Instant Miracles (The Shield of Faith)

Do you believe in magic?

How often did you hear that as a child? I'm a huge fan of magical everything Harry Potter, Houdini, and bibbity bobbity. I love the thought of magic. Today, I started thinking about how so many people think about God like a magician. It's an interesting image, no doubt; a great magician in the sky, orchestrating the world with a white tipped wand and a dramatic flare. The Bible speaks so much of miracles performed by God and Jesus that awed thousands--walking on water, parting the red sea, the healing of the blind and leprous... Miracles of great power that testified to the Lord's strength.

We walk through life as Christians so often praying for miracles. We've been trained since Sunday School to expect miracles. I think there are times when we think acts of God are something we can stick into the microwave and "Pop!Pop!Ding!" there's a plate full of Instant Miracle.

Believe me, I've been praying for a packet of the Instant stuff for months. I'm a walking medical mystery right now, of course I'm praying for a bolt of white light to hit me and suddenly I'd be walking through life in perfect health.

So far the white light hasn't hit me.

It's been a real struggle, trying to understand why I am facing this ongoing battle. It would be easy to give up on God and let myself believe that it's me against the world. It is so easy to sit there and say, "What proof do you have that God exists...that He cares?"

This is the premise of faith. Faith is the cornerstone of Christianity. It is the seed through which our relationship with God grows, the vine from which His blessing reaches us.

I think that being taught to expect EPIC miracles can make faith fragile. After all, think of the every day miracles God grants us that we take for granted...food, water, family... Instead we want to see the mountains move in an instant. We have to see the miracles before our very eyes. Of course we want to see God feed thousands and heal the blind, but only believing something you can see is the exact opposite of faith.

What is Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 reads that "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

That's right. Faith has nothing to do with seeing an act of God. Faith is having confidence in the Lord, in trusting that He is real and has our lives in His hands.

Let me tell ya, this wasn't the easiest concept for me to grasp. I like hard, strong facts. I want proof in front of me, and Faith just doesn't work like that. It feels like the world is always against me and that there is no grand plan for me. It feels like miracles don't exist and that I'm drowning in trouble and exhaustion.

What answers does the Bible have for that? What does Faith have to do with misery?

Quite a lot, actually.

The Struggle is Real

Remember that it is Satan's goal to kick us out of God's hands and into Hell on Earth. He does this through making war in our lives. Pain, suffering, that's all Satan's doing. And why does God let us go through that? Shouldn't He just miracle our life to happiness?

Well, He could. But God never promised life would be easy. He promised to take care of us. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 He assures us that, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Notice it says endure. We grow through struggle, in strength and in faith. He does not coddle us. God walks beside us, but like every parent He wants us to grow.

It also says God has given us a way out, a way to endure. What could that possibly be? I still don't have those super powers to face off with Satan, and I don't see an emergency escape hatch.

Guess what? That way to endure is through Faith.

The Shield of Faith

I'm skipping around the order of the armor pieces, but Faith is part of it. Ephesians 6:16 says, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

It makes since if you think about it. Faith is our connection to God. Satan wants to sever that connection. Naturally, that connection can also be used to protect us from Satan. There's a reason he wants it severed, after all. In this age, it's easy for him to do that. The world is Satan's playground. He will use anything in it to sever our connection to God.

We live in the modern age, where science tries to explain everything. For a long time, science has tried to disprove God's existence. It has tried to explain everything through Laws and tried to make the universe something humanity can understand and change. And yet, science cannot explain everything. It cannot explain what created this universe, or what created the laws science abides by. It cannot explain emotion or why humans have conscious thoughts.

The Power of Faith

These facts should strengthen our Shield of Faith. We cannot walk through life and expect no adversity, not when the greatest of enemies is at our doorstep. But we can walk with God, shielded through faith.

I'm not saying that the BIG miracles don't happen. They do. We hear the stories all the time about people waking from comas, people saved in the most astounding ways from accidents, we hear about the mysterious healings and unexplainable events. But they don't happen all the time. We don't always need the BIG miracles. Sometimes we need only the power of Faith, and the strength it gives us.

