Memorial Day… lest we forget!

This is going around in email. I’ve seen it before and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. Let us never forget our true American Heroes.

 

 

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.


It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,

 

ETERNAL
REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.

God
Bless them all!!!

 

O Almighty God, please grant protect of millions of angels on our troops serving here and on foreign ground. Thank you, God for these mighty men of valour who paid the price for our freedom and the freedom of those in other countries. God bless America, land of the free. Stand beside her and guide her, forgive her God. Make us godly again, help us to bring you Glory, AMEN.

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Don't Ask Don't Tell--bull's eye on the forehead

It seems that this 1990's law just keeps on taking the hits. Fox News reports a compromise has been reached. No details have been released since the "negotiations are sensitive".

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in favor of repealing this law. I'm wondering if he has even thought about how this will effect the troops? I am mostly protected against the virulent platitudes of the homosexuals in hot pursuit of absolution and approval for their lifestyle. Why else would they spend millions of dollars on their agenda making American believe there are more of them than there really are?

Back in the 2000 Census, less than 4% of the US population admitted to living the homosexual lifestyle, yet they would have us believe that fully 10% of the population are homosexual. I kept hearing 10% and 12% being bandied about from news media. I kept hearing all kinds of reports of horror stories of how gays were being mistreated which made it appear that the problem was much worse than it actually was. (Please take note--I am not saying homosexuals should be mistreated!!!)

Now, we are living in a society in which the media are pushing the homosexual agenda. Amazing Race usually has at least one team of homosexuals. Stories about them always make the evening news and the morning papers. There is a larger force at work than just approval of a lifestyle that God proclaims is an abomination.

The lifestyle is evil. The people are deceived by Satan into believing they were "born that way," or that they "can't change what God made." Poppycock.

Robert Gates has no clue what repealing this will do to our troops. This will raise all kinds of problems with some of the misguided riff-raff which makes it into our military. The vast majority of our military are truly heroes and gentlemen. There are a few who are not. Trouble will come from the few, not the many.

My question remains: Why must we condone what goes on behind closed bedroom doors? Why do they feel it necessary to announce to all the world what they do?

If you want some stomach-churning stuff, just read Leviticus 18. It plainly states God finds the practice of this lifestyle abhorrent and an abomination. It is what our Sunday School lesson was on this past Sunday. As I read the background passages, I became more and more nauseated. I am glad that even the discussion of sin makes me nauseous. But, isn't it sad that we must be taught what is sin in God's eyes? Isn't it just plain awful that we Christians don't practice what God preaches?

I did some study on this god Molech (Maw-lekh). I was astounded at what came up. Somehow I landed on GayChristian101.com. This was an eyeopener for me, and yet I know I shouldn't be surprised. Here we see what is being taught as truth.

These demon gods of ancient times required baby sacrifices and fertility orgies, even having male and female temple prostitutes. Skipping right over the baby sacrifices, this website teaches that the sexual intercourse rituals practiced by the "worshipers" of the demon god Molech were not homosexual acts. [shock]

God specifically states that a man lying with a man as he would a woman is an abomination. It is Plain Speaking, a black and white statement of sin. This website says that Leviticus 18 "simply does not say that homosexuality is a sin." And that is a lie, because it does.

I shouldn't be shocked, but I am. I should know by now that people will read what they want to in scripture, and will twist God's words to match their own agenda.

Leviticus teaches  Lev 18:29  For anyone who does any of these disgusting things, even the persons who are doing them, shall be cut off from the midst of their people. 

Yet, there is forgiveness for the repentant persons. Manasseh was Hezekiah's son and offered up his sons (notice the plural?) to be passed through the fire. This is offering up to Molech for he was the fire god and his belly held the hottest fires which when the baby was placed in the idol's hand would roll off the hands into the fire to be burned...alive.  And Manasseh repented. 2 Chronicles tells the story. He was hooked by the Assyrians, meaning that they pierced his flesh with metal hooks and dragged him to Babylon. That is when he sought the face of God and was humbled exceedingly. He repented. He was given back his throne and he knew that Jehovah is God. He went about undoing everything he had done and he reigned for 55 years. But, he never got the sons who burned in the fires of Molech back. How he must have grieved over what he had done. But, he was forgiven.


