NEWS: Former For Today guitarist posts statement clarifying Twitter remarks

Earlier this week, Mike Reynolds, the now former guitarist of For Today posted a series of tweets condemning homosexuality within the Christian community that resulted in both backlash and support. Shortly after, For Today vocalist Mattie Montgomery announced that the guitarist was no longer in the band and encouraged fans to contact him directly for support if they had felt hurt by Reynolds' comments.

Last night, Reynolds posted the following on his Facebook page in attempt to clarify the now infamous tweets.

"Some clarification is needed over this statement:

?There IS a state church being formed, there is going to be an exclusive acceptance of preachers who advocate the LGBT(link to DallasVoice article)? Don?t be deceived, homosexuality is a sin. This sin with all other sins is what Jesus died for. He conquered so that we would be free. No such thing as a gay Christian, the same as there is no such thing as a Christian who loves his sin. Don?t be fooled by the formation of a state church as though the government is being converted, they only use the name of Jesus for their progressive liberal agenda. If you are a Christian then separate yourself from this civil religion that advocates sin. Stay true to God?

My sole concern is not what I said, but that via social network there is a huge chasm between what is being said and the tone of voice that I would use to say it face to face. There is an apparent disconnect between tone and the statement I made. I would enjoy this dialogue in person, but as a blanket statement via twitter it is quite insufficient and is heard as though I am picketing a funeral rather than expressing what I believe to be true. My intention was not to isolate the LGBT community(there has been enough of that), but to express that Christianity is not an ?everyone is welcome and not required to change? kind of an organism. The essence of Christianity is that the One True God has intervened in the broken cycle of human affairs and made a way for them to know Him and as a byproduct of knowing Him, be given true life. To say that there is no such thing as a gay Christian is simply to state that the initial requirement for a person to come to God is repentance. Repentance means to change your mind, when a person repents they change their mind. In the case of following Jesus, repentance is simply that a person who thinks their way is the best way would be required to think that Gods way is the best way. No one can follow Jesus without repenting of their sin, so no one can be a Christian without repenting from sin.

When I met my wife I surrendered any and all appetites for other women, she became my last romantic attraction. The basic rules of relationship like truth, love, sincerity, etc are intended to sustain the health of the relationship. There is a rule in our marriage that we are to be faithful to one another and not have any other partners. This rule is not a bad thing because I know how wonderful she is, but if I understood my wife to be an unreasonable hag then this rule would be a burden. When I observe how wonderful and faithful my wife is then I say simply, ?whatever you say goes.? We exist inside of this understanding of mutual love for one another.

So it was when I met Jesus Christ, at first I saw a figure in history who wanted to brainwash, manipulate, and twist people to feed an egotistical hunger of some sort.? With this understanding of Jesus of Nazareth I was unable to know Him, I couldn?t look at any of His commands without feeling a weight and burden of obeying someone that I didn?t love. However, God intervened in my life and I saw Him in His true light, I see the One who loves me enough to correct me when I am wrong and to affirm me when I am right. He is wonderful and I have repented of my past life and come to this conclusion, ?whatever He says goes.? He died for me, I will joyfully live for Him. Does this mean that absolutely no mistakes are allowed in the Christian life? Absolutely not, I am a man who is familiar with making mistakes. The reality however is that they are in fact, mistakes. This IS a learning process that I myself am in, I have not figured out all of what it means to follow Jesus, but I am willing to spend my life on learning. He is worthy of my life, my time, my everything and He faithfully leads me along this road called life. He is my everything and without Him I could not go through the things that I am required to go through.

I love every member of the LGBT community and in no way want to simply isolate any individual group of people, but to remain true to the word of God that, ?all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.? I desire for them to know God AS I desire for all people to know God through Jesus Christ.