The power of Faith is awesome. It can shield us from Satan while also bringing us closer to God. And God rewards the faithful. The book of Matthew has several accounts of Jesus healing those faithful to him. He promised his disciples that their faith in him could force a mountain to jump into the sea (Matthew 21:21) and that through belief their prayers would be answered. (Matthew 21:22)

An Instant Miracle would be nice, but Instant Miracles are probably like most microwave meals. The Instant stuff may fill you up for a time, but they aren't the most nutritious so to speak. You don't grow stronger or healthier eating the Instant, and when it comes to Faith, you don't develop a tested and true relationship with God, and you don't gain strength against the Enemy's onslaught. And you're usually hungry for more an hour later, am I right?

So have Faith and know that your struggles are not empty or trivial.Faith moves mountains. Faith protects us from the arrows of Satan. Faith is what gets us through the struggles and the pain. Through Faith God makes us stronger. Iron is forged through fire, and so are we.

“To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.” ~ George Mueller

Has the World Lied to You?: Fighting Lies With The Belt of Truth

Who here has ever wished they had super powers?

I always wanted to be able to fly or read minds...maybe travel through time. It's a fantastic thought, having powers that make you greater than human, that make you super strong, super smart...that make you invincible.

This is the real world though. Not many of us are blessed with super powers, and those who are...we haven't seen you on the news yet. When facing the Spiritual Battles of Satan, having super powers might be kind of nice. But we don't walk against Satan alone.

I spoke earlier of the full armor of God. This mighty armor is what protects us in our battles against Satan. It is a collection of different pieces, each imbued with certain traits that make our stand against Satan all the more powerful.

Today I will speak about one important piece: the belt of truth.

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist," (Ephesians 6:14)

Truth Against Hell?

The Belt of Truth brings to mind fantastic images of Wonder Woman and her blinding lasso that forces you to speak the truth. It is used against villains to save the world. Well, like the lassso, the belt is used against villains, in fact it is used against The Villain.

Satan is a being of evil. He dwells in the realm of darkness and knows no light. Lies are his tools and machinations, used to destroy and delude the people of God. The Belt of Truth is our protection against these lies and is our weapon to cut them down as they stir.

John 8:44 says, "...He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

It is easy to hear the words of the world of Sin and believe that what it speaks is true. Think of the idea of the American Dream and wealth. It is true that hard work should be rewarded for its effort, and we Americans believe this results in wealth and grandeur. But we have allowed ourselves to believe that wealth is what is important in this world and so greed has taken root in our culture. The sin of Greed leads to lies and deceit, it leads to the destruction of compassion, all to reach the goal of wealth and prosperity.

Think also on the culture of lust generated in modern times. Adults can look at porn, and so long as children aren't involved, it can be considered normal...acceptable even. But we now see a rise in culture where both women and men are objectified as sexual entities, where personal image and vanity is more important than spiritual self.

We live in a world where people spew hate and fear about other nations, other people as a whole because of the actions of the few. We live in a world where bigotry is a common trait in politicians and their words often incite fear among the people.

This world has heard the lies of Satan; vanity, greed, lust, hate, and it has grown to accept them as normal. The world has taught us that we can reach wealth and prosperity through lies and vanity, but this world is not the one we should seek eternal happiness in.

The Belt of Truth fights back against this.

The Whole Truth

Remember that this world is impermanent. It will fade away, consumed by Satan. It is towards Heaven we must reach, where our hard work and devotion to God is paid off in sum, no taxes, deductibles, or surprise fees included.

This world will seek to deter you from reaching Heaven. It will seek to wrap you in the gauze of greed and lust and pull you into sin.

But with the Belt of Truth, you can remain steadfast. Know that though the world's words may sound sweet, they do not lead you down a true and holy path. Only through the truth of the Lord can we know happiness and pure, true wealth of the spirit. We have the Belt of Truth about our waist, we need only follow it's guiding light.

Psalm 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!"

Even powerful men who have left this world have recognized the value of truth. Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, noted that "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."

Start a book of wisdom today.

Remember that the Lord provides the tools we need to face this dangerous world. We need to remember to buckle down and suit up. Start today. Walk in truth. Speak not lies, no matter how terrifying the thought is to speak truth. The Lord walks with you and he will guide you when it is necessary.

