Archive for