit referendum.

• Cambridge Analytica: The story so far
• The global reach of Cambridge Analytica

In March, Channel 4 aired undercover footage of Cambridge Analytica’s CEO, Alexander Nix, giving examples of how the firm could swing elections around the world with underhand tactics such as smear campaigns and honey traps.

The UK-based company, which denies any wrongdoing, has an extensive record of working abroad on many election campaigns, including in Italy, Kenya and Nigeria.

Why does it say it is shutting?

Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for Cambridge Analytica, referred the BBC to a statement on the firm’s website.

“Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company’s efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas,” it said. More:

This princess is the new face of fashion in Saudi Arabia

© India Today princess

When Saudi Arabia hosted its first-ever Arab Fashion Week earlier in April 2018, it obviously turned heads.

To offer women a platform for expressing themselves through sartorial experimentation, in an otherwise conservative kingdom, could surely be deemed a refreshing change.

Interestingly, spearheading the Arab fashion industry is also a woman.

Princess Noura bint Faisal Al-Saud, the great-granddaughter of Saudi Arabia’s founder, was named president of the Arab Fashion Council in December 2017.

The princess graduated from Tokyo’s Rikkyo University with a Masters degree in International Business with a Japanese Perspective. It was her stay in Japan that motivated her to take up fashion.

© India Today princess 2

Talking about how women battle deep-seated patriarchal rules in Saudi Arabian culture, Princess Noura said, ”Absolutely, I understand people’s perspective. Saudi Arabia has strong ties with its culture. As a Saudi woman, I respect my culture, I respect my religion,” while speaking to Agence France-Presse.

In Saudi Arabia, women follow a strict dress code. Police and judiciary have long enforced a dress code whereby women are required to wear abayas (a loose, robe-like over-garment), and cover their heads and faces, as mentioned by Reuters in an article.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia hosts its first-ever fashion week

Princess Noura, however, doesn’t exactly associate abaya with conservatism. ”Wearing the abaya or being if you would like to call it conservative in the way we dress is something that is part of who we are. It’s part of our culture…this is how our life is, even while travelling,” she said.

Prince Mohammad bin Salman, however, dismissed the need for wearing abaya, while suggesting that women should be able to choose whether or not to wear it, while speaking at an interview recently.

While the Arab Fashion Week turned out to be a watershed in the history of Saudi Arabia, some people criticised it for being restricted to women only, and for banning cameras. More:

 

Fashion Vet Joyce Azria Bets Big On Amazon With Her Next Venture

Joyce Azria [Photo: courtesy of Rohb]

Few people understand the retail apocalypse as well as 36-year-old Joyce Azria.

Over the course of her life, she’s witnessed the complete life cycle of a fashion label. Thirty years ago, her father, Max Azria, launched the iconic mall brand BCBG, which made the hottest red carpet looks available to everyday women for under $500. It was a roaring success throughout the ’90s and early 2000s. It was the go-to brand for girls looking for a gown for prom or a college dance.

But like many other large apparel companies of its time, it hasn’t fared well in the digital world. Brands like Everlane and Reformation are rewriting the rules of retail, dropping new products every week rather than every season, and allowing consumers to move seamlessly between shopping in-store and online. And now Amazon looms large on the horizon, eager to bring fashion labels onto its gargantuan platform. All of this disruption in the industry has affected BCBG badly. Last year, after seasons of declining sales, the company filed for bankruptcy protection, shuttering 120 stores.

Joyce Azria has observed all of this turbulence closely and has theories about what is going on. “Companies like (BCBG) are like very, very big cruise ships,” she says. “It’s not easy for a company like that to take an enormous turn. It takes a lot more effort, energy, and time to reset the thinking. It’s much easier to just start something new, and be on jet skis.”

[Image: courtesy of Rohb]

That’s exactly what she’s been doing. Over the last decade and a half, the younger Azria has been trying her hand at a range of experimental new fashion brands. In 2009, she took the reins of BCBGeneration, a millennial spin on the BCBG brand with lower price points and a stream of new products hitting the market on a regular basis. More:

 

A Fashion Insider Picks 5 New Brands To Add To Your Wardrobe

DESIGNED BY OLIVIA SANTNER

Dominated by the same legacy fashion houses, seasonal trends can often feel recycled, and runway collections a little predictable. As well as finding, nurturing, and supporting new creative talent, we need to discover emerging brands to renew our zest for fashion — it’s meant to be fun, after all. Enter Lisa Aiken, Net-A-Porter’s fashion director, who’s responsible for scouring the globe for exciting up-and-coming designers.

“The brand has to have a very clear point of view and something unique that we haven’t seen before,” Aiken says of her discoveries. “There are so many young brands out there that the competition is tough; you have to stand out. We are finding more brands via social media that are growing a cult following, though we still scout in showrooms, at press days, and receive a lot of lookbooks too.”

The brands coming up through the ranks are exciting for more than just their designs and story: They sit firmly in the mid-range category, meaning they’re not reserved for the mega-wealthy. Joining cult brands like Ganni, Reformation, Rixo, and Staud, which offer everyday directional and contemporary pieces, they offer the kind of pieces you can wear on repeat — think faux fur coats, trenches, statement shoes, and reworked denim.

“I am so excited about this upcoming genre of designers, who are focused on creating really great clothes and accessories at a more democratic price point,” Aiken adds. “It’s the new version of high-low dressing, and becoming the mainstay of our day-to-day wardrobes. Many designers have told me they want to create something that they and their friends want to buy, and so they’re designing with a very authentic approach.”

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