Satan Uses the Internet Too! (Spiritual Warfare: Part Two)

Who here has ever Web MD'd themselves? You know, that handy tool where you go to google and checking up your medical symptoms? Sure, you were just verifying that you have a cold. But by the time you're done, you've discovered that you actually have a stage four disease plus the bubonic plague on the side, oh, and you should probably get that checked ASAP!

Yeah. I've Web MD'd myself. I admit it, I caved. And it's made my life pretty miserable. For the last three months, I've been worried, I've been scared, and I've been sick. Silly me, I thought googling my symptoms would calm me and provide answers... Instead I've faced three months of medical inquiries with the constant worry that the Docs might be missing "Disease A-Z" and that I have some crazy obscure diseases.

It has been utterly exhausting.

Yesterday I was in the E.R. because of all my issues and they ran a CT Scan. What's a CT Scan? You may have heard of it as a CAT Scan. Basically, you  lay down on a bed that moves through what looks like a portal to another dimension. It makes a weird whirring sound and a calm, robotic voice says "Hold your breath.......breathe." Hundreds of X-Rays are taken all at once, shooting you up with radiation (yep, I'm waiting for super powers!)

I was scared of the CT scan. No, not because I'm not ready for super powers. Not because of radiation. I was scared, utterly terrified, that they would either find something horribly wrong, or that they would find nothing.

I wasn't sure what would have been worse...

Turns out whatever is wrong with me can't be seen on a CT Scan. As far as my internal organs go, I seem to be functioning 100% A-Okay. Blood tests are good, kidneys are awesome...I should be in perfect health. I'm not. But I should be grateful for the fact that my organs are in good shape, but all I feel is exhaustion and fear, because what if...what if it is Disease Q?!?

I am afraid.

What does any of this have to do with Satan using the internet? Well...

Satan Uses the Internet

The book of John tells us that Satan is "the prince of this world." Wait, what?

Remember that this world is no longer perfect, it hasn't been since the first temptation of Adam and Eve. Sin is rampant in this world, and the king of sin is Satan. It is his goal to deprive us the Kingdom of Heaven, and to deprive us eternal life through our Lord. We often forget that he is an orchestrator of Spiritual Warfare. We fight a constant battle against Satan as God's people.

Satan does everything he can to make us inadequate soldiers in this battle. Right now I stand, feeling defenseless, as my health remains a struggle. I have not written a blog post in nearly two weeks, constantly putting it off, and I realize now that he won those rounds. This blog is part of my relationship to God. Sure, I was getting married and busy, but God is supposed to be integral to a functioning marriage. I was derelict, a soldier who had lost a fight.

The terrifying reality of Satan is that he will use everything he can to weaken us. He will use our health, he will use the news, our jobs, even the internet, to distract us from God and the ongoing battle. All I have done this week is worry about what is wrong with me, instead of turning to my God to find peace and healing.

How Do We Fight?

Fighting Satan is no easy task. He is a fallen angel, and we are mere humans. But we have what Satan does not--a God who stands firm and aids us in all things. Remember that God has given us armor. Ephesians 6:11-18 speaks of this armor:

"11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

References for Ephesians 6:11

• Cross References

• 15 6:11 - ver 13; Ro 13:12 ; 1Th 5:8

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

References for Ephesians 6:12

• Cross References

• 16 6:12 - 1Co 15:50 ; Heb 2:14
• 17 6:12 - Eph 1:21 ; 3:10
• 18 6:12 - Ro 8:38
• 19 6:12 - S Eph 1:3

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

References for Ephesians 6:13

• Cross References

• 20 6:13 - ver 11; S 2Co 6:7

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

References for Ephesians 6:14

• Cross References

• 21 6:14 - Isa 11:5
• 22 6:14 - Ps 132:9 ; Isa 59:17 ; 1Th 5:8

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

References for Ephesians 6:15

• Cross References

• 23 6:15 - Isa 52:7 ; Ro 10:15

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

References for Ephesians 6:16

• Cross References

• 24 6:16 - 1Jn 5:4
• 25 6:16 - S Mt 5:37

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

References for Ephesians 6:17

• Cross References

• 26 6:17 - Isa 59:17
• 27 6:17 - Isa 49:2
• 28 6:17 - S Heb 4:12

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. "

We do not walk into a battle with Satan alone, we walk with God and are armored by Him.

