| To: SemiBull who wrote (170) | 2/9/2004 8:51:35 PM | | From: SemiBull | | | | Ascential Software to Exhibit at Top Military Technology Exposition
Tuesday February 3, 10:25 am ET
Enterprise Data Integration Leader Showcases Strategic Value of Transforming Complex Government Data from Multiple Sources into Valuable Information
SAN DIEGO and WESTBORO, Mass., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ascential Software Corporation (Nasdaq: ASCL - News), the enterprise data integration leader, today announced it will demonstrate the Ascential(TM) Enterprise Integration Suite at the Western Conference and Exposition - "West 04" - February 3-5 at the San Diego Convention Center. West 2004 is the largest event on the West Coast for communications, electronics, intelligence, information systems, imaging, military weapon systems, aviation, shipbuilding and more.
West 2004 is co-hosted by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) and the U.S. Naval Institute, and will feature exhibits from more than 350 technology companies and discussions by leading military experts. Ascential Software enterprise data integration solutions are deployed at many federal agencies, including The U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and several intelligence organizations, among others.
"Real-time, accurate information sharing among government agencies at the federal, state and local levels has never been more crucial. These organizations have immediate requirements for comprehensive integration of massive quantities of data in mixed computing environments," said Bill Smith, director of Ascential Software's Federal division. "The Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite provides the core capabilities required to address the myriad data integration and management issues facing many agencies today as they move forward with their information sharing initiatives."
Ascential Software will demonstrate the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite at booth # 1650. The Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite is a complete data integration solution that profiles, cleanses and consolidates data from heterogeneous sources, applications and systems, and transforms it into valuable strategic information for public and private sector enterprises. The suite operates on a shared platform of software services for unlimited scalability through parallel processing, complete meta data management, any- to-any connectivity and real-time data integration. Ascential Real-Time Integration Services extends the reach and enables the seamless interoperability of Ascential Software's data integration solutions within an enterprise's service-oriented architecture (SOA).
West 2004 is the largest event on the West Coast for communications, electronics, intelligence, information systems, imaging, military weapon systems, aviation, shipbuilding and more. In addition to the exposition, leading military experts and analysts will address various topics related to national defense. For free online general registration and program updates go to west2004.org. For media registration contact Betsy Judge at (410) 295-1058/bjudge@navalinstitute.org.
The U.S. Naval Institute is a unique professional membership association that has served for more than 130 years as the only independent forum to advance the understanding of sea power and other issues critical to national defense. The U.S. Naval Institute publishes Proceedings and Naval History magazines and more than 900 professional books. For more information, go to www.navalinstitute.org.
About AFCEA
AFCEA is an international non-profit association providing a forum for the professional communications, electronics, intelligence and information systems community. The association represents the top government, military, and industry professionals. AFCEA offers TechNet International, West and other conferences; symposia; professional development opportunities; SIGNAL Magazine; 140 chapters worldwide; and more. For more information, go to www.afcea.org.
About Ascential Software
Ascential Software Corporation is the leading provider of enterprise data integration solutions to organizations worldwide. Customers use the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite to integrate and leverage data across all transactional, operational and analytical applications with confidence in the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of critical information. Ascential Software's powerful data profiling, data quality, data transformation, parallel processing, meta data and connectivity solutions enable customers to reduce total cost of ownership and increase return on IT investment. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential Software has offices worldwide and supports more than 3,000 customers in such industries as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail and government. More information on Ascential Software can be found on the Web at www.ascential.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, and these statements are subject to important factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release address a variety of subjects including, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance capabilities of Ascential Software's products and technology; results achievable and benefits attainable through deployment of Ascential Software's products; specific uses of Real Time Integration services, the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite and components and Ascential Software's services oriented architecture. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: the ability of Ascential Software to expand its market share; growth rates for the enterprise data integration software market; general business conditions in the software industry, the technology sector, and in the domestic and international economies; rapid technological change in the markets served by Ascential Software; dependence on international operations; global and geopolitical instability; and difficulties that Ascential Software may experience integrating technologies, operations and personnel of completed or future acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of Mercator Software, Inc. For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements, please refer to the filings made by Ascential Software with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Ascential Software disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in Ascential Software's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which such statements are based.
Ascential and DataStage and Ascential DataStage XWE, Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite are trademarks of Ascential Software Corporation or its affiliates and may be registered in the United States or other jurisdictions. Other marks are the property of the owners of those marks.