To sum this up, I am not isolating homosexuality, but stating that ALL sin must be left behind to follow Jesus as Jesus Himself prescribed. Greed, selfishness, pride, envy, dishonesty, and any others you can think of must be surrendered for Gods way of honest relationship with Him. Homosexuality is not the ONLY sin and I would never say anything of the sort, but it is an issue in our day and at this time. My desire is for Christian men and women to understand what sin is and to offer the only one true solution to that sin, the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, this is only good news to someone who has been enabled by the grace of God to stop loving their sin, no matter what that sin is. If a man or woman loves their sin then they cannot obey the requirement of Jesus to repent and to follow Him. This is not something that human beings are intended to do in their own strength, on the contrary, God is to be glorified because He alone is the only One who can love us out of our mess.

Leave the burden behind, let go of those things that so easily distract you, God has demonstrated His love towards us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, to set us free from sin and from death. Follow Him.

?Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.? Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.

If you have read this far, thank you, I love you and would be willing to respond to emails at questions.mikefortoday@gmail.com"

Source: http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/former_for_today_guitarist_posts_statement_clarifying_twitter_remarks

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Former mayor of Green Bay passes away

GREEN BAY, Wis. - A man who perhaps had more influence on Green Bay than any other has passed away.Sam Halloin died Friday at age 89.The Green Bay Press Gazette reports Halloin was the city's longest-serving mayor.He held the office from 1979 to 1995. Prior to being mayor, Halloin was an alderman-supervisor for Green Bay's west side and was first elected to the Green Bay City Council in 1962.Halloin served in the U.S. Army and was a World War II veteran.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50442673/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/

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No. 14 UCLA women beat Washington State 78-52

LOS ANGELES -- Atonye Nyingifa scored 17 points and No. 14 UCLA pulled away to start the second half in beating Washington State 78-52 on Friday night for its fifth straight victory.

Thea Lemberger added 13 points, and Nirra Fields scored all 10 of her points in the first half for the Bruins (12-2, 3-0 Pac-12). They improved to 47-7 in the all-time series, having won all 27 games played in Los Angeles.

Tia Presley scored 16 points to lead the Cougars (5-9, 1-2), who got 11 points from Lia Galdeira in losing for the fourth time in six games.

The Bruins stretched a four-point halftime lead into a 55-35 advantage to open the second half. Markel Walker scored six points, and Nyingifa and Lemberger had four points each in the 18-4 run that gave them the lead for good.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/12/3178878/no-14-ucla-women-beat-washington.html

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Captors kill hostage in Somalia during French raid

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) ? The Islamist captors of a French military agent killed him during a French commando raid in Somalia, the French Defense Ministry said Saturday. An additional two French commando and 17 Islamists also died in the fighting, it said.

Gen. Martin Klotz, a spokesman for the ministry, declined to provide details of the overnight operation aimed at rescuing spy service agent Denis Allex ? the code-name for the agent who was kidnapped by the militant Islamist group al-Shabab in Mogadishu, the capital, in 2009.

A Somali intelligence official had earlier said the raid caused casualties but that he had no information on the hostage.

Residents of the town of Bulomarer described the chaotic sounds of explosions and gunfire from what they called an al-Shabab base. An al-Shabab official said that fighting began after helicopters dropped off French soldiers.

"Five helicopters attacked a house in the town. They dropped soldiers off the ground, so that they could reach their destination... but fighting has broken out," he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

The al-Shabab official said that some soldiers were killed, but the group held only one dead French soldier. The identity of the soldier was not clear.

"We had Mujahideen fighters already deployed there who fought back the French soldiers. We killed some of their soldiers but only one dead soldier in a French military uniform is in our hands now," he said.

France acted Friday to help Mali against al-Qaida-linked militants who hold more than half of that country and are encroaching further on government-held territory. The raid in Somalia could have been aimed at preventing al-Shabab fighters from harming the French hostage in reprisal.

The attack was swift and loud, local residents said.