When is the Fight Over?

Do you ever get tired of fighting? I do. I am right now, as I sit here writing. But the sad truth is that the fight will never be over, not until you reach Heaven. Satan wants us forever cut off from God. He does not want us to be happy or at peace. And so the battle will be forever fought until you reach Heaven.

But there is relief. The Lord does not leave us alone to suffer without Him. He promises peace and restoration, strength and confirmation of His love.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen."1 Peter 5:8-11

Facing the World

Satan will try to make your life miserable. It doesn't have to be. It is human to worry and stress about illness. But Web MD won't heal you. God will.

My mission is to train myself not to Web MD and instead turn to God in my times of fear. It is His hands that will heal me, and so I must turn to Him and stop placing so much emphasis on other aspects of my life.

I hope you will consider the following verse.

"⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Open yourself up for healing and guidance. Let the Lord make your paths. Don't let Satan pull you into battle without the appropriate armor. Be strong.

Forgiveness is Not a Club

i remember when I was little being told in Sunday school to pray for forgiveness of my sins. I didn't know what "sins" were, much less why I needed to ask for forgiveness of them. I only knew that I was supposed to pray because that was what Christians do and that if I prayed I would be forgiven... whatever that meant.

There seems to be an ill gotten notion that by simply saying words we can be forgiven. Christians are forgiven of their sins, but not in the way we are told in Sunday school. It is more than squeezing your eyes shut and mumbling some words. Forgiveness takes more than a pretty phrase or the right tone of voice.

I'm going to do a couple posts on forgiveness because it seems to be something easily misunderstood or mispresented. Of course I'm no expert, I only know what it is I read and have been told, and what the Lord puts in my hands. Today let us focus on what forgiveness is.

What is Forgiveness?

It is the washing away of sin, the purifying of our souls. Gods forgiveness of our transgressions is what allows us to enter heaven with Him.

Where Does Forgiveness Come From?

Forgiveness comes from the Lord. It used to be that animal sacrifice was necessary for forgiveness. We do not need to sacrifice anything for forgiveness anymore because His son sacrificed himself for us. The Lord forgives because we have already been washed clean by Jesus's sacrifice. 

Who Can Be Forgiven?

Forgiveness is not just for those of us who went to Sunday school and learned how to squish our eyes shut juuuust right while praying. Forgiveness is for anyone, from the pastor to the day old believer. We are all sinners and none of us are perfect. We all need forgiveness.

God is big enough to forgive everyone on this earth. Forgiveness is not finite, it is massive, a flood, waiting for us to fall into it. 

"As far as the east is from the west" says Psalms 103:12,  " so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Forgiveness is an awesome force, just as God is all that is awesome and mighty. You don't have to be an elite Christian to have forgiveness.

How Do We Become Forgiven?

That is a complicated question with a lot of answers. But for this post, let us simply say that you must ask. But you must ask with true intention and true faith. You must repent and seek to change your ways. A halfhearted desire to change leads to halfhearted prayer. The Lord offers us a great gift in forgiveness, it is only right that we off true thanks and true desire for that gift.

A Prayer for Forgiveness

Tonight prayer for forgiveness of whatever sins you know of with an open and well meaning heart. Let yourself be washed clean by the Lord. I hope you find peace in this prayer and open yourself to God tonight. This prayer is from the book of Psalms by King David, who did many wrongs, but found solace in the Lord.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.15 Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

(Music rights to the artist.)

1-800-SAVE ME NOW! (Where's God When Disaster Strikes?)

There's a hurricane brewing in the United States with a pretty scary face. Hurricane Mathew is wreaking havoc on the East Coast of the USA and many prayers have gone out to God concerning the danger and toll the storm will have on human life.

Now is one of those times where doubters may ask: Why hasn't God stopped the hurricane? Why hasn't He protected us? Why don't we live in a perfectly safe world?

Well. Those are some questions that are hard to answer, and I am by no means an expert nor do I speak for the big man Himself. I only know what I think, I only know what I know.

