If youre an atheist who has talked with a Christianwho has read Christian apologists, youve probably run into the notion that atheist morality is a failure because it is bankrupt of assigned meaning from God. You have no purpose, you have no meaning, you have no value, you have no worth. This is horrifying, in the Christian scheme, and crippling to the core. You are trapped in a nihilistic nightmare, they claim.

The problem, I think, is worse than that for Christianity. And, at the same time, better than that for atheists. To illustrate why, Ill share a common text that Christian apologists love to quote, which is from the atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I know its long, but it is one of the most powerful discussions of God in history. If you are somewhere where you can do it, get the full weight of the passage by reading it aloud:

Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market place, and cried incessantly: I seek God! I seek God!As many of those who did not believe in God were standing around just then, he provoked much laughter. Has he got lost? asked one. Did he lose his way like a child? asked another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? emigrated?Thus they yelled and laughed.

The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his eyes. Whither is God? he cried; I will tell you.We have killed himyou and I. All of us are his murderers. But how did we do this? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night continually closing in on us? Do we not need to light lanterns in the morning? Do we hear nothing as yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we smell nothing as yet of the divine decomposition? Gods, too, decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

So, the Christian apologist will read this and say that this is terrible. There is no purpose in the atheist scheme, no value, no worth, nada. And, therefore, theyll continue, isnt it better to be Christian? Wouldnt you prefer to have purpose and value in your life?

It has seemed to me that this argument, each of the thousands of times I have heard it in my lifetime, is not fundamentally based on a rational discussion on the existence of God. The argument is based on the assumption that I want there to be some foundation to thought, Iwantto have purpose and meaning in my life. More fundamentally, Iwantto belong in the world, and to know I have a place within it that is fully rationalized and reasonable. I want to know that I have a right to take in every breath, and to do that, the implication is, I have to have a purpose, areason why I am here.

And if God exists, the argument goes, that reason is straightforward. I can embrace and walk the world as if I have a right to be here. Let the vast universe overwhelm the miniscule dot on an infinite timeline, that infinitely small speck I call me that doesnt matter, because the God of it all said that I matter. Thats where I get my worth and value from.

And so, people become Christian because of that insecurity, and they try to force you to share that insecurity too, so they find a Nietzsche quote that seems to them the picture of that desperation, cast it onto you, and insist that you have to accept or convert.

That would be a mistake.

What Neitzsche is doing is changing up the game of morality more fundamentally than these Christian apologists imply.

Now, I dont agree with the entirety of Nietzsches philosophy, but the part I do agree with is his eloquent removal ofGod from the equation. All the way, down to the dregs. For Nietzsche to build his morality, he has to start with a God-free existence, one in which God has absolutely no authority to assign anyone purpose, to tell anyone to be humble, to create our horizons, or to give us a foundation.

He is burning the chess board we have been playing on and then yelling in our faces that it is over, it is done, the game is up, and taunting anyone who would dare try to move the pieces back in place or set up a firm external meaning. There is no God. There is no purpose from God, no foundation made up by Godat all.

All of the God-based morality, the morality that insists you have to be subservient to some type of higher master God all that is wiped away. That entire view of purpose as something that is ordained, that you are given from a Great Beyond its gone. And all we have left iswhat? What is left? God has been so integral to our morality, to the way that we think of ourselves and the world, that we have to start over.

And Nietzsche wants to start over; he wants nothing of God left. We are starting completely and totally from scratch. Hes not even just talking about the idea of God itself hes trying to rip out the roots of where the concept of God has made an impact on the way that we think about each other and the universe, including the way those roots sometimes sink into society for people after they have pruned the above-ground concept of God from their lives.

Lemme make this concrete. When I left Christianity, I had to unlearn a lot. I thought that I had left God, but the old ways of thinking still were there. I had puritanical views for the next couple years, for example, when it came to things like sex and alcohol. Today, I still find ways that the concept of God has infiltrated my thinking or the thinking of supposedly secular society in ways that I had not determined before.

Getting rid of that and starting over is an extreme project. It requires washing away the horizons we have taken for granted, deconstructing the morality we have taken for granted and re-examining the reasons we hold it, and embracing a godless universe which can (and likely should) be a jolting paradigm shift at first, as Nietzsche is articulating the above quote.

But Nietzsche did not see the problem of finding your way in a godless universe as unsolvable. After the God-concept is wiped from the slate, after he has burnt the chessboard of divine morality so that there is no game on the table, and he has forcefully articulated that there is no divine morality available and we have to start over, he has another step in mind, as is revealed when the quote continues.

Do we hear nothing as yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we smell nothing as yet of the divine decomposition? Gods, too, decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

We have killed him.

What does that mean?