Just as he did abominations and was forgiven, so too are we forgiven. Though our sins be as scarlet, the blood of Jesus makes them white as wool. While we are waiting for our Bridegroom to come fetch us, we should be about our Father's work which He prepared for us. Our works do not save us, make no mistake. However, we will wear bright white linen which are our righteous acts. let's be sure our heavenly garments cover us properly!


Photo by Marion Ruben

Life drainers and life fillers

Ask God to manage you time. He is worthy of that kind of trust and that task. He reminds me all the time of this, but I somehow have to be reminded daily in numerous different ways.

***Disclaimer***
Don't worry, I asked Angela Hunt if I could use this piece at our ladies retreat way back a long time ago in a galaxy..uh, er... state far away. She said I could use it however, just give her the credit. AND how! She is a wonderful author and quite gifted with short points as well as completely fleshed-out works.
******

Life-drainer: accepting a position on my neighborhood's board of directors.

Life-filler: starting a neighborhood book club (where we frequently discuss spiritual themes).

Life-drainer: working seven days a week.

Life-filler: taking a Sabbath and keeping it holy.

Life-drainer: bad books, bad movies, bad TV.

Life-filler: good books, good movies, great TV.

Life-drainer: trying to exercise someone else's spiritual gift.

Life-filler: exercising mine.

Life-drainer: joining a fitness club.

Life-filler: hitting the treadmill every morning while watching good TV.

Life-drainer: trying to be all things to all people.

Life-filler: finding my God-ordained niche and filling it.

Miscellaneous life-drainers: purposeless meetings, trying to maintain fake nails, window shopping, foolish arguments, email chain letters and urban myths.

Miscellaneous life-fillers: any time spent encouraging children, a good hair cut, time spent with my hubby, shopping with a purpose, riveting debates with friends who speak the truth in love, going back to school to keep learning.

We need never go a few days without being reminded that our time is worth a lot. How do we get ourselves in a Life Drainer situation? Does the word "No" mean anything any more?

I went on the hunt to find Angela to let her know I was using this again, and got side-tracked by my friend Wayne Carlan's new post "Help me Tom Cruise" which is hilarious, but you'll have to go to my Facebook page to see it because I can't figure out how to link a Facebook entry on a blog post. Just when I think I've got some savvy in this technology thing, I find out I'm not as smart as I'd like to think I am. That was the first sidetrack, then I notice that Jayce O'Neal said something to me on Twitter with a link to his new video. So, of course I must watch it and answer back, then I see several Tweets by Newt Gingrich I have to reTweet because they are so good, I think of something that is good to Tweet, I notice something on Tammie Rigney's wall that I want to Tweet. By this time there are almost another 100 Tweets to look at. Which I do.

My daughter calls to tell me that my phone is out again. For some reason, when it rains, our phone goes out. No clue why. Now, I've got to get the phone guy here to fix that problem.

I write my post for Everyday Christian and send that in. It is now 1:22 pm and I have yet to start on the task God told me to do last night. I wonder if it is procrastination or if I'm just bubble-headed today.... Hey! no cracks about that! God is good enough with His practical jokes on me.

Whenever it looks like rain or it is raining when we go to church, the conversation is, "Should we take the umbrella?" "Naw, it isn't far and we won't melt." But yesterday, I took my umbrella because it was raining. All the other times in the past months and months, God turned the faucet off so we could go into church or out of church without getting wet. Yesterday, God looked in the back seat and saw the umbrella. What happened when I put the car in park? Whoosh! The bottom dropped out of the clouds and God said, "Okay, Baby, you brought the umbrella, you use the umbrella!"

Don't you just love it when God "gently" reminds you that when you trust Him, He will take care of you? So do I. And I especially love it when He does it in such a funny way! He has assured me in many different ways that He will help when I ask and give Him enough elbow room to work. Sometimes my faith for this is huge and sometimes it gets lost in a tea cup. No matter how large or small, God is faithful and true.

