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Science Wiz Chess Once A Pawn A Time

Tales from the Kingdom of Chess. Using the 2 captivating books included in CHESS: Once a Pawn a Time, children truly enjoy learning and playing chess. The charming chess characters and story-book style engages them in the game. Book 1 introduces beginners to chess moves while Book 2 advances playing skills by exploring the strengths and weaknesses of each piece. This imaginative approach to teaching chess was developed by author Patzi Stewart over her 20 years as a chess teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chess board and chess pieces also included.

The Word Became Flesh - John 1

(1) In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning.

(3) Through him [Jesus Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (4) In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (5) The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

(6) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (7) He came as a witness to testify concerning that light [Jesus Christ], so that through him all men might believe. (8) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (9) The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

(10) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. (11) He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (12) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— (13) children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

(14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(15) John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" (16) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

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As a child, and even a teenager, I never understood from the church I grew up in where our Lord Jesus Christ came from. They did, however, explain His virgin birth and how He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit--that He had no earthly father. But that didn’t help me understand where He was before He was born. They also explained that after His death on the cross He rose again. So I automatically assumed He was born about 2,000 years ago and still alive today. In other words: I assumed He had a beginning but He doesn’t have an end.

It wasn’t until my late teens, thanks to Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries, I understood that our Lord had no beginning just as He has no end. And that’s why I chose John chapter one to include for this Christmas shot. I will leave you with Oswald Chamber’s words:

My Utmost for His Highest, December 25, 2008
His Birth and Our New Birth

‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’ —Matthew 1:23

His Birth in History. ". . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.

His Birth in Me. "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you . . ." (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. "You must be born again" (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that "Christ is formed" in me. And once "Christ is formed" in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.

God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

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PS: This photograph is of a house near where I used to live that its owner really knows how to it house for Christmas! You can actually see the front of the house on the top right part of the photo.

(Exposure blending. Toronto, ON; winter 2008.)

Finn Anderson Hendra arrived on 9/11/08 at 1.35am. She was 7lb 11 and is utterly gorgeous.

It was a wierd labour with about 10 hours of contractions every 10 minutes through the night on Friday, then they slowed right down for a few hours (although not enough for me to sleep for more than 2 hours),before restarting on Saturday afternoon, so I was already knackered from a whole night of it before the real thing started (particularly because I'd found I could only manage the pain if I was standing and walking around). Thank goodness for the yoga preparation. The camel walking was fabulous and I could feel lots of the exercises really paying off during that stage.

All went well from Saturday though. We went to Edgware birth centre late Saturday evening once contractions were more frequent. The midwives were utterly fantastic and reassuring so despite being really tired I managed to carry on with just the TENS machine and yoga breathing for a while. Thanks Kirsty-what can I say- think the whole thing would have been a totally different experience without the constant refrain going through my head about lengthening the out breath!!

I got in the pool at about 1am once the contractions were really very close together and I was struggling to manage the pain-and amazingly Finn was born within half an hour. I couldn't quite believe it when my partner Jane was suddenly saying in an awestruck way that she could see Finn's head! When I lifted her out the water she still had the sac around her- incredible but quite alien sight! Absolutely lovely to see her perfect little face appear as the midwife peeled it off her. Then I just sat in the pool with her for a while, while she quietly took in the world, and me and Jane gazed at her!

Had to have a few stitches and obviously knackered but all in all a very positive experience. Edgware really are amazing. Their approach when we were phoning for advice early on, and their incredibly confident and reassuring style when we got there made it all feel possible and the after care was incredible-bit like being in a B&B with a lovely room and double bed for us all and tea and toast being brought to us for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch. They encouraged us to stay for a long as we wanted and made sure we were really comfortable with breast feeding. Again their support was so reassuring we had none of the anxieties we thought we might have about the next stage of actually having a baby at home! We came home in the afternoon on Sunday after we'd rested and me and Finn had been checked out, and now just trying to settle in to our new way of life and of course no sleep!

Here's a few early hours pictures!

Please pass on my best wishes and encouragement to all the other yoga people

Thanks

Alex