INK

Here are pictures from the kids' visit to INK today:

A Late Christmas Present

Yesterday, the day after Christmas, Leslie was supposed to have her next round of chemo. However, she surprised us all when she came home early that morning. She didn't have chemo! You can ask her for more details, but the gist of it is that her counts (red blood cells I believe) were too low. This is not abnormal. It happens as the cumulative effects of chemo build up. So it may not be the last time she misses her chemo.

At first I was upset about it. Her schedule is now one week off, and one week later. So instead of being done the 18th of March, it will now be the 25th. Additionally, my department at work had coordinated our "in office" weeks to be with her chemo weeks, so that my traveling would be done on non-chemo weeks. But then I had to remind myself of good ol' bovine theology. God knew before we ever thought of planning anything out that this would happen. There's no point in getting upset about it. Churches will understand if I have to reschedule. We'll celebrate big whether she finishes the 18th, the 25th or even later.

So once I got over it, I realized it was kind of a late Christmas present. Instead of her being sick during the holidays, she feels pretty good and we're enjoying family time together. Today I am working and she is taking the kids to meet up with my sisters and their kids at INK (an interactive, learning type place). So it has been a good thing for us, and yet another reminder of God's good providence in our lives.

Merry Christmas

Whew! I'm tired. It's been a constant round of festivities since Friday. But this has been a very special Christmas. We knew it would be one of the hardest because Nannie is gone. None of us could imagine Christmas without her. And it wasn't the same. It was also hard with the lingering thought of chemotherapy coming tomorrow. It's been a hard year, no doubt. But a time like this is one in which I think all of us were mindful of all we have to be thankful for.

We enjoyed yesterday at home (mostly) as a family. Leslie ran a couple of errands in the morning and I ran a couple in the afternoon. Mine included getting some firewood in hopes of surprising Leslie with a Christmas Eve fire. She's been wanting to have one and we've never burned a fire in our fireplace. I found a couple in Murrayville who were open on Christmas Eve and bought a few sticks from them. I should have sprung for the cured wood that had never been outside, but I was being cheap. So later that evening when I tried to start a fire, I ended up burning mostly newspaper. All the kindling I gathered from the yard was still wet from the recent rain. It was pretty while it lasted and Leslie was excited about it.

We gathered around the tree and the kids opened a couple of presents "from us," which included a toy and pajamas. They were thrilled and of course the girls wanted to wear them immediately. We let them all sleep together in the same room since it was Christmas Eve, thinking they might all sleep better. McGrooter took the top bunk, Aggie the lower, and Munch was in the sleeping bag on the floor. It was quite a while before they were all asleep. You could feel the excitement! Les and I finally were able to get things set up in the living room. McGrooter had left a couple of notes on the tree for Santa, so I had to write answers to his questions. He asked what Santa looked like and how he was "able to see in all that darkness." I explained to him in my response that Rudolph's nose was pretty bright, to which he responded this morning, "Oh, I didn't know Rudolph was real."

McGrooter got up several times during the night wanting to know if Santa had come. At one point I realized I had a wonderful headache (which lasted all day). I assume it was from trying to get the fire started (and breathing in all that smoke). We finally got up just before 7 and headed out to the living room. The kids were excited and that, of course, excited us. We ate breakfast and played with new toys until about noon when we got ready to head over to Leslie's folks. We spent the rest of the day there with them. We had a wonderful meal and then opened presents for well over an hour. Unfortuantely, Poppie was still not feeling well and wasn't able to be with us. Mike videoed the festivities to show him later, but it just wasn't the same without him there. Afterward, everyone played and visited, and I laid down for what was supposed to be ten minutes. I felt a little better when I awoke. I left about 7:30 to head home and put blankets and PJs in the dryer so they'd be ready for the kids. I brought McGrooter with me and Les was supposed to come behind me shortly after with the girls. It's now 10:05 and I just heard the garage door open. Guess we'll have some tired pups!

Leslie heads in for an 8:30 AM chemo appointment in the morning. Back to reality I guess. But she's had the best round, in my opinion, this last time. I'm really thankful for that. We have been able to enjoy Christmas much more than I imagined we would this year. And as hard as things are right now, I think we probably have a better perspective than we have ever had in life. I guess this is growing up.

To all of our friends and family who have continued to keep up with us and pray for us, thank you! And Merry Christmas to you and your family. We are especially thankful for the new relationships, the deepened relationships and the renewed relationships this year. Things that mattered so much to us a year ago have faded away in many respects. Relationships have come to matter so much more.

Christmas With the Wallaces

This weekend we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family up at my sister's place in Cleveland, GA. It was a really good weekend and I think everyone had a good time (except for a quick stomach bug that ran through several of us and precluded me from joining in the festivities on Sunday). If you've never seen the Grande Gang, click here. Of course, you can also see how we really are here. My brother, Rob (his family is in black) pulled up a big camper and all the kids were dying to spend the night in it. I thought it my be a cousin Eddie experience (from the Griswald's), but it turned out to be really nice. Sorry Rob, just had to give you a hard time! My sister Lara (her family is in red) came down from Pennsylvania. My other sister Jenny (her family is in brown) was the hostess with the mostest. We are in blue (except for me because I forgot to go to the dry cleaner). My parents are in denim.

We ate, exchanged gifts, played cars, rode four-wheelers, and had a generally relaxing time (once the family photo was over...what an ordeal!).

One of the things I've always enjoyed doing with my nieces and nephews is teaching them to say out-dated, slang terms which aggravate my siblings (it's the little brother in me). I got a kick out of teaching Harrison to say, "peace out, yo" while tapping his chest with two fingers. While I was taking individual family photographs, the kids were getting weary, so I told him to say it. He did, while tapping his chest then pointing with two fingers, which I managed to capture (merely by chance, of course...or by providence if you're Reformed), in this photo.

Another favorite photo was when I getting Rob's family over to take their photo and his two oldest boys were deciding where/how they would sit. We had a few small stools for people to sit on and I commented to them that if they couldn't fit to just put one cheek on one stool and one on the other. This is how they understood my instructions!

Leslie has continued to feel really good throughout these past several days. Her strength has been at an all time high since beginning chemo. We are all so very thankful for God's continued graciousness.

l'heure des comptes...

moment douloureux ou heureux, c'est selon...

Une bonne analyse de nos exploits :-) nécéssite une aide logicielle ou un travail sur un tableur; les courtiers incluent peu souvent un système d'analyse des performances dans leurs services. Ils se contentent de générer les données brutes dans des rapports standards. Or il est absolument nécéssaire de décortiquer la rentabilité sous différents axes pour réellement comprendre comment on fait de l'argent ou pourquoi il n'y a plus rien sur le compte .

Une analyse de rentabilité quotidienne est indispensable , ceci par devises et type de trades : long ou short.

Ensuite la rentabilité ne s'exprime pas en pips : ceci est explicite sur le deuxième tableau , pour la semaine écoulée j'ai une perte totale de 1 pips sur 25 trades et pourtant ma rentabilité globale sur capital est de + 1.87 %. Ceci s'explique aisément par le fait que les sommes engagées sur les trades étaient variables et donc la valeur des pips également. La rentabilité sur capital est pour moi le seul indicateur valable.

Par jour, je considère + 1% comme une bonne rentabilité moyenne. Des journées à +3 ou + 5 % ne sont pas rares. Des pertes de - 2 à -5 % sont tolérables, au-dela il y a un problème à résoudre de façon urgente. 10% de perte est très sérieux et doit amener un stop immédiat du trade. Des pertes de 20% du capital par trade annoncent la phase terminale. :-)

Il me tarde d'être en 2008 , mais je ne pense pas trader la semaine prochaine, les mouvements sont erratiques donc dangereux.

Aggie's Birthday

Here are the pictures (more than you probably care to see) from Aggie's birthday party today. There are also some from McGrooter's Christmas program at school.

During the party Uncle Rob got my camera, which explains many of the "creative" pictures! :-)

Christmas Time

It's officially Christmas time for us. Leslie and the kids had their first day off from school today. The magic is in the air!

We celebrated Aggie's fifth birthday today at the Jump Zone. All the cousins were in attendance, including the five from Pennsylvania. We had tons of fun with friends and family. I'll try to post some pictures here soon.

Tonight our friends Paul & Cindy came over and got Leslie's grocery list to run that errand for us. It was a huge help!

We'll celebrate Christmas this weekend with my family and then with Leslie's on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

For those who may be interested, I wrote an article today on some recent trends in Muslim ministry overseas. You can read it here. I'm open to feedback if you have any criticisms/suggestions!

On a funnier note, I thought I'd share a video that made me laugh really hard today!

Santa Makes Me Laugh

A good friend of ours sent these to us and I can't help but laugh every time I look at them. Maybe there is something wrong with me.

      I think this "freaky Santa" is the scariest kind of funny.

Joyeux Noël

Still Here

We are still alive and well! I apologize for delaying so long in posting to the blog. I've been a bit under the weather and just plain busy.

Leslie has been doing well since her last chemo treatment. We're extremely thankful that her nausea, pains, and exhaustion have been at a minimum this round. Tomorrow is her (and the kids') last day of school before Christmas. The kids are excited and enjoying parties at school and all the festivities of the season.

Leslie's next chemo treatment will be the day after Christmas, so we hope to enjoy a good time together with both of our families before the next poision infliction!

Merry Christmas to you all!!

scalps rapides

...en attendant les stats U.S. de 14h30. Assez facile, pas d'indicateurs techniques, juste un 'pilotage' à vue sur des mouvements quasi ' téléphonés'.

faut-il plusieurs courtiers ?

Je pense que oui pour la simple raison qu'aucun courtier n'est parfait et n' offre l'ensemble des produits ou prestations requis. En effet , quel courtier propose l'intégralité des points suivants :

le trading forex
des actions
des options
des futures
des analyses macroéconomiques sérieuses
un spread de type ECN ( 0.5 -1 pips)
une garantie légale des fonds
une latence minimum
pas de blocage de la plateforme en stats
du hedging
des possibilités graphiques développées
autre

Sans compter que si l'on trade avec un courtier unique, une panne de son service bloquera tout trading. Pour parer ce risque ( qui n'est pas si râre) il est indispensable d'avoir un second courtier pour continuer à trader ou protéger la ou les positions ouvertes.

