softness or fimness
ex: her buns were nice and firm
3
It's a special rule in the 5th Ed. Space marines codex, it's with the Legion Of The Damned.
stern1    [sturn] Show IPA adjective, -er, -est.1.firm, strict, or uncompromising: stern discipline.2.hard, harsh, or severe: a stern reprimand.3.rigorous or austere; of an unpleasantly serious character:stern times.4.grim or forbidding in aspect: a stern face.
It's a chance to determine what are the key points of interest of the other negotiating party. What do they value and how can you give them what they value most, while maintianing or receiving what you value most in return. In negotiaitinos involving many issues, the parites often seek to find what issues each camp may be flexible on, and what issues are firm and unyeilding. This allows for a compromise to be made and a resolution to be reached. Best negotiations are those that do not cut up a pie, but enlarge it.
"Even after multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Pam's chance of survival looked grim.""It was a grim and gloomy day; because of the rain, no children could play.""The part of the story where the young girl was murdered was by far the most grim part of the tale."
The people of Bagladesh are unaware of their status as a sovereign nation within the natural world. According to their constitution, written in 1934 by the illegitimate grandchild of Abraham Lincoln's oldest brother's half cousin, they Bangladeshianists of the near past viewed outside neighboring countries as mear alien vessels that should be treated with ancient wisdom, both fear and unyeilding attraction. The repressed people of the nation are wonderful tennis players, having nothing to do all day but create millions upon millions of tennis courts using the hair from the back of elephants to manufacture the balls and secure their spot in the great annals of sports lore, along side both Humperdink Pumpernickel and Phil Jackson as pioneers in their fields. Their lust for the action of a more naturally based sport has created a mythology upon their neighboring nations, specifically Nepal. The Nepalanizianists, famous for their victorian mansions laced with psychadelic flourescent banners honoring their late hero, Allan Iverson, have expressed a strong desire to merge with the Bangladeshinionist king, ALbert Von Kanakahankashsa, to create a more perfect union of the class warfare that has so long plauged the free world.
Henry VIII fathered 3 legitimate children, Mary Elizabeth, and Edward. and one illgitimate child (that we know of) Henry Fitzroy. Mary was his eldest daughter, her mother was Catherine of Aragon, Henry's 1st wife. Mary later becamo Mary I of England, and is remembered for her unyeilding catholic beliefs and refusal to acknowledge anything protestant. She, like her "brother" before her, killed many who did not believe in her faith in an effort to keep hers strong. Elizabeth was Henry's second child, mothered by Anne Boleyn, Henry's 2nd wife. She was the last Tudor to hold the throne of England. She took the throne after Both of her siblings and had to appease both the catholics and the protestants to create a united England. Edward was Henry's only legitimate son and at the age of 9 became King. He was a very sickly child and dod not live for long before passing the throne off to Mary. Edward's mother was Jane Seymore.
The Sun is in Leo between about 23rd July and 22nd August. The lion is the King of the Beasts, and Leo is King of the Zodiac. His royal presence demands respect, and he bestows generous largesse on all. Zodiac Lions are like the Sun itself, warm and radiant, ready to help great and small, and if your Sun is in Leo you will give without counting the cost...but you do like to be thanked. No-one is kinder than a Lion, but you can be badly hurt if people ignore or misunderstand you. If Leo is your Rising Sign, you're naturally cheerful, and walk out onto the world's stage with a smile on your face. People are drawn to you, heads turn, and ...let's be honest... you love it! You're neither proud nor pushy, but sometmes people see you like that, and that can make you feel very lonely, yet not for long, for you soon bounce back and are your old cheerful self. Naturally romantic, you love to have a mate who is as loyal to you as you are to him or her. ~n00bsuke~ This information was all found, copied, then pasted from: http://astro-services.com/zodiac/#leo
I would argue that it makes perfect sense. As a highly qualified scientist and as someone who taught chemistry and astronomy for nearly 30 years, I came to Faith by logic and reason until I have reached the stage now spiritually where I am in training to be ordained a Church of England priest. So, to me it makes perfect sense.I believe in a Creator (not 'Creationism' which, frankly, isn't Biblical in the correct sense) who was the source of the Big Bang, but who is present in creation now. God the creator made us in his own image as spiritual beings, but as we rebelled against him (and continually do so) formulated a rescue plan for our salvation.Sin is the biggest problem on earth. It causes suffering, disease, corruption and war. People are dying unnecessarily because the West is greedy whilst the poor nations starve or are plagued by disease because of poor conditions. Sin is the big plague of humanity. We all sin, and that sin separates us from God, both now and after we die.Sin was believed to be removed in ancient times through sacrifice. Humans sacrificed something dear to them as penance for their sin. But this was only a