Pages: 1 2

Originally posted here:
Christian Apologists, Stop Misusing Nietzsche's The Madman - Patheos (blog)

In a social-media snipe-off thats gone on an impressive six full days, a dispute between Kendall Jenner and Brooklyn nightclub Babys All Right trickleson. At the heart of the matter is the alleged absence of gratuity on behalf of Jenner, on a $24 bar tab.

Last Thursday, the evening that Babys hosted a release party for the new A$AP TWELVYY release, Jenner was atthe bar. A$AP Rocky, who Jenner has long been rumored to be dating, performed at the event. Though SPIN has reached out to the establishment for comment, were still not sure what she ordered. However, according to an Instagram post from Babys, we do know it ran $24 even. And thats where it stoppedJenner left the field for a tip completely blank, though her florid signature finds its way into that portion of the receipt.

We know this because, on Friday, Babys posted an Instagram shot of the receipt, with the caption, Dont forget to tip your bartender :). The post has since been deleted, but the image is the one above.

After a weekend of assessing the impending PR disaster, Jenner came back to Twitter on Monday to insist that she did tip. Or at least someone involved in the collective we tipped. Apparently, it was in cash. Was there a stack on the bar top associated with another customer that Kendall hoped would represent her patronage?

Tuesday evening, Babys continued to call out Jenner for the service-industry faux pas (not her first foray into allegedly treating waitstaff poorly). The bar posted a screen cap of Jenners tweet, with a quote from none other than Friedrich Nietzsche: Im not upset that you lied to me, Im upset that from now on I cant believe you, the caption read. This post was deleted by Wednesday morning.

What a world.

SPIN reached out to Babys but received no comment.

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Baby's All Right Quotes Nietzsche Over Kendall Jenner Tip Controversy - SPIN

I was repulsed when I heard a young thug pretending to represent me, a white person in America. He further poisoned my identity by claiming he represented Christianity. He ended his diatribe by, of course, wishing the death to the Jews.

These people do realize that Jesus was not white, right? And that Jesus was born a Jew? As a Christian leader watching white nationalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members (alt-right) call for "taking America back," I thought, "these people don't understand the idea of America, nor Christ." Their true ideological leader is Friedrich Nietzsche, not Jesus. In "The Antichrist," Nietzsche asserts that Christianity, as a religion and as the predominant moral system of the Western world, is "the religion of pity." It "elevates the weak over the strong."

"Another Christian concept ... has passed even more deeply into the tissue of modernity: the concept of the 'equality of souls before God.' This concept furnishes the prototype of all theories of equal rights."

Nietzsche really understood Christianity, he hated it, but he understood it.

White supremacist Nazi types, ironically, when they attack "liberal values," are fighting against the very values of Jesus while yelling at everyone how they are "Christians."

The spirit of Jesus' teaching is foundational for us all.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

These are the values; this is the America, we must "take back!"

Lindensmith is pastor of Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fargo.

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Letter: Members of the Alt-Right do not represent the Christian faith - INFORUM

Positive mental attitude (PMA) is a concept first developed and introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill in the book Think and Grow Rich. The book never actually uses the term, but develops the importance of positive thinking as a principle to success.[1] Napoleon, along with W. Clement Stone, founder of Combined Insurance, later wrote Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude which defines positive mental attitude as comprising "the 'plus' characteristics symbolized by such words as faith, integrity, hope, optimism, courage, initiative, generosity, tolerance, tact, kindliness and good common sense. [2]

Positive mental attitude is the philosophy that having an optimistic disposition in every situation in one's life attracts positive changes and increases achievement. Adherents employ a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find a desirable outcome, regardless of the circumstances. It opposes negativity, defeatism and hopelessness. Optimism and hope are vital to the development of PMA.[3]

PMA is under the umbrella of positive psychology. In positive psychology high self-efficacy can help someone to gain learned optimism which one ultimately leads to PMA. PMA is considered an internal focus of control that influences external factors. Research has shown that through emotional intelligence training and positive psychology therapy one's attitudes and perceptions can be modified to improve their personal and professional life.[4]

"The term self-help was not coined as a synonym for psychobabble. It has a long and rich tradition of usage in connection with far more reputable practices in the realm of law. Legal self-help refers to a raft of situation-specific remedies available to a complainant directlythat is, without involving lawyers or even courts. This facet of American jurisprudence, in marked contrast to the type of self-help this book mostly tackles, has always been about action, not words. Remedies of this nature are formal step-by-step procedures designed to bring about lawful satisfaction for the individual." Self-help law books have been around since at least 1687.[5]

The modern self-help industry has reached a far larger audience than just those in the legal field. "Self-improvement books now account for at least a $2.5 billion a year industry in the U.S. alone, increasing since 1972 to at least 2.5% of the total number of books in print. Approximately one-third to one-half of adults in the U.S. have purchased a self-improvement book at least once in their lifetime."[6]

