I've always wondered how they figured this out.
The following algorithm for computing the date of Easter is based on the algorithm of Oudin (1940). It is valid for any Gregorian year, Y. All variables are integers and the remainders of all divisions are dropped. The final date is given by M, the month, and D, the day of the month.Now the question is, which would take longer: working it by hand or putting it in to something like Excel?C = Y/100,
N = Y - 19*(Y/19),
K = (C - 17)/25,
I = C - C/4 - (C - K)/3 + 19*N + 15,
I = I - 30*(I/30),
I = I - (I/28)*(1 - (I/28)*(29/(I + 1))*((21 - N)/11)),
J = Y + Y/4 + I + 2 - C + C/4,
J = J - 7*(J/7),
L = I - J,
M = 3 + (L + 40)/44,
D = L + 28 - 31*(M/4).
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
"Faith and hope will fall away because we will see Jesus as He is, but we will never be able to exhaust our love for God."
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Also The Conversion of St. Paul
O GOD, who, through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world; Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same, by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.
I've almost finished with the most recent book about Harry. When I was younger, I loved to read and read all the time. But when I got to junior high, they made me read stuff that I didn't want to, so I began to dispise reading. The Potter books are the first books I've enjoyed reading in a long time. I'm going to try and keep reading, but I don't know what to move to next. Any suggestions?
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth; Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ohsing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
The transaction would unite the investment and commercial banking strength of J. P. Morgan Chase, the product of a merger of Chase Manhattan and J. P Morgan in 2001, with Bank One's much larger consumer banking operations. The combined company would have 2,300 branches in 17 states. With the addition of Bank One, based in Chicago, J. P. Morgan, the nation's second-largest bank, would also become an even bigger issuer of credit cards. The combined company would have $1.1 trillion in assets, compared with nearly $1.2 trillion for Citigroup.
The deal is a Wall Street homecoming of sorts — and possibly a form of redemption — for Bank One's chief executive, James L. Dimon, who was at one time the heir apparent to Citigroup's chairman, Sanford I. Weill. Mr. Dimon, 47, who is known as Jamie, was ousted as president of Citigroup in 1998 after an internal battle but will now become J. P. Morgan's president and chief operating officer. He is to take over as chief executive in two years from J. P. Morgan's leader, William B. Harrison, settling the persistent question of succession. [Page C1.]
The merger is expected to result in the elimination of about 10,000 jobs as part of J. P. Morgan's effort to save $2.2 billion over three years. The cuts will be concentrated in retail banking, and the greatest number may be in the New York area because the retail banking operation is to be run from Bank One's base in Chicago. The retail operation includes consumer banking, small-business banking and consumer lending. J. P. Morgan's headquarters will remain in New York, where the bank has laid off hundreds of investment bankers over the last several years.
For retail customers, there will be few immediate changes. The banks' branches do not overlap, and they said they would maintain both brand names pending a review. Bank One has 1,800 branches, mostly in the Midwest and the South. J. P. Morgan has 530 branches, which operate under the Chase name, mostly in the New York area and Texas.
The transaction is contingent on approval from both the Justice Department and the Federal Reserve, though legal experts said they did not expect the merger to be blocked.
The deal is the latest in a recent wave of mergers in an industry that has been gradually consolidating for years, and some analysts suggest it will presage more. In October, Bank of America, the nation's third-largest bank, agreed to acquire FleetBoston Financial, the seventh largest, for about $48 billion. Both deals appear to be a bet on the continuing strength of the consumer banking business.
The merger comes as J. P. Morgan is facing increasing competition for its retail branches in the New York City area, and may be overly reliant on corporate customers, said Richard Bove, an independent bank analyst with Hoefer & Arnett.
Mr. Harrison, the J. P. Morgan chief, said in an interview yesterday: "We didn't have the right mix. There was way too much volatility in earnings. We were so heavily weighted on the wholesale side," referring to the bank's corporate customers. "This makes us a more balanced firm."
The merger comes not long after J. P. Morgan's earnings and stock price recovered from a downturn in its investment banking business, a downturn that until recently made it worth less than Bank One. Mr. Harrison, who referred to the last several years as "choppy," said he wanted to take advantage of the bank's stability. The expansion, he said, will make it better able to compete.
Steven Wharton, an analyst at Loomis Sayles & Company and an owner of J. P. Morgan shares, said, "J. P. Morgan wanted to be more like Citi, and this helps get them there." Still, Mr. Wharton said that he was frustrated that Mr. Harrison did not give J. P. Morgan longer to benefit from the recovery in its corporate banking operations.