temporary solution. By Christ sacrificing himself on the Cross - by God in human form sacrificing himself for us, the need for further sacrifices was removed - we are free from sin if we trust in Jesus Christ. In other words, by his death he removed that sin from us so that the relationship between us and God is restored. And being God the Son, Jesus could not remain dead so that by his resurrection on the first Easter Day he conquered that last taboo, death, showing once and for all, categorically, that death is not the end but a new beginning with Him.To me it makes perfect sense. God made us to be perfect and eternal, we rebelled and broke the relationship, so God had a rescue plan in Jesus Christ, if we wish to accept it.However, I can well understand the difficulty some have regarding the Trinitarian God, and in this doctrine many would feel that Christianity does not make sense. No Christian can say that he 'fully understands' Trinitarianism, but, whilst the actual word 'Trinity' was invented later to explain scripture, the concept of a Trinitarian God permeates the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and so has to be taken account of. Christians do not worship three gods or Gods. They worship one. However, this God has revealed himself (herself?) in three aspects - each of which are God, each of which stands alone as God (ie not subservient or 'a part' of God) and yet are one God. I suppose the nearest analogy is of a woman being a wife, woman and mother. In one aspect my wife is my wife - with the marital relationship both sexual and non-sexual that that conveys, she is a woman - with a woman's needs, characteristics, physiology and so on, and she is a mother of my two children - with all that that role goes with. Some see my wife as a mother solely, some (her GP say) as a biological woman and I see her as a wife. Three distinct persons and yet one person. Christians worship One God - as the Father God, the creator, Jesus, as God the Son, redeemer of humankind, and the Holy Spirit - guider and comforter of God. So, if really studied it can make sense - even a difficult concept such as this. Incidentally, the Holy Spirit is actually feminine(the Hebrew for Holy Spirit 'ruach' and the Greek 'pneuma' are both feminine nouns) despite the mysoginistic nature of some Christian churches!It does not make sense (at least to me) their belief that 3 gods equals 1 god.This seems like a loaded question as there are MANY reasons why Christianity (or any religion, belief system, subculture really) fails to make sense to some.I would say first off this is because those deeply involved with said faith do so willingly, i.e. the very definition of "faith" itself. Therefore those involved do not suffer the natural inclination to "need all the answers beforehand" and have already chosen to simply accept.Next because some of the tenets (principals, beliefs) of Christianity are ambiguous (unclear, "grey area"), it is especially difficult for a non-believer to make a decision to accept without being able to actually verify said tenets. I personally believe God did this on purpose, thus forcing His followers to take the proverbial "leap of faith" when deciding to commit their lives to Him. If our mere human minds were capable of understanding God with the clarity He enjoys, we would likely view ourselves as equal to some degree. Or worse, if the need to accept His gift of salvation was written in such a way as to be an indisputable fact to all then we would essentially lose our free will and blindly follow God out of necessity rather than desire.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------***The Trinity - Another (somewhat lengthy) explanation***I rationalized that God is obviously not of our world, He is infinite in comparison because he would not have the ability to create something that is or is near to his equal. So it is reasonable to assume he is in all that he created PLUS more than what we can understand. So in light of our limited understanding he had to manifest Himself in a tangible way that we would be able to recognize and understand. He did this by creating two more identifiable personnas of himself to reach us in entirely different ways.First in flesh and blood by sending Jesus Christ, a part of himself, to walk the earth in human form, declaring that part of Himself in physical form to be introduced as His Son while here on earth. All creation is, at the most basic level, the birth of an idea with the ability to be molded into something more in the right hands. I believe He knew that no matter how great the faith, without some sort of earthly proof of His existence, that faith in Him would diminish over time or at the very least falter from time to time. Having a human embodiment of Himself gave us that physical proof that we so desperately need. While here on earth God allowed us to reach out and physically touch us in a way that we could understand, using the created indentity of Jesus as his earthly vessel. Just as any parent passes on a part of themselves into the world to live on through their child. That child is certainly not a complete transformation of the parent, but is no less a part of that child no matter what, to that child's very core. Both parent and child generally exist at the same time therefore two separate and equal beings yet made from the same core structure that creates an unbreakable link no matter where their human lives may take them. After God's creation, His earthly son sacrificed Himself on the cross, then rose again to conquer mortal