Category Archives: Ascension

The Prophet was really depressed and dejected. His beloved wife Khadijah, a source of comfort and support, was dead. His uncle Abu Talib, his second father, a pillar of strength who defended him against the vicious attacks of his enemies, was also gone. His mission to Taif had been unsuccessful. He had tried to invite the people to Islam, but in hateful and humiliating retaliation, they had sent their children after him, throwing rocks on him until he bled. It was truly a Year of Grief. It was in this context that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken up to the heavens in a miraculous and profound journey Muslims know as Al-Israa and Al-Mi`raj.

Out of numerous fruits of the Ascension or Al-Mi`raj which is like an elaborate tree of Paradise in meaning, we shall mention only five as examples.

First Fruit:

The vision of the truths from which the pillars of faith originate and the seeing of angels, Paradise and the Hereafter and even the Majestic Being, became the cause of such a treasury and an eternal light and gift for the universe and mankind that it has freed the universe from being seen as a disordered heap of things doomed to destruction and showed that, in reality, it is the harmonious collection of the sacred writings of the Eternally Besought-of-All and lovely mirrors where the Grace and Beauty of the Single One are reflected. It has pleased and rejoiced the universe and all conscious beings. Again, through that light and gift, it has freed man from the confused state of misguidance in which he was seen as a wretched, completely helpless and destitute being entangled in innumerable needs and hostilities and doomed to eternal annihilation, and showed that, in reality, he is of fairest composition and the best pattern of creation, one who, being a miracle of the Power of the Eternally Besought-of-All and a comprehensive copy of the collection of His writings, is addressed by the Sovereign of Eternity, and one who is His private servant to appreciate His perfections, His friend to behold His Beauty in amazement, and His beloved and an honorable guest of His designated for Paradise. It has implanted infinite joy and enthusiasm in those who are truly human.

Second Fruit:

The Ascension brought to men and jinn as a gift the essentials of Islam, including primarily the prescribed five daily prayers, which contain all the things pleasing to the Ruler of Eternity, Who is the Maker of creatures, the Owner of the universe, and the Lord of the Worlds. People must be so curious about perceiving those things pleasing to Him, and the perception of them brings so great happiness that it cannot be described. For everyone is desirous of knowing the wishes of a renowned benefactor or a benevolent king to the degree that he says: I wish I had a means of communication and talked to him directly! I wish I knew what he asks of me! I wish I knew what things of me are pleasing to him! God has the possession of all creatures, and the grace, beauty and perfections shared by all creatures are but a dim shadow in relation to His Beauty, Grace and Perfection. You may understand to what degree mankind, who need Him in infinite respects and receive His boundless bounties every moment, should be curious about and desirous of perceiving His wishes and the things pleasing to Him.

It was as a fruit of the Ascension that having left seventy thousand veils behind, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) heard of the things pleasing to the King of Eternity directly from Him with absolute certainty and brought them to mankind as a gift.

Mankind are extremely curious to know facts about the moon and any other planet. They desire that someone will go there and tell them about it. They are ready to make great sacrifices for this end. But the moon travels in the domain of such a Master that it flies around the earth like a fly. The earth flies around the sun like a moth. As for the sun, it is only a lamp among thousands of other lamps and functions like a candle in a guest-house of the Majestic Master of Kingdom. Thus, such are the acts and qualities of the Majestic Being, and the wonders of His art and the treasuries of His Mercy in the eternal world, that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) saw during the Ascension and then told mankind about. You may understand how contrary to reason and wisdom it will be if mankind do not listen to that person with utmost curiosity and in perfect amazement and love.

Third Fruit:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) saw the hidden treasury of eternal happiness during the Ascension and brought its keys to men and jinn as a gift. Through the Ascension he saw Paradise with his own eyes, observed the everlasting manifestations of the Mercy of the Majestic All-Merciful One, and perceived eternal happiness with absolute certainty, and then he brought to men and jinn the good tiding that there is eternal happiness (in an everlasting world).

It is indescribable how great happiness it aroused in the mortal, wretched men and jinn who had regarded themselves as condemned to eternal annihilation, that such a good tiding was given to them at a time when all creatures were giving out heart-rending cries at the thought of being in a flux amidst the convulsions of death and decay in an unstable world, going into the ocean of non-existence and eternal separation through the flow of time and the motion of particles. Consider how such a tiding delights a man if he is given a palace by the king in the vicinity of his residence just when he (the man) is about to be hanged. Add together the instances of joy and happiness to the number of all men and jinn, and understand the value of this good tiding.

Fourth Fruit:

As the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) himself received the fruit of the vision Allahs Beautiful Countenance, he brought it to men and jinn as a gift that every believer may be honored with the same vision. You can understand how delicious, fine, and beautiful that fruit is when you make a comparison like this:

Anyone with a heart loves a beautiful, perfect and benevolent one. This love increases in proportion to the extent of beauty, perfection and benevolence and mounts to the degree of adoration and self-sacrifice. It even increases to the degree that one may sacrifice whatever one has and ones life for the sake of a single vision of the beloved one. Whereas, when compared to His, all the beauty, perfection and benevolence shared by the whole of the creation cannot even be like a few flashes of the sun in comparison to the sun itself. You may understand from this what a pleasant, beautiful, rejoicing and blissful fruit it is that one deserves in the abode of eternal happiness the sight of a Majestic One of perfection, Who is worthy of infinite love, the sight of Whom deserves to inspire an infinite eagerness.