How to give your cat a pill

Anyone that has had to give a cat a pill or drops or any kind of medicine has had all kinds of trouble making the creature understand that Medicine is Good, being sick is Bad, and Medicine will cure the Sick Kitty. Cats just don't get it. If you really want to know what works, watch this video. However, it is NOT as easy as the video makes it look.

We cannot take our cat to the vet without a huge ruckus. People who are stopped at the red lights next to us crane their necks, positive that we are some how abusing children in the back seat. Our cat can be heard over the boom-ba-boom sounds of the loudest music. He is never in tune or sync which makes the pain all the more unbearable.

Having to undergo this torture reminded me of this piece I've had for eons which still makes me laugh until tears stream down my face. My cheeks hurt even now... I hope you enjoy as well. I do not know who wrote the thing. Laughing is Good. It is Jogging on the Inside. Do not laugh while giving your cat a pill. Cats just do not like jogging whether it is on the inside or the outside.

How to give a cat a pill…
1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3) Retrieve cat from bedroom and throw soggy pill away.
4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees. Hold front and rear paws firmly. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail. Get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8) Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to stretch out flat on top of cat with head just visible from below arm-pit. Put pill in end of drinking straw. Force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9) Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans. Drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10) Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of your last tetanus shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.
13) Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.
14) Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Stop by the furniture store on way home to order new table.
15) Arrange for SPCA to find a new home for cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

listen to ‘How to give your cat a pill’ on Audioboo

Silly Tweet? Absurd Police?

Here we have a guy who was mad at the snow.


Yes. That's correct, he's mad at the snow which closed Robin Hood Airport (yes, that's the name and did I mention all this takes place in England?) Because the airport is closed and he's ticked off, so he tweets his anger and frustration ending the 140 characters with "...otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!" 


Does that bear any resemblance to a joke? Hmmmm Nope. Not at all.


The police show up at his work, handcuff him and take him to the precinct for a seven hour interrogation. He was arrested for a bomb threat. 


"...otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!" 


Yes. That is exactly what it looks like. A bomb threat. After reading all the sympathetic claptrap comments patting him on the back, urging him to appeal, starting a legal fund for him, I got fed up to my flaming neck. This guy actually thinks his civil liberties were violated and he had about 100 people agreeing with him. Poppycock!


How can anyone joke about something like this and then blame the police for being johnny-on-the-spot with to investigate the threat? Apparently, a lot of people can. The comments are quite indicative of just how far down the human race has sunk into the mire of politically correct horse manure. 


I opine that anyone who breaths a threat against any public or private institution, against any individual or group should suffer precisely the same consequence this guy is suffering. In fact, I don't think the £1,000 he was fined and the additional out of pocket £1,000 was enough penalty. It isn't funny.


Anyone who lets off steam with wild threats in social media is disturbed and possibly deranged. 


How often does it need to hit the news services that a person loses a job because of their stupid remarks disparaging their boss on their blog... Facebook... Twitter... where ever before people wise up? How many times does a naked picture or suggestive photo have to show up on every school kid's iPhone for cool jets to reign supreme? People! Quit acting like a chicken with its head cut off. The reason the thing flops around is because it doesn't have a head!



Job 28:20  Where then does wisdom come from, and where is the place of understanding? 21  Yea, it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the heavens; 22  the Place of Ruin and Death say, We have heard its fame with our ears. 23  God knows its way, and He knows its place. 

What price integrity?

I was so disappointed Sunday night that the Cowboys did not win the Amazing Race 16. Talk about an extreme class act, and letting Jesus' light shine you've got it all in these two men.


I am a huge fan of the Amazing Race. I am usually tired and thirsty after watching each show because the endurance level of this race is up there around the Olympic stratus. Although, the training these racers go through probably isn't on the same scale. I have to admire anyone who would attempt this race simply because it puts a magnifier upon your character and every flaw, no matter how minute, is magnified for all the world to see. 


For the first time since I've been watching the Race, I have been so completely captivated by a team that I amaze myself. For once, the Race wasn't just a Sunday evening pastime, it was something I actually prayed  about. Some would say, how stupid is that? Especially when the Race was already in the can by the time the first leg aired on TV. Oh, well. If I can pray for our President and for actors, I can pray for a team on the Amazing Race.