Un deuxième courtier peut s'envisager comme une sorte d'assurance de pouvoir continuer à trader et également comme une application du principe de base qu'il vaut mieux répartir ses oeufs dans plusieurs paniers.

Chaque broker a ses forces et ses faiblesses, une bonne combinaison de deux ou trois courtiers assure un trading mieux contrôlé et plus diversifié.

Chacun conçoit que le scalping ne se pratique qu'avec un spread minimum et une latence stricte. Un courtier peut être plus adapté qu'un autre pour différentes formes de trading.

Par exemple , ces derniers jours, un de mes courtiers m'a taxé d'un méchant slippage ( + de dix pips) lors de breakout et ce à deux reprises. Pas la peine d'aller me plaindre, à moi d'adapter mon trading et ne passer que les ordres en marchés peu volatils chez lui.



Côté 'vitrine' , j'ai changé la charte graphique du site. Celle-ci me semble plus 'moderne'.

Bon weekend.

For Better of For Worse

Leslie and I vowed to each other, for better or for worse, that we'd stay together some nine years ago yesterday. I never quite imagined an aniversary like this one and I'm sure Leslie never did either.

Leslie recieved her fifth round of chemo on Tuesday. She's felt pretty good since then, just a little tired. When I got home from work last night, she'd already fed the kids and was working them through the showers while I ate. I got them in bed, and without any reading to them, I hit my head soon thereafter. I'm not sure what my deal is. Normally when I get an antibiotic, I am doing much better within 24 hours. I started this one on Monday afternoon and I felt awful last night. I can't stop coughing. So I'm sure Leslie thought, "Wow, my husband the romantic," while I thought that she would be the one in bed first. I'll have to do something really special to make up! Maybe my early rising this morning will make today a better one...if I can just stop hacking.

There isn't really much new news on our end. The kids are all sniffling, but no one seems to be doing too bad. The Christmas tree is up and they always want the lights plugged in first thing when they get up.

Meals have been coming all week so we have not had to cook each night. Cindy came over on Monday and worked her magic around the house and with the kids.

I do need to take care of one thing and that is because I'm not sure how else to do this. But we did receive a letter from Santa with a very generous Wal-Mart gift card. I'm still not sure that guy is really up there at the North Pole, so I'm guessing that was someone's way to bless us anonymously. So this is the only way I know to say, "THANK YOU!" We were blown away and can't even begin to convey how much that means to us.

I do hope to do better at my blogging once I am feeling better. Trust me, it's not the only thing I've slacked off on. I'm way behind on my web work. But this stuff, having now plagued me over a week, has got to be near the end. So normal, whatever that is, should be close around the corner.

Still Sick

I spent the better part of the day in bed. I've been sick since Thursday, but have made it through each day with cold medicine. But today I was down for the count. I'm guessing sinus infection. I'll go see the doc tomorrow afternoon.

Leslie took the kids to church and then went to lunch with Poppie. Afterward they got a Christmas tree and came home and decorated it. McGrooter was especially excited about it.

I'd write more, but those of you who have sinus infections know what it feels like on day 3 or 4.

forex ? quesaco ?

L'encyclopédie en ligne Wikipedia a produit une étude statistique sur ses pages les plus visitées pour 2006-2007. Et bien, le forex : on connait pas ! Ce qui occupe une partie non négligeable de notre temps est largement inconnu du monde 'normal' qui semble principalement s'intéresser à Hitler, au sexe oral , aux gros seins et aux attentats de septembre 2001.

Finalement, je trouve notre petit monde du forex largement plus intéressant que les préoccupations habituelles des internautes lambda.


étude Wikipedia

Qui plus est, la qualité de cette ' encyclopédie' est des plus inégale en fonction de la langue des pages consultées.

Dans le texte français , on apprendra que le forex est :

"Issu de la contraction des termes anglais Foreign Exchange, Forex est le surnom universellement donné au marché des changes, sur lequel les devises sont échangées l’une contre l’autre, à des taux de change qui varient sans cesse."

Voila , vous savez tout maintenant. La page écrite en anglais est plus intéressante.

Cold Outside - Colds Inside

It's certainly cold outside...or at least colder than it was. Cold, like rich, is relative. My sister Lara, who lives in Northern Pennsylvania, knows more about what cold is. They've got snow and it's been in the teens. So I mustn't complain.  We do have some runny noses in the house though. The Munch is on an antibiotic as of yesterday. Her symptoms just got worse. The rest of us are relying on Airborne, Juice+, etc... to try and overcome. We are thankful Leslie is well, so please pray that she stays that way.

It's been a challenging week for us, which is why I haven't blogged. For whatever reason, the side effects from the chemotherapy have lingered. Leslie was able to work only half days on Monday and Tuesday, and then full days the past two days. Yesterday, with the Munch sick, we had to scramble for a plan B. Leslie's mom came to the plate for us.

It seems like each week when Cindy comes over, I appreciate her ministry to us more and more. Today was no exception. Everything was a wreck the past couple of days. Dishes were dirty, the laundry was piled up, and stuff was just everywhere. When I came home from work tonight, the house was in order, the kids were fed, and poor Cindy was being hounded to read "just one more." Tonight was the first night the kids got to bed on time, and they needed it! After a few late nights, they're hard to rouse in the mornings.

I received some heartbreaking news today from one of our missionaries to Uganda. They are actually in the US right now, but received word recently of an Ebola outbreak there. It is actually centered in the town they live and minister in there. Two of their teammates, a couple who are both doctors, are there caring for folks. They evacuated the rest of their team, including their four children. Many have died and it looks like many more will. You can read more here if you would like to know more about it, and how you can pray.

The Latest

I've been poor about blogging these past few days. They've been tough ones for us as this last chemo treatment for Leslie has not gone so well. She is doing better today and was able to work half a day. The side effects continue to plague her. Everything can seem overwhelming at times.

We are also grieving with some friends of ours. I've mentioned Don and Karen recently. Don was diagnosed with colon cancer and they found it was in his liver as well. They also determined it is in stage four, and in his lymph nodes. Please pray for them. Pray also for Allan and Shirley (I work with Shirley). They just learned Allan has prostate cancer and are facing surgery in the coming months.

I hope to write more when I have time.

Zatoichi

Si je pouvais executer des trades forex avec la précision des combats au sabre de ce film, mes problèmes seraient vite résolu !

Patience, détermination, tactique,rapidité extrême des mouvements : rien de me fait tant penser aux qualités exigées d'un trader forex. Un film recommandé.

Les Kill Bill et autres clowns peuvent aller se rhabiller.

Last Days of Fall

These must be the last days of Fall. Colder weather has to be on the way. I'm not complaining. No, indeed, I'll take warmer weather over colder any day. Besides the fact that today is December 1st, it's just beginning to look more like winter. The trees are almost completely bare. And you know what that means? Time to rake the leaves! Thankfully, since a doctor friend of mine recommended "no raking" (among other things ;-) ) after my back injury, I have a brother (in-law, but he and I don't use that suffix) who has a nice backpack blower. I suited up, threw on my sunglasses, and spent three-plus hours in the yard blowing leaves today. I cherish days like this. I know that sounds sick, and NO, I am not offering to come clean up leaves at anyone's house (except maybe Dad's...I owe him a lot). But I enjoy the rare opportunities to get outside on a beautiful day and accomplish something. It's quite satisfying.

The kids enjoyed the leaf blowing as well. Actually, they enjoyed the leaf pile (or mountain as it seemed, by the time I got to the backyard). I took a short break to capture some of the festivities on film:

Planning a strategy for leaf jumping
The Munch
All smiles
Buried in leaves
Action shot
Aggie “helping” Munchkin
Rock Star
All fun must come to an end

The day started out for me with breakfast at IHOP with Wil, Mike, Poppie, Johnny & Kevin (the Rundles men). It was such a good time, and we had some great laughs together. We hope to make this a monthly event. McGrooter wasn't able to join us as he spent the night with his buddy Chandler last night. The two of them had a blast, staying up until nearly midnight playing video games. Needless to say, McGrooter took an unusual nap today. :-)

Leslie had a pretty good day. At least she stayed busy most of the day. However, she continues to deal with the shooting pains that are a lingering result of the radiation, and the chemo. But she got a lot done around the house, which always makes her happy. I came in after working in the yard to find the bedroom nicely decorated with new curtains she had hung. I'm always impressed at how much better she is than I am with tools and such. The curtain rods were hung perfectly, and there were no extra holes (which probably would have been there had I tried to accomplish the task).

We're looking forward to church tomorrow and a day of rest!

Enduring

I find myself focusing on endurance these days. This struggle with Leslie's cancer is a marathon, not a sprint. We've just got to get through it.

Leslie had an okay day today. She continues to battle with the shooting pains that are a side effect of the chemo, as well as the exhaustion.

Cindy came over this evening. She is such a blessing to us, not only meeting physical needs we have around the house, but especially as a friend. The kids love her so much and it was fun to watch the girls run to give her hugs when she left.

Uncle Wil & Aunt Kristin came by this evening after their recent travels. We all couldn't believe how much Kyla has grown! Leslie enjoyed feeding her a bottle before they had to head out.

I talked to Poppie briefly this evening. He sounded good and was out at a dinner theater. So I think he's definitely improving.

4 Down, 8 To Go

Leslie had her fourth chemo treatment on Tuesday. She's had an okay day. I think she's done better with each treatment, but she continues to have bouts of pain, and of course plenty of exhaustion.

McGrooter was sick yesterday morning. This is the second chemo day in a row that he has woken us up throwing up. I'm not sure if it is coincidence or if he is dealing with stress this way. I ended up staying home with him and he was fully recovered by day's end.

Poppie came home from the hospital yesterday. I haven't gotten a chance to talk with him today.

My plate feels extra full right now. I've got quite a backlog of work at the office, and I'm a good bit behind with some work for my web business. I have been particularly thankful the past two evenings as fellow teachers at Leslie's school have brought dinner to us.

Poppie Back in the Hospital

Early this morning, Mike took Poppie to the ER with chest pains. After a long day of tests and eventually a heart catheterization, Poppie is resting in the hospital this evening. The doctors found a blood clot in his heart and have put him on a blood thinner. They also found a bacteria in his stomach that can cause chest pains. They have prescribed an antibiotic for this. I stopped by the hospital tonight after work and visited with Poppie a few minutes, and had dinner with Mike and Becky. Poppie looks good, but it is hard seeing him in a hospital bed. He has not only become a grandfather to me, he is also my good friend. So please pray that the clot would be dissolved and the antibiotic would quickly knock out the bacterial infection. We hope he will come home tomorrow.