death, the part of God that lived in Jesus left the earth to rejoin the whole once again.He appeared to us again in spirit and declared it to be His Holy Spirit, recognizable to those who are open. I believe His spirit manifests in many ways some of which include that unconscious awareness that springs forth just as you need guidance, your "inner self", your conscience, your sixth sense, your intuition, there are many names for that mysterious life force that has or will touch us all at some point in our lives. I believe the Holy Spirit also reflects in our dreams, both symbolically by providing clues for unresolved issues in our lives and realistically through vivid flashes of what is to come. I believe that there are some legitimate "psychics" - for lack of a better or more widely understood title, who are more naturally aware of their spiritual connection to our Creator. Just as each of us is unique, so is our connection, perception and understanding (or lack there of) of God. I believe that as we all have that spiritual connection with God to varying degrees, and the more we are open to receiving God's Holy Spirit, the more that will begin to manifest itself in our earthly lives. On a side note, I personally attribute those tingles that suddenly wash over your body or run up/down along your spine or the flood of warmth, or peace or love that comes on strong for no apparent reason to be our bodily reaction to unseen physical contact with the Holy Spirit. I think of it as a spiritual hug from God so when one of those sensations comes over me I pause from whatever I am doing and send a mental hug and Thank You right back, much like when a parent reaches out to hug their child for no reason other than to say a quick unspoken "I love you". That child was not expecting it but feels the love behind it all the same.I know the topic of psychic ability lends easily to debate so I am trying to tread lightly on the subject, but I feel it also offers some explanation of what can be achieved by opening yourself to the Holy Spirit. I also believe that some of those who claim to possess that psychic or spiritual connection are outright frauds, preying on the weak. I think this happens because the human race can be very greedy and until we all learn the truth, some choose to put themselves before all others, no matter what the cost to those they hurt in the process. Also that the evil spirit sent forth upon the earth from the beast, (satan, the devil, however you chose to define it) also knows of the spiritual connection between God and His creation. That evil manipulates our perception by manifesting in a very good but false imitation of the Holy Spirit. So even among those who seem to display a strong spiritual or psychic connection, may not be hearing the Holy Spirit. I believe this is especially true for those who use their perceived ability to exploit others for personal gain. That they either do not understand its true source or are being manipulated by evil and are not truly experiencing a spiritual connection with God. Then of course there are the plain old garden variety people who through genetic mutation are simply mentally unstable. I believe that those who manifest a deep spiritual connection through psychic abilities and use that to help others whenever possible without accepting compensation are more likely to be the "real deal".By creating completely unique but equal personnas of Himself, God is giving us every opportunity to reach out to Him on some level and no matter how individual the though process, each of us will instinctively connect and relate to at least one of God's identities. By doing this God supersedes what I believe to be His only instance of being unable to do something, being unable to come down to earth and simply present Himself to use and show us His true form. I don't see this as being because He is somehow lacking, but rather our inability to comprehend all that He is. There was a time when God spoke freely to mankind at the beginning of creation. However since He chose to also give us free will, we have in turn exercised that right pushing that direct link further and further away with each new generation and until mankind collectively wakes up, He has to resort to connecting with us however He is able that our self-serving mindset will openly accept. Earth and its inhabitants are like a lost dog who is not quite out of earshot of its owner but still cannot seem to manage to find the way home. The dog's owner can yell, whistle, or physically look for it but there are no guarantees the dog will ever find its way home, despite the owner putting for their best effort to make it happen. While lost the dog becomes so isolated and scared and though not fully understanding the meaning of the feelings, instinctively knows that it is lost, that something is not as it should be. Until the dog realizes just what is wrong, that it is in fact lost, it wont be able to push back the fear and uncertainty long enough to focus in and hear its owner crying out for its return, back to where it belongs, home. Despite many attempts to reconnect with His creation, mankind stubbornly refuses to accept God's part in our lives, and with each passing day those who have not found their way back to the truth unconsciously add another brick to their spiritual wall, which no matter how much He would like to, God cannot simply burst through without causing damage to our psyche which first initiated the wall to begin with. So being the Creator of creation, he again set forth to create a couple