The self-help industry was pioneered by Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack and made popular by Napoleon Hills books as well as Dale Carnegie and his lectures and books. Now an entire industry of self-help books and motivational speakers such as Og Mandino and Tony Robbins are available. PMA is a main theme in most of the inspirational writings which have influenced the sales industry, especially in door-to-door sales and direct marketing businesses. Self-help material along with self-talk help employers to shape their employees to be more resilient to failure and become more positive and energetic salespeople.[7]

H.R., lead vocalist of the Washington, D.C. based band Bad Brains, has stated in the past that it was Hill's book, which was given to him by his father, that prompted him to advocate and use the phrase as a way to describe the positive message has wanted to expound through his music.

A study of Major League Baseball players indicated that a key component that separates major league players from the minor leagues and all other levels is their ability to develop mental characteristics and mental skills. Among them were mental toughness, confidence, maintaining a positive attitude, dealing with failure, expectations, and positive self-talk.[8]

Many studies have been done regarding PMA and its effects on health, specifically with people of serious illnesses such as cancer and kidney disease. Cancer specifically has received a lot of attention since Lance Armstrong, along with other survivors, have given their stories. People with PMA have a significantly higher chance of survival and recovery.[9] A study comparing people with chronic kidney disease with people kidney disease free showed that there was a significant difference between the groups. The kidney disease free group rated much higher in PMA. There was no difference found in spirituality and females with chronic kidney disease were found to be significantly more superstitious.[10] A study done with HIV-positive individuals found that a high health self-efficacy, a task-oriented coping style, and a positive mental attitude were strong predictors or a health-promoting lifestyle which has a significant effect on overall health (coping and surviving).[11]

Critics of PMA argue that it is not the secret to success but a by-product of success.[12] The "self-help" industry has been criticized as a scam for authors to make money due to its simplistic writing and principles. There is little evidence, however, that self-help books, life coaching, and motivational speaking are harmful; a study of 100 psychotherapy patients found that of the 43 patients reading books (e.g. PMA, religious texts, Alcoholics Anonymous texts, etc.) 4 reported "mild harm or distress" while 34 reported "benefit without harm".[13]

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Positive mental attitude - Wikipedia

The first football practice of the 2017 season at Corcoran High School started with a scolding.

Veteran coach Tyrone Fisher was fired up after nearly half of his players (14) weren't able to participate Monday because they didn't have the proper paperwork turned in.

"We talked all year about the potential in this room," he told players from last year's 5-4 playoff team that lost to Cicero-North Syracuse in the Class AA sectional semifinals. "I think you guys have been drinking the Kool-Aid ... Oh, Corcoran's going to be this, Corcoran's going to be that.

"I told you guys, we have proven nothing - nothing."

Fisher went on to talk for 10 minutes about trust, attitude, enthusiasm, hard work, competition, picking each other up, and mental toughness.

Here are the highlights from Fisher's talk.

Football practices across the state began Monday.

The Cougars open their season at home Sept. 1 against Fayetteville-Manlius.

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Corcoran's Tyrone Fisher preaches attitude, hard work, mental toughness as 2017 football season starts (video) - Syracuse.com

On Thursday 12 May 2016, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge invited Attitude magazine to bring members of the LGBT+ community to Kensington Palace to hear their experiences of homophobic, bi-phobic and transphobic bullying, and discuss the mental health implications it has. Attitude editor Matthew Todd facilitated the discussion. After meeting with the nine delegates, Prince William then posed for the cover of Attitude magazine, photographed by Leigh Keily. The cover marks the first time a member of the Royal Family has been photographed for the cover of a gay publication.

Of course, most LGBT+ people do not suffer with such problems and live happy, successful lives. But, sadly, statistics show that the LGBT+ community is one that continues to suffer disproportionately from mental health issues, while bullying in schools is still an issue too many young LGBT+ people are exposed to. Prince William met with individuals who explained how bullying had led to low self-esteem, suicide attempts, eating disorders, depression and drug addiction including, in one case, the death of a young man after an unintentional overdose.

In 2015, LGBT+ mental health charity PACE (since shut down because of government cuts) produced an extensive report into the mental health issues faced by the LGBT+ community. It found that 33.9% of young LGB people had made at least one suicide attempt compared with 17.9% of young straight people, while 48.1% of trans young people had attempted suicide. The study also found that 57.1 % of LGB people had self-harmed at least once compared with 38.3% of heterosexual young people. 85.2% of trans young people had self-harmed as opposed to 47.4% of cisgender young people.After the discussion, HRH The Duke of Cambridge made the following statement: No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives. The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it. What I would say to any young person reading this whos being bullied for their sexuality: dont put up with it speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need. You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Attitude editor Matthew Todd says: During my time as editor of Attitude I have met parents whose child has taken or lost their life after being bullied for being LGBT+ or just perceived to be LGBT. I am very happy that the future King of the United Kingdom agrees this must stop and I would urge parents in particular to raise their voices in their communities to ensure that every school protects really protects all children.