Contact:
Chas Kielt
Ascential Software Corporation
(508) 366-3888, ext. 3256
chas.kielt@ascential.com
RJ Bardsley
Ascential Software Corporation
(508) 366-3888, ext. 3065
rj.bardsley@ascential.com
Jeff Aubin
Beaupre & Co. Public Relations, Inc.
(603) 559-5838
jaubin@beaupre.com
Source: Ascential Software Corporation |
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| To: SemiBull who wrote (171) | 2/9/2004 9:22:15 PM | | From: SemiBull | | | | Ascential Software Pays Off For Mandalay Resort Group in High Stakes Game of Customer Relationship Management
Thursday February 5, 1:24 pm ET
Owner of 16 Gaming and Entertainment Resorts Selects Ascential Software to Provide Critical Solution for Strategic Business Initiative
LAS VEGAS, and WESTBORO, Mass., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ascential Software Corporation (Nasdaq: ASCL - News), the enterprise data integration leader, today announced that Mandalay Resort Group (NYSE: MBG - News), a leading owner and operator of world-class entertainment and business destinations in Nevada, Illinois, Michigan and Mississippi, has selected enterprise data integration solutions from Ascential Software as the cornerstone of its next generation customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Mandalay Resort Group will use Ascential DataStage XE and Ascential Real-Time Integration (RTI) Services to integrate data from the company's 16 resorts in real-time, enabling the company to improve branding, marketing and guest loyalty programs.
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"Our market is very dynamic," said Tracy Austin, chief information officer for Mandalay Resort Group. "Ascential Software is a key component of our CRM tool kit, which will help us respond quickly to market trends and enable us to tailor branding and marketing programs across the entire Mandalay Resort Group portfolio. Our goal is to grow revenue by maximizing room and casino returns, improving gaming returns, and increasing retail and restaurant sales. We can only implement marketing programs to achieve these goals when we have a complete understanding of our customers from all service touch points -- and we can't do that quickly and efficiently without Ascential Software."
Mandalay Resort Group is replacing proprietary custom software that feeds the company's CRM system. Ascential DataStage XE and RTI Services are designed to enable Mandalay to efficiently integrate data from all of the company's 16 locations for a business intelligence platform that gives the company an integrated, real-time view of individual guests. The IT architectural strategy is all about ensuring a flexible CRM framework to meet the needs of Mandalay Resort Group customers, property operators and marketing executives.
"Mandalay Resort Group has achieved success in a complex industry by understanding their guests and using that knowledge to deliver experiences that keep them coming back," said Mark Register, chief marketing officer and vice president of marketing, industry solutions and global alliances at Ascential Software. "Ascential Software is helping Mandalay expand that vision by enabling them to capture and leverage more guest information, reliably and quickly."
Ascential DataStage XE is a component of the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite(TM), Ascential Software's enterprise data integration platform that combines industry-leading solutions for data profiling, data quality and data transformation and delivery on a shared platform of software services. The Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite provides unlimited scalability through parallel processing, management of meta data, any-to-any connectivity and real-time data integration. Ascential RTI Services extends the reach and enables the seamless interoperability of Ascential Software's data integration solutions within an enterprise's service-oriented architecture (SOA).
Final implementation of the software at all Mandalay Resort Group properties is subject to certain regulatory and joint venture approvals.
About Mandalay Resort Group
Mandalay Resort Group (NYSE: MBG - News) is a leading owner and operator of world-class entertainment and business destinations serving multiple segments of the market with casinos, hotels and entertainment attractions in key regions of the United States. The company owns and operates 11 properties in Nevada: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Luxor, Excalibur, Circus Circus, and Slots-A-Fun in Las Vegas; Circus Circus-Reno; Colorado Belle and Edgewater in Laughlin; Gold Strike and Nevada Landing in Jean and Railroad Pass in Henderson. The company also owns and operates Gold Strike, a hotel/casino in Tunica County, Mississippi. The company owns a 50% interest in Silver Legacy in Reno, and owns a 50% interest in and operates Monte Carlo in Las Vegas. In addition, the company owns a 50% interest in and operates Grand Victoria, a riverboat in Elgin, Illinois, and owns a 53.5% interest in and operates MotorCity in Detroit, Michigan.