of side streets in the form of the Trinity. So that when we are lost and wandering we have a better chance of stumbling onto one of possible side streets and following it because no matter what scenic route that road may represent that all come from and lead to the same place, home with our Creator. God also promised that there would come a time where He would again return to earth in human form through Jesus to give his people one last opportunity to learn the truth and follow him before wiping the slate clean on His creation and starting over. He further promised that a part of Him would then remain here on earth with us in Jesus, never to be bodily removed from us again, and that His people will finally get to experience His creation as He originally intended, as Heaven on earth.All of the above is a perfectly acceptable explanation of the Trinity, however it is quite a mouthful and depending on my ability to explain it at any given time, may lead to more confusion. From now on I will embrace John's analogy of his wife as a means of explanation as it essentially puts my mouthful of what seems like childish reasoning in comparison, into quick, clean, easy to understand terms. For that "JohnWalsh" I thank you! I love that even after a decade I continue to learn a little something new each day and each new revelation, insight, concise analogy brings me that much closer to my Creator.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------***Onto to offering another answer to the original question shall we? ***While the basis of the question from the original post might relate to the Trinity, this may not be the case for all so I decided to take the time to elaborate further. If anything part of my response is a benefit even in the smallest measure then the effort expended and the anticipated annoyed backlash endured as a result of the mere length of my response will be well worth it. I would venture to guess that countless others would readily as this same question, each with a different reason for asking.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------***Christianity - A rational reason to take that "Leap of Faith" ***For those who refuse to accept the need to act by faith alone I am hoping that by sharing my personal story might give some insight from an entirely different perspective. I began my search for the truth, for the meaning of life (like many others) in the wake of the devastation of 9-11. Even though I had lived in Ca my entire life (I was 20 at the time) and did not suffer the loss of a loved one personally, my naturally empathetic heart cried out in agony right along with them. Even though I seemingly had my entire life ahead of me I realized the brutal truth, no one really knows just how much time they have. So I began to question what would come next should the worst happen. Prior to that my best friend (now my hubby) Jayden had relentlessly offered invitations to attend his church or other related social gatherings. Being the stubborn female that I am was not about to be "sucked in" and converted into a like-minded robot as I viewed most people of any organized religion. While on some level I admittedly believed there was "a God" and even talked to Him from time to time. I also firmly believed that I did not need to join a "cult" AKA church who was only after my money or to guilt me into volunteering (hey - I already did that on my own, why should the church get the "credit") or follow antiquated rules from a book more than 2000 years old. Up until that point I did not know anything about the bible or any other religion for that matter beyond what was portrayed in the media, movies, music, fiction, etc. Of course my hubby would make very subtle attempts to teach me and also embodies the spirit of what it means to be a follower of Christ with his unspoken actions. Looking back I wonder why I didn't see it sooner.After the attacks on the twin towers I decided to be more open and at least consider the possibility that I might need something more. As it happened Jayden had invited me to a Billy Graham conference, openly explaining what it was all about, but offering that if for no other reason that it would be fun to hang out and there would be some really great musical performances. I had left it that I would think about it. I had wanted to take our relationship to the next level as I was finally ready to admit to myself that I was and had been in love with him since the moment I met him (7 years before) and knew he also had feelings for me but was resisting my subtle then not so subtle hints at a romantic relationship and couldn't figure out why. Again looking back it is easy to understand once I read about God's position on relationships that are "unequally yoked". If anything resisting and being patient (he wasn't dating anyone else and while not physically intimate, we spent every waking moment together) until I found my way. I often wonder just how long he would have waited while resisting my seductive teasing. So when I called him, not really able to speak through the tears, Jayden told me he was already on his way. He had known about the attacks for a few hours - he is an annoying morning person while I am not - and knew I would be upset. Rather than waiting to meet up later that day as planned, he waited he had just enough time to make the 45 minute drive and arrive at 10:30am - when he knew my alarm would go off. As it happened a shout from the neighbor's house had woken me up a little earlier than usual so I waited 15 painful and terrifying moments until