Fifth Fruit:

It was understood through the Ascension that man is a valuable fruit of the universe and a darling beloved of the Maker of the universe. This understanding is one of the fruits of the Ascension, through which man, who is outwardly an insignificant creature, a weak animal and an impotent conscious being, has risen to a position so high that it is the cause of pride for man above all other creatures. The joy and happiness it must give to man is indescribable. For if you tell an ordinary private that he has been promoted to the rank of field-marshal, he will feel infinite joy. While being a mortal, helpless, reasoning and articulating animal that had been continually receiving the blows of decay and separation, man was told unexpectedly through the Ascension: In the inner and external dimensions of Allahs dominion and in an everlasting Paradise, enveloped by the Mercy of an All-Merciful, All-Compassionate and All-Magnificent One, you may succeed in realizing all the desires of your heart and in recreation, in traveling, to and fro with the speed of imagination and in the broad sphere of the spirit and the mind. You may also succeed in seeing His Most Beautiful Countenance in the abode of eternal happiness.

You may imagine what great joy and happiness one who is truly human will feel in his heart on hearing this. Now, turning to the one in the position of listener, we say: Tear apart the shirt of atheism and put on the ears of a believer and the eyes of a Muslim. By means of comparisons, we will show you the degree of the value of one or two of those fruits.

Here is the comparison: Suppose we are in a place like a big desert. Caught by a sand storm in the midst of night, we cannot see even our hands. While in this wretched state (hungry, thirsty, hopeless and without protection) if someone appears unexpectedly with a car, and picking us up, takes us to a Paradise-like place where an extremely merciful lord welcomes us and takes us under his protection, where our future has been secured, and a banquet has been prepared for us, you may guess how we will rejoice and feel happy. So, the desert is the world, and the sands stand for helpless men and other creatures tossing about in the violent disturbances of time and events.

Every human being is anxious about his future, at which he looks with the view of misguidance, and sees it in a thick darkness. There is no one he knows to hear his cries. He is extremely hungry and thirsty. But thanks to Gods wishes and the things pleasing to Him, which we come to know as a fruit of the Ascension, the world is the guest-house of an extremely Generous One with men in it being his guests and officers; when, in such a guest-house, the future appears to you as beautiful as Paradise, as lovely as mercy and as brilliant as eternal happiness, you may understand how lovely, pleasant and beautiful that .fruit is

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Fruits of the Prophets Ascension - Islam Online

The LHSAA boys basketball playoff brackets were released on Monday afternoon, and five Ascension Parish teams made the field.

The parish team with the highest seeding was Donaldsonville. The Tigers earned the fourth seed in Class 3A.

Donaldsonville had a tremendous regular season, finishing 27-4 and capturing the District 9-3A championship.

The Tigers head into the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak. Theyve won 16 of their last 17 games.

In round one, Donaldsonville will host No. 29 Mamou, who went 18-15 during the regular season.

If the Tiges win, theyll face either No. 13 Frederick A. Douglas or No. 20 Mansfield in the second round.

In Division IV, Ascension Catholic earned the seventh seed.

The Bulldogs went 16-11 during the regular season and won the District 7-1A championship. They enter the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak.

Ascension Catholic will host No. 10 River Oaks in round one. River Oaks is 16-13.

If the Bulldogs win, theyll face either second-seeded Calvary Baptist or No. 15 Cedar Creek in the quarterfinals.

In Class 5A, East Ascension earned the No. 14 seeding. The Spartans finished the regular season with a record of 15-9.

In the first round, theyll host No. 19 Hahnville. Hahnville finished the year with an 18-14 record.

If East Ascension wins, theyll face either third-seeded Ruston or No. 30 Dutchtown in round two.

The Griffins went 14-14 during the regular season. They now face a Ruston squad with a record of 24-4.

St. Amant made the playoffs as the No. 24 seed. The Gators went 20-12 during the regular season.

Theyll hit the road to face ninth-seeded Destrehan in round one. The Wildcats finished with a 25-5 record during the regular season.

If St. Amant pulls off the upset, the Gators will face either eighth-seeded Natchitoches Central or No. 25 Denham Springs in the second round.

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Parish boys basketball teams make the playoffs - Weekly Citizen

Ascension, also known as Spiritual Awakening, is a simultaneous increase of Expanding Consciousness that occurs when our spiritual-energetic bodies connect into our physical bodies. Generally, the catalyst for spiritual Awakening is discovered through the process of progressive Kundalini activation that starts in the base of our spine and moves the intelligent energies up the spine and into the Crown. As a human being undergoes the Awakening process, which can progress gradually over many years, that person shifts into perceptions of higher consciousness, which can include increased awareness of energy in the environment, perceiving multidimensional realities, sensing extradimensional entities and feeling a direct communion with God and the interconnected energy that exists between all things.

Ascension is a change in Spectrum of Frequency through Kundalini awakening and a change in the focus of our Consciousness. Ascension is about moving our Consciousness from one reality to another. Since reality is a dimension, what we are undertaking is essentially a full dimensional shift. To go through this shift we must adjust our way of thinking and being to that which is in alignment with our soul purpose and true divine essence.