About Ascential Software
Ascential Software Corporation is the leading provider of enterprise data integration solutions to organizations worldwide. Customers use the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite to integrate and leverage data across all transactional, operational and analytical applications with confidence in the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of critical information. Ascential Software's powerful data profiling, data quality, data transformation, parallel processing, meta data and connectivity solutions enable customers to reduce total cost of ownership and increase return on IT investment. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential Software has offices worldwide and supports more than 3,000 customers in such industries as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail and government. More information on Ascential Software can be found on the Web at www.ascential.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, and these statements are subject to important factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release address a variety of subjects including, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance capabilities of Ascential Software's products and technology; results achievable and benefits attainable through deployment of Ascential Software's products; specific uses of DataStageXE and Real Time Integration services. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: the ability of Ascential Software to expand its market share; growth rates for the enterprise data integration software market; general business conditions in the software industry, the technology sector, and in the domestic and international economies; rapid technological change in the markets served by Ascential Software; dependence on international operations; global and geopolitical instability; and difficulties that Ascential Software may experience integrating technologies, operations and personnel of completed or future acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of Mercator Software, Inc. For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements, please refer to the filings made by Ascential Software with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Ascential Software disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in Ascential Software's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which such statements are based.
Ascential and DataStage and Ascential DataStage XE, Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite are trademarks of Ascential Software Corporation or its affiliates and may be registered in the United States or other jurisdictions. Other marks are the property of the owners of those marks.
Source: Ascential Software Corporation |
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| To: SemiBull who wrote (172) | 3/2/2004 8:44:47 PM | | From: SemiBull | | | | Ascential Software and Kalido Form Alliance to Deliver Solution for Dynamic Management of Enterprise Data Warehouses
Monday March 1, 8:45 am ET
WESTBORO, Mass. & BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2004--Ascential Software Corporation (Nasdaq:ASCL - News), the enterprise data integration leader, and Kalido, the leading data warehouse lifecycle management (DWLM) software provider, have entered into an alliance to provide Global 2000 companies with leading-edge DWLM solutions that can increase the strategic value of business information throughout periods of change. Under this relationship the companies are collaborating on sales, marketing and product integration.
The integration of the Ascential(TM) Enterprise Integration Suite and KALIDO® DWLM Suite provides a best-in-class business insight application to meet the information needs of highly dynamic enterprises. The benefits of the joint solution include accelerating time to implementation, reducing total lifetime cost, and lowering risk. In addition, the offerings from Ascential Software and Kalido complement and interoperate with the market's leading business intelligence tools.
Ascential Software and Kalido together have successfully deployed solutions to organizations including Royal/Dutch Shell Group and HBOS Plc, formed from the merger of Halifax Bank and the Bank of Scotland. The combined offering is designed to automate the delivery of data from multiple transactional and operational systems to a flexible, pre-built data warehouse that is business-model driven.
This solution accelerates the delivery of reliable reports on financials and other key performance metrics such as customer service, sales and marketing, supply chain management, and logistics. Traditionally, companies have struggled to achieve the same result with custom-built data warehousing.
The KALIDO DWLM Suite automates the building and management of data warehouses and their master data for rapid implementation and updates without the need for software programming. Data is prepared for movement into a KALIDO data warehouse using the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite, which combines industry-leading solutions for data profiling, data quality and data transformation. Ascential's Suite operates on a shared platform of software services for unlimited scalability through parallel processing, complete meta data management, any-to-any connectivity and on-demand data integration.
Cliff Longman, chief technology officer, Kalido, comments: "Ascential and Kalido have worked together successfully on some of the most high profile data warehousing projects in the world. It is a key element of our Data Warehouse Lifecycle Management (DWLM) approach to partner with the leading Enterprise Data Integration vendor, and Ascential Software offers the most complete, best performing solution in this category. Our customers tell us they want an integrated, seamless solution for business performance management across major enterprise applications and this alliance will help us to deliver exactly that."
Mark Register, chief marketing officer and vice president of marketing, industry solutions and global strategic alliances at Ascential Software, adds: "Better management of dynamic data within the enterprise data warehouse is an important focus of successful IT organizations as they strive to achieve a single, consistent view of their business. Ascential Software's established reputation as an enterprise data integration innovator, coupled with Kalido's unique data warehouse lifecycle management software and experience with Global 2000 organizations, provides a compelling value proposition for our customers and partnership."
Ian Taylor, head of group procurement, HBOS plc, states: "We are very pleased that two of our key partners in the award-winning HBOS supplier relationship management (HBOS SRM) system are now entering into a partnership. We find both partner offerings to be essential and highly complementary in creating and managing any large enterprise data warehouse throughout its lifecycle. We are very satisfied with the speed of implementation and the results from the HBOS SRM system."