"We heard a series of explosions followed by gunfire just seconds after a helicopter flew over the town," Mohamed Ali, a resident of Bulomarer, told The Associated Press by phone. "We don't know exactly what happened but the place was an al-Shabab base and checkpoint."

Allex was kidnapped from a hotel in Mogadishu on July 14, 2009 with a colleague who later escaped. They were in Somalia to train government forces, which are fighting Islamist militiamen.

In October, French President Francois Hollande pledged to "use all means" to contact "anyone who can help free our hostages."

___

Keaten reported from Paris.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/captors-kill-hostage-somalia-during-french-raid-100205860.html

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Nissan North America To Move Production Of Its Murano from Japan To Its Mississippi Manufacturing Complex

Nissan North America plan to move production of its Murano crossover model from Japan to the company?s Canton, Mississippi, facility, adding about 400 employees to its workforce of more than 5,000.

The Murano, Nissan?s flagship crossover, will be the eighth vehicle built in Canton. Production of the new Murano in Canton will begin in 2014.

?As we look back on ten years of manufacturing in Canton, it?s become clear throughout the Nissan network that ?Made in Mississippi? is a stamp of quality and great people,? said Bill Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas. ?With the addition of this new model in Canton, Nissan is well on its way toward meeting our goal to manufacture 85 percent of the vehicles we sell in the U.S. right here in North America.?

?As the first automotive assembly plant to open in Mississippi, Nissan?s Canton plant propelled our state?s automotive industry to new heights,? said Brent Christensen, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. ?We greatly value the partnership we have with Nissan, the high-quality jobs the company has created for thousands of Mississippi residents and the contributions Nissan has made to our state?s economy, and we look forward to continuing to work with the company in the years ahead.?

?Nissan continues to exceed our expectations, and I greatly value the contributions the company has made in Mississippi,? Governor Phil Bryant said. ?Over the last ten years, Nissan has had a tremendous economic impact on central Mississippi, has catalyzed our state?s automotive industry and has continued to grow its Mississippi operations. I appreciate Nissan?s trust in our workforce, and I believe it led to the company?s decision to produce the new Murano in Canton, further demonstrating Mississippi?s strength as a manufacturing location.?

Over the past decade, Nissan has continued to invest in its Mississippi operations. The Canton plant has grown from building one vehicle model to seven, including the award-winning Altima, the Armada full-size SUV, the Xterra mid-size SUV, the Titan and Frontier pickup trucks and NV commercial and passenger vans.

Source: http://www.areadevelopment.com/newsitems/1-11-2013/nissan-increases-workforce-canton-mississippi348934.shtml

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How to Roast Vegetables in the Slow Cooker

Some things in life are too good to be true.

That daily email informing me I?ve won the $100 million Swiss lotto?

Too good to be true.

?

Annoying Infomercial Guy who excitedly informs you there?s a way to make money while you sleep? And if you call in the next ten minutes, he?ll reveal the secret for just $19.99?

Too good to be true.

And the idea that one can make flavorful roast vegetables without turning on the oven, heating up the entire house, and watching fastidiously to ensure the veggies don?t burn?

Much too good to be true.

This one is true.

Say hello to roasted veggies in the slow cooker!

?But wait! There?s more! Call right now and we?ll double your order!??

Below: the veggies and seasonings I used. Feel free to change it up. Use more sweet potato, exchange carrots for the zucchini, cherry tomatoes for the garlic, add parsnips, add different herbs or spices?

?

Slow Cooker Roasted Veggies

(As noted above, feel free to change up the veggies.)

• 2 bell peppers, cut in large slices (as shown in the photos)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
• 3 small zucchini, cut in thick slices
• 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
• salt, herbs of choice, and oil (I probably used about 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 2 tbsp olive oil. I guess you could use oil spray if you don?t mind the taste of roasted vegetables without oil. But I like them much better with the olive oil.)