Ascension is the complex quantum mechanics governing the movement of consciousness through time and space. Consciousness is energy, as well as, energy is intelligent consciousness. When energy shifts, so does our consciousness. Time and space as we have known on planet earth is changing, and we are moving into a future timeline. Through gradual exposure to frequency activation of various stellar bodies, the planet is transformed into higher dimensional and frequency planes of existence. One can consider the multidimensional model of our reality through the study of the Universal Time Matrix and the Universal Tree of Life. The shift of frequency forces all of the planetary inhabitants to shift into the newly exposed planetary frequencies and adapt to the accumulative impact of the shifting energies. All humans have a unique Blueprint and pace to keep aligned with the planetary frequencies. Some will adapt to these frequencies while embodied on planet, while others may not. The choice lies with each of us and is directly our responsibility. We can participate or not with our personal evolution process. All that is required from the Ascension process is participation at the level you are able and that attention and focus is placed on one's heart with a desire to know the true self.

As we develop Self Awareness which is the knowledge of the Self, we are developing the right relationship to the Self, and thus we can better develop our relationship with God Source. We cannot know the highest expression of our nature, until we know the deepest inner contents of our own being. Self study is self mastery and is the pathway to expanding Consciousness and awakening Kundalini.

See Where Can I Start?

The Ascension Stages are about the bringing of layers of light, the Kundalini force existing within the levels of our spiritual bodies (our Multidimensional God Selves) by descending these layers into matter and anchoring them into the physical plane of reality. Simultaneously, Ascension is a shift in energetic Spectrum of Frequency patterns held in a dimensional space which, when absorbed and activated into the layers of the planetary and human bio-energetic field, activates its DNA Silicate Matrix template instruction set. This catalyzes a chain of events that creates a complete transformation and transmutation of various patterns and programs held in the energetic templates of the Human Souls journey within a cycle of evolutionary time. When activated, these patterns begin to shift, re-emerge and clear from the layers of experiences coded into every cell and memory pattern held as an energetic vibration within the bodies. This part of the biological ascension process may manifest physical, mental and emotional Ascension Symptoms as well as the spiritual crisis of the Dark Night of the Soul.

Emotional clearing is the main process we will experience and be acutely aware of as we shift through the Ascension. Since emotional pain and imbalances are responsible for our states of dis-ease, many of us will experience illness or physical releases of pain clearing from our bodies. Some of this clearing is for your karmic, genetic or ancestral soul lineage. Some of us as lightworkers, have chosen to clear states of imbalance for the collective or for a specific group, and will feel this movement of energy transmute through us, as our energetic being is acting as a cosmic filtration system for the greater whole.

Also, as these painful patterns are removed from the soul record, the clearing recodes our DNA so it can hold more light, thus sustaining our new frequency and our state of increasing higher consciousness and multidimensionality. As we hold this greater light and advanced genetic package in our bio-energy field, it enables others through the principle of resonance, to vibrate at the increased frequency rate and activate their own inner potential and divine inheritance towards Ascension.[1]

The 5D Ascension is the original evolutionary schema or Ascension Plan for the planet Earth at the end of the 2012 Timelines or at the end of the Ascension Cycle, or the end of an Age of Humanity. This original plan was aborted by the Krystal Star Guardians, and in my knowledge, I was shifted from my original Ascension mission in 2004 to learn how to best work for the Guardian Aurora teams who were active building Krystal Star hosting architecture for planet earth. In 2005 I was made aware the original plan was aborted and councils disbanded and reassembled to work on the new mission upgrades, called Ascension Plan B.

The elemental re-encryption process of this Avatar of Ascension (AOA) project as a part of the Aurora Guardian Families is an adjustment that actually changes the coordinates of your birth blueprint and its genetic imprint on the flesh. When we incarnated into 3D we had to accept huge miasmic package that is attached to the collective human race mental bodies on this planet. These are called Negative Forms or Shadow or Phantom Sun bodies. These phantom bodies are what connect humans to the timeline of the (911 Timelines), Armageddon Software or the negative alien agenda NAA. The transduction sequence is the definition of when the God Spark connects to the core manifestation body (12 Tree Grid) which projects out the elemental physical manifest body Three Layers of Ego. As we know a major project of the AOA Aurora is to re-encrypt the elemental structure of our bodies, as well as anchor the architecture to build the unity source code platform. This changes the false 911 Timelines architecture and is what the work of this ES community is in laying the template of the Law of One (LOO) in the GSF Ascension Timeline. This timeline exists in the Aurora time continuum. See Aurora Re-encryptions.[2]

4 Planetary Rounds = 1 Planetary Cycles = 1 Astrological Age = Aeon = 26,000 (26,566) years = precession of Earths axis of rotation with respect to inertial space.At the end of every cycle, we become aligned to the galactic core; Stargate portals open (See Planetary Gates, and we are eligible to proceed with an Ascension timeline.

Refers to the precession of Earth's axis of rotation with respect to inertial space. A complete precession cycle (One Astrological Age) covers a period of approximately 25,765 years, the so called Great Platonic Year, during which time the equinox regresses over a full 360. The precessional movement also is the determining factor in the length of an Astrological Age or Aeon. (Note that there are 12 Zodiac Archetypes that are each of the 12 Astrological Ages. We are moving from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius.) The Precession of the Equinoxes is caused by the differential between the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon on the Earth.