Madan Sheina, business intelligence analyst, ComputerWire, comments: "This partnership strikes all the right chords in the market as companies look for integrated, rather than point, solutions from their IT suppliers. Both companies already have a strong heritage in the data warehousing arena, and the combination of Ascential's broad data integration prowess with Kalido's dynamic and highly adaptive platform will significantly enhance the value proposition to customers seeking to integrate their information value chain."
About Ascential Software
Ascential Software Corporation is the leading provider of enterprise data integration solutions to organizations worldwide. Customers use the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite to integrate and leverage data across all transactional, operational, and analytical applications with confidence in the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of critical information. Ascential Software's powerful data profiling, data quality, data transformation, parallel processing, meta data and connectivity solutions enable customers to reduce total cost of ownership and increase return on IT investment. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential Software has offices worldwide and supports more than 3,000 customers in such industries as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, and government. More information on Ascential Software can be found on the Web at www.ascential.com.
About Kalido
Kalido is the leading data warehouse lifecycle management (DWLM) software provider. The KALIDO® DWLM Suite automates data warehouse creation and modification to provide business users with timely and consolidated management information throughout organizational change. This ability empowers IT and the business to become more closely aligned to help accelerate financial reporting and enhance performance management of key business entities such as customers, brands, sales, marketing, supply and logistics.
The KALIDO DWLM Suite consists of adaptive data warehouse and master data management software. This software application portfolio allows users to rapidly build and maintain an enterprise data warehouse and its master data without the need for programming or operational system standardization. The software suite is designed upon UK-patented technology that enables the business model within the data warehouse to be easily modified to keep it continuously up to date with the business as it changes. Kalido's software reduces the creation and lifecycle maintenance staffing costs of data warehouses by 55 per cent or more compared to custom-built solutions according to an independently audited study.
Kalido serves major companies in over 100 countries including Cadbury Schweppes, HBOS plc, Intelsat, Philips, Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell), and Unilever. A privately-held software company, Kalido is headquartered in Burlington, Mass. and London, UK and has regional sales offices throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Kalido works closely with technology partners and large system integrators for the deployment of Kalido data warehousing projects. More information about Kalido can be found at: kalido.com.
Ascential Software Corporation Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, and these statements are subject to important factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release address a variety of subjects including, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance capabilities of third party and/or Ascential Software's products and technology and the integration/interoperability of same; results achievable and benefits attainable through deployment of Ascential Software's products; and the long term success of the business relationship between Ascential Software and Kalido. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: the ability of Ascential Software to expand its market share; growth rates for the enterprise data integration software market; demand for the integrated or stand alone products; general business conditions in the software industry, the technology sector, and in the domestic and international economies; rapid technological change in the markets served by Ascential Software; dependence on international operations; global and geopolitical instability; and difficulties that Ascential Software may experience integrating technologies, operations and personnel of completed or future acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of Mercator Software, Inc. For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements, please refer to the filings made by Ascential Software with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Ascential Software disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in Ascential Software's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which such statements are based.
# (C) 2004 Ascential Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Ascential is a trademark of Ascential Software Corporation or its affiliates and may be registered in the United States or other jurisdictions. Other marks are the property of the owners of those marks.
Contact:
Ascential Software Corporation
Chas Kielt, +1 508 366 3888
chas.kielt@ascential.com
or
Kalido
Zoe White, +44 20 7934 3300
zoe.white@kalido.com
or
Kalido US Agency Contacts
Horn Group, Inc.
Lorita Ba or Julie Mello, +1 781 356 7100
lba@horngroup.com or jmello@horngroup.com
or
Kalido UK Agency Contacts
Brands2Life
Gareth Thomas or Rebecca Tyrer, +44 20 7386 6200
kalido@brands2life.com
Source: Kalido |
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| To: SemiBull who wrote (173) | 3/2/2004 8:45:50 PM | | From: SemiBull | | | | Ascential Software Corporation to Present at Lehman Brothers Global Software and IT Services Conference
Tuesday March 2, 5:00 pm ET
WESTBORO, Mass., March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ascential Software Corporation (Nasdaq: ASCL - News), the enterprise data integration leader, today announced that Pete Fiore, President of Ascential Software, will present at the Lehman Brothers Global Software & IT Services Conference on Monday, March 8, 2004 at 10AM (Pacific). Mr. Fiore will provide an update on the company and address questions from the investor audience. The presentation will be broadcast live over the Internet. To listen to the webcast, please visit the Ascential Software Investor Relations web site at www.ascential.com/investors and click on the webcast link entitled "Lehman Brothers Global Software & IT Services Conference." Replay of the webcast will be available at this location for 30 days following the presentation.
