The Rapture: A Twinkling of an Eye
March 31, 2009
A father savagely murders his nine children. A stay at home mother drowns her five children in a bathtub. A sex offender confesses to abducting and killing a nine-year-old child. Two weeks later in the same state ? another sex offender duplicates the same heinous crime. In late December of 2004, over 75,000 children perished when a 9.3 earthquake caused a great Tsunami off the coast of Asia; 75,000 children were gone in an instant. When reading the morning headlines, nothing can strike more sadness within the soul once finding out a defenseless, innocent child has passed away.
It is only natural for man to ask God how He could allow a helpless child to die. The answer, if given likely would not be sufficient enough for our human minds. The prophet Isaiah explained, "the righteous passes away; the godly often die before their time. And no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come (Isaiah 57:1.)
Authentic Happiness
March 30, 2009
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - how to build positive emotions for extraordinary and happy life.
Did you know that you can increase your happiness and life satisfaction?
According to Dr. Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania, founder of the Positive Psychology movement, there are 3 types of happy life: pleasant life, good life and meaningful life. Commonality between these areas of happiness are positive emotions. Unlike negative emotions that are about survival, positive emotions build personal resources and increase life satisfaction.
Here are some strategies and tools:
1. To rewrite your life story and deliberately use your memories as precious gifts and experiences.
Create a positive introduction. Use events in your life that most represent your talents and strength in a way you handled the events.
2. To use your signature strength to create flow.
To find out your signature strength go to www.authentichappiness.com and fill out VIA Strength Servey.
The test will give your top five signuture strength.
How you can use them in your life, work and play?
3. To build optimism and create the future you desire.
Discipled by the Kingdom of Heaven — Becoming a KingdomScribe!
March 30, 2009
Jesus tells a story - a powerful story - that illustrates how God’s Truth for today is always a new Word for today. And it also helps us understand that if all we’re holding onto are “old truths”, we’re really holding onto no truths!
(By the way — if you want to read a summary of this teaching, just read the words in bold…it will actually make sense! )
Let’s examine Jesus’ story of the “Kingdom Scribe” to understand both its interpretation and its application to you as a Follower of Jesus Christ. The text is from Matthew 13. 51 & 52:
And [Jesus] said to [His disciples], “Therefore, every scribe who has been discipled by the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man that is a householder, who, out of his treasure, brings forth things new and old.
Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore’…”
Any time you see the word “therefore”, always ask what the word is “there…for”. “Therefore” is a connective word and it means that something that’s said before the verse is going to affect the interpretation of that verse.
Celebrating Obscurity: A Tribute To J. K. Rowling
March 29, 2009
A single-parent rose from obscurity in 8 years to become today the greatest woman celebrity, the richest woman (even richer than Her Majesty, the Queen of England) in the U.K, all through the power of imagination expressed through the power of her fingers!! She held the world spell-bound (270 million copies of her books sold so far).
Publishers, Film-makers, Agents, musical artists, youngsters and parents are all feeding from her fingers.The stocks of publishing companies rose in obedeience to her graceful fingers. A treasure, dug out of the obscure cafes of Edinburg! A pen of destiny, buried under a series of personal misfortunes, wrote and waited for seven years, before discovery.
I am talking of the one, and only creator of the ‘Harry’ that smashed every available ‘Potter’s’ vessels. I mean the one who broke the global box office records- Ms. J.K. Rowling, who conquered and arrested world attention in order to teach the the world the greatest lesson of all times i.e: ‘THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH’. Fame sought her and refused to fade! Grace lifted her from shame and refused to be erased!! Stigma saw her, got unstuck, and took flight after her wedding in 2001!!!
Business Ethics: Functional Choices
March 28, 2009
Years of experience have taught me there is no such thing as "Business Ethics". If a person isn’t ethical in the rest of their lives, their business ethics aren’t worth the shoe leather they’ve worn out either.
I stood beside a State Representative at college graduation recently, and heard him tell a gentleman shaking his hand that he had the utmost respect for the President of the college, because he knew who her friends were and they all had good solid "Business Ethics". I raised an eyebrow and continued a conversation with another friend nearby. It was my third College Graduation this year.
At a high school graduation, I listened to the Valedictorian say, "Your values for living all of your life will follow wherever you go." At another graduation, an honorary graduate stated, "Who you are today will be reflected every day of your life, by what you become tomorrow." At another function, celebrating the accomplishment of older students, those who were returning to school after being part of the work force for many years, I heard yet another speaker say, "Your life is marked by dates, one at the beginning, and one at the end, with just a dash in between. A short little dash reflecting who you were, what you accomplished, and the values you held. How important will your dash be?"
Preachers In America Will Cause Americas Demise
March 27, 2009
American Preachers Are At The Forefront Of The Travesties Committed Against God.