The ancients called this circuit path made around the galactic equator, the Gate of the Gods or The Golden Gate. The Orion constellation sits in the opposite direction, which would be considered the anti-galactic center. The ancients called this circuit path the Gate of Man or The Silver Gate. Ophiuchus and Orion are mirror images of opposing polarity. Together, they represent the ascending path through the Gate of Man meeting at the Gate of the Gods. The many Ascension stages we endure to reach our spiritual Magnum Opus, are the stages of humanity moving through these sequences of consciousness gateways. We all incarnate as earthly beings that evolve through the Precession of the Equinoxes. This takes us through the consciousness realms moving through the ecliptic path of the Gate of Man to eventually complete the evolution cycle, which intersects at the Galactic Center. Once we unify the consciousness experiences through the Gate of Man intersecting with the Galactic Equator at Ophiuchus feet, we are potentially given access to The Golden Gate. This allows us to proceed on the Ascension path to become resurrected eternal spiritual beings unified with the Cosmic Holy Spirit. From our solar system the Galactic Center lies visually along a line that passes through The Golden Gate. This is the Gate to Eternal Life which pours out the Universal Elixir that opens at the end of Precession Cycles. The Golden Gate is located on the circuit path, where the two great celestial spheres intersect together that create four quadrants. The quadrant is one of four circular sectors in the equal division of the planetary sphere. The first great circuit is the path of the Sun through the zodiac made in its annual cycle. The other is the circle path made from the center of our Milky Way galaxy called the galactic equator.The intersection point made between the two circuits located between Taurus and Gemini constellations is known as The Silver Gate. The intersection point of the two circuits between Scorpio and Sagittarius constellations, right under Ophiuchus right foot, is known as The Golden Gate. [3]

What is Ascension?

Virtues

Spirits of Christ

Father Arc

Mother Arc

Krystal Star

KA RA YA SA TA AA LA (KRYSTAL)

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Ascension - Ascension Glossary

Many are the sad events and bitter memories that Muslims experience nowadays, and so many are those experienced by them in the past years. Those events have shocked their reality and posed new challenges and many questions whose answers are surrounded by much frustration, defeatism, and blackness.

But, as the present gets darker, some bright flashes tend to dash here and there from the depths of the past. From time to time, these flashes remind Muslims that they are the descendants of great builders of civilization and that darkness no matter how long will surely be followed by daylight.

As we celebrate the anniversary of Al-Israa and Al-Mi`raj (the Night Journey and Ascension of Prophet Muhammad), Muslims in many places of the world suffer afflictions and wars, bloodshed and terrorism, chaos and backwardness, bewilderment and confusion.

There are questions about the end, about persecution of religion and betrayal of its adherents, about mass suicide and the doom of a glorious nation that is supposed to exist till the end of time, if Allah wills.

Such deviation has reached an unprecedented level. Meanwhile, the nations decline continues, in spite of the glimpses of light that try to illuminate the path away from clamor and storms.

Horizontal Connection, Vertical One

Established by the Night Journey, the horizontal connection between different places on earth stresses the principle of symbolic extension of a message that promotes benevolence, peace, and mutual respect.

In his Night Journey, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not go to Jerusalem to subdue it, shed the blood of its inhabitants, or bring it under the sovereignty of Muslims by force. In fact, the Night Journey was a gathering of all Prophets in the presence of the last one of them. It was a meeting of the leaders of one religion and a symbolic reference to a meeting of different nations, races, and cultures.

Having taken place at the beginning of laying the foundations of Islam, the Night Journey was a clear indication that this religion is a religion of peace a religion that encourages its followers to get to know others and build healthy relationships with them. Also, this blessed journey pointed out the fact that Islam is a continuation of the same spring of good, from which past nations drank when they adopted the message of their Prophets and reformers.

Islam did not carry to this good, virtuous land of Jerusalem a message of aggression, oppression, or appropriation. It neither said, We have brought a nation without a land to a land without a nation nor said, We have come with a Prophet to a land without prophets. On the contrary, Islam respected what preceded it and regarded itself as part and parcel of a whole fabric that had been formed throughout the history and geography of preceding nations.

On the other hand, the journey of ascension established a vertical connection between the earth and heaven. It underlined the fact that there is a close relationship between this nation and its Lord. This relationship is manifested by the five daily Prayers.

The five Prayers stand as a constant reminder that the deliverance of humans on earth depends on their good relation with their Creator. Without the guidance and benevolence of Him, the existence of humans on earth would be one of troubles and falls.

In this way, the journey of ascension established a new pillar for any worldly success. In more modern terms, one can say that no civilizational precedence of the Ummah can ever be sound, sustainable, renewable, or creative without taking the spiritual and moral aspects into consideration in all spheres of life. Indeed, the way that the Ummah takes toward progress and prosperity is a way that leads to Almighty Allah.

Spirituals: Core of Civilization

The spirituals and principles of morals along with that close relationship between heaven and earth lay the foundations of human life, with its psychological, cultural, political, social, and economic aspects. A structure that overlooks the spiritual and moral aspects of civilization is definitely lame in theorization, in thought, and in vision. Such a lame structure will lead to lameness in application, even if such lameness was hidden from the very beginning.