This issue of Attitude magazine went to press on Wednesday 8 June, just days before the devastating shooting in Orlando which saw 49 LGBT+ people lose their lives. Attitude sends our most heartfelt condolences to those affected by this atrocity. Around the world, LGBT+ people experience hatred and violence every day. Such violence does not exist in a vacuum but snowballs from intolerance and bullying that begins in classrooms, too often comes from politicians or religious leaders and is often not treated with respect by the media.

You can read our full feature with the Duke of Cambridgeand see his exclusive shoot in Attitudes July Issue, available to download now from pocketmags.com/attitude.

Its in shops next Wednesday (June 22), and print copiesare available to order globally fromnewsstand.co.uk/attitude.

If you have been affected by any of these issues, please ask for help from:

switchboard.lgbt samaritans.org childline.org.uk

More stories: From shootings to suicide: Why homophobia remains as deadly as ever Orlando gay club shooting: The victims

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Making history: Prince William appears on the cover of ...

PUBLISHED: 15:00 14 August 2017

Michael Scott

Chief executive of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) Michael Scott. Photo: NSFT

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I have worked throughout the health and care system covering a wide range of roles; as a social worker, chief executive of a hospital, part of the Department of Health and running community services here in Norfolk.

However, there are personal as well as professional reasons why Ive chosen to work in mental health and the lived experiences that I bring to my role which I keep firmly in mind to inform the decisions I make as chief executive of NSFT.

Its still not easy for people to talk about mental health and its impact upon them or their loved ones.

Despite the change in some attitudes, we still find stigma surrounds mental ill health in a way we no longer see in relation to cancer.

These misplaced attitudes of shame or embarrassment are, I believe, why mental health has historically been short of resources and why services had become the largely hidden part of the NHS.

Its about time that changed and thats why I welcome this special edition of the EDP and why Im writing this piece.

Im always open with the staff I work with about why I do this job.

But Ive not tended to share my personal experiences in the public arena.

But if I want to encourage others talk more openly then I need to do the same.

Depression has always been a part of my family life; it would appear that the Scotts have a genetic connection that has meant my father, sister, brother and uncle all had depression to varying degrees.

It is my fortune that this gene missed me, as my mother will often say.

The depression they underwent wasnt feeling down or blue.

For them it often meant the black dog that wouldnt let them get out of bed in the morning, and for them to feel that life was not worth living.

For my father that meant hospital admissions and ECT.

For my sister it meant a life of self-medication with drugs and alcohol, leading to her early death last year.

As my father aged, his depression was replaced by dementia.

Whilst dementia is a debilitating condition for so many people, paradoxically for my father it often took him to a place of acceptance where there was little worry from the past and no concerns for the future.

The main impact of the condition was upon my mother where the majority of care and responsibilities lay.

When my father had dementia the very worst thing you could do would be to admit him to a hospital bed.

I remember the occasions when I would visit him and he would literally beg me to take him home. Even given my knowledge and experience I still sometimes had to argue with well-meaning healthcare staff who wanted to keep him in hospital when he and I knew that his ailments were incurable.

The best place for him to be was at home cared for with love and compassion by his family; no-one could understand and meet his needs better than my mother.

But I also understand the enormous stresses this can create and the need for health and care services to be there in a supporting role.

It is these experiences that have shaped my attitude towards the work I do.

It has made me absolutely committed to improving mental health services and campaigning for more resources, which now are beginning to come through with investment in our trust this year.

It also makes me reflect on the pattern of how we are developing our services locally as we plan a new future for Norfolk through the STP, particularly as my own need for care seems ever closer!

So, lets be open about our experiences and use them positively, and collaboratively campaign for a better future for all impacted by mental health issues.

For more from the EDPs special mental health takeover edition, click here.

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Mental health takeover: It is about time attitudes of shame and embarrassment in mental health changed - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

Prior to her sophomore year at Brownstown Central, Shelby Stuckwisch asked Emma Zabor about playing golf.

Zabor ran cross-country as a freshman but didnt enjoy running as much as she hoped she would.

Both girls switched to golf that year, with Zabor playing No. 5 at the beginning of the season before moving up to No. 2.

This fall she is in her second season playing No. 1 for the Braves.

The senior enjoys the difficulty of playing on the Braves home course at Hickory Hills.