Mr. Harrison defended making another deal just as his own business was recovering. "Both of us have been through a lot of mergers before," he said. "Mergers are hard. But we know how to do them."
Brock Vandervliet, an analyst at Lehman Brothers who predicted the deal last week after rumors began to surface, applauded the deal. "I think Bill Harrison did the right thing," he said.
The deal is also a bit of redemption for Mr. Harrison, who many Wall Street figures had predicted would be forced out of a job after merging Chase with J. P. Morgan just as the stock market was cresting. The company became the subject of speculation about being taken over itself at the time. To compound problems, it became embroiled in the Enron scandal and was also forced to write off hundreds of millions of dollars in bad loans.
With this deal, Mr. Harrison appears to be controlling his own destiny. "I'm a happy camper," he said.
Mr. Dimon, the Bank One chief, rejected the notion that he took the deal as a way to return to his Wall Street roots and take on Citigroup.
"I wasn't looking to come back to New York," he said. But he did say that he and Mr. Harrison had discussed a merger off and on over several years. The negotiations began in earnest in November, both men said. Mr. Harrsion said J. P. Morgan was not ready for a deal any earlier.
"We couldn't even begin to entertain a merger," he said, explaining that the company was still reeling from integrating J. P. Morgan and Chase. Likewise, Mr. Dimon said Bank One was not ready for a deal any earlier, either. "I'm not sure we were going to attract a merger partner a few years ago," he said, referring to some problems the bank was trying to rectify since he was hired in 2000, like troubles related to the purchase of the First USA credit card company.
Under the terms of the deal, shareholders of Bank One will receive 1.32 shares of J. P. Morgan — or about $51.77 — for each of their shares. That is a 14 percent premium over Bank One's closing price yesterday of $45.22. The deal was announced after the stock market closed.
Some analysts suggested that Bank One might be selling for too little, considering that FleetBoston was able to command a 40 percent premium, though Bank of America, was initially criticized for overpaying.
Mr. Dimon said he was not concerned with the premium because he thought that "the fit is so compelling" and that the combined company "will do better than even if we sold out for a bigger premium."
Shares in Bank One jumped 10 percent in heavy after-hours activity after closing up 61 cents. Shares of J. P. Morgan were down 4 percent in after-hours trading after closing at $39.22, up 32 cents.
Although the deal is structured as a takeover of Bank One by J. P. Morgan, the combined company's board will have eight members from each bank.. The banks said the transaction was expected to contribute to earnings in 2005. Merger-related costs are expected to be $3 billion before taxes.
J. P. Morgan Chase's financial adviser on the transaction was J. P. Morgan Securities Inc.; its legal adviser was Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Bank One's financial adviser on the transaction was Lazard Frères & Company, and its legal adviser was Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
Whatch'all think?
Note: For those of you using dialup, it may take a tad bit of time for the new background to load.
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
I had taken off of vacation this week to attend AAPC's Pastor Conference. As the week neared, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to go because of a couple of factors. Now I'm in Ruston with absolutely nothing to do and bored out of my mind! I've seen ROTK twice in the past couple of weeks and have watched the first two Harry Potter movies (both of which I think are excellent.) I've seen a preview for the next movie and it looks awesome. Maybe I should read the next books before seeing the movie. Well, I need to find something to do. Tata!
ALMIGHTY God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word; Grant that the same light enkindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
What star is this, with beams so bright,
More lovely than the noonday light?
’Tis sent to announce a newborn King,
Glad tidings of our God to bring.
’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed,
“From Jacob shall a star proceed”;
And lo! the Eastern sages stand
To read in heaven the Lord’s command.
While outward signs the star displays,
An inward light the Lord conveys,
And urges them, with force benign,
To seek the Giver of the sign.
True love can brook no dull delay;
Nor toil nor dangers stop their way
Home, kindred, father land and all
They leave at their Creator’s call.
O, while the star of heavenly grace
Invites us, Lord, to seek Thy face,
May we no more that grace repel,
Or quench that light which shines so well!
To God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
May every tongue and nation raise
An endless song of thankful praise!
My sisters and I thought it was about time to take down the family picture that's been hanging over my parents' mantle since 1996. This was taken the day before Thanksgiving and given to our mom as a Christmas gift. A lot of deception happened that week. It was her surprise of the year. (clockwise from the top left) Ken, me, Ian, Kathryn, Kaleb, Emily, and Julie, holding Jacob. My brothers-in-law* are sitting behind their respective wives.