he arrived. The news had begun speculating that our town could be a potential target due to the naval base nearby being a major munitions storage. Add that to my empathy for the loss of others and I was a wreck. As soon as Jayden arrived I threw myself into his arms and the first words out of my mouth was that I wanted to go to the "church thing" if it was still going to happen. Skipping forward to the following day I had an epiphany, the culmination of a feverish pursuit of knowledge in the preceding 24 hrs. I blocked out everything else, listened to every word at the conference, read through a large portion of the bible (speed reader) on loan from Jayden who simultaneously stayed out of my way and helped whenever I needed him, in my search for answers. If you are still reading you must be a glutten for pain at my ramblings thus far. I will now share with you the final moments when God's truth crashed through my final unyeilding resistance, when I first decided to commit my life to Christ.What I came to realize is that though I may not have, nor would I ever, be able to obtain all the answers until I am one day face to face with God in Heaven and even then, there are no guarantees that I will be any closer to complete understanding. It boiled down to this...what did I have to gain and what did I have to lose? When put in that perspective the choice became undeniable and incredibly easy to make. I narrowed my options to 3 possible outcomes:1) The bible is 100% accurate in its message (not including possible text-specific information that has been argued as "lost in translation") that accepting the gift of salvation as offered through Christ and Christ alone.2) There is no such thing as God and when I die, that's it.3) There is a higher power but not Jesus or the God portrayed in the bible, be it some metaphysical energy, or even a variant of God from another widely-believed religion.A majority of religions promote a similar standard of living, the exception being what happens to your body/soul after your time on earth is over, after you die. Some believe you will continue to reincarnate until you have learned all you need to know and then your life energy will be absorbed, while others stress that you need to stockpile good deeds and "earn" your way into Heaven or another "hereafter". These are all pretty standard and most people tend to do so on an unconscious level. Curiously the only one that had a very specific requirement for eternity in Heaven was that outlined by Jesus Christ. The bible very clearly states that while on earth Jesus declared "I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.When I first read that passage I paused thinking "whoa that is incredibly arrogant" as well cruel once I gave its meaning more consideration. My initial reaction was literal anger at God because in this single verse He was (if the bible is proven to be accurate in the end) that he is willingly condemning countless souls to hell, some of whom might not entirely be at fault. I understand that the "innocent" i.e. the children (physically or mentally) would be spared and automatically accepted into Heaven but what about the poor souls who simply were never given the opportunity to learn the truth? In my mind this could happen in countless ways, albeit some more farfetched than others, but still possible no matter how remote. I considered those who simply fell through the system here in America, that never learned to read, lived a hard lonely life on the streets and were simply not exposed to the love and grace of God. Or those who were raised in homes with extremely rigid convictions (think Mormon, Muslim or Catholic) and were essentially brainwashed into refusing to consider an alternative. Or finally what about someone who was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and died before having the opportunity hearing a believer share their story (remember I said some were a bit farfetched, but not impossible right?). My mind angrily protested that there was no way I could give my life to pursuing a God that would condemn those who never learned the truth through no fault of their own.Once I calmed down I considered that on some level the people in those unusual situations would likely be considered "innocent" along with the children as they were never given the opportunity to make that choice, and would likely be spared. Given that, I continued my search. In the end my comparisons boiled down to a few key questions.If I choose to believe (see scenarios above):1) (upside) that by taking that leap of faith and accepting Christ's gift of salvation I would spend eternity in Heaven. Sounds easy enough, I am inherently a reasonably good person to choosing to follow His commandments would not alter my daily actions all that much.(downside) I may possibly be giving up a small amount of physical pleasure or the ability to achieve my goals by any means possible, but eternity in Heaven sounded like a better possibility in comparison.2) (upside) there is no higher power therefore I am free to live my life as I please, being solely accountable to myself and for the most part the legal system established wherever I chose to live. As for the latter that is not even absolute because there are always loopholes after all.