Unfortunately, we lost our morals in politics and severed the spiritual ties between heaven and earth. We forgot or pretended to have forgotten a whole Quranic surah named Ash-Shura (Mutual Consultation). Afraid of power, weakhearted scholars turned the principle of shura into a mere piece of information about the history of Islam, rather than a binding principle. In turn, the rulers grew even more tyrannical. They deluded their peoples, imposing upon them immoral and unspiritual interpretations of the principle of shura. They bequeathed the rule just as the houses and other possessions are bequeathed.

At the beginning, the subjects yielded and refused to stand up to injustice, either out of fear or out of greed. Afterward, the people became even unable to straighten their backs and stop bowing, as if they had never stood up straight before. As a result, generations from this nation were born bowing. They grew old and remained bowing, and they entered their graves still bowing. Sadly, they never had the chance to see the sky! Furthermore, morals disappeared and the earnest appeals addressed to peoples conscience came to a standstill.

The ascension toward civilization will never be a success without the existence of these spiritual and moral aspects in all our actions and in every path toward progress, liberation, and above all toward Allah. Neither we nor our offspring will ever gain the least benefit from an alleged civilization as long as murder, terrorism, horribleness, and damage are rocking our homes, without knowledge or clear-sightedness, without rights or morals, and without any reasonable argument!

In fact, we shall never understand the civilizational message of the journey of ascension unless we first understand that building a civilization is neither accomplished in disorder and clamor nor achieved with hands stained with falsehood, tyranny, and aggression.

In conclusion, civilization is a journey (or Israa) that turns a lost, helpless person into a righteous one who aims at reform. It is also an ascension (or Mi`raj) of such a person to spirituality, morality, justice, and freedom. This is one of many messages of the Night Journey and Ascension for both the individual and the community, however the conditions may be.

By Dr. Khaled At-Tarawali

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Night Journey for the Nation Ascension to Civilization - Islam Online

(Editors note: This article is part of the Advance/SILive.com Black History Month special series, Impact & Excellence, which profiles Staten Islanders who are making important, lasting impact in the community. Do you have someone you would like to nominate for an Impact & Excellence profile? E-mail their name and a brief nomination to tips@siadvance.com.)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Thomas Ridges remembers walking to the mailbox at the Bedford-Stuyvesant housing projects to grab his mothers welfare check, a lifeline in an area he self-described as one of the toughest in the city.

He recalls friends being arrested and the faces of victims caught in the crossfire of crime. He also recollects feeling he wanted to make a difference.

Theres got to be something different, theres got to be a way to stop this, Ridges thought at the time, he explained to the Advance/SILive.com.

Decades later, he has ascended to a leadership position at the Richmond County District Attorneys Office the first Black executive in the offices history. He serves as a member of Mayor Eric Adams transition team, has met with city leaders and President Joe Biden on the issue of gun crime and has prosecuted countless high-profile cases throughout his long tenure of public service.

But, before he reached those heights, Ridges was a Brooklyn kid growing up in the 1960s and early 1970s.

His mother, who only completed an 11th grade education, was the smartest person he ever met, said Ridges. With his father not in the picture during his formative years, he said his familys matriarch was his prime motivator.

She said, youre going to pursue your education, youre going to get your education, said Ridges, recalling conversations he had with his mother growing up.

As a teenager, he had intense interest in journalism and reached out to Mike Daly, a former columnist with the Daily News. Daly encouraged Ridges to tell stories of the place where he lived an area so often the location of negative depictions and bring to light the positive stories from the neighborhood.

He did, and it was published in print. At the time, Ridges was just 15 years old.

After attending John Jay High School in Park Slope, he would go to Penn State University in Pennsylvania before returning to New York City because of financial struggles. His persistence, however, was unmoved. Ridges would continue his undergraduate degree at St. Johns University, though monetary problems continued to offer impediments.

Years after he took a civil service test for the NYPD, Ridges said he received a final call from the department after he deferred pursuing police work for educational reasons. This time, Ridges said, he accepted the invitation.

During the summer of 1985, he attended the police academy as a 20-year-old. While being a cop was not something that initially jumped at me, its probably one of the best decisions I ever made, said Ridges.

While pursuing his new law enforcement career, Ridges was able to finish his undergraduate degree at John Jay College in Manhattan before attending St. Johns Law School.

Charles Hynes, the former Brooklyn district attorney who died in 2019, was one of Ridges professors at St. Johns. One day after class when Hynes asked him what he planned to do after his degree, Ridges always quick on his feet said, I was planning to join your office.

And he would. While the role was a pay cut from his job as a police officer, he said, everythings not about money.

Ridges would go on to work in a litany of units at the district attorneys office, including a program that dealt with officers shot, injured or put in danger by gunfire. His rapport with officers as a former cop himself made him an ideal fit for the job.

Years later, he would work in the homicide bureau in Brooklyn, where he would prosecute the men who murdered detectives Dillon Stewart, Robert Parker and Patrick Rafferty.

As his career progressed, Ridges said his motivation remained fixed: I always wanted to help people. As a cop, I got to help people. As a prosecutor, I got to help people.