Jet and Cord McCoy proved themselves sons of the King by their extremely high moral and ethical standards throughout the race. James 1:22 Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, comes to mind. They never once acted in anyway that would shame Jesus. 


The last leg of the Race proved something about them that shamed me because I kept telling Jet to run through the dude. He didn't listen to me or his brother, Cord. There was a virtual maze that one team member had to guide the other team member through. It wasn't hard, but the Cowboys got to Lucas Films where the virtual maze was located several minutes later than the Gay Brothers got there. Cord guided brother Jet all the way through to the final challenge on the second level and Jordan was standing in his way. 


Jet stood there while Cord kept saying, "Can you just walk through him?"


"Nope. I'm not going to do that. He's right in front of me and I won't knock him over," Jet replied. 


And he didn't. He stood patiently behind Jordan while his brother Dan tried to figure out what the message was flashing by on the computer screen. 


I kept shouting, "Go around him! Step over him! Good grief! I would. It's a MILLION DOLLARS, man!" 


But Jet stood patiently until Cord persuaded him to sidle around Jordan. Then suddenly the message started flashing by Cord to figure out. 


Jet proved something to all the world, the price of integrity is more than a million dollars and he wouldn't be seduced. He could have won $1 Million by simply bowling over his opponent, but that price was too high to pay. Astounding!


I wonder how many Christians can look into the camera of the world and say, "I stand here with a clean conscience, completely blameless before God in that I did not defame my Lord or myself by reaching for a pile of money at the cost of my integrity and God's honor."


Was it costly? Hell no. Not costly at all when our real home has streets paved with gold and gates of priceless pearls, walls of translucent gold and daily wear is the righteousness of the saints!

The evolution of Mom

The following appeared in the February 1998 issue of Parenting.

Yes, parenthood changes everything. But parenthood also changes with each baby. Here, some of the ways having a second and third child differs from having your first:
Your Clothes

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes are your regular clothes.
The Baby's Name

1st baby: You pore over baby-name books and practice pronouncing and writing combinations of all your favorites.
2nd baby: Someone has to name their kid after your great-aunt Mavis, right? It might as well be you.
3rd baby: You open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your finger falls. Bimaldo? Perfect!
Preparing for the Birth

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.
The Layette

1st baby: You prewash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
Worries

1st baby: At the first sign of distress - a whimper, a frown - you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing. Activities

1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
Going Out

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home 5 times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
At Home

1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Praying for our Country

  The National Day of Prayer...


Father in Heaven, I humbly ask you to reach out to our President, and to those in Congress, and to those who sit on the benches of the Supreme Court to pour Yourself into their hearts. Please reveal yourself to them as you did to Moses. Help them to see the far reaching consequences of their actions and decisions. Give them wisdom beyond human understanding, but wisdom that comes straight from You. Give them a peacefulness that is so satisfying that the human soul craves it beyond food or rest when they make decisions and act according to Your will. Take their peace and their sleep from them when they are tempted to tread a path which ends in ungodly disaster. Help them to know the difference and why. Help them to realize beyond doubt that it is only You who is in control and that the relationship with You has eternal impact.


Holy LORD, King of the Universe, I ask that you please forgive this Nation for unseemly, ungodly actions. Please forgive our cavalier attitude toward life, and toward justice. Give the Bride of Christ godly wisdom so that we follow You, stepping where You step, sitting on Your feet. Guard our thoughts, O, LORD. Guard our tongues, let only that which will ignite a fire for You pass lips which You have cleansed, and let ears hear Your message, deaf to that which seduces away from Your path.


Father, I pray for the Lost of this country. We are known as a Christian Nation, help us to act like it. Make tender the hardened hearts of the Lost so that we may reach them. Above all, help us to recognize those who do not know You as those whom You greatly desire to know and tuck under Your wings of refuge so they may drink in the Living Water and be satisfied.


Give us the grace of forgiveness and the ability to give that grace to all who wrong us tempered with Your wisdom to know when to fight and when to let go. Give us the strength everyday to put on Your whole armor. Help us to recognize the deceitful seductions of the Evil One. Your kingdom come. Your will be done.


In Jesus name, AMEN.