Hickory is a very complex golf course, especially compared to Shadowood, Zabor said. Hickory has quite a few trees, definitely more hills. You just have to be more precise with your ball placement at Hickory.

One of my favorite holes (at Hickory) is No. 4. It is over the water, but I think it is one of the easiest holes for me. My low score there has been in the low 40s.

On the schedule, Zabor looks forward to the tournaments.

I like 18-hole matches better because I feel like if I mess up on one or two holes I have more holes to get it back, Zabor said.

She said her favorite away course is Shadowood, where she has worked the last two summers.

I love Shadowood, Zabor said. I like the length of it. Its not too long and they have quite a few par fives that are fairly short for me because I can hit the ball quite a ways. All-in-all I like it.

Her career low is an 82, which she shot in the Seymour Invitational in 2016.

Zabor said you have to have to keep your composure on each hole when playing golf.

People say golf is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical, she said. I believe that a lot. I know when I first started my mental attitude wasnt where it needed to be. I would have a bad hole and I would let it control me for the rest of the nine holes.

I feel in this last year its gotten a lot better and I feel like you need to have a strong mental attitude to be able to play golf because you have to be able to recover from bad shots.

This season, Zabor said she feels confident with her tee shots and mentioned her drives as the strongest part of her game.

I have good distance, she said. The accuracy could use some work. I worked on my chipping a lot over the summer because it needed quite a bit of work but its getting there. My putting has helped me sometimes and its broke me sometimes.

Golf changes continuously, and I love the challenge that it brings. Practice is so important. You cant expect to go out and play well if you dont go out and practice well. When its dewy and wet out there the courses tend to play a lot slower than what they normally would, and you have to adjust to that as the day moves forward.

With four letter winners back from last year, Zabor said she has high hopes for the Braves this fall.

I think we can do well as long as we keep practicing, and stay calm throughout the whole season and just continue working, Zabor said.

After tearing an ACL in basketball her sophomore year, Zabor decided to just focus on golf.

It took me a while to bounce back from that, Zabor said. I didnt want to risk getting hurt because I knew that golf was going to be the sport that I could go somewhere with. I took it as a blessing, honestly.

She plans to play golf in college.

Zabor has enjoyed her time at Brownstown.

I love Brownstown, Zabor said. I would not change a thing if I had to do it over again. I love how such a tightly-knit community it is, especially when you go to a sporting event you feel like everyones there, and they have little banners up and theyre so supporting.

Zabor file

Name: Emma Zabor

School: Brownstown Central high School

Parents: Susan and Greg Zabor

Sibling: Ellen

Sports: Golf, three years; basketball, two years; cross-country, one year

Athletics highlights: Golf regional qualifier in 2016, All-Mid-Southern Conference in 2016 and 2015.

Organizations: Booster Club, Lettermens Club

Plans after high school: Attend college, play golf

Favorite food: Filet mignon

Favorite TV show: Greys Anatomy

Favorite singer: John Mayer

Favorite movie: The Choice

Favorite team: Green Bay Packers

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Braves senior golf team's No. 1 again - Seymour Tribune

Josh Woods never took his football scholarship at Maryland for granted, and he never was the kind of kid who assumed playing time was a given, especially at the college level.

Yet watching two of his best friends on the team go down with season-ending knee injuries a year ago, and then experiencing his own struggles, has seemingly given the former McDonogh standout a new sense of commitment.

Woods is the first to admit that his junior year didnt go the way he wanted. The torn ACLs suffered by fellow safety Denzel Conyers and cornerback Will Likely III a month apart took their toll on Woods.

It definitely hit home, recalled Woods, now a redshirt senior and solidly in the mix for a starting job along side junior Darnell Savage Jr. But it made me appreciate being able to play more, it gave me a reason to play.

Woods initially took over for Conyers at safety, starting five straight games, but some inconsistent performances led to first-year coach DJ Durkin rotating a number of players, including freshmen Qwuantrezz Knight and Elijah Daniels. .

The return of Conyers, who is back practicing as he tries to regain his pre-injury form, as well as the arrival of highly-touted freshman Markquese Bell and the development of sophomore Antoine Brooks, has led to healthy competition as the Terps prepare for their Sept. 2 opener at Texas.

It just brings out the best in everybody, Woods said recently. Theres no malice to it, it kind of makes you kind of one-up the next guy. Its like, You went out and made a pick, Im going to get two tomorrow. Its only going to make everybody better.

Making a waving motion with his hand to demonstrate how up and down he was last season with everything from his approach to practice ro his performance in games, Woods added, Its a grind. Football is much like life. You can be doing everything right and just something throws you off track.

Woods said after being in a funk at the start of spring practice perhaps an emotional hangover from the second half of his junior year his performance began to improve when he took one of Durkins favorite sayings to heart.