MOVE TO STATEN ISLAND

Nearly two decades after he began working at the Brooklyn district attorneys office, Ridges received a call from Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon in 2016. He was offered a leadership position on the executive team.

It was my home borough, Ridges said of Staten Island. Ive lived out here since 1988, so it wasnt like I was going to Staten Island and I was a nomad or something. You know, this is where I was at my kids had been born here, my kids were raised here, went to school here. So it was a chance for me to come home in a vital role.

In accepting the appointment, Ridges became the first Black individual to hold an executive position in the office. He took office on Feb. 1, 2016, the first day of Black history month a significant marker in itself, he said and is currently the executive assistant district attorney in charge of investigations.

It was a chance to, as Shirley Chisholm used to say, have a seat at the table, said Ridges.

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and Assistant District Attorney Thomas Ridges speak at their office in St. George on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon) Jason Paderon

He works on long-term investigations for issues ranging from economic to narcotic crimes and has successfully put some of the Islands most notorious dealers behind bars.

Ridges said his upbringing and experience helps inform decisions on cases, which can be a complex science devoid of cookie-cutter solutions.

I think thats the most critical part of being a prosecutor, said Ridges. Being able to look at a case and sift through the weeds.

Sometimes that process involves understanding the underlying motives of crime while also being receptive to victims. Two individuals charged with the same crime, he explained, could require different approaches and subsequent solutions.

While he is mostly out of the courtroom, the leadership role has afforded him the opportunity to use his life experience to provide valuable insight on the approach to Staten Island crime.

That insight is especially useful regarding the ongoing drug epidemic that has devastated the borough for years.

Ridges said he appreciates McMahons understanding that you cant arrest your way out of every problem, especially in the cases of those battling drug use. On the other hand, he explained, being inexorably committed to putting criminals like malicious drug dealers in prison requires forceful focus.

That focus is easier to come by when he is notified of every overdose on Staten Island an unfortunately incessant ping that reminds Ridges of the work that still needs to be done.

I have a saying that we use in the Narcotics Investigation Bureau: Were saving lives one day at a time, said Ridges. It takes a lot of patience.

Thomas Ridges in his office in St. George on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon) Jason Paderon

When Ridges worked as a police officer, he would carry pocket applications for the NYPD exam. It was a practice that caused him to receive frequent pushback.

He was called a sellout by other Black men in the community who accused him of arresting his own people. Id say, listen, have you seen the faces of the victims? They look like me too. Those are my people as well, said Ridges.

Those sentiments, however, would follow him in his work as a prosecutor. Still, his perception remains clear. You have to dissuade them of that and say, if youre not part of the solution, youre part of the problem, Ridges noted.

As a teacher at Monroe College and a former educator at John Jay College, Ridges aims to bestow the same guidance and wisdom he received in his early years in law enforcement. He asks students what changes they want to affect and where they see themselves five years down the line.

His long road, Ridges has learned, can help others realize that seemingly-lofty goals are not out of reach.

He gives tremendous credit to his mother, who unfortunately died before he graduated law school, as being a catalyst for his current success. While she was not able to see the benefits of her support, Ridges said the steps he has taken since growing up in Brooklyn have manifested his mothers hopes and dreams.

This month, he was in the room with the president as he came to New York City to discuss fighting gun violence.

If you would have asked me 40 years ago if I thought that I was going to have the chance to be sitting in a room with the president of the United States, coming from Bedford-Stuyvesant, I never would have thought that was an option, said Ridges.

My message to young people that look like me during Black History Month is, if I can do it, you can do it, said Ridges. Dont dont limit yourself.

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Impact & Excellence: Trailblazing prosecutor reflects on his ascension to Staten Island leadership - SILive.com

Thousands of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats should be flown to a tiny South Atlantic island more than 6,000 kilometres away to process their claims, a British think tank has proposed.

The plan to send thousands of people to Ascension Island is one of the best alternatives should France refuse to take back migrants who make the journey to the UK in small vessels, according to a report by the Policy Exchange.

The group said that all migrants should be relocated abroad to British-controlled territories for processing within 48 hours of arrival if a deal could not be struck with Paris.

The report considered the Channel Islands, close to the coast of France, and British sovereign territory in Cyprus, but said the most obviously suitable distant location was Ascension, a 90 square kilometre island with a population of up to 1,200 and a police force of three.

There are currently no direct flights from the island to the UK while the pot-holed runway is being repaired before its reopening this year. The authors of the report said the weather would be better than alternative sites if those sent for processing were forced to sleep in tents because of a lack of facilities.

The UK government previously carried out an assessment for a processing centre on Ascension, which included the practicalities of transferring thousands of migrants, but shelved the idea.

The opposition Labour party described the proposal in 2020 as ludicrous, inhumane, completely impractical and wildly expensive.

More than 28,000 migrants entered the UK from northern Europe by small boat in 2021. Reported government projections suggest that number could double this year.

Policy Exchange said a radical plan was needed to dissuade migrants from making the crossing. It said the best plan was for naval patrols in the Channel that could escort or take small boats back to the EU.

But failing that, Ascension Island was one of the best alternative locations to investigate the claims of new arrivals despite being cumbersome and expensive.