Leslie had a good day today and goes in tomorrow morning for her fourth liquid chemotherapy treatment. We both dread each treatment, but are thankful that each one has been a little less traumatic. Pray for her strength and recovery this week, and also that we'll be able to juggle all our responsibilities in the midst of this.

We are also still trying to sell our van. I got a call today from a guy who has a friend who is interested. Please pray the van will sell soon.

Oh dear, oh dear! I shall be too late

1.4966pour l'eur-usd ! Bien qu'étant prêt pour une volatilité accrue due au manque de liquidité ( Thanksgiving holiday US) , ce pic m'a un peu pris de court.

Dans le forex, il faut vraiment s'attendre à tout ; si demain je vois passer un lapin en veston qui regarde sa montre et s'exclame " mon dieu, je vais être en retard" , eh bien je ne m'en étonnerai plus :-)

C'est vraiment Alice au pays des merveilles .

The Day After

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to Greer, SC to visit at Leslie's sister's house. Neither Leslie or I felt well all day, so it wasn't as grand as it could have been. But the company and hospitality was great, and everyone else seemed to have a wonderful time.

Today we both woke up feeling better, and Leslie fixed a wonderful breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes. The kids gobbled it all down, of course, and the Munch ended up with her traditional chocolate ring around her mouth.

We worked on cleaning out the garage some more today. I started a couple of weeks ago, but today we made some real progress. I got several shelves put up, and then various items which were on the floor up on them. We're trying to get room cleared out so Leslie can get the van pulled in. The chemo makes her very sensitive to cold, so much so that she cannot open the fridge. So now that the temps are getting much cooler, getting the van inside is key, so that she doesn't have to be out in the cold any more than she has to.

While Les and I were working, the kids enjoyed a sunny but cool day outside. So often I look at our house and complain that we don't have a big flat yard. But the kids don't do that. They think, "what can we do with a big hill?!!" So they each got a hula hoop and enjoyed rolling the hoops down, countless times. Here are some pictures:

Headed up the hill - I'm not sure what Munchkin was so excited about
Chasing the hoop
Steering was a challenge
The trauma of a mis-steered hoop
Aggie posing
The Hoop Master
Loving the leaves
McGrooter
Always posing

After cleaning up, I enjoyed watching a beautiful full moon rise in the eastern sky. We warmed up inside, but I noticed Aggie wearing a scarf and gloves. She looked at me and said, "I have to wear these everyday because I can't breathe cold air." She has seen Leslie do this everyday due to the chemo. It's interesting to watch how each of the kids process their mother dealing with cancer. Soon she was helping Munchkin do the same thing.

Today was a good day for all of us. I continue to be extremely thankful for these days. Leslie had enough strength to do several things around the house and help with the garage. We were saddened tonight, however, to learn about the death of a close friend of one my co-workers. Anamaria lost the battle with cancer, at a very young age. She was a young Romanian girl, who just recently was diagnosed with cancer. Her battle was short, but she is now free of cancer and with her Lord.

New Look

I decided to switch my look up a little bit. What do you think?

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving with Leslie's family, including her Uncle Gary & Aunt Joan, and cousins Meghan and Allie. We went out to eat, and then back to Poppie's to visit and play some football. It was a great time, although hard without Nannie.

Leslie continues to gain strength and today was a good day for her. We are very thankful for another good day!

A Slow Week

Our week is slowing down, and boy do we need it after this past weekend. We're all off the rest of the week and ready for some good family time over Thanksgiving.

Last night I brought home some goodies for the kids, after an impromptu trip to the PCA bookstore at work. I saw a book by Judy Rogers about a girl named Isabelle. It takes Proverbs 11:22 and teaches little girls that no matter how pretty they get dressed up, when they act ugly they look ugly. It's really a cute story/song that is a good lesson for all of us when we act ugly. But I thought it would be especially good for Aggie to have and read at this time in her life. It's also a coloring book, so she has enjoyed reading and coloring. For the Munch, I got one of Judy Rogers' CDs, which has the song about Isabelle acting like a pig with a gold ring in her snout. We have some other CDs of hers and the kids enjoy them. For McGrooter, I've been wanting to start reading more adventure-type books with him so he could get more into the stories, instead of shorter books. So I picked up Little Pilgrim's Progress for him. I read the first three chapters to him last night and he didn't want me to stop. So I hope it continues to be a hit.

We were going to eat together as a family last night, but by the time I joined them at the restaurant Leslie needed to leave and head home. They had already eaten, so that was good. But it wasn't how we'd planned (even though we did get to see an old friend on the way out the door, even if it was a brief visit). She ended up going to bed early. However, overall Leslie has had several good days in a row. I am thankful her schedule worked out such that Thanksgiving week was not a chemo week. It will allow us to really enjoy our time.

We have much to be thankful for this year, especially. I am thankful the doctors found the cancer and that the surgery was successful. I am thankful the radiation is over, that this round of chemo is only every other week, and that Leslie hasn't lost her hair (although I think she'd be beautiful, I know the kids would have a hard time with that). I am thankful the kids have been so resilient, and that God has protected them in so many ways. I am thankful we lived so close during Nannie's final year. I am thankful for the huge sacrifices family and friends have made to come alongside and help us during these past five months of Leslie's cancer journey. Most of all, I am thankful that we are God's, He loves us more than we know, and that He is at work in our lives.

eurusd franchit les 1.48

Je ne sais pas ce que vous pensez du graphe attaché mais pour moi il était clair que l'euro enfoncerait les 1.48.

A Wonderful Weekend

We had a really good weekend. Leslie made it Friday night to join me at the Global Missions Conference in Atlanta. Thanks Dad, for bringing her down. Mom and Dad kept the kids for us and they made some great memories. Leslie was able to come to a couple of the sessions and rested the remainder of the time. She was sick some on Friday, but had minimal effects the rest of the time except for exhaustion. I have to say that I wrestled with exhaustion too, but it was very worthwhile. The conference was a wonderful blessing to me, and I believe to so many others as well. There were about 2,000 folks there, including nearly 200 from Covenant College. Drs. Richard Pratt and Paul Kooistra delivered the Word with boldness.

If I wasn't so tired tonight I would share many wonderful accounts from my time this weekend. The seminars went well (except for one technical glitch with my computer). I had a number of great opportunities to talk with missions pastors and leaders from all over the country, as well as with missionaries. Many people there encouraged both Leslie and me by speaking to us and praying with us for Leslie. My only disappointment was that Sandra McCracken and Derek Webb only sang one song during the Saturday evening worship service. But they did perform a concert afterward. I just needed to be in the exhibit hall during that time.

I am so thankful to be a part of Mission to the World, and to see the many ways the Kingdom of Christ is going forth throughout the earth.

espérance de gain du scalping

Le tableau ci-dessous démontre bien que le trader fx du type scalpeur est un artiste de haute voltige :-)



Les chiffres de la colonne de gauche sont des variables introduites par l'utilisateur en fonction de ses propres paramètres. Ainsi avec un spread de 3 pips, un gain moyen de 10 pips et une perte moyenne de 5 pips, l'espérance de gain est de seulement 1 pip par trade .

Il ne faut pas être un génie pour comprendre où est le problème. Il est quasi exigé d'avoir au minimum un ratio de 60% de réussite pour fleurter avec le break-even .( le seuil de rentabilité minimum)

Le moindre écart à ces valeurs, par exemple une perte importante, se répercutera directement dans l'espérance qui deviendra négative. C'est ce qui fait que le forex est si difficile: il demande une constance absolue dans les résultats et un suivi méthodique de chaque trade.

En introduisant d'autres variables telles que: le montant du capital engagé, la perte maximum tolérée, la rentabilité exigée par mois, le nombre de trades par jour etc... on se rend vite compte que le scalping est un exercice comportant des risques hors du commun !

FX-meter

Objectifs de la semaine réalisés à 100 %.

50 % par trades hedgés et 50 % par scalps ( 5-20 pips) sur breakouts.

Ten Years in Wall Street

Ecrit par William Worthington Fowler en 1870.



Livre très intéressant sur la faune que l'on rencontrait à Wall Strret à cette époque. On se rend compte à quel point la spéculation a existé de tout temps avec la même intensité qu'aujourd'hui. L'ouvrage contient quelques dessins pittoresques.



Un lien vers un site exposant des livres anciens sur les marchés fnanciers

Answered Prayer

Leslie had a good day today! The chemo has not taken the toll on her yet, as it has with previous treatments. We are continuing to pray that her stamina is sustained and that the nausea and other symptoms are minimal this week. She was still not able to go to work, but she wasn't in constant pain and hasn't been confined to the bed. Continue to pray!

We are also rejoicing this evening that God has answered our prayers for rain. The storms are rolling through! Even McGrooter was excited that it would rain this evening.

Playing Daddy Daycare

Today, I stayed home. I didn't want to. It was probably the worst day of the week for me to miss. But that is the way it panned out. McGrooter woke up this morning saying he felt like he was going to be sick. Eventually he was...all over the living room floor. Leslie had chemo, and her mom was taking her, so I was called from the bench to play Daddy Daycare once again. It turned out to be a good thing. I got a call from Becky later in the morning to say she was taking her good friend and her husband, Karen & Don, to the hospital. Don had a colonoscopy this morning and Becky went to be with Karen during the procedure (it was in the same building as Leslie's chemo). The docs didn't like what they saw, so much so that they wanted Don to go straight to the hospital for a CT scan and possible surgery tomorrow. Leslie was able to go to the hospital after her chemo to visit with them, and she said they did conclude it is cancer but didn't think it was through the colon wall. Don had no symptoms. Later they found spots on his liver. So folks, you know what I am about to say. Yes you who are 50+, even if you have no symptoms, go get a colonoscopy. Do it now. Call and schedule right now. I'll wait. Go ahead.

Uncle Wil came to the rescue, taking our van to the dealership this morning, and then upon this news, taking a few hours off to go and pick up Munchkin and then Leslie after her treatment so I did not have to get McGrooter out (even though he is continuing to show signs of improvement). So I sat with McGrooter as he watched TV and rested, and tried to get some work done in preparation for the conference this weekend.