It has contributed to Woods making one of the biggest jumps in gaining strength among his teammates, according to strength and conditioning coach Rick Court. Woods also put on 10 pounds during the off-season.

Coach Durkin tells us every day control the controllables, Woods said. Just make sure you control your attitude and enthusiasm, nobody can ever take those from you. You wake up in the morning and youre the guy who controls whether you want to have a bad attitude toward something or you want to feel positive about something.

Woods wears a rubber bracelet on his right wrist that serves as a constant reminder.

It reads, EFFORT. ATTITUDE. ENTHUSIASM.

Every single day, he said. I wake up, no matter how sore I am, how tired I am. No matter what, Im going to get better today. It became contagious almost. It became an expectation of me and my coaches saw that I could do it and helped me get to that standard.

Court, the schools assistant athletic director for football sports performance, noticed a difference from Woods in the weight room throughout the winter and spring workouts.

It has carried onto the practice field this summer.

He was a little bit more goofy class-clown last year. He worked hard and was a likable guy, Court said last week. This year, hes still fun to be around, hes just turned the business-like attitude a little bit more. Hes really a vocal leader. His work ethic has changed and his attitude and his enthusiasm in every part of our business has been contagious.

Said Woods, I think Coach Court was most impressed with the mental attitude toward everything. Working out, the physical part is only half the battle. You could be the strongest guy in the weight room, but if youre not feeling it that day, youre not going to put the weight up.

Conyers said before preseason practice began can see a new level of maturity and focus from someone he considers sort of a little brother as well as a close friend.

Everybody develops at a different time, I feel like its hitting him, Conyers said. I feel like hes 100 percent, This is what I want to do with my life, this is where I want to be. I want to be a leader, I want to be that guy.

Said Court, Hes one of the guys I can lean on and say, Hey Josh, make sure your guys are focused and lets get them going a little bit. You as a coach can sit back a little bit and he can take that job over.

Knowing what happened to Likely, and nearly happened to Conyers before he received an NCAA waiver to play one more season, the now 204-pound Woods is hoping for a healthy and productive senior year for himself and a successful one for the Terps.

I would say Im in a good position to meet my goals, he said. Its bittersweet how fast it [his career] went. Day by day, it took forever. In retrospect it was a flash. Its not over yet. It can all be taken away from me in one play. I have 12, maybe 13, hopefully 14 games to continue playing. Im just really thankful that Im still here.

Court has seen this happen before with players who have reached their senior year without accomplishing as much as they thought they would coming out of high school.

I think for the guys that really have a high care level for their school and for football and their teammates, they sit back and usually around the summer they think...Ive got to put everything I can into it, Court said. I wouldnt doubt for a second that Josh came to a little bit of a light turn on realization the last couple of months.

don.markus@baltsun.com

twitter.com/sportsprof56

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As senior year approaches, Maryland safety Josh Woods takes a more serious approach to the game - Baltimore Sun

(Editor's Note: a shorter version of this article is published in the 2017 edition of Sallie Magazine. This, as they say, is the rest of the story.)

Evora is a midwestern American treasure.

There are few in the county who don't know her pies, which fetch hundreds of dollars at charity auctions and are frequent items at the Newman Regional Health Auxiliary's snack bar.

Enquiring minds wanted to know, so I called Evora up and spent an afternoon with her as she prepared two pies for the Emporia Main Street auction that evening.

Born during the Depression, growing up just south of Emporia, Wheeler was an only child, a farm girl. She remembers the bankers coming to foreclose on the farm.

I still have that memory, Evora said. It's as sharp as can be ... Dad was at the barn, and this nice-looking car pulled up and these two guys in nice suits got out, and I knew. That was hard.

Disaster was averted thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program called the Agricultural Adjustment Act.

My dad measured fields. It was the 'AAA' thing, then, Evora said. That's how he earned some money to save the farm.

She remembers learning to milk the cows when she was four, then learning to harness the horses so she could work in the fields.

There were two stalls and there was a divider about so high between them.

She held her hand about three feet off the ground.

And I'd get the harness, drag the harness down off the hook and I'd drag it over. And I'd get up on this divider and throw the harness over the horses, and work in the fields. She chuckled at the memory.

So, yeah, that was a long time ago. Tough times, but we made it through.

Through to a house with electricity and indoor plumbing on West Street. This was after her parents had been married 23 years.

From those origins, Evora built a family, a career in real estate, a legacy of volunteerism rarely seen and a pie that will break open the tightest wallet.

It seems odd Evora would be so well-versed in desserts as her mother was a diabetic.

And she never. Ever. Cheated. Evora emphasized. The nearest she came to it was, maybe once a year, she would eat a piece of angel food cake. But: she made pies for the Sardis church, for dinners and things.