Grease your crock pot, then add all the veggies. (I used a 4-quart slow cooker.) Season with the salt, herbs, and oil, then stir to evenly coat. Cook 3 hours on high (or longer on low), stirring just once every hour or so. At this point, you can open the lid and drain the liquid for another use. Don?t discard it; the liquid is seriously delicious! I just drank it like soup. The veggies will be a softer texture than oven-roasted veggies, but they are actually even more flavorful and sweet. Crockpots?thanks to their slow and steady heating?are known to heighten the flavor of whatever you?re cooking.

View Nutrition Facts

?

Do you ever fall for those tv infomercials?

Against my better judgment, I fall for them all the time!?Then I have to remind myself, ?It?s too good to be true. There must be a catch.? A cream that claims?you can use it once and never shave again? Too good to be true.?A CD that teaches you a new language in under 10 days? Too good to be true. A robotic vacuum cleaner you don?t need to push? Much, much too good to be true.?A few years ago, one of my friends bought that vacuum??all it did was constantly crash into the wall!

Link of the Day:

???Single-Serving Coffee Cake

Tagged as: gluten-free, soy free, sugar-free

Source: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/01/10/how-to-roast-vegetables-in-the-slow-cooker/

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CAPUTO: Jack Morris deserves better from Baseball Hall of Fame voters (VIDEO)

By Pat Caputo
Twitter: @patcaputo98
Columnist

The voting is finally in for the most-anticipated ballot ever for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

As somebody who has submitted a ballot since 1997, these are my thoughts, item-by-item.

- I am surprised former Tigers? ace Jack Morris didn?t get in. It seems like he has become the victim of statistical nit and cherry picking. In the process, what Morris actually accomplished is too often ignored.

What is primarily keeping Morris out of the Hall of Fame is his career ERA. It was 3.90, which would be the highest of any Hall of Fame pitcher. What is not taken into account is the era Morris pitched in. The offensive numbers, likely because of Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) use, skewed higher in the late 1980s and 1990s, which encompassed the second half of his career.

For example, the composite batting average of American League hitters in 1968 was .230, and OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) .637. In 1987, the year in the middle of the World Series heroics Morris performed for the Tigers in 1984 and Twins in 1990, AL hitters batted .265 with a .759 OPS. The composite AL ERA and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) in 1968 and 1987 were equally different. The ERA and WHIP in 1968 were 3.41 and 1.885 compared to 4.47 and 1.408 in 1987. Pitchers prior to 1969 worked on a mound that was five inches higher (15 inches compared to 10). Morris pitched in the American League when there was a designated hitter.

The pitchers of the 1950s and 1960s with the similar career stats across the board to Morris were locks for the Hall of Fame, but their ERAs were lower.

That?s before you get to the 254 career wins and Morris winning more games than any pitcher during the 1980s.

And the idea Morris wasn?t dominant in any given season is a laughable.

If it weren?t for Jack Morris, it is doubtful either the 1984 Tigers or the 1990 Twins (the latter a last-place to World Series title story the year they got Morris) would have won world championships. Continued...

The window of opportunity for Morris to be voted in was this year. With Greg Maddux, among others coming onto the ballot next year, I doubt he will be voted in. Next season will the 15th and last year Morris will be on the writer?s ballot. But the high percentage of votes he has been getting is a strong indication he will eventually be voted in by the Veterans Committee. It?s just a shame he will have to wait longer than necessary for that moment.

- My ballot this year had Morris, former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Fred McGriff and Lee Smith.

I didn?t vote for anybody I remotely suspected of PED use. I will not vote for Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens until a full and sincere mea culpa on their part. I would consider them if there is an admission about what they did, because a strong case can be made they were Hall of Fame caliber players before there were any PED questions.

Others such as Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza I am suspicious, but will keep my mind open about voting for them in the future.

- It does not bother me nobody was voted in this year. Better to get it right eventually, than rush to action when it isn?t necessary. In other words, it is a 15-year process for each player. A lot can be revealed in that time. As for denials, remember Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong in other sports.