(downside) If I am proven wrong I will have willingly condemned myself to an eternity of torture and suffering despite the fact that I was given the information needed to make a better choice, chose the wrong one, and would now pay the consequences.3) (upside) that even if I failed to embrace all of the beliefs of another religion and it was proven to be the true one, that I could simply continue on my current path of living life as a reasonably moral person who actually enjoys helping others in need. That, according to my research was enough to earn my way into a peaceful "hereafter" even if I might first have to spend some time in transition (think catholic - purgatory or buddist - reincarnation) before finally moving on. Not that bad all in all, though some would argue that repeated lives on earth is torture in itself, I do not share that opinion and have always seem the beauty and opportunity that life has to offer so that combined with my love of learning, didn't see like a bad scenario at all.(downside) copy/paste the downside to #2.Now that I could clearly see the bottom line in each scenario it was time to compare them.Upsides: 1) Heaven, sounds good. 2) nothing, well if there is nothing then I obviously won't be missing anything now would I? 3) an ultimate end in a Heaven-esque eternity, seems worth any waiting period I might be subject to until that point, it is easy to endure the race when you have the finish line to focus on.All in all they are still fairly equal as to how they will affect me personally once I die, even #2 because you cant miss or mourn the loss of something if you cease to exist, leaving it as neither good nor bad and therefore neutral and unable to sway my decision in any way.Downsides...glance them over, stop suddenly startled and read them again. These scenarios were all compiled completely and individually, not considering another while doing so. Sooo....when you spell it all out, in no uncertain terms, I think it is fairly easy to choose to accept the gift of salvation. When compared to an eternity of torture and agony in hell, choosing to relinquish control of my soul and align my actions with God's expectations seemed like small potatoes. After all he also understands that no matter how hard we try we are human and will continue to make mistakes. So as long as I really tried to follow his commandments, He would be there to comfort me, endure the consequences of my actions right along with me when I did mess up, and offered unconditional love and forgiveness. It was both completely humbling and empowering, only God could bring together such opposing emotions in such perfect harmony.Bottom line for those non-readers who skip forward to the ending: When the choice is between Heaven or hell, the logical choice is Heaven. One way or another the end will come and living to please myself is simply not work the gamble if the potential loss means relocating to an unbearably warmer climate. After all I cannot stand the central CA heat as it is, and that is nothing in comparison.Now you tell me, what do YOU have to lose by taking a leap of faith? For me it is a win-win situation, if God is proven to be true, I have a one-way ticket to paradise. If not, choosing to give my life to God will not cause me any harm. My mind wont be thinking about it as it turns to goo to be absorbed back into the earth. Or I will still end up in that Heaven-esque place because leading a life that honors God will inevitably be a life spend in service to him for the good of His people AKA a life filled with good deeds, still qualifying me for whatever paradise awaits as set forth by the gods of the other religions. If it turns out there is no God then truly I will have lost nothing except the potential suffering on earth that I could have endured if I had chosen to live only for myself.Not to lessen the importance in any way, but in an attempt to reach those who are still struggling to accept, choosing to follow Christ is like betting on a sure thing, no matter what proves true in the end, you will end up a winner. HOWEVER now that you are privy to that inside info, should you choose to bet against that hot tip, that "sure thing" all I can say is that I pray you can endure the eternity of your choosing.So why not take the risk or at the very least open yourself up to the possibility and seek a like-minded person who is a believer to help you along the way. If you are strong-willed, seeking counsel with a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian will do nothing but strengthen your resistance to a life saved by God's grace. This is not because their way of interpreting the day to day aspects of the bible is wrong, they still are saved by grace through the gift of salvation, but because they will not be able to speak to your soul. It would be as if two strangers were saying the same thing, but failing to understand or accept each other because they are saying it in two different languages. You need to seek someone who not only knows the truth but ALSO speaks your language, not the one that comes out of your mouth, but the one that speaks to your soul, your inner self whatever you want to call it. I believe there is a way, a person, a church, some connection that knows the Truth of God for every mindset, lifestyle, every personality if you first open to finding it, and in most cases actively seeking it out. Occasionally God will put them in your path without effort on your part, but if you are first and foremost not open to finding it, you could, by default, be choosing to spend an eternity in hell.May God find a way to speak to your heart, open it up to at least consider His truth, then lead you to whatever you need to finally believe. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ for all that are lost to show you the way to save your eternal soul. Amen