Mrs. Wheeler's pie recipe was learned by rote.

I asked her once how to make the pie crust, Evora said. And she said 'I don't know, I just put the lard in there until it looks right!' Of course, we butchered hogs and had lard back then.

Evora had her eye on a guy who liked pie: Ralph Wheeler. So she asked again.

(My mother) said 'I don't know, I just put some flour in the bowl, and some lard in there and some salt and just kind of mix it.' Evora said

So I finally, after years of trying, devised a ratio. I'd start with flour and half as much shortening, and half as much cold water, and some salt ... and I finally got it right.

A wedding gift of the 1949 edition of Betty Crocker's Cookbook has helped with any other recipe issues Evora may have had since. It's still on her shelf.

THE CRUST

Friend Steve Haught finds the 12-inch disposable pie pans Evora uses for her auction pies. Auxiliary pies are 10 inches, and her recipes reflect the decrease in measurement necessary for that.

She works up the flour, shortening and salt with a pastry cutter until almost pea size.

Some people use an electric mixer, she said. But not me.

Evora uses cold water, as do most pastry chefs, to keep the fat from softening. She uses a spatula to incorporate it a bit at a time and finish the dough, trying to keep movement at a minimum. She finishes with a fork to get all the dry bits into the dough, again trying not to work the dough too much.

It makes it tough, she said.

The final dough was divided into four smaller balls. Covering the other three, Evora flattened one ball into an oval disc, floured each side and began rolling it out with her French rolling pin.

This particular pin she got at the state fair 55 to 60 years ago. It's a simple, tapered, wooden dowel in the French style.

I really like it, she said, because it's graduated out and you can roll to any width you want to.

She continued to build a circle with the pin, her experience allowing her to eyeball the diameter instead of having to use a pie circle or ruler.

The less you work with it, the more tender it's going to be, she reiterated.

To transfer the crust to the pie plate, Evora rolled it up around the pin, using a pastry blade to loosen it from the mat as needed, then unrolled it over the plate. She gently pressed it into the shape, tucking to accommodate the curves as necessary. She trimmed the overages to go back into the dough bowl and even scraped the rolling pin to conserve the dough.

If a tear in the crust does occur, it's easy to patch.

It's forgiving, this crust is, she said. Like I tell people, I don't have any secrets no unusual or magic ways of doing things. Anyone can make them.

Evora began crimping the crust edge, using her forefingers and thumbs.

This is probably not the professional way to do this but this is how I do it, she said.

The edge of the crust is pinched in a decorative pattern, which also gives the sides strength when it is cut. It's fairly high compared to mass-produced crusts.

It's not going to look like that when it gets baked. It will settle down. And I try to pinch it against the edge of the pan to hold it there.

She pricks the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork before baking it, unless it is headed for the freezer for emergency orders. The pie crust pre-bakes for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Some do 375, Evora said. But, for my oven, 350 is what is needed.

There are 15 or 16 different groups that she supports with pies for auction, plus her monthly Auxiliary commitment and Evora occasionally sells her pies by the order at $15.

On our visit, Evora was making two pies for the Emporia Main Street Auction. Then she planned to rise early the next day to make three to go to Newman Regional Health by 7 a.m.

She planned to get up about 3 a.m. to make the Auxiliary's pies. Why so early?

The night staffers get off duty and are ready for dinner, not breakfast, Evora explained.

Ralph always encouraged me and was very supportive, Evora said. Her late husband, who died in August of 2016, preferred custard pies.

Before Ralph passed, he was in a nursing home and she took pies out to him always at least two.

"Now, I said one of them had to be a custard pie, just for him, she said.

Evora doesn't remember how long she's been making pies to order.

I never did solicit business, never, she said. And I suppose I've been making them for fundraisers for, what, 15 years, maybe.

Evora thinks she provides pies for auction to about 16 organizations.

And I can help causes that way, that I could not by giving money, she said. I can make pies and, I guess, they bring anywhere from a hundred to $350 is the most I've heard. Isn't that just crazy?

Crazy good!

I'm just constantly amazed at people calling me and wanting pies, Evora said. I'm not, I'm not any different than anybody else! Now I hope the good Lord let's me keep doing things like this for years to come.

She shared a story.

Many years ago at a zoo event, a dentist I can't remember now, he was at the zoo auction and he bought one, and he paid several hundred dollars for it. And I knew him, I think I was still at the chamber of commerce at the time, so I knew people really well then.

I went over to the table and they were eating it and I said, 'I'm curious. Why in the world would you pay (whatever it was) for a pie?' And they said 'we wanted to help and there wasn't any of the other stuff we wanted.' So, that explained their reason for doing it.

