It?s Good to be Goofy
March 6, 2008
To paraphrase a saying my mother liked to use occasionally, "The whole world is goofy ? except you and me. And sometimes I’m not too sure about you!"
Rest assured that no matter who we are or what we do, there is at least a handful of people somewhere in this world who are convinced that we’re not rowing with both oars in the water. If you’ve been following along with some of the other blogs, you know that this is absolutely normal. Since no two of us have had exactly the same informational inputs and experiences in our lives, our programming will be different which will of course, prompt us to develop different perspectives of the events and situations we encounter. That produces differences of opinion and occasional conflicts. That’s just the way life is.
So why the heck then, do so many of us spend so much time and energy trying to convince folks otherwise? We try to make sure that we do the "right" things so we’ll blend in with the rest of the crowd. We say and do those things that are acceptable to "the group" ? our friends, family and co-workers. We try really, really hard to fit the mold that we believe others would approve of. We sell our individuality for a reassuring nod and a pat on the back.
Praying Effectively ? Understanding How To Pray Part 2
March 5, 2008
In our last study, we looked at understanding prayer. In this study we will be focusing on how to pray effectively.
Effective prayer is a goal that most Christians aim for in their daily life, and unfortunately this is a goal that few reach. Why would prayer be so hard to achieve, and to get results on a daily bases? The problem lies in our approach to prayer. For many of us, we have been taught that to pray we must “beg and plead” with God, and just maybe He will move on our behalf. I have also seen people think that they are exactly where God wants them, so they just pray "Lord if it be thy will" like that will do the trick for them, and what every results happen with that prayer then that is exactly what God would have them to do. Then you have my personal favorite kind of prayer, the "lets make a deal" prayer. We agree to do something for God, if He in return will do something for us. As a result of all these types of prayers, it’s no wonder why so many Christians have a very weak prayer life, and are defeated by Satan. So let us begin our study of how to pray effectively.
Business Ethics: An Oxymoron?
March 5, 2008
Why do I believe good PR and business ethics are inextricably linked? It comes down to definitions. Ethics is learning what is right and what is wrong and then doing the “right thing.” PR involves providing counsel on the “right thing” to do and then helping the organization get credit for it.
The business and political excess of the last 10 years have taken some PR practitioners to the dark side because they felt it was the only way for their company to profit. Although I personally believe doing right for right’s sake is enough, there are some who may not share this view. OK, here’s a reason that any good capitalist can embrace: research now shows that socially responsible behavior is good for the bottom line.
A recent analysis of overall financial performance of the 2001 list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens shows that this group of firms did significantly better than the remaining companies of the S&P 500. Professors at DePaul University found that the mean ranking of the 100 Best was more than 10 percentile higher than the other firms of the S&P 500.
Flows of Civilization; Views from a Think Tank
March 4, 2008
Over the past few years we have been discussing many topics. Most of what is discussed here has to do with observations of the world we live in. We discuss how we might make that world better, what we are currently accomplishing as a people and also our suggestions to make it safer, with greater freedom and more efficient. We have typically made these suggestions from experience, studying market sectors, psychology, human nature, world events, nature, car washing, mother-nature, science, and the natural order and flow of things.
Prophetic Ministry: Affirmations From Scripture to Teach Us Who We Are In Christ
March 3, 2008
To learn who you are in Christ, you must know what God says about you. The Holy Bible tells us to do many things. Notice the number of times we are told to do certain things in the old and new testament. We find the word:
Pray a total of 533 times,
Worship 192 times,
Sing 252 times,
Love 468 times,
Say (said) 6684 times.
It gives us an idea of how important it is to be careful what we say! Everything our God ever created or destroyed, he always spoke it first. He said "Let there be light, and there was light." Jesus said that the fig tree would never again bear fruit; and it was barren.
The Lord said for us to say to the mountains standing in our way "be thou removed and cast into the sea" and it will jump into the sea. (Mk 11:23) So, we have precedence for speaking God’s scriptures into our circumstances. Here is a list of paraphrased bible scriptures that we can read aloud 3 times a day until it gets down into our spirits. Read this daily for 6 months and you will know your authority in Christ. The littlest christian child has more power in her little finger than all the power of the enemy.
10 Ideas to Jump Start Your Self-Confidence
March 2, 2008
To begin feeling that first spark of self-confidence within you, try as many of these as you like. It’s important to enjoy yourself along the way. Have fun!
1. Correctly do 25 pushups, 50 sit-ups, or 1 cartwheel.
2. Learn all of the words to a fun new song on the radio and sing it aloud while driving down the road.
3. Open up your cookbook to a completely new recipe and learn to cook it well.
4. Learn how to say, “I love you” in two different languages other than your own.
5. Teach someone how to read, how to fish, or how to play a musical instrument.
6. Look inside a thesaurus to find new ways to say the same old things.
7. Find three funny jokes and learn to tell them really well.
8. Get a makeover, new hairstyle, or all new socks & underwear.
9. Learn how to say, “I’m sorry” and mean it.
10. Look into the eyes of strangers and hold their gaze long enough to see the insecurity in all of us.
More tips and ideas can be found in Beyond the Inner Critic by Skye Thomas.
The Rise And Fall Of Babylon
March 1, 2008
According to the Book of Revelations, the city of Babylon has to be rebuilt once again. This is another key event for everyone to really keep an eye on. Prophecy scholars are divided in their opinion as to whether or not the city of Babylon will literally be rebuilt again. After studying the verses mentioned below - I believe that the Bible is using literal interpretation and it is meaning exactly what it is saying. If this is correct - then the city of Babylon will once more be rebuilt so God can literally wipe this unholy city off the face of this earth!
The city of Babylon is in the country of Iraq. Back in the early 70’s, Saddam Hussein started to try to rebuild the city once again. He probably got about half of it rebuilt before we took him out in our war with Iraq. It remains to be seen if Iraq will continue to rebuild this city once a new government has been put into place and things start to settle down.
God the Father has a SERIOUS PROBLEM with the city of Babylon. I personally feel that He is going to allow it to be rebuilt once again so that He can personally DESTROY IT HIMSELF. Here are the reasons why.