So while I'm at it, let me dish out some more bovine theology for us all to partake of. This week is a pressure cooker week for me. There is lots to be done for the conference, and even though I thoroughly enjoy it, right in the middle of the week is a full day of missionary assessment that I am a part of. I didn't need to be out this morning. Really, I didn't need to be out any morning this week. But it was this morning, especially, that I didn't want to miss. We have our weekly staff meeting on Tuesday, and I knew we'd be making many last minute arrangements and decisions. But God, in His good providence, saw fit to keep me home today. For one thing, I now know that Becky needed to be with Karen. There were many other things throughout the day that reminded me, God is in control. When am I going to let that sink so deeply into my heart that I don't blow my lid when things don't go as I have planned?

Tonight as I was getting the kids ready for bed, I got a call from Uncle Gary that Poppie had gotten an iPhone! I was so excited for him. But they were having some challenges. They ended up coming over so I could get the phone up and running and I had fun with it. It was also a blast to watch Poppie with it. We boys never outgrow our toys!

Leslie is feeling okay after her third chemo treatment. She was tired tonight though, but we are praying that her stamina won't take the hit that it has in past weeks. We're still not sure if she will be able to join me this weekend. Please pray for us all this week.

mon courtier idéal

extrait d'une réponse que je donnai sur un forum:

question récurrente à laquelle je n'ai pas encore trouvé de réponse optimale, ( j'en suis au cinquième broker)
je pense qu'il faut réfléchir en terme de fonctionalités pour délimiter le terrain.

je paie une bierre à celui qui me trouve un courtier ( banque/broker/ECN) avec les caractéristiques suivantes:

- 0.5 à 1 pips de spread ( au grand maximum deux pips)
- si commission: de préférence inférieure à 1/2 pips
- hedging indispensable
- intérêts + et - sur rollover payés
- fonds protégés légalement ( pas par des organismes d'autorégulation qui ne protègent rien du tout)
- broker qui considère le trader comme "retail" en non comme professionnel ( directive Europ. Mifid)
- compte en euro
- plateforme qui tient la route ( pas le genre de truc qui plante l'ordinateur 3 fois par jour)
- de préférence avec une réputation 'clean' : pas celle d'un voleur patenté ou adepte de techniques douteuses
- pas de plateforme 'gelée' en stat ou période haute volatilité

J'ai limité ma liste à deux sociétés: ni l'une ni l'autre ne remplissent complètement le 'contrat' mais on en est pas loin: Interactive Brokers et SaxoBank .

Le broker c'est comme une F1 ou un cheval de course: si on n'a pas le bon on finit pas la course.
Bien sur le pilote est la pour faire la différence, mais on ne gagne pas avec une mule.

Weekend Update

Poppie went to the heart cath lab this afternoon where they found one artery that was 70-80% blocked and two that were about 40%. They were not worried about the two that were 40% and will treat those with medication. They treated the more clogged one using the balloon and stint and he is done and recovering. They will keep him overnight for observation and then he will go home tomorrow. I'm breathing a sigh of relief as this could have been worse, like open-heart surgery. Leslie is still at the hospital this afternoon and Uncle Wil went to pick up the older two kids at school. He took them on a special "errand" to Brewsters before bringing them home.

The Munch still has a fever, dark circles under her eyes, and is a little whiny. But all-in-all, she is a low maintenance sick kid. I can't complain. I've endured "Wow, Wow, Wubbzy," "Yo Gabba Gabba," and lots of "Dora The Explorer." I just hope that I didn't accidently write a note about doing the peanut butter dance from Yo Gabba Gabba in my PowerPoint for next week's Global Missions Conference. We went to see Miss Kristi, who is so fantastic with our kids. She explained that it's viral, so it'll just have to run its course, and the other two may very well get it. Munchkin did well, and only cried when she had her thumb pricked to check for really yucky stuff (which showed all clear). She quickly recovered and soon we were both happy! She got a cool bandaid and sticker for being brave which was a welcome distraction. We got home and had lunch, and she took a good nap. We are just praying she doesn't share it with Mommy at this point. :-)

As for Mommy, she had a good day as far as her health goes. It certainly wasn't the way any of us would have wanted to turn out as far as Poppie goes, but I was at least glad she felt good enough to be there with him. I think it would have nearly killed her to not be with the family. I was proud of her that she at least wore a mask most of the time she was there. The next several days should continue to be good ones for her again. She'll go for chemo again on Tuesday. We are praying that this next round will not be as harsh as the last two because she is planning on joining me at the Global Missions Conference. My parents are coming up to keep the kids, so please pray she will feel strong enough to join me, even if it is to rest in the hotel room most of the time. The conference is in the same hotel we're staying at, so it would be fine and I can come up and see her in between sessions.

On to other, nearly as important news. My friend Van, who has been on a blogging hiatus, made a recent video post. It's well worth the watch. Even though I've already endorsed Fred Thompson, this response from Huckabee was brilliant. He handled himself and the question very well.

My brother got his first deer of the season.

Pray for Poppie

Last night on my way home, I called to find out from Leslie that Munchkin had a fever and wasn't feeling well. She hardly ever complains when she is sick, so we usually don't know until she has fever. And when she does finally get to the point of complaining, she's usually pretty miserable. We gave her some Tylenol and she slept through the night.

This morning we got a call from Mike that Poppie was in the emergency room with a possible mild heart attack. The first two EKGs came back abnormal and his blood pressure was low. So they are treating him and talking about possibly doing a heart catheterization. He actually drove himself to the hospital because Mike was out of town and he didn't want to bother us. He eventually called Wil once he was at the hospital.

I'm staying home today now, since Becky was going to keep the Munch but is now going to the hospital, and Leslie wanted to go up there to be with Poppie too. I'm waiting for the pediatrician's office to open to see if we can get an appointment. I'll update more as it develops, but please pray for Poppie at this point.

Our Small World

Today I was convicted of how small our world is. By "our" I mean my family. We're in the middle of dealing with Leslie's cancer, and this is no doubt a hard thing. But as Leslie and I have both written, others are dealing with much more difficult things. I don't mean that to compare situations. I don't think that is appropriate. What I do mean is that I in no way wish to swap our situation with other friends and family members. I think of Darren and Marla who are dealing with Darren's failing kidneys. Another couple who are young and just had their first child who was diagnosed with cancer. Other good friends of ours are dealing with life-changing challenges. The list could go on.

The thing that spurred my thoughts today was reading an email from my cousin, Kiersie. Her husband, Martin, is currently deployed to Iraq. He has been there on multiple deployments, and she is at home with two children, waiting anxiously on his return. Kiersie wrote, "The countdown is on, finally, and he should be home between January 15-22, just over 2 months - - YEAH!!!!!  All I have left is one newsletter, one Christmas party to throw and then getting all the barracks ready for the single soldiers when they return!!!  I have to admit that I'll be SOOOO HAPPY when it's all over and done with!!" What a huge sacrafice she and Martin have made for him to serve our country. I am so burdened for them. Martin has been wounded. The sacrifices are real. And there are all of his soldiers with him, some who will return only to a barracks hall. I am so thankful for these men and women who are giving of themselves so we can live in freedom, in a country where Leslie can get the best medical care. Our own world of suffering is so small. Many are dealing with things I hope to never encounter.

These people are all around us. So may we not be so focused on our own little world that we neglect those around us who are bearing burdens, often greater than ours. As you look around to those you know, don't just say, "let me know if there is anything I can do." Look for something you can do, and do it. Consider them as greater than your self. Care for them, and show compassion. You'll be greatly blessed if you do, and God will expand your view of your own world.

Leslie had a good day today and was able to work the entire day. Her strength is returning, as well as her spunk. Keep her in your prayers.

Continuing To Improve

Leslie continues to improve since her last chemo treatment. She was up much of last night but did go into work for a few hours today. Her throat is soar this evening so we are praying that she is not coming down with anything. Cindy came over again this evening to help until I got home from work. She relieved Leslie's mom who is still fighting a sinus infection. Cindy seems to like our kids and they really love her. We're so thankful for her ministry to us during this time.

We continue to have so many things to be thankful for in our lives. It's strange to even say that in a time like this, but God is certainly sustaining us. I wish I could say that my satisfaction is in Christ, solely. But I struggle to keep my heart there. I was encouraged today by a video clip my brother-in-law sent me from John Piper. In it, Piper confronts what is known as the prosperity gospel. It is anything but the Gospel of Christ. It's a shame that so many are being led astray by this heresy. Even in my own heart I struggle believing that God is working for our good in the midst of Leslie's cancer. But I know that He is. And I can say that this trial has certainly pointed us to the fact that He cares for us. Nothing can separate us from His love. Not even cancer. Watch this clip and be encouraged.

Such A Difficult Thing

We've had a pretty good weekend, although Leslie continues to deal with a good deal of pain and nausea. We were able to get out Saturday for a couple of hours before she needed to get home. Today she stayed home and I took the kids to church. We had a restful afternoon and then Pop & Grandma dropped by for a visit. They brought by some food and some gifts from my sister (a wonderful memory book that she and some friends put together for Leslie, with various pictures and verses) and a blanket from Christa. This saga has turned into a marathon event for us, and so many kind gestures continue to lift our spirits.

This morning's sermon dealt with the sovereignty of God when life doesn't go as we expect. Chuck hammered home that God is working all things for His glory and our good. This is such a beautiful and hard concept at the same time. When I got home from a late-night run to Wal-Mart this evening, I looked up to a beautiful fall sky. I love looking at the sky when it is cool and clear, and tonight I was once again overwhelmed at how small I feel. It wasn't a feeling of self-pity, but a sense of how much God cares for me even though I am so small. It was a reminder to me to get my mind off of the "why" of my life, and revel in the fact that God is indeed working things for His glory and my good. I felt very weak as I went to the store. And yet there I was, a weak man staring at a vast sky, reminded that I am cared for by a great and loving God.

When I came inside I saw my wife looking far weaker than I felt. And as I hurt so deeply for her, I must rely on the same hope that our God is caring for and loving her. I think of Chuck's words this morning about Elijah, who endured the wilderness being fed by unclean birds. I can't imagine what must have gone through his mind, being one who was called as a prohet of God, and yet enduring such a difficult thing. Yet God was at work, just as He is in Leslie's body and life. Isaiah 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

2 Down, 10 To Go

It's easier for us to look at the number of chemo treatments that Leslie has rather than the time frame. She completed her 2nd treatment this week and has 10 more to go. It will be March when she finishes.