They ate it right there, and I guess that happens frequently. (Bidders) plan on buying one, and I guess sometimes there may be two couples that will buy the pie and then they share it. Whatever! she laughed.

Evora donates the pies for auction. All I can take off of income tax though, is the cost of ingredients, she said. Plus, any Best Choice labels that come along are carefully clipped to be used by her congregation, First United Methodist Church, to help fund church projects.

Her most popular pie is coconut cream, followed by chocolate.

People don't make cream pies. They make fruit pies because they can buy a crust and put some fruit in it and have a pie, but they don't make cream pies, so that's what they ask for, she said Coconut cream, chocolate and lemon.

Not nut pies or even apple?

Not for the auctions, she said. They want cream pies.

Her favorite pie?

"Oh gee, I don't have a favorite and I don't eat many sweets because it would put weight on," she said. I don't think it's good for older people to get heavy, but I like all kinds of pies. "

What about other desserts like cakes, cookies, fudge?

"Oh, I do," she said. "But for the fundraisers, I do the pies. That's what people want.

I do make cakes, and would make them for orders. I don't advertise, because I'm still in the auxiliary and president of Crimestoppers again, and there are church things."

THE CUSTARD

The crusts went in the oven and it was time to make pudding. Evora pulled out a vintage Fire-King 4-cup measuring bowl and several Pyrex ceramic bowls to begin.

She still uses vintage appliances and mixing bowls. If it works, why replace it?

She pulled a recipe from her "stand by" box next to the oven, quickly washed her hands and began separating the egg whites.

"Now, you can't get any egg yolk in the whites or they won't do right," she said.

Evora carefully tipped the yolk from one egg shell half to the other, as the white separated. The recipe requires more egg white than yolk, so she uses the leftover yolks to make egg noodles to freeze.

Evora likes to let the eggs warm a bit outside of the fridge.

"They're not completely room temperature, but if they're not quite so cold the egg whites separate better I don't know why."

She added the soda, did a quick check on the crusts and rotated them to help the center cook more evenly.

Back to the pudding: Evora added the sugar and cornstarch. To save cost, she uses Best Choice brand for almost everything and finds it doesn't affect the quality of her final product.

The four cups of milk were stirred in one at a time, whisking thoroughly between each one.

Whoever came up with the idea of half towels, deserves a gold medal, she said as she used a paper towel to wipe up a small spill.

Evora microwaves her custard.

"That's a good invention, too," she said. And it frees her up to check on other things.

I microwave three minutes; whisk real good. Microwave another three minutes. Whisk again, Evora said.

The glass handle on the Pyrex stays cool, making this part easier.

Meanwhile the pie crusts were done and she pulled them out, after which she readied the Hamilton Beach 200 stand mixer for whipping the egg whites into meringue. Altogether, Evora has three fully-functional, vintage Hamilton Beach stand mixers.

She also has three ovens. Two upstairs and a Norge 1966 range in the basement for overflow cooking.

We bought it when we moved from Market Street to Lawrence Street, she said. It still works perfectly, but the spring on the door is loose so I have to put a stick on it to keep the heat in. But it still bakes better than this one (upstairs).

There are two ovens upstairs, however Evora doesn't like the way one of them bakes, so she uses it for storage.

"The other one," she said, "I feel, doesn't bake as nice as the one downstairs.

"Like for cinnamon rolls: If I make a double batch, I do 15 up here and 15 down there, and the ones from down there are prettier. They brown nicer."

The stand mixer made very short work of the meringue, with little attention from Evora so she could focus on round two of microwaving the custard.

She microwaved the mixture another three minutes. Things were happening quickly now. Crusts and meringue were at the ready. The custard only required two tablespoons of butter, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and about 3/4-cup flaked coconut.

The custard went into the crust and the meringue got a refreshing whip. Finally, Evora mounded it on top of the custard giant slabs of meringue spilling out of the mixing bowl. She pressed it firmly against the crust edges so there wouldn't be any gapping.

Her recipe makes about a half-cup too much, so there were tasty bits to snack on. I asked her about re-whipping the meringue, assuming it would have broken it into butter. She said letting it set would have created lumps.

"I had to whip it again, because it would be lumpy if I make it too far ahead like I just did," she said

Rewhipping the meringue didn't seem to affect the quality and it reminded Evora of a mystery.

"I don't know why, and maybe someone can tell me the secret; lemon pies will usually leak or weep some, she said. And I have not figured that out ... one time, I think it was for the ESU auction, and I got to the civic building and I was taking them out and there was this leakage in the box. I had to come back home, put it in another box and go back again," she laughed.

Maybe it's the acidity? I suggested.

See the original post:
In Sallie's Kitchen: Baker raises thousands with exemplary pies - Emporia Gazette