God and Atonement

The difference between a saved person and an unsaved person is Jesus rose from the dead. 

The saved person knows that Jesus not only died, but also rose from the dead. The Old Testament saint hoped for it. The unsaved person does not believe it.

The crux is that God had to be satisfied which is why there must be atonement:

kâphar כּפר  kaw-far'

A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: - appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).

To say that the unsaved person must pay for his sins is wrong because we all know that we cannot. There is nothing that we can do that will pay for our sins. Burning in Hell does not pay for our sins. It is punishment for not believing God, but it does not pay for the sins because only a perfect sacrifice would atone, satisfy, appease the perfect and holy God Almighty. Jesus was the only perfect human and willing sacrifice.

That takes care of the first part of the requirement which is payment of the debt of sin’s wages. 

The second part, victory over death, was achieved when God raised Jesus from the dead. Only then could the Old Testament saints rise from the dead and walk about Jerusalem (Matthew 27:52-53), only then was the Door to Heaven created so that all who believe in Jesus may enter into God’s holy presence.

Jesus bought the whole world’s debt. There are too many verses that state this. Buying the ticket does not automatically put a person inside the gates of Disneyland. A person must use the ticket. A person must believe the ticket is good in order to use the ticket. Chapter 11 of Hebrews indicates numerous people who used their ticket.

Abel used his ticket and offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Enoch used his ticket by living a life that was pleasing to God so that he was translated by God. Abraham used his ticket by obeying God’s command to go, and he went.

I used my ticket by declaring before God and my whole church that I believed Him. I believed that He sent His only Son to die on the cross to pay for my sins and that God raised Him from the dead on the third day; and I know that He shall one day raise me from the physical death to be with Him forevermore.

Just because you have a ticket does not mean that you will take the trip. You must first believe the ticket is real, believe that it will do what it is meant to do and then you must use the ticket. 

Redefining the debate of Christianity vs Homosexuality

I just read one of the best discussions on the public debate that homosexuality is a sin argument. 


Of course we Christians know it is a sin, but we are all sinners. That is where Trevin Wax says the debate is lost by Christians. He points out that in the Larry King show discussion Jennifer Knapp asked the question (loosely paraphrased here) So we are all sinners, then why are you judging me and I'm not judging you? 


He says that we should go back to basics and focus on repentance instead of the sin. All I can say is WOW! Isn't this what we've been taught since Primary in Sunday School? All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Which is the ultimate reason we should repent and turn to Him for only He has made the one perfect sacrifice. Thank you, God! Thank you.


Trevin Wax also points out that we should not allow ourselves to be defined by our sexuality. This is what I've been preaching for years and years. The main thing I hate that homosexuals do is that stick out there hand and say, "Hi I'm _____, and I'm gay." So? I do not want to know what you do behind a closed bedroom door! But, since you bring it up... I'm celibate because God declared certain things concerning Man and Woman and one of those things is that sexual intimacy is between a man and his wife and no others. There is the blessing, and it is sin otherwise. Since we all sin, we all must repent. Being celibate is not who I am, nor am I defined by my singleness, or that I am female, yet all of those things are part of me.


What truly aggravates me is that these people (both those who have loved ones who are homosexual and those who practice homosexuality), are in my face flaunting it and calling me judgmental when they exhibit a huge intolerance for literal Scripture and those of faith before me. The so-called Christian homosexual declares that everyone since Moses has misunderstood the Bible and the Biblical principle dealing with same gender sex. The arrogance of this is distressing to me. It distresses me because I know that they have bought into Satan's lies.


Satan has deceived them for one reason which is to deflate and putrefy the Christian witness. When someone is struggling with same gender attraction, it is a sign of something much deeper than sex. It is a sign of misdirected esteem, a lack of deep Biblical roots, and a desperate searching for acceptance and love. That cuts me to the heart. I weep for them because they do not understand just how much God loves them, and because of His Son, accepts them just where they are. Just as I am without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me. How incredibly wonderful that is. 


We Christians, who know better, should keep David's Psalm 39 in mind. 
Psalm 39:1  To the chief musician, to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, I will keep my ways from sinning with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before me.


We would do well to put a muzzle on judgment and focus on repentance...