We in America have been very fortunate in the many privileges and freedoms that we enjoy. We have more freedoms and opportunities to pursue our dreams and goals than any other population of people on earth. Our country was founded upon freedom; with one of the main objectives being: to be able to publicly practice any type of religion that we so choose-be it Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Gnosticism, or any other. We have truly been blessed of God thus far.
Unfortunately, many people have swayed from the moral and ethical guidelines that these freedoms were based upon, and are now pursuing personal desires rather than the desires of God. We are now transgressing very heavily against God in our conduct and in the abomination of redefining God’s Word, abandoning His Law, and replacing It with secular opinions.
This misrepresentation of God’s Word by America’s Christian leaders, coupled with their intolerance for other forms of religious worship, represents the main travesties committed against God. Instead of showing people the true ways to God, they are hindering the seekers of God, while they, themselves, are headed down a path that leads to Hell. Pride and greed are the main tendencies guiding many of America’s preachers, as they emulate each other, while seeking personal gain in the world.
Ten Ways to Eliminate Guilt From Your Life
March 26, 2009
1. Say "Yes" Only When You Want To
You want to please everyone, but you end up disappointed in yourself. Don’t say "Yes" unless you absolutely want to. If someone tries to make you feel bad about it, remember that they are more concerned about their own agenda.
2. Think Before You Speak
Before you communicate, think about what you are going to say. Make sure you communicate clearly so that the other person fully understands the information you want to share. It’s better to prevent an argument or disagreement than to try to retract what you have said.
3. Establish and Enforce Personal Boundaries
Make sure that friends and family are clear on what you will and will not accept from them. Be specific about your boundaries. Don’t assume people can read your mind. Speak up about anything that displeases or offends you.
4. Have a Sense of Humor
Some people use sarcasm to make other people feel bad intentionally and unintentionally. Be witty when someone uses sarcasm to make you feel bad. Laugh it off or make a joke about it. Have the upper hand in the situation.
5. Have Self Respect
Opal Jewelry — Your Own Personal Piece of Rainbow
March 25, 2009
Opal is a magnificent gemstone whose shades encompass virtually every hue in the color spectrum. The play of color is different on every stone, and its shimmering hues gave rise to the word ‘opalescent.’ Because it is such an entrancing and unique gemstone, it is no wonder that opal jewelry is very popular among collectors and fashion enthusiasts.
Opal is the birthstone for October and its history is peppered with superstitions and beliefs that it caused both good luck and bad luck. In Europe, it used to be thought of as the ‘official’ stone of thieves and robbers. One of the greatest contributors to the myth that opal jewelry causes misfortune is a misreading of its depiction in Sir Walter Scott’s 19th-century novel ‘Anne of Geierstein.’
However, many cultures associate the opal with white magic and good fortune. The ancient Romans used opal jewelry as talismans and for them, it symbolized purity and hope. The ancient Greeks, on the other hand, believed that it gave the wearer the abilities to prophesy or foretell the future. It was also thought to bring luck to the wearer.
Religion Versus Science: The Truth
March 25, 2009
I find myself amazed and appalled that such strong antipathy exists in this day and age between non-believes and believers–and between diverse groups of believers–that murder and injustice are perpetrated daily on innocent men, women and children.
Whether Christian, Jew, Pagan, Muslim, Hindu, or any other believer or non-believer, we must know that hatred and intolerance are not God’s way, no matter how we may conceive the fact of creation: whether as an Old Testament God or Wrath and Mercy or the Big Bang.
The Truth must encompass it all, not just one aspect which taken as the only truth leads inexorably to suffering. The atheist is right; the faithful are right.
How can that be? The believer can not imagine how the world and all that is in it could possibly come to be without a Divine Being as the cause. Atheists, with their absolute faith in science, are just as sure that the universe was not created by some old guy with a long white beard up in the clouds handing down salvation and punishment. The misunderstanding, I believe, lies in the proprietary nature of creation as seen from different perspectives. We must look for consensus if we are to live together in peace and harmony.
Money And Religion: How Christians Are Being Misled
March 24, 2009
Today’s Christian Evangelists, Teachers, and Preachers Are Grossly Misleading America And The World, Concerning Money Contributions.
It has been said that: ‘Money is the Root of All Evil’?well that statement is no more true than in the way it pertains to the message given to the seekers of God, by today’s misleading Christian leaders, most of whom are from America. These misleading evangelists and preachers are telling people that money is the ’seed’ that must be sowed, in order to receive blessings from God. This is in direct opposition to the Word of God, and to the teachings of Jesus and the Prophets.
The root of any plant grows from a seed of that plant, through a germination process; likewise, these false prophets are sowing a false seed of ‘Money’, the root of which has produced ‘Evil’ (false doctrine) in the world, all through the instigation of Satan.