This week has been rough for her. She continues to combat fatigue and nausea, and has regular pain which I assume is left over from the radiation. She has literally been in the bed most of the week since Tuesday.

The kids seem to be comprehending more of what is going on, at least the older two. McGrooter had an interesting conversation with Leslie last weekend (you can read more about it on her blog). Tonight, Leslie went to bed before the kids. When she told them all "good night," Aggie responded that she would climb in bed with her later and hug and kiss her a lot. She and her brother have been coming into our room every night for at least the past week, in the middle of the night. Aggie just comes in and lays down. We usually don't hear her or know that she's there until we get up and see her on the floor. McGrooter, on the other hand, comes and stands next to Leslie. He then lays down on the floor next to her. Last night she said that he continually popped up and just stood there. She said to me, jokingly, that she wished she'd had one of those nerf mallets used in the gopher game where they keep popping up. I don't know what is going on in their heads, exactly, but they seem like they just want to be near her. When I talk with McGrooter about it he always says he comes in there because no one sleeps in his room with him. Maybe he is just dealing with alone-fear, but I do wonder if he's struggling with the fear of his mom being sick. You can pray for them both, and for us that we'd have the wisdom to handle it in a way that glorifies God.

We've had some wonderful help this week, including a couple of delicious meals from folks at Westminster. Another friend from North Forsyth came by this evening to get Leslie's comforter and take it to the laundromat to wash. People's kindness continues to blow me away.

videos sur Bloomberg.com

Jim Rogers est impayable quand il traite Bernanke de "nut" pour avoir baissé les taux d'intérêts; pas plus tard que hier il le traitait de "madman" lors d'une autre interview. Les arguments de Rogers tiennent la route.

Aujourd'hui la Toussaint ...

... demain le jour des Morts. Un peu de respect et une pensée émue pour tous nos compères traders décimés par la sauvagerie du marché du forex. Que Dieu nous garde d'une fin semblable...

Happy Halloween?

I'm sorry if it bugs you, but I'm just not much of a fan of Halloween. I never have been. And each year, either because I am getting older, or because Halloween is really growing, this "holiday" seems to be celebrated more and more. It seems like it is becoming a lot like Christmas. This year I heard people talk about "the Halloween season" and the "spirit of Halloween" (I think they meant a lower case "s"). People are really decorating their yards these days, and their houses with Halloween paraphernalia. It just seems strange. What about Halloween is happy? Everyone always says it's the candy, but Halloween isn't really about candy. We get candy for a bunch of other reasons, but that's not why we enjoy Christmas or Easter...and not to make this totally a secular/sacred argument, we do say things like "Happy 4th of July" and that does seem happy enough. But Halloween celebrates dead things, morose things, macabre things. What's happy about that?

You probably think I'm being Ebenezer Scrooge, but please...reserve him for Christmas! Or maybe you think I'm legalistic and think Halloween is sinful. I'm not. Maybe, you'll argue, it's because I have no memory of trick-or-treating and that has scarred me for life. Maybe so. I don't remember ever trick-or-treating, but I do think there is a picture of me at the age of 3 in a Casper the Ghost costume. You'll have to ask the parents who deprived me of such festivities. But Halloween just doesn't seem "happy" to me.

Personally, I don't think I missed out. I don't think there is much to celebrate about Halloween. What good comes from celebrating a witch, a skeleton, or a monster? Am I missing something? I think Peggy Noonan makes a good point when she states, "What you applaud, you encourage. And: Watch out what you celebrate!" I think this is especially true of matters relating to Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Which is a nice segue, although not intended, to mention my frustration with the inbredness of the media and entertainment industry. Since Leslie has been sick, I've been upstairs more. Which means I've been around the TV more and have seen news and award shows. I guess having not seen these for a while, and then watching them now, it is painfully clear to me that Hollywood and the media do nothing more than get together and pat each other on the back. This global warming thing is a good example, with Al Gore being the chief example. Come on! This guy is the biggest hypocrite when it comes to personal responsibility for conservation and they pour on the awards??? More than that, at one award show it was as if they worshipped the man when he came on stage. No one got the applause and ovation that he did. And it is public knowledge that he owns a company that sells these carbon credits that are supposed to offset carbon emissions. That would be like the owner of a bullet-proof vest manufacturing company using the microphone and getting awards that promote the tragic, and frightfully growing trend of gun violence in America. But the circle is so inbred, they fail to see it. And America keeps clapping, and even celebrating, by watching the shows and movies they produce. And we wonder why their agenda gains the ground with the speed that it does! Frankly, Hollywood scares me more than the little ghouls running around the neighborhood tonight. By the way, if you're really mad at me now and think I'm totally cuckoo for saying anything negative about global warming let me clarify. I know that over the past 100 years the earth's average temperature has increased by 1 degree. That is not debated. The question is, "what caused it?" I'm just not convinced that it is completely man, and I'm especially not convinced that the end of the world is coming as a result of global warming. One of the people in the media who I do enjoy, John Stossel, has written a good editorial on this subject recently, and I commend it to you. I must also mention another article by him regarding a subject that I think points out another level of hypocrisy in Hollywood, and especially among rich liberals (which pretty much defines Hollywood).

Whew, that's some scary blogging there!

On a more important matter than my own banterings, Leslie is still not feeling well. The chemo continues to wear her down. She was in bed much of the day. Our friends, Ralph & Ann, came and saved her this afternoon by coming to get the kids and taking them to the park and Chick-fil-A for dinner. They then took them to First Baptist where the kids met up with Grandad, Mimi, and Poppie for "Trick-or-Trunk." The members of FBC parked cars around the loop at the church and handed out candy out of their trunks. Kind of a cute, and safe way to do it. And see, I'm not depriving my children!! They had a wonderful time, and made some good memories with Grandad, Mimi, and Poppie. Of course, I do have a mind to sneak into their candy bags tonight and throw out half of it. Hmmm, that might be a risky move worth making!

Pray that Leslie's body will rebound quickly, that the kids will feel secure (they continue to get up in the night), and that I won't be such an unbelievable wretch of a husband, father, and employee in the midst of all of this.

Before signing off, I want to include a video that Leslie has on her blog. It is extremely encouraging and powerful...and worth every bit of the 13:22 of your time. The authenticity with which this guy speaks given his condition is mind-boggling. I should be this confident in Christ in my situation, and it pales in comparison to his.

Quick Update

I just haven't had much time to write, so here is a quick update until I get the opportunity to write more.

We had four really good days, in a row. But Monday, Leslie was up and down with her tummy from 12:40 AM on until 7 AM when we finally all faced the reality that we had to get up and go. It was an exhausting day.

Today, Leslie went for her chemotherapy treatment and so far just feels very wiped out. Her parents are helping out until I can get home each evening, which has been a huge blessing. Some friends from Westminster are also bring dinner tonight, for which I am very thankful.

The kids are really stretched right now. We ended up with 2 on our bedroom floor before morning came this AM. Everything seems to be a big deal right now...lots of drama. I think they're each dealing with more than they can communicate. Pray for wisdom as we try to lovingly care for them.

hygiène quotidienne

Signer sans réfléchir le document "intermediate customer" est équivalent à se laver chaque jour avec notre savon "Special-Forex". Est-ce que l'industrie nous prend vraiment pour des billes ?

Une solution proposée par une société chez laquelle je voulais ouvrir un compte est de signer le document puis demander une requalification en "private customer". Donc il semble que la discussion soit possible.

On comprend bien pourquoi l'industrie cherche à imposer le document "intermediate customer" mais ce n'est pas une raison pour abandonner toutes garanties et recours.

Mifid ( suite)

Et cette directive européenne est censée protéger les investisseurs !



On voit la facilité avec laquelle on peut contourner les règles contraignantes en exigeant du client l'acceptation d'une catégorisation en tant que "professionnel" ( intermediate customer) qui fait perdre la plupart des protections qu'on pourrait être en droit d'exiger comme investisseur privé.



Au moins c'est clair , on vous aura prévenu :-)

A Perfect Fall Day

Today was a good day. I am thankful for good days. The weather was gorgeous.

Our friends Russ and Jill came by. They were passing through and were just going to stop for a minute, but we insisted they come in and get the kids out of the van. They finally conceded and we had a wonderful, although short, visit.

McGrooter and I went and got our hair cut, and then we all met up for lunch. Afterward, Leslie stopped in one of the shops on the square and McGrooter and Munchkin posed for a few photographs. Munchkin jumped off the step dozens of times, but then had to take a rest. McGrooter climbed on top of a post and stayed perched until I pulled him down. Aggie and Munch then posed with one of the many "scarecrows" that decorated the Gainesville square. We ran a few more errands and then I took the kids home while Leslie did a few more things in town. I got some cleaning in the garage accomplished while the kids played outside. It was as normal a day as we've had in some time, and something I am thankful for.

Catégorisation des clients (Mifid- FSA)

A partir du 1er novembre 2007, il est quasi certain que le contrat que vous allez signer avec un intermédiaire financier établi en Angletterre ( ce peut-être n'importe quel broker / banque qui fait ses opérations via une filiale anglaise) inclue dorénavant les règles du Mifid.

Ceci n'est pas anodin car le degré de protection de vos fonds est directement affecté par la catégorie dans laquelle le broker va vous placer. Normalement, un trader individuel devrait se retrouver dans la catégorie " retail client" et la protection des fonds accordée par la FSA sera au maximum 48.000 £.

Cependant, certains brokers / banques ajoutent un document au contrat de base et vous demandent votre accord d' être considéré d'office comme un " intermediate client" , autrement dit un professionnel des marchés financiers. La conséquence directe est la perte de la protection des fonds par la FSA en cas d'insolvabilité de votre intermédiaire financier.

Plusieurs autres garanties sont supprimées et ce n'est donc pas un choix à faire à la légère comme on peut s'en douter. Le client peut demander une requalification de statut. Les détails peuvent être trouvé sur le lien suivant :

fsa.gov.uk/pubs/discussion/dp06_03.pdf

exemple d'avertissement dans un contrat avec un broker à partir du 1er novembre 2007 :



Comme toujours : ouvrir l'oeil et le bon !

Strength for Today

Leslie has had a few good days, for which we are very thankful. Our friend, Cindy, came over last night and helped around the house and with the kids. Then she came back today and spent the day cleaning and straightening. I can not convey how much this means to us. It has removed so much stress from our home, and will allow us to enjoy our weekend more and maybe even get some rest! Thank you so much Cindy!

I grilled out tonight and then we had movie night with the kids. It really was an enjoyable evening.

Ups and Downs

We have certainly had our share of ups and downs over the past several days. In fact, let me just go ahead and say, if I haven't posted, PRAY! It usually means I'm so overwhelmed that I haven't even gotten to the computer...which has other implications, such as getting behind on my work. Tonight, I am three days behind my work and will probably not get all the way caught up. I'm exhausted, but encouraged. Leslie stayed home and rested today, and tonight she looks and feels much better.

Tuesday started out as a good day, and then went downhill in the afternoon. She called me in the afternoon and said she was going to her parents after work so they could help with the kids. She was on the couch when I got there, and hadn't been feeling well. Becky fixed a wonderful dinner and she bathed the kids so I could visit with Mike & Poppie. I feel like it's been years since we've been able to just sit down and visit like that. It was really nice. I brought the kids home and got them down, and Mike & Becky brought Leslie home about an hour or so later once she was feeling better. Becky was particularly concerned about Leslie and thought she may need to go to the ER because of dehydration. Leslie did look bad, but I had seen her much worse, especially during radiation. I wrestled all evening trying to decide, "do I play it safe and take her, or just try and make her comfortable?" I trusted Leslie's judgment just to give it time and let her get comfortable in bed. That worked and she was asleep before long. I was thankful, but I must say that was an awful time to go through, questioning my judgment over-and-over again. Today Leslie rested and was able to begin eating again, slowly but surely. Becky was here with her most of the day, and got several things from the store to help her eat/drink. She also took care of dinner again for us tonight. I was able to focus on the kids, which they really need right now. Then, once I got them in bed, I didn't have to scurry about the kitchen cleaning up, and actually got to sit and talk with Leslie for about 15 minutes. Thanks Becky!!!

The thing that really struck me is that one minute Leslie can look great and seem to be doing great. It's at those times that we get to get out and go places and do things. And that's usually when people see her. But there's another side to this cancer treatment ordeal that few get to see (or should see). Maybe that's what I end up writing about the most because that is what touches me the most. I hurt so deeply when I see her in so much pain. But I can't neglect that we have had good moments. And I have to say I am very thankful for them. Maybe I should write more about the days she can leave the house.

Tomorrow, Leslie will go to work. Please pray she can make it through the day.

On a separate note, I scanned the paper tonight and one editorial caught my eye. I usually don't read editorials because I don't need any added stress in my life right now. But for whatever reason, I read this article by Diana West, a writer for the Washington Times. It's not a perspective we hear often, but one we should consider. And in the same way the West is guilty of self-censoring (which may lead to its demise), I think as Christians we often do the same thing. Fearing offending someone we are, in many ways, losing our orthodoxy.

A Slow Day

Today was a slow day. I woke up feeling run over, with a headache. We didn't make it to church. Leslie felt bad most of the day, and the kids were pretty much overrun by cabin fever. But we made it through. We had a surprise visit by Grandad and Mimi this evening, which was a welcome break to the monotony.

I don't have much time to write this evening. I wish I had gone to bed a few hours ago. But I will encourage you to read Leslie's post about a conversation she had with McGrooter.

Doing What I Can

Last night, Friday, Leslie began to feel better. I thought she was coming out of the woods after her first chemo treatment. However, today she has gone back down hill. The cycle of taking meds for the variety of symptoms is wreaking havoc on her body. She continues to eat very little, and remains in a lot of pain.

I'm learning to do what I can, and try to be content with that. It seems that with the beginning of each day there are so many things to be done, but there is never enough time to get it all done. It isn't much different than what most moms must do, I guess. I'm just not that good at multi-tasking, unless it's on a computer. I did manage to meet most of my goals for the day, though. I got the trash hauled off, the kitchen cleaned up (now it needs it again, of course), the laundry started, and made a few trips to the store. I wasn't able to carry on our weekly tradition of a pancake breakfast, so I fixed pancakes for dinner. The kids always love that!

But by the time bedtime rolled around, I was frazzled. I needed to get the kids down, and get all the trash rounded up and to the dump before 9. I also had to get to Best Buy by then to replace my router which died today. It was a little thing, but I wanted to get it back up and running so that Leslie could use her computer and I could also work upstairs. As the clock ticked, my patience diminished. I hate that. I wish I could finish strong each day, without "losing it." But I so often fail.

Leslie has been a caretaker to me in this matter, speaking softly and showing a lot of understanding. I don't mean to come across as a nutcase, but I'm sure I sound like I'm constantly at the end of my rope. I really have a lot to be thankful for. The kids have been real troopers, and Leslie waits with great patience. I'm constantly forgetting what I was doing, but she reminds me, with great care.

In the midst of all of this, I see Christ's adequacy in my constant inadequacy. He holds our family together, and I know is at work for His glory. I just pray that my children will not be scarred by my shortcomings (okay, I know they will some), but will have a big view of God and will learn to trust Him even at their young ages.

Crummy Chemo

Leslie had a rough night last night. She was up until 4:30, and then slept a little bit until 7:30. Needless to say, she didn't make it to work. I stayed home to take her to the doctor to have the pump removed. We were there a while, while the nurses tended to her. They kept telling me I had to pamper her. They meant well by it, but it felt more like an attack (as if I wasn't doing enough). They gave her a flu shot too, and I got mine yesterday. I hope to not have that little bug visit our home this winter in particular.

There wasn't time to get her home and then go back and get the kids, so we stopped by on the way home and got them (a little early). We met Kristin to get Munchkin from her and then brought Les home and the kids and I went to run some errands. We had a pretty quiet evening. Leslie hasn't been able to eat much and she continues to lose weight. Her stomach and intestines give her constant grief. I'm not sure if last night was more about her colon and what has happened there in the past 3 months or the chemo and its effects on her body. And then there are all the other drugs and their effects.

Going with Leslie to her appointment today made me the saddest I've been. It is a hard room to go and spend any time in, watching cancer patients all around you, as they are administered chemo. I don't think there was anyone under 60 in the room besides us and the nurses. It was sad; strange and sad. I'm sure my emotional state is more vulnerable under the stress of trying to do everything right now, and the lack of sleep. But I was really fighting back the tears as we drove out of the parking lot. Fortunately, Leslie didn't know it and she started a conversation about something else, which helped me get my mind off of her condition.

I know all the right things to say to myself, and all the right things I am supposed to be thinking, but on days like this those seem to help so little. I am continually telling myself, "He won't give you more than you can bear," even though I feel like this is more than I can bear. I'm beyond self-pity. It's just plain and simple exhaustion and inability to change our reality. Even if I go to bed early, I wake up just as tired, or the kids get me up all night, or I can't sleep... And if I go down and exercise, and start that "routine" for the 100th time, something will happen and I'll miss three or four days and have to go through starting over again. And even if I try to take on a new project to spin out a little more cash, it will turn in to some impossible-to-solve monstrocity that I began wondering why I took it on in the first place. I know I must sound like a total defeatest. I know better and I guess I'm stupid for being this vulnerable on a blog, but that is how I feel. And there is something in the honesty of writing this that causes me to think, "I'm living what I've preached for years."

Yep, all those years I stood before youth, and later in the pulpit before young and old, I preached about trusting God, getting through really difficult stuff, dealing with major hurt, heartache, and suffering. And all the while I had nothing to complain about. Sure, I thought I'd endured suffering and hard times, but I didn't have a clue. And now I'm getting to live it, and fail through it, and see Christ (if ever so faintly). Tim Challies wrote similarly about this when addressing the questions of if/when he would write another book. He responded, "when I've lived my first one." So in a sense, I'm having to take some of the medicine I dished out to so many others, and maybe when I get to the point of not being a total nut in the pressure cooker, then I'll be ready for the next pressure pot. Personally, I'd like to just stew in a crock pot for a while. Wow, all these cooking analogies remind me, I've got a kitchen to clean and lunches to pack, and a web business to run, and laundry to do, and fish to feed, and email to check...hmmm, guess I should stuff all this back in and get back to reality.

So on a lighter note (which I need, and maybe you do too if you've read down this far)...Today, my ever-so-thoughtful friend, Van, sent me two articles that made him think of me. The first, a missions-related article, was funny. But I really wanted to see the original picture!! The second, a coffee-related article, was even funnier...and yet heart-breaking. I occasionally read Tim Challie's blog (I really don't have much time to read any blogs, let alone write my own, so it is no slight to Tim), but this post really changed my perception of him. I thought he was on target on a number of things (but certainly not everything :-), mind you). But as I learned about his position on coffee, and especially Starbucks, I found myself writing his name down on my prayer list. How could someone so perceptive be so wanting of something so foundational as a love and appreciation for man's most affordable luxury? I have no answer.

But from Tim's blog, I found myself moving to other blogs I occasionally read (which is why I usually don't start in the first place...because I realize an hour later that I've just been sitting and reading). I had to share one particular post that I read. It is one of those that is that good. And it is really not so much the post as it is the audio clip (which you must listen to in it's entirety...trust me). If you have 10 minutes, read this post by Phil Johnson, then listen to the audio.

Feeling Sick

Leslie had a good day today, but her strength went downhill this evening. She is feeling nauseous and just plain yucky. The kids did well tonight, and Leslie's former boss brought dinner, entertained the kids, and cleaned the kitchen. It allowed for a smooth bedtime routine which was a huge blessing. I feel so helpless at this point, unable to do much for Leslie other than bring her what she needs. I'm praying for a quiet night with peaceful rest for us all.

Round 2

Today, Leslie began her first intravenous chemotherapy treatment. It lasted more than four hours and she did great! (Click here to see her patiently sitting) Her sister, Dana, took her and was with her for the treatment. One of the side effects is that she must avoid any exposure to anything cold. I thought this was weird, but it is really a big deal. She can't even open the fridge or freezer. The effect is that she would have difficulty breathing, and could even need to go to the ER. So we are being careful. So far she feels fine, other than being tired. She is wearing a chemo pump which will be removed on Thursday.

It was a hard day for me, not being with her. I kept thinking about her sitting in that chair. Even though the process wasn't painful, I hurt knowing what is going in her body. It is basically poison. But this stage of the process is to keep the cancer from returning, so it is very worthwhile. But it is hard for me to think about this being our life for the next six months. I probably sound selfish, but I'm not worried about me. I just wish she was going to a spa, or anything else besides this.

She is planning on returning to work tomorrow, with her pump in tow. Please pray for her stamina, and as petty as this may sound, that her pump and tube would not get caught on anything that would cause the needle to be pulled out. Pray too that she will have good health. It is that time of the year and two of our kids are already sniffling. She is supposed to avoid as much exposure as possible, and this isn't simple when you work in an elementary school. Pray too that our little ones will be as understanding as they can at their age. I'm praying specifically that God would grant them an extra measure of grace to lovingly care for their mother.

The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob...and of Seth and Leslie

Today I sat and talked with my good friend Andy. During our conversation, he said something to the effect of this line, that God is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob...and of Seth and Leslie. This struck me. It is powerful, covenantal language. We talked about how in Scripture we are reminded that our God is the same God of these men. But how did Abraham feel? Jacob had the promise, but Esau had all the external blessings of strength and physical benefit. I needed to be reminded of this truth. Each of these men certainly had some trying periods in their lives, where they had to wait long periods of time to see God's faithfulness. God wasn't incapable during these times. No doubt, He was at work. But I'd bet these guys had to wonder at times, when God would fulfill His promises to them.

Andy and I talked about being in holding patterns in life. I've certainly felt that way for some time. And yet I am reminded that God is faithfully working to conform us to the image of His Son. I've struggled with my own personal worth, with my jobs, finishing seminary, providing for my family, etc... Yet all of these pale in comparison to the waiting I am struggling with right now as I see Leslie struggle with cancer, and the ongoing treatments. Tomorrow she is to begin round two of chemotherapy. She seems so frail physically, and I hurt to know that there are dark clouds in front of her with this next treatment. But just as God was faithful to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so He is faithful to us. I don't know what that will look like exactly. I know what I want it to look like. I want Leslie to be restored physically. But just as these men were promised many physical things, the fulfillment of the promises were and are spiritual (even though there was temporal physical fulfillment; that was certainly not the extent of it). Abraham certainly had a large family, but we know ourselves to be sons of "Father Abraham." As children of God we are the beneficiaries of the promises of a Land and an inheritance to come. It is beyond what we can see with our eyes. I am so thankful for that. The physical restoration I want for Leslie would only be temporary (but I, of course, still want it). Yet I know there will come a day when real restoration will be a reality for all of us that belong to Him. And so my hope and trust is in Him, to do as He sees fit. And if that means ongoing treatments and suffering for Leslie, my hope will not fail, because ultimately my hope extends beyond this life and this world.

This evening Leslie's sister, Dana, came into town to take her to chemo tomorrow. I am so thankful for this as I have nearly exhausted my time off work. The doctors, and those who have gone through similar treatment, have said that the fatigue and any sickness will come a few days after the infusion. She will spend about four hours tomorrow receiving the chemo intravenously. She will then wear a pump home and return on Thursday to have the pump removed. This regiment will repeat every other week for the next six months.

There are many who continue to minister to us. Several folks at work continue to provide meals. Kristin has been helping with the kids. My neighbor keeps cutting the grass. Christ is sustaining us. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our God. He is faithful!

It's Been a Good Week

We are still here! I haven't been very good about posting this week. It's been a good week though. We've just been busy. I've been especially busy in the evenings after everyone is in bed with my web business work. Thus, I haven't had any time to write.

Leslie has had the best week I think since we first learned of her cancer. That is relative, of course. She is still really tired and has had ongoing issues related to the cancer, but they've been minimal. We're very thankful for that.

The weather is cooling off and it is starting to feel more like Fall. Yesterday, I met Les and the kids in downtown Gainesville for Mule Camp. It is a country-type fair held on the square. They have lots of displays, music, food, etc... I wasn't prepared with cash, so we didn't do much other than walk around. The kids really wanted to ride the horses though. So I took them today, back to the festival, and let each of them ride. McGrooter rode the big horse (Mcgrooter on the horse), Aggie cautiously rode a pony (Aggie on the pony), and Munchkin fearlessly rode the pony (Munchkin on the pony) and begged to do it again and again. Afterward, we went and had lunch with Poppie and Leslie, then home to rest before going back out to celebrate Becky's birthday.

Last night I took McGrooter to Curtis and Jenny's for Bennett's 7th birthday party. It was a dance party which was highly entertaining to watch. The four boys danced the night away and even enjoyed fake redneck teeth (boys will be boys). They all went home with a CD of the dance music. Needless to say, it's had plenty of air play today as we rode around. We finally had to retire it on the way home tonight for some softer music (for the parents' sanity!).

I'm learning a lot about "right now." It seems there is always something competing for each and every moment, and there is very little opportunity to live "right now." But I'm coming to realize how important "right now" is. I still struggle with feeling the need to work and do, but God is impressing upon me to enjoy these little moments we have. Spending time together, enjoying life, have become so much more important. A year ago, I would have let Leslie take the kids to something like the Mule Camp, and I would have stayed home to be "productive." But I'm realzing that the time together is really a lot more productive than getting one of the million things that needs to be done, accomplished. It's been good for me. And I am thankful for the sweet memories we are making. There's nothing quite like the joy of watching the kids riding a horse, or dancing around under a black light (if you could call it dancing). I've got a lot more to learn, no doubt, but the tyranny of the urgent has been a little less tyrranical lately. For that I am thankful.

bilingual blog

So far I have mostly posted in french but I start to wonder if this is logical given that it seems the forex language is english. 95 % of blogs are english speaking and get most of the readers.

At first I tought that the french speaking community was large enough to attract many readers but this is not the case; I even start to wonder how large is the french speaking forex trading public. Mataf.net is the most well known french speaking forex forum but the core base of traders is limited to only a few. Many rookie traders are attracted to the forum but do no last very long, which would be logical with the assumption that 90 % of new traders become washed out within six months.

Moreover you will find very few french speaking forex blogs. I'll probably switch to english in the future while having a small extract in french. Most traders read english so that would not be detrimental to my french speaking public. ( which has been very limited so far anyway. )

The trading week has been quiet, I reached 60 % of the objectives. That's all for now , folks .

le meilleur ami du trader

... son fidèle calculateur :-) Celui-ci remonte à mes études et je suis passé par toute la gamme des calculateurs HP. Une fois qu'on a le virus du RPN ( notation polonaise inverse ) on ne peut plus s'en passer. Autre avantage, on ne vous pique jamais votre calculateur car 90 % des malandrins ne savent pas s'en servir.

Pour trader, je ne suis jamais très loin de ce modèle:

Reunions

Today we had two reunions. We left early this morning to travel to Fayetteville, Georgia to attend Berachah Bible Church. This is the church I grew up in and later served for three years as Associate Pastor. Most of my family was there, including my sister from Pennsylvania. We had a wonderful time seeing so many old friends, even though it was brief. It was such an encouragement to be reminded by so many of them of their love for us and their continued prayers for our family, especially for Leslie.

Afterward we went to my brother and sister-in-law's for a family reunion to celebrate a number of birthdays and to spend time with my sister. We had a wonderful time enjoying a meal together outside. Rob & Stacy rented this huge inflatable slide (some 22 feet high!) for the kids to play on. It was a hit! The weather was warm and the sun was bright. While we were there, our good friend Christa (from Berachah) came by and gave us a card from the church. They have been collecting gifts and put them together in the form of two very generous gift cards to Kroger and Publix. These will no doubt cover several weeks worth of groceries! I'm amazed by the love of this church family. Christa commented that it was if we were still a part of that body and that it was like we never left. It is hard to put into words how blessed we feel. Thank you Berachah family for this generous showing of Christ's love. God continues to use His Body, spread far and wide, to meet our needs and care for us.

Needless to say, the kids were exhausted as we headed home. They had a blast playing with the cousins, and faded in and out of sleep during the drive. I hope they will sleep soundly tonight! :-)

Leslie is tired as well. But this trip was so worth it for our entire family. As we continue to grieve the loss of Nannie, we are reminded how important these times together are.

unité de temps et graphes

60 % des objectifs atteints cette semaine. La forme revient doucement après les bévues de la semaine passée.

Pour un scalpeur, les graphes sont au moins aussi importants que pour ceux qui suivent les méthodes de l'analyse technique. On réalise ce fait avec les deux copies écrans ci-dessous: elles représentent la même situation à un moment identique. Il n'est pas difficile à imaginer que les décisions de trading vont être différentes. C'est tout l'intérêt de chercher des plateformes de trading adaptées à votre style de trading.



à comparer avec ceci : un monde de différence !

Chemo Port

Leslie had her chemo port "installed" this morning. It was a relatively quick surgical procedure and it went well. She is very sore (it is just below her left collar bone). She has rested most of the day. I was thankful to have my mom here for the past few days. She helped immensely, including taking Leslie to her surgery while I remained home with the kids. I was planning to take them to school and then go to the hospital, but McGrooter was up from 11:30 to just after 4 with stomach issues. Needless to say we are all exhausted today. But it was still a good day and the kids enjoyed having Grandma here to play with. They did well, letting Leslie rest and not driving me to complete madness. Hopefull the rest of the weekend will be restful for us, even though we still have a wedding to attend and a family get-together with my clan.

Nannie's Funeral

Today we had Nannie's funeral. What can be said? It was sad. Not because we grieve without hope. We know where Nannie is, and we rejoice that she is with her Lord. Yet we still grieve, and our hearts are heavy as we think about life without Nannie. But there were many moments of laughter sprinkled throughout the day. Dr. Coates, during the service, mentioned several things he found in Nannie's Bible (verses marked, poems, little stories and such). The thing that brought a smile to probably everyone there, and which also got the remark from Dr. Coates of, "I've never seen this before," was when he read some notes from the front inside cover of her Bible. There Nannie had written, "gift from Wilbert" and the date and then the year and model of at least three different cars he'd given her. She'd even written down the mileage on the cars, down to the tenth of a mile. :-) She loved her Cadillacs!

After the funeral and lunch we went out to Poppies and all sat on the porch until nearly dark. It was a beautiful day. The kids played in the yard. Poppie began to tell stories, and soon we all were. We recounted so many things we loved about Nannie. She was a giver. She loved to give. You could tell by the look on her face that it brought her as much joy giving you something you really wanted as it did giving you joy receiving it. And she loved to put on a spread. Family get-togethers will never be the same without her.

I put together a little video which we played during visitation each evening. It was a collection of pictures and video clips of Nannie from over the years. I thought I would put some of my favorite photos here:  Nannie as a young adult; Nannie with Leslie in 2001; Nannie with Leslie in 2007; Nannie teaching Leslie how to can; Nannie & Poppie; Nannie & Poppie with the kids

Wednesday, October 3

Tonight we had the second visitation for Nannie. It was wonderful to have so many friends come out, but it was hard as the reality of Nannie being gone is beginning to settle in. Leslie left in tears tonight. She has continually said she can't imagine life without Nannie. I have to agree.

I was especially thankful that my mom came up today to stay with the kids. She's not feeling well but she never complains. She stayed home with the kids so they could get to bed on time. Everyone was snoozing when we got home. Last night our friend, Avery, came out to the funeral home and helped us with the kids so we could visit with friends at the funeral home. What a blessing!

Tomorrow morning at 11 we will have the funeral. Please pray for the family.

Leslie did pretty well tonight. She had some discomfort so I ran to the pharmacy to get some medicine which provided some relief. I long for her to be whole again physically.

Deep Sadness

Today has been a truly sad day as we continue to mourn the loss of Nannie. The reality that she is gone is tough to accept. Tonight was the first visitation and many friends came out to join the family. Poppie was strong but I know he is really exhausted. He has really had a tough time these past months.

Two things strike me this evening as I think about Nannie's death. First, I am so thankful that we moved here two years ago. Leaving Birmingham with seminary unfinished seemed like retreat. I felt like I had been defeated. But now I see God's good providence in that he brought us back to be close to family. We got to be close to Nannie these past two years, and the kids now have many memories of her. They may not remember much as they grow older, but I hope they will be able to hold on to images and memories with Nannie. I am also thankful we are back here as we go through this trial with Leslie's cancer.

The second thing that strikes me this evening is how three people, in particular, cared for Nannie. Poppie, Mike and Leslie have all impacted me as they lovingly met Nannie's needs. I watched such tenderness on each of their parts. Nannie was in a lot of pain over the past months, and each of them took extra care to do all they could to make her comfortable. Mike and Poppie were at her side almost the entire time. Leslie went when she could and would tend to her physical needs, doing things for her with such dignity. I have learned so much from them.

Leslie is doing okay. Yesterday really wore her out and took a toll on her body. She had a rough night last night and sick much of today, but was able to make it through visitation tonight. I know I continually ask for prayer for good rest for my family, but I must ask again. McGrooter and Munckin have both been up complaining of being scared. I'm not sure what it's tied to, but I'm sure the events of recent have played their part. So please pray that everyone would rest well and have good dreams.

Nannie

Today, Leslie's grandmother, Nannie, passed away. Her health has been failing over the past few years and she has been back and forth between the hospital and nursing home in the past several weeks. I was supposed to be headed out of town on a trip for work when I go the call that the hospice nurse had called to say she had just a few hours left.

Leslie and I both went to the nursing home and spent the last few hours of Nannie's life with her and the family. We talked to her, sang to her, and prayed with her. We are thankful that her faith was in Christ and that she is now at peace. I am so thankful for God's providential timing in that I was able to be in town when this happened.

It's been a hard day, of course. Leslie was very close to Nannie. We've hurt as we've seen her suffer lately, and as we've watch Poppie and Leslie's parents lovingly care for Nannie. So we are hurting but also relieved that Nannie is at peace in the presence of her Lord.

The funeral is set for Thursday at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church, Gainesville, in the chapel. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5-7 and Wednesday from 7-9 at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Gainesville, GA.

Plein la gueule à 1.4270

Aucun doute que j'ai dégusté en fin de semaine...

Le titre fait référence à un film avec Burt Reynolds qui joue le rôle d'un ex-champion de football américain accusé de corruption.Condamné à une peine de deux ans de prison , le directeur lui propose d'entraîner l'équipe des gardiens.
J'ai pas pris des gnons dans la figure mais c'était tout comme ;-) Après avoir examiné la trentaine de trades depuis mercredi-jeudi et vendredi , je n'arrive toujours pas à comprendre pourquoi j'étais long dollar alors que l'eurusd manifestement brulait tous les feux rouges vers un plus haut.

En fait je crois savoir pourquoi : mon esprit s'était auto-convaincu que le dollar allait se reprendre, qu'il y aurait des prises de bénéfices, que le marché se rendrait compte qu'on avait brossé un tableau trop pessimiste de l'économie US et que les exportateurs européens allaient commencer à sentir leur douleur.

Alors de façon inconsciente, j'ai presque anticipé que le marché allait se retourner au moment au j'entrais en position. Ben, ca n'a pas marché comme prévu.... Pourtant aucun trade n'a vraiment été une perte importante, mais une trentaine de scalps coupés rapidement , cela coûte cher malgré tout.

Ce n'est pas tant la perte financière qui m'ennuie, mais l'erreur absolue de raisonnement, comment ai-je pu être aveugle à ce point? C'est quasi une erreur de débutant que je pensais pourtant ne plus rééditer. Je vais peut-être devoir engager un type pour me donner des baffes quand je sors des clous. :-) Bon, lundi on reprends !

Fall Has Arrived

So far we've had a wonderful weekend. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed a morning of playing football and riding toys yesterday morning. I cooked chocolate chip pancakes and sausage for breakfast which the kids amazingly ate up ;-). Leslie got to get out with "the girls" (her mom, sister and sister-in-law) for a little bit, which was fun for her but wore her out.

Nannie continues about status quo. It's hard to think about.

Momentum in Missions

I thought I would write something on missions (or share something I wrote to a church missions committee chairman recently), since I do this every day. This is actually a modified version. My thought is I would have it to use again in the future if I put it on my blog, but it also might encourage others. Or someone out there might write something really provocative and tell me I've made no sense. Either way, this is in response to a missions committee chairman who had asked for some suggestions for his church. They had recently asked families to adopt missionaries, and wanted to make a great impact and maintain the momentum.

This is a great idea and I hope that it is going well so far. Here are some of my initial thoughts about how to keep people involved:

1) Promote it! - Folks won’t maintain the momentum or awareness on their own. They need to continually hear about it and see it, from the pulpit, in the bulletin, in small groups, etc… People are busy these days, and even though their hearts are in the right place, their minds are often distracted by a million other things. Instead of simply continually reminding them, you could suggest things such as the following:

a. How to pray - use this document (particularly the second page) to suggest weekly or bi-weekly ways they can pray specifically for their missionary family (there are 34 items, to which you could add others). You could email/mail a note every other week, and rather than say, “pray for your missionary,” you can say, “pray for your missionary, specifically for their understanding the differences between themselves and others on their team.”) You could elaborate more to spur their thoughts to deeper concern and prayer. Bottom line is that prayer is one of the key ways to minister through and to missions so modeling prayer, creating a prayer book, praying in worship services, planning a time of prayer emphasis, praying for the persecuted church, teaching people to pray, etc…are all great ways to move people from wanting to pray to actually praying.

b. Country Fact Sheet - either encourage folks to find or send families a “fact sheet” about a country; use a website like Operation World (or you can use the book by the same title) to email/mail people facts that will spur prayer and develop understanding

c. Missionary Fact Sheet - this could be something very simple that you put together (or get help from us to put it together) that is either specific about a missionary or very general about missionaries (such as issues facing “Third Culture Kids” or the struggles of learning a new language); sharing some such facts as are on this website in a bulletin sidebar, can remind people about language differences, and thus how to pray more specifically for a missionary

2) Story telling - I would suggest that it not just be “remember to contact your missionary family,” but use ways that would encourage (and thus motivate), such as story telling. One way is to have one family each month or so, give a report of what is going on. This could be on a Sunday morning, in a SS class or small group, or some other public format. They will thus inform the church of the work of the missionary, but will also share ideas they’ve come up with to minister to the missionary. It will motivate others to do this and keep the church aware of how they can pray. (e.g. The Jones, Browns and Smiths have adopted the Johnson family; they learn the Johnsons are using teaching English as a second language as a ministry to connect with unbelievers and share the Gospel; one way they do this is with American magazines, but they have trouble getting them regularly where they are; so the Jones, Browns and Smiths decide to start collecting the magazines they get and ship them together over to the Johnsons - when they tell this story to the church, others get ideas of what they can do and they learn about the Johnsons’ English ministry and how folks are coming to Christ through it)

3) Report it - when good things happen, tell everyone. You may get an email from a missionary telling you how much this has meant to them, or you become aware of something creative a family has done. When you do, report it.

4) Connect - as you mentioned, when missionaries come to the US, allow them to have some meaningful “connection” time with the church body; but also consider connecting through 2-week trips. Any 2-week trip that the church might take should definitely go to one of these 7 places, not to another place. Furthermore, the church should send the pastor annually or every other year, to visit one of these families. And he should come back and report. This is often where missionaries praise the church for their meaningful ministry to them (to the pastor when he visits). But then when these 2-week teams come back, or the pastor returns, they are all a resource to the adopting family for ways to minister (e.g. we noticed they love Reese’s cups and they can’t get them there; their computer is really old and they could use a new one; the kids love reading Hardy Boys books but only have 10 of them; etc…). Remember to consider the uniqueness of your church for connecting; that is, have folks brainstorm as to how they can uniquely connect with the field. Consider the attached Partnership Case Study as a guide for how churches can use their unique skills, assets, etc… to make a big impact on the field.

5) Read - provide a “book nook” of missionary biographies and relevant missiological books that will prompt prayer, and acts of thoughtfulness; you can see a list of recommended reading here; reading will prompt a lot of good acts and keep people mindful; it may even be good to read books together, for as many people who will participate

I wouldn’t expect every missionary to be as well taken care of as everyone else. There will be variety in the care given, based on the participation. I guess I wouldn’t make that the measure of success. Instead, I would consider any meaningful connection with the field a success. I would bet that over time it will grow.

One of the things we’re seeing is that churches want more meaningful connections to the field. Many churches (especially larger ones) are trying to become their own sending agency in an attempt to accomplish this. But this extreme isn’t necessary (or very efficient). What you’ve described is a wonderful way to make that kind of meaningful connection, and better serve your missionaries. I think what you’ll see over time is a greater desire on your peoples’ part to give more and to go more. And given enough time, I think you’ll see future missionaries grow up out of this work.