The players of the steroids era, collectively, did everything they could to make sure they protected those who were cheating their sport and the fan base. The media (myself included) turned a blind eye. History, for some reason, has diminished just how big an epidemic PED issue was in baseball for an extended period of time.

- Look, I have one vote, that?s all, and prepared myself for this day. I decided to do what I think, deep in my heart and soul, is the right thing. I know enough of the others also casting ballots to understand they are doing the same, whether they agree or not with parts or all of my ballot or stance.

If I get criticism for it, so be it. It comes with the territory.

I strongly feel I am doing the right thing.

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98 Continued...

The voting is finally in for the most-anticipated ballot ever for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

As somebody who has submitted a ballot since 1997, these are my thoughts, item-by-item.

- I am surprised former Tigers? ace Jack Morris didn?t get in. It seems like he has become the victim of statistical nit and cherry picking. In the process, what Morris actually accomplished is too often ignored.

What is primarily keeping Morris out of the Hall of Fame is his career ERA. It was 3.90, which would be the highest of any Hall of Fame pitcher. What is not taken into account is the era Morris pitched in. The offensive numbers, likely because of Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) use, skewed higher in the late 1980s and 1990s, which encompassed the second half of his career.

For example, the composite batting average of American League hitters in 1968 was .230, and OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) .637. In 1987, the year in the middle of the World Series heroics Morris performed for the Tigers in 1984 and Twins in 1990, AL hitters batted .265 with a .759 OPS. The composite AL ERA and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) in 1968 and 1987 were equally different. The ERA and WHIP in 1968 were 3.41 and 1.885 compared to 4.47 and 1.408 in 1987. Pitchers prior to 1969 worked on a mound that was five inches higher (15 inches compared to 10). Morris pitched in the American League when there was a designated hitter.

The pitchers of the 1950s and 1960s with the similar career stats across the board to Morris were locks for the Hall of Fame, but their ERAs were lower.

That?s before you get to the 254 career wins and Morris winning more games than any pitcher during the 1980s.

And the idea Morris wasn?t dominant in any given season is a laughable.

If it weren?t for Jack Morris, it is doubtful either the 1984 Tigers or the 1990 Twins (the latter a last-place to World Series title story the year they got Morris) would have won world championships.

The window of opportunity for Morris to be voted in was this year. With Greg Maddux, among others coming onto the ballot next year, I doubt he will be voted in. Next season will the 15th and last year Morris will be on the writer?s ballot. But the high percentage of votes he has been getting is a strong indication he will eventually be voted in by the Veterans Committee. It?s just a shame he will have to wait longer than necessary for that moment.

- My ballot this year had Morris, former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Fred McGriff and Lee Smith.

I didn?t vote for anybody I remotely suspected of PED use. I will not vote for Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens until a full and sincere mea culpa on their part. I would consider them if there is an admission about what they did, because a strong case can be made they were Hall of Fame caliber players before there were any PED questions.

Others such as Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza I am suspicious, but will keep my mind open about voting for them in the future.

- It does not bother me nobody was voted in this year. Better to get it right eventually, than rush to action when it isn?t necessary. In other words, it is a 15-year process for each player. A lot can be revealed in that time. As for denials, remember Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong in other sports.

The players of the steroids era, collectively, did everything they could to make sure they protected those who were cheating their sport and the fan base. The media (myself included) turned a blind eye. History, for some reason, has diminished just how big an epidemic PED issue was in baseball for an extended period of time.

- Look, I have one vote, that?s all, and prepared myself for this day. I decided to do what I think, deep in my heart and soul, is the right thing. I know enough of the others also casting ballots to understand they are doing the same, whether they agree or not with parts or all of my ballot or stance.

If I get criticism for it, so be it. It comes with the territory.

I strongly feel I am doing the right thing.

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98

Source: http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2013/01/10/sports/doc50eec62199351092934871.txt

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