Allow me to answer question three first.

Why Don't We Live In A Perfect (ly safe...) World?

The unfortunate reality is that the world is not a perfect place. It hasn't been perfect since the first bite of the Forbidden Fruit was taken and sin entered into the world. The world became an unsafe place the instant that bite was taken and Satan found a niche of power over the world.

There is always that talk about Good and Bad, Chaos and Balance... well, the world has those. God and Satan are the yin and yang, the forces of unimaginable power that we humans cannot see physically, but are there. Satan is constantly trying to destroy God's people, and that means us as Christians. God is the Creator and our Father, and He is always fighting to protect us. But this is spiritual warfare, and Satan has no qualms with taking casualties.

In a perfect world there would be no hate, no illness, no pain, no natural disasters... And that world does exist. I'll get to that momentarily. Let's answer question one.

Why hasn't God stopped the Hurricane?

Nature is a beautiful place. It is fierce, marvelous, breathtaking, and God's creation as well. No, God doesn't value it like He does it's people, but hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis all have their place on this Earth. Humans have a constant desire to control nature because we have no power over it. And so we cannot fathom why God allows natural disasters to happen.

That is actually the point. God sees things on a far bigger scale than we humans do. He knows why hurricanes happen. He knows when and what will occur. He is the hand that created nature as we know it, and we  cannot fathom why nature operates the way it does. We cannot see why a hurricane would be necessary for the world, or an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption. But they have been happening far before we had the ability to track them with technology, and we cannot stop them. We can only know that God has a purpose for them.

Remember Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 (If you're a Footloose fan, you should know this one!)

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

We as humans live such a short life in comparison to the timeline of this Earth. Who are we to assume that hurricanes are senseless destruction? Who are we to assume God does not have a purpose for them?

Yes, it is not a fun thing to recognize. We want so badly to understand and to control the powerful forces of the Earth. We cannot control the weather and so we are afraid. But instead of fearing and questioning the Lord, we should pray for understanding, and for His protection as nature runs it's course.

Which leads to the final question:

Why Hasn't God Protected Us?

That's a hard question. As Christians we hear it a lot, or a variation of it. Why is there disease? Why is there violence? Why aren't we safe?

Well, again, remember the world is full of sin. Sin means disease and pain and suffering. It means bad things can happen and that the world is no longer perfect. But God is not abandoning us. He is protecting us...just in a different way than we may think.

Remember that God sees the Big Picture. He knows our path and holds us in His hands. More importantly He is protecting us and fighting for us. But He isn't fighting for us to have free college, perfect teeth, or no debt. He's fighting for us to have entrance to the REAL Perfect World. That's right, God is busy fighting for our souls so we can enter Heaven.

We are so focused on the world as a physical place. Our homes, our jobs, our cars, even our clothes and things are in prime focus too often. We forget that the true goal is Heaven...not a Mercedes. God fights for us and protects us on the greatest plane of all--the spiritual one. He does care about us and does wish us well, but more importantly, He wishes us a place in His home, where the streets are gold and the gates are pearl.

It is in Heaven that we need not fear natural disasters, disease, and suffering. It is there that we will know true peace.

But What About On This Earth?

On this Earth the Lord remains our protector and our Father. On this Earth, we must remember that He hears our pleas.

But that means we must remember to speak to the Lord. You know how guys always say they can't read a woman's mind? Well we must remember to speak ours to the Lord as well. Communication is important even with the Lord. Is it fair of us to assume that the Creator, who has a lot on His plate, does not wish to hear from us, instead of always reading our minds? Prayer is a powerful tool and God answers it.

Even the great King David turned to the Lord. Psalm 3:4 says, "I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain."

And Jesus reminded us in the book of John that: "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

In these trying and scary times, whatever they are for you, we must turn and pray to the Lord in His son's name. We also need to try and remember that the world is a very big place and the future is a very big picture. The Lord can see the picture and so we must place our trust in Him and know that a place is prepared for us in Heaven where all these worries and sufferings will come to an end.

I hope tonight you will prayer and meditate on Revelations 21:4:

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

And for those Footloose fans...this is for you: