Easter

What is Easter and what does it mean to you?
 
Easter Season

In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline in preparation for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Eastern Orthodox churches observe Lent or Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sunday with fasting continuing during the Holy Week of Easter. Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday and Ash Wednesday is not observed.
Because of Easter's pagan origins, and also because of the commercialization of Easter, many Christian churches choose to refer to the holiday as Resurrection Day.

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches.
Christians believe, according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Easter in the Bible

The biblical account of Jesus' death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.

Paul Walker's brothers help finish 'Fast & Furious 7' action scenes

 

Fast & Furious 7 one of the most anticipated films since the late Paul Walker has began putting things in place to get it completed. This was published on the CNN website - Paul Walker's brothers are helping "fill in small gaps" in "Fast & Furious 7" action sequences not finished before the actor's death, producers said Tuesday. Walker died in a fiery car crash during a Thanksgiving break in filming last November, forcing a halt to production.

"We had to take time to grieve Paul, the brother we love and lost, and to figure out if we should move on with our film," producers wrote to fans in a Facebook post Tuesday.

The decision to resume filming was "the only choice," the note said. We believe our fans want that, and we believe Paul would want that, too."

Walker's dramatic scenes were completed before his death but some action sequences were unfinished, they said.

"We have resumed shooting and now welcome Paul's brothers, Caleb and Cody, into our 'Fast' family," the post said. "Caleb and Cody are helping us complete some remaining action for their brother and fill in small gaps left in production. Having them on set has made us all feel that Paul is with us, too."

The movie was to have been released this summer, but Universal pushed it back to April 10, 2015.

Who is God?

 
I found this article online from godandscience.org and i find it very interesting so i decided to share it.
Many religions describe a being referred to as "God." Some of these religions describe the being God as one of many other gods created by more powerful gods or councils of gods. However, for the purpose of this paper, we are going to use the definition of God contained in the Bible. As such, God is the Spirit hovering over the waters of the primordial Earth—Creator of the universe (matter, energy, space, and time), along with other principalities and beings whose primary existence is outside this universe. However, God did not just create the universe and leave it to its own fate as deists proclaim. God is the personal being who walked and talked with Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in the garden of Eden. God is also Savior of mankind, coming to Earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to provide the ultimate example of holiness and the ultimate sacrifice for humanity's evilness, in order to restore our personal relationship with Him.

WHO IS GOD?

According to Christianity, God is the self-existent One, having no need of being created, since He has existed forever and is the cause of all things, including the dimension of time, to which He is not subject. Likewise, God is not subject to the physical creation, but is spiritual in nature, residing in the spiritual dimensions of heaven. God's power over the physical creation is absolute, such that He can manipulate matter, energy, space, and time at will. For this reason, God is said to be all powerful—able to accomplish any possible task He wills to do. Along with being all powerful, God is also all knowing—having knowledge of all things that are possible to be known, including the entire history of the universe—past, present, and future. Because God is all powerful (omnipotent) and all knowing (omniscient), He is also able to be present at all places at all times (omnipresent). God is also all loving—according to the Bible, "God is love" (1 John 4:16). The love of God prompted Him to create human beings in His image, in order to share His love with us. The Christian scriptures say that we can fulfill the entire law of God by loving Him and loving our fellow human beings (Matthew 22:37-40). God is absolutely holy—without any moral or character defect. In fact, the Bible says that God is incapable of doing any evil, despite being all powerful. God is unchangeable. In other words, He does not change any of His attributes or character at any time. Despite humanity's tendency to change its definition of morality, God's moral character does not evolve with the times, but remains constant.

WHERE IS GOD?
The Bible says that God cannot be contained within the universe (1 Kings 8:27). In addition, the Bible says that God fills both heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24), which is a Hebrew idiom to describe the entire universe. So, God is both transcendent and immanent simultaneously. God's normal abode is in heaven, which is not located within the physical universe. According to the Bible heaven seems to operate under different physical laws, with the laws of thermodynamics seeming to be absent. So, the question "Where is God?" is not one that can be answered with the knowledge we posses.


WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE?
Since human beings are created in the image of God, most artist's renditions picture God as looking like a human male. Although the Bible uses the personal pronoun "He" to describe God, it never says God looks like a human male. Word pictures describing God usually use words such as "like" or "as" in their descriptions. So, we find that both males and females were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), although God is not a hermaphrodite. Likewise, there are descriptions of God that describe Him with wings and feathers (Psalm 91:2-4), although nobody would suggest that God is an overgrown chicken. In fact, the Bible says God is a spirit (John 4:24)—without physical form (i.e., not composed of ordinary matter). Although God's primary nature is spiritual, He is able to take on physical form in order to interact with human beings on Earth. In fact, the Bible says that God took on human form, coming to earth as Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible says that believers who die will go to heaven and "see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2), because they will be like Him, possessing "spiritual bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:44). So, there is no way to know what God actually looks like in heaven, until we actually get there


WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US
If God created the entire universe as a place to accommodate human beings, He must have had some sort of plan in mind. The Bible says God wants as many people as possible to choose to love Him and spend eternity with Him. Since God's standard for behavior is perfection in thought and deed, we are going to find it very difficult to meet God's standard on our own. However, since God loves us so much, He has provided another means by which we can attain perfection. Jesus, as God, took on the form of a human being and lived on the earth in the first century (Philippians 2:5-8). Besides teaching, His main purpose was to provide the ultimate sacrifice for sins (bad things we do), by living a completely sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), dying on a cross (Colossians 1:19-20), and rising from the dead (Romans 6:9-10). It is through belief in Jesus and His sacrifice for sins that one is declared righteous and free from sin. One who believes in Jesus follows Him, being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who guides Christians as they become conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). So, those who believe in Jesus are declared righteous and will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

God is the ultimate Being in existence, perfect in power, love, and character. Since God wanted to share His love with others, He created the angels and human beings—spiritual creatures who can related to Him. Because God is love, He wants us to love Him and love other people (Matthew 22:37-40). God came to earth in human form as Jesus of Nazareth to teach us about Himself and to provide the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, so that those who believe can have fellowship with Him. The Bible encourages all people to turn from their selfishness to become lovers of God, to fulfill God's perfect law of love

What Happens When You Die?

People always want to know what happens when someone die but there's only one group of people who really know what happens when you die: the dead. And since the dead won't be revealing their secrets anytime soon, it's up to scientists to explain what happens when a person dies.
Death, just like life, is a process, scientists say. The first stage of this process is known as clinical death. It lasts from four to six minutes, beginning when a person stops breathing and the heart stops pumping blood. During this time, there may be enough oxygen in the brain that no permanent brain damage occurs. Other organs, such as the kidneys and eyes, also remain alive throughout clinical death.
In the second stage of dying, known as biological death, the cells of the body begin to degenerate, and the body's organs — including the brain — shut down. Doctors are sometimes able to stall biological death by inducing hypothermia — cooling the body to below its normal temperature. This method can stop the degeneration of cells and has been used to revive cardiac-arrest patients. These stages of death are well understood, but what remains elusive is what happens to a person once he or she is both clinically and biologically dead. To get some insight into this mystery, researchers turn to the study of near-death experiences (NDEs). According to the Out-Of-Body Experience Research Center in Los Angeles, more than 8 million Americans have reported NDEs, which occur when a person is either clinically dead, near dead or in a situation where death is likely or expected. Many people who have had near-death experiences report similar sensations: feeling as though they were floating outside of their bodies, moving rapidly through a tunnel toward light or seeing deceased loved ones. Researchers continually study NDEs in an effort to make sense of the biological and neurological processes that may be behind such events. Some studies claim that NDEs are just another form of lucid dreaming, while others link these experiences to oxygen deprivation in the brain.

All about Ectasy Drug

Ecstasy or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as MDMA is a synthetic creation that was patented by the German pharmaceutical company Merck. Considered for its potential as a diet pill, MDMA was soon dropped by Merck for reasons unknown. Virtually dormant until 1953, MDMA was researched-and used-by a former pesticide chemist named Alexander Shulgin. Shulgin was on a quest for the ideal psychoactive drug but was frustrated by the regulations and required trials mandated before a medication could be brought to market. Other scientists met similar obstacles. Ecstasy abuse came under scrutiny in 1985 when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration banned its use due to its potential as an agent of brain damage. It remains on the list of drugs prohibited from sale or use until today, though the Food and Drug Administration has conducted tests of the compound’s effect on humans. Its usage is popular at parties and celebrities tend to be fond of the drugs, it can be heard in artist music and seen in a number of drug related movies.

Shortly after taking ecstasy, the user may experience a positive increase in energy levels and a euphoric state of being. Feelings of emotional peace and empathy are also common among those who are high on ecstasy. When recounting what the ecstasy high is like, many users report perceived perversions in time and space, as well as in their sense of touch. Another short term effect of the drug is the suppression of certain basic physical needs, like eating, drinking and sleeping. As a consequence, contemporary “rave” parties where ecstasy is present can exceed 24 or even 48 hours in duration.

Like any drug, ecstasy can produce unexpected side effects. Some physiological effects of the drug include the following:

• Nausea
• Hallucinations
• Sweating and chills
• Fever
• Shaking and tremors
• Muscle cramping
• Blurred vision

The side effects of ecstasy overdose are more extreme. These symptoms merit immediate medical treatment:

• High blood pressure
• Lightheadedness
• Panic attacks
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness
• Extreme increase in body temperature

At its most extreme, ecstasy overdose may cause death by heat stroke and heart failure. Because it masks the need for food, water and rest, this substance has also been implicated in dehydration and exhaustion. While research on the long term effect of ecstasy is ongoing, certain traits are shared by regular users. For example, a 1998 study asserted that irreparable damage to serotonin neurotransmitters was observed in a subject group of users. Since serotonin levels affect learning, sleep and emotional processes, such damage can leave users severely impaired. Without proper functioning of the neurotransmitters, conditions such as depression, anxiety and memory loss are much more likely to occur. Of course, continued use can also bring about an addiction.

Solar Energy and some of Its Uses

 
The use of solar energy is getting very popular in most countries due to huge longer-term benefits, which includes increasing countries’ energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise.

Solar energy or heat from the sun is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity, solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

In Urban Planning
Sunlight has influenced building design since the beginning of architectural history.
The common features of passive solar architecture are orientation relative to the Sun, compact proportion (a low surface area to volume ratio), selective shading (overhangs) and thermal mass. When these features are tailored to the local climate and environment they can produce well-lit spaces that stay in a comfortable temperature range. Socrates' Megaron House is a classic example of passive solar design. The most recent approaches to solar design use computer modeling tying together solar lighting, heating and ventilation systems in an integrated solar design package. Active solar equipment such as pumps, fans and switchable windows can complement passive design and improve system performance.

In Agriculture
Agriculture and horticulture seek to optimize the capture of solar energy in order to optimize the productivity of plants. Techniques such as timed planting cycles, tailored row orientation, staggered heights between rows and the mixing of plant varieties can improve crop yields. While sunlight is generally considered a plentiful resource, the exceptions highlight the importance of solar energy to agriculture. During the short growing seasons of the Little Ice Age, French and English farmers employed fruit walls to maximize the collection of solar energy. These walls acted as thermal masses and accelerated ripening by keeping plants warm. Early fruit walls were built perpendicular to the ground and facing south, but over time, sloping walls were developed to make better use of sunlight. Greenhouses convert solar light to heat, enabling year-round production and the growth (in enclosed environments) of specialty crops and other plants not naturally suited to the local climate. Primitive greenhouses were first used during Roman times to produce cucumbers year-round for the Roman emperor Tiberius. The first modern greenhouses were built in Europe in the 16th century to keep exotic plants brought back from explorations abroad. Greenhouses remain an important part of horticulture today, and plastic transparent materials have also been used to similar effect in polytunnels and row covers.

In Transport
Development of a solar-powered car has been an engineering goal since the 1980s.
Some vehicles use solar panels for auxiliary power, such as for air conditioning, to keep the interior cool, thus reducing fuel consumption. In 1975, the first practical solar boat was constructed in England. By 1995, passenger boats incorporating PV panels began appearing and are now used extensively. In 1980, the Gossamer Penguin made the first piloted flights powered solely by photovoltaics. The Zephyr, developed by BAE Systems, is the latest in a line of record-breaking solar aircraft, making a 54-hour flight in 2007.

Solar Thermal
Solar thermal technologies can be used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation. Solar hot water systems use sunlight to heat water. In low geographical latitudes (below 40 degrees) from 60 to 70% of the domestic hot water use with temperatures up to 60 °C can be provided by solar heating systems. The most common types of solar water heaters are evacuated tube collectors (44%) and glazed flat plate collectors (34%) generally used for domestic hot water; and unglazed plastic collectors (21%) used mainly to heat swimming pools.
As of 2007, the total installed capacity of solar hot water systems is approximately 154 GW. China is the world leader in their deployment with 70 GW installed as of 2006 and a long term goal of 210 GW by 2020. Israel and Cyprus are the per capita leaders in the use of solar hot water systems with over 90% of homes using them.

Water Treatment
Solar distillation can be used to make saline or brackish water potable.
Solar water disinfection (SODIS) involves exposing water-filled plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to sunlight for several hours. Exposure times vary depending on weather and climate from a minimum of six hours to two days during fully overcast conditions. It is recommended by the World Health Organization as a viable method for household water treatment and safe storage. Over two million people in developing countries use this method for their daily drinking water.
Solar energy may be used in a water stabilization pond to treat waste water without chemicals or electricity. A further environmental advantage is that algae grow in such ponds and consume carbon dioxide in photosynthesis, although algae may produce toxic chemicals that make the water unusable

10 Attractions in Jamaica

 

Dunn's River Falls

Dunn's River Falls is a spectacular waterfall near Ocho Rios, where cold mountain water cascades 1,000 feet (300 meters) down naturally terraced steps. Visitors can climb the falls alone or in a guided "human chain," but there's also plenty of swimming, sunbathing and sightseeing to do as well. Those interested in geology will be fascinated with the way the falls renew themselves via regular deposits of calcium carbonate and sodium.

Nine Mile

Nine Mile is synonymous with one of Jamaica’s most famous sons, the late great master of reggae Bob Marley. Thanks to guided tours led by Rastafarian guides, you can visit the former home of Bob Marley, as well as the musician’s beloved Mt. Zion Rock and his mausoleum. Many of the guides are Bob’s fellow musicians, relatives, and friends.

Bob Marley Experience

If you’re visiting Jamaica, chances are you’re a fan of Bob Marley. What better way to celebrate the King of Reggae’s life and music than a tour of his birthplace, house, and mausoleum?

When you visit the Bob Marley Museum, you get a sense of his daily life, as it is located in his boyhood home in Nine Mile. There's his hammock and his herb garden, as well as the beat-up Land Rover he drove around the island, not to mention the frescoes on the house depicting everything he loved.

Dolphin Cove

Swimming with dolphins is on most people’s must-do lists, and Dolphin Cove offers a one-on-one encounter with dolphins and sharks like no other in Jamaica.

You can touch, hold, feed and of course swim with the dolphins, and even interact with sharks.
For the most in-depth dolphin encounter, be a sea keeper for the day and help feed and train these fascinating creatures

Martha Brae River

The Martha Brae River is the tranquil home of river rafting in Jamaica, the best way to discover the country's tropical interior. Guided tours include refreshment, lunch and lagoon swim stops, and quite often the guided rafting trips pass riverside crafts stalls. Rafts are ecologically friendly, made from bamboo, and the trips along the river pass Luminous Lagoon, where a natural phenomenon causes the water to glow.

Rhodes Hall Plantation

Get a sense of how life used to be in Jamaica at the Rhodes Hall Plantation - a historic property and working plantation set on a private 550 acre (222 hectare) estate, 5 mi (8 km) outside of Negril.

You can visit, go horse riding or stay at the estate, which has two private beaches, a nature trail and a crocodile reserve. Operating since the 1700s, the plantation has its history in sugar cane and rum and several artifacts and copies are on display from the era, including the cauldrons originally used by slaves to boil down sugar cane.

Rose Hall Great House

Built in the latter part of the 18th century, Rose Hall is the most well-known great house in all of Jamaica. The massive Georgian mansion is the centerpiece of a plantation that covers over 6,500 acres, but it's most notable for its famous occupant, Annie Palmer, better known as the White Witch of Rose Hall.

Said to have dabbled in witchcraft, Annie Palmer allegedly poisoned her three husbands. Stories allege that she routinely took slaves as lovers and had them killed when she grew tired of them. She was supposedly smothered with a pillow in her bed in 1830s by a vengeful slave.

Rio Bueno

Rio Bueno is a small village located 32 miles (51.5 kilometers) east of Montego Bay on the island of Jamaica. The Rio Bueno Harbour is the deepest harbor in Jamaica and the site where Columbus is believed to have first touched land in Jamaica. Visitors to Jamaica flock to this small fishing community to experience one of the most exhilarating excursions on the island: adventures along the Rio Bueno River. 

Croydon Plantation

When you need to relax and want a break from the beach, book a tour of Croydon Plantation! Located twenty miles inland from Montego Bay, Croydon Plantation is a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.  You’ll travel through breathtaking, mountainous scenery, explore a working plantation and enjoy a delicious, traditional Jamaican barbeque amid the beautiful Catadupa Mountains.

Negril Lighthouse

Lighting up the westernmost point of Jamaica, Negril's Lighthouse stands at 20 meters (65 feet) tall and is one of the earliest concrete lighthouses, having warned ships away from the promontory since 1894.

Originally powered by kerosene, the Lighthouse switched to solar power in 1985 and flashes every two seconds.You can still climb its 103 steps today for unparalleled views over the Caribbean. It's a popular spot at sunset.