Ascential Software Corporation is the leading provider of enterprise data integration solutions to organizations worldwide. Customers use the Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite to integrate and leverage data across all transactional, operational and analytical applications with confidence in the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of critical information. Ascential Software's powerful data profiling, data quality, data transformation, parallel processing, meta data and connectivity solutions enable customers to reduce total cost of ownership and increase return on IT investment. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential Software has offices worldwide and supports more than 3,000 customers in such industries as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail and government. More information on Ascential Software can be found on the Web at www.ascential.com.
Ascential is a trademark of Ascential Software Corporation or its affiliates and may be registered in the United States or other jurisdictions. Other marks are the property of the owners of those marks.
Source: Ascential Software Corporation |
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| From: Mark Duper | 3/14/2005 11:01:51 AM | | | | | | IBM to Acquire Ascential
By TSC Staff
3/14/2005 8:27 AM EST
IBM (IBM:NYSE - news - research) agreed Monday to acquire systems integration software company Ascential (ASCL:Nasdaq - news - research) for $18.50 a share in cash, or about $1.1 billion.
The buyout price is about 18% above Ascential's Friday close of $15.70, and the shares jumped $2.69, or 17.3%, to $18.21 in premarket Instinet trading. The stock has traded around $11 as recently as early August and at $28 in January 2004.
"The acquisition of Ascential Software expands IBM's open information integration platform and strengthens our ability to help customers create an environment that delivers the data they need, in the right form, to the right location, and at the right time," IBM said in a release.
IBM closed Friday at $91.51.
The acquisition is subject to the approval of Ascential Software and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2005. |
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| From: calgal | 9/27/2011 8:08:56 PM | | | | | | September 27, 2011
I Feel Your Pain
Mary Southerland Today’s Truth
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV).
Friend to Friend
It was Easter Sunday, and I was sitting in the sanctuary waiting for the worship service to begin. Anticipating a large crowd, I arrived early to drop Jered off in the nursery, one of his favorite places to go since every nursery worker doted on him. As the choir filed in, a friend slipped into the pew beside me and said, “I think you need to go to the nursery. Something is wrong with Jered.” Jumping up, I leapt over legs, toes, and pews as I raced to the church nursery and my son.
I was not prepared for what I saw. In a far corner, lying on his favorite red mat was Jered, staring at the ceiling, silent and rigid. As I bent over him, searching those beautiful blue eyes, huge tears slid down his chubby cheeks as he flew into my arms, sobbing. You have to understand – as a baby, Jered cried only when he was hungry, wet, or sick. He always seemed to be smiling, happy, and contented. Something was obviously very wrong. I kissed his forehead. No fever. I checked his diaper. Dry and clean. The snack box I had packed for him earlier that morning was empty. I had no idea what had broken my son’s heart, but I certainly intended to find out.
Just then, Mrs. Giles, Jered’s favorite nursery worker, drew me aside and said, “Let me tell you what happened. We had a new little girl in the nursery today. It was her first time in a church nursery – ever. When her parents left, she immediately began screaming and wouldn’t stop. Jered came running and wrapped his arms around her, but she pushed him away. He then brought her his bottle, but she hurled it across the room and continued screaming. Desperate to help her, Jered then found his diaper bag and fished out Turtle.
Turtle was a small, green-and-blue stuffed turtle we had given Jered during a stay in the hospital when he was seriously ill with the croup. From the moment Jered saw Turtle, they were inseparable. He slept with Turtle clutched tightly in one hand, ate with Turtle sitting in his lap or on the table beside his plate, and carefully tucked Turtle in his diaper bag whenever we left the house. Turtle was his most precious possession and was an invaluable source of comfort to him.
Mrs. Giles continued, “I couldn’t believe Jered was willing to give Turtle to a stranger, but he tried.” The crying child took one look at Turtle and threw it in Jered’s face. Stunned, he picked up Turtle, dusted it off, and lay down on the mat, refusing to move, the stuffed animal clutched tightly in his arms. Then I knew. I knew Jered couldn’t stand to see the little girl in pain and was determined to help. When he couldn’t, he retreated, waiting for someone else to help. That’s compassion.