DUNGENESS, ENGLAND - JANUARY 18: Migrants arrive at Dungeness after being intercepted in the channel by the UK Border Force on January 18, 2022 in Dungeness, England. Over 28,000 migrants crossed the English Channel by boat last year, three times as many as in 2020, and migrant arrival facilities in Kent are being expanded to accommodate. (Photo by Dan Kitwood / Getty Images)

The proposal would involve opting out of human rights legislation but would still be in line with the UKs international obligations, according to the report.

Small-boat crossings to UK shores from safe countries like France need to be brought back to their pre-2017 level: negligible, it said.

Those found to be refugees would be sent to a safe third country for settlement, according to the report, while others would be deported or sent to any country willing to take them. The right-wing think tank said identifying those countries was not part of its report.

Richard Ekins, a law professor at the University of Oxford and contributor to the report, said: The crisis in the Channel warrants a game-changing and humane solution.

Updated: February 16th 2022, 6:14 PM

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UK's small-boat crisis solvable with deportations to Ascension Island - The National

MILWAUKEE Since the pandemic began, doctors at Ascension Wisconsin have seen more people prioritize health and ask for help with their weight.

One of those patients was Sue Godersky who has struggled with her weight for several years.

"I come from a family where obesity runs thick and deep, no pun," Godersky said.

Godersky hopes sharing her story inspires others to get the help that could change their life. In 2011, Godersky was at her heaviest at 271 pounds.

"I know my cholesterol was up. I just was unhealthy and how could I be a good nurse?" Godersky said.

Godersky's experience has been a rollercoaster marked with success and setbacks. At one point, she lost more than 100 pounds with diet and exercise, but cancer changed the course leading her to gain most of the weight back.

Then before COVID-19 vaccines were out, Godersky's brother caught the virus.

"He was in the hospital for 153 days on a ventilator for five weeks. His only risk factor is obesity no other underlying. Luckily, he lived and neurologically is intact, but will have many side effects," Godersky said.

Godersky said after that she reached out to the Ascension Wisconsin's Bariatrics Program where she connected with Dr. Christopher Weber whose team got to know her and her health history. They got her started on some medications and guidelines for a healthy diet.

It began with frequent visits upfront then moved to an appointment every three months. Godersky also does exercises that fit her needs.

"My cholesterol has improved. My cardiovascular risk is down," Godersky said.

According to Dr. Weber, their department has only gotten busier during the pandemic with every patient citing health reasons as the reason why they want to lose weight. Weber said the pandemic has put a spotlight on how a person's health conditions factor into the severity of something like COVID-19.

"During the pandemic, I've seen reasons for people to gain weight, right? You're not getting as much sleep, you're stressed, all that leads to weight gain. I don't know if that's in their minds as they come here or just that whole environment has gotten them to think more about their health," Dr. Weber said.

Dr. Weber does not expect the flow of patients to slow down soon and added that bariatrics is one of the specialties expected to grow over the next few years.

"Because it's related to so many other health problems, right. You see weight trends going up shortly behind that. Diabetes goes up shortly behind that. Fatty liver goes up. So, all these things are related," Dr. Weber said.

Godersky exceeded her goals. She plans to stick to the doctor's orders. She wants people to know there is no shame in asking for professional help as you would for any other medical condition.

"That was that motivation for me, just to regain my health and make sure that Im around for a long time yet," Godersky said.

Most health insurance plans cover obesity screening and counseling. You should talk with your doctor about health concerns including weight, but you do not need a referral for Ascension Wisconsin's Bariatrics Program.

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More patients getting medical help for weight due to health concerns - WTMJ-TV

Some call it liquid gold. Breast milk has many advantages in helping babies grow. It can build immunity and mature intestinal tracts, provide vital nutrients and hormones, reduce infections, and so much more. Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford is proud to announce they are now receiving safe, pasteurized breast milk donated by Tennessee donor mothers and pasteurized by the Mothers Milk Bank of Tennessee. This milk will be primarily used to save the most vulnerable babies in the hospitals neonatal intensive care unit NICU.

Unfortunately, not all mothers can produce enough milk to sustain a growing baby, especially one in the NICU. Studies have shown that 40% of NICU mothers arent able to produce enough milk. One of the benefits of the Milk Bank being located in Rutherford County is how centralized Rutherford County is in the state of Tennessee. This convenient location allows for easy pick up from the milk depots (collection sites) and distribution of donor milk throughout the state.

As the NICU at St. Thomas Rutherford continues to grow, donor milk is one of the most valuable resources that we have available, said Dr. Jason Parker, neonatal-perinatal physician at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Rutherford. We can give premature infants the best nutrition for them when mothers own milk is not available. By using donor milk supplied by Mothers Milk Bank here in Rutherford County, St Thomas NICU is giving our most vulnerable infants the best start in life by improving digestive health and tolerance at a very crucial time.

Every ounce counts. With resources like Milk From Mothers Milk Bank of Tennessee, moms can access these essential resources to enable their babies to survive and thrive.

More here:

Giving the Gift of Milk this New Year. Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford and the Milk Bank of Tennessee Team up to Save Babies' Lives - Wgnsradio

Camryn Accardo's long-awaited journey to Carnegie Hall was realized when the high school freshman sang on the country's biggest stage.

Accardo and Audrey Soulier, a high school sophomore, both had their dreams come true earlier this month thanks to the Carnegie Hall High School Honors Performance Series.

The teens, both former students and choir members at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic School, had to wait a bit because of COVID-19.Accardo auditioned in 2019 and was set to perform in 2020. Soulier, an East Ascension High sophomore, also had to wait for her turn on the big stage.

Accardo, 14-year-old St. Amant High student, called the experience spectacular.

"Performing on the stage of Carnegie Hall was an experience of a lifetime that I will always treasure and never forget," she said. "I made several friends along the way from many different states including Delaware, Idaho and Alabama. I truly enjoyed learning from conductor Dr. Ames, and he made the rehearsals fun, exciting and formed all of our voices into one within just a couple days.

Accardo's mother, Aleisha, said family and friends were able to join her daughter on the New York trip. The grandness of the stage and auditorium was breathtaking, she said.

"The red velvet seats and the ambience were so grand," Aleisha Accardo said.

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The teens received some sheet music one month ahead of the performance, giving them little time to learn six songs. After a daylong practice, the singers, representing 44 states, "sounded like they'd been singing together for years," Aleisha Accardo said.

She said she's not sure her daughter understands the full scope of her accomplishment. "It's really a big deal," Aleisha Accardo said. "We're so proud of her."

Camryn and Audrey auditioned for the Honors Performance Series and were accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication and achievements demonstrated in her application and audition recording.

Camryn, a soprano, spent her weekend under the tutelage of world-renowned conductor Dr. Jeffery L. Ames along with other members from across the United States preparing for this special performance at the world-famous Carnegie Hall, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement. This was the first series performance at Carnegie Hall since 2020.

Audrey sang with the High School Honors Treble Choir, under the direction of Dr. Lynne Jackle at the Isaac Stern Audition/Ronald O. Perelman Stage.

After having performances worldwide impacted for over two years, we are excited to be returning to the stage at Carnegie Hall. Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing, said Marion Gomez, program director for the Honors Performance Series. We processed nearly 10,000 nominations and have selected over 500 of the most talented student performers from around the world. Working with these conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these musicians will never forget.

The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue Carnegie Hall. The Honors Performance Series is presented by WorldStrides, the nations leading educational travel organization. Learn more by visiting http://www.honorsperformance.org and http://www.worldstrides.com.

Originally posted here:

Local high school students selected to perform at Carnegie Hall - The Advocate

Ascension Saint John will be closing its 22-bed unit that treats children in less than three months.

The hospital has decided to invest millions in more adult ICU space.

However, some people are worried they may have to take their children out of state, since there will be only one pediatric unit left in Tulsa.

A doctor in Muskogee said he sends nearly all of the kids needing a hospital to St. John. He said many rural communities rely on St. John - and the lack of pediatric care in Oklahoma is already bad enough.

Donisha Gillespie is a mother of two boys - RJ is 12 and Kam is two years old. RJ and Kam were both born prematurely.

"I've been through so much with my husband and I both," said Gillespie.

Donisha said RJ spent time in the Pediatric ICU at St. John.

Kam spent months in the hospital and St. John needed to transfer him in 2019, but there weren't beds available at nearby hospitals.

She was afraid she would have to move to Missouri or Texas to be with Kam.

"At this time, St. Francis was full, Oklahoma City was full," said Gillespie.

Eventually a bed at St. Francis opened up, but Donisha said without both hospitals, she wouldn't have known what to do.

"It's really disheartening to find out St. John is shutting down the pediatric unit," said Dr. Michael Stratton.

Dr. Michael Stratton has been a pediatrician for a few decades and works at Children's Clinic in Muskogee.

He said he transfers about three kids a week to St. John and it's a simple, easy process.

"The communication is great, there is no hassle, and they keep in contact with us," Dr. Stratton said.

St. John said, in a statement, it is investing $27 million to expand its adult ICU capacity.

It will close its pediatric ICU and pediatric inpatient unit on April 30, after doing a community needs assessment.

A doctor at St. John said there are 22 beds and up to eight are for the PICU.

St. John averages about 100 pediatric patients per month.

"I would hope they would keep it open," Gillespie said. "From my experience, pediatric care is hurting in the state."

St. Francis will be the only hospital with a PICU in Tulsa.

St. Francis made a full statement, saying, "The Childrens Hospital at SaintFrancissincerely thanks the pediatricstaff and physicians atAscensionSt. John for the many years of care and comfort they have provided to so many injured and ill children in our region. As the regions only childrens hospital, with the highest level of pediatric and neonatal intensive care, SaintFranciswill work to coordinate any transfers of care as needed to ensure patients continue to receive highquality care close to home."

St. John made a full statement, saying, "Ascension St. John Medical Center recently announced our plan to invest $27M to expand adult ICU capacity over the next two and a half years, which is expected to place ASJMC at the forefront of regional, critical care access. In order to accommodate the additional adult critical-care capacity, we announced our plan to close our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and general pediatric inpatient unit effective April 30, 2022. This decision was based on both a community needs assessment along with a thoughtful analysis of services already being offered in the community. There will be no interruption to our current pediatric ambulatory or surgical services, nor any interruption to our neonatal intensive care (NICU) services."

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Ascension St. John Closing Pediatric Intensive Care Unit To Expand Adult ICU - News On 6