Compassion is not just sympathy. It is empathy. When it comes to dealing with difficult people, we mistakenly equate compassion with “fixing” them. Genuine compassion is first able to feel their pain. I believe one of the reasons we encounter and are commanded to deal with sandpaper people is because the more pain we experience, the more compassionate we will be. We must learn to use our pain in the right way, not lashing out, but looking within to share the pain of others. There is a choice in every pain, an opportunity in every trial. Pain makes us focus inward or outward. It makes us martyrs or merciful. The choice is ours.
I have a love-hate relationship with the Good Samaritan in the Bible. The Samaritan chose to use his pain and help an injured man. He understood the man’s pain because of the pain in his own life. The Jews hated all Samaritans. The man lying on the road was a Jew. There was no logical reason for this Samaritan to rearrange his plans and spend his money to help this “enemy” or “sandpaper person” in need. But compassion doesn’t look for reasons or search out limitations. It searches for opportunity. The Samaritan had a choice, just as we have a choice every time we are confronted with a need. We must adjust our thinking to understand that sandpaper people are needy people. We can either ignore the need, or we can meet the need by giving away part of the comfort God has given us when we have been in pain.
Galatians 6:2 (NLT) “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”
If we can’t prevent pain, we can at least lighten the load with compassion. Alan Redpath wrote, “You can never lighten the load unless you have first felt the pressure in your own soul.” Compassion makes us willing to feel the pain of others, responding as if it were our own.
Let’s Pray
Father, forgive me when I respond in anger to the difficult people in my life. I really want Your love to flow through me to each sandpaper person with whom I come in contact. Give me Your heart of compassion to feel their pain and then teach me how to look for ways to help ease that pain.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:31-37. How can you apply the same truths in your life that the Samaritan applied when taking care of the wounded man?
Wherever today finds you, look around for someone in need – someone who needs a touch of compassion in their life. Are you willing to let God use you to be “God with skin on” to that person?
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion is taken from Mary’s book, Sandpaper People. Looking for a Bible Study that is both practical and powerful? Check out Mary’s E-Book Bible Studies. Each one includes a study guide that you can download for your personal use or for a small group study.
Come as You Areis Mary’s NEW Online Bible Study that begins September 26! The most common invitation offered by Jesus Christ is simply to "come." He doesn't ask us to fix what is wrong or expect us to clean up our lives. That is His responsibility. Jesus loves us just as we are and when we come to Him with a "yes" in our hearts, He lovingly transforms the broken places into beautiful scars of healing and new life. Enroll before October 1and have access to all 2011 lessons. Need a friend? Connect with Mary on Facebookor through email.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
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| From: calgal | 4/25/2012 7:28:04 AM | | | | | |
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Who is Rashad Robinson? And why has his fringe, race-baiting organization been able to pressure several major corporations into abandoning a pro-limited-government legislative association -- all for a few cheap social-justice brownie points?
Conservative consumers need to get informed, get active and stand their ground against free speech-squelching progressive activists who have demonized the American Legislative Exchange Council. This isn't just a battle over ALEC. It's a war against the left's shakedown artists taking aim at our freedoms of speech and association.
ALEC, as I reported last week, is the four-decade-old policy organization of state legislators and like-minded business people who believe in "the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty." They are under fire from a longstanding network of liberal groups -- tied to the Democratic Party -- that are unhappy with effective conservative opposition at the state and federal legislative levels.
Anti-ALEC hypocrites seized on the Trayvon Martin shooting case in Florida to blame ALEC and Republican lawmakers for their advocacy of Stand Your Ground self-defense legislation - even though the case does not implicate the policy and ALEC followed Florida's lead on the legislation. Moreover, eight of the 15 states that have adopted such polices were helmed by Democratic governors at the time of passage.
Robinson is spearheading the anti-ALEC campaign, along with Soros-backed Progress Now and a MoveOn.org/Big Labor political action committee, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC). While they claim to oppose black "voter suppression" by working to undermine anti-voter fraud bills backed by ALEC, Color of Change's true agenda is to chill and suppress pro-capitalist, pro-Second Amendment, pro-low taxes and pro-law enforcement lobbying and legislating in the political marketplace.
Robinson is in charge of "Color of Change," a radical activist group founded by disgraced 9/11 Truther, anti-police agitator, Occupy movement promoter and former Obama green jobs czar Van Jones. The group used Hurricane Katrina to condemn America as institutionally racist. Most shamefully, Jones and his fledgling group helped perpetuate director Spike Lee and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan's wild conspiracy theories about government-engineered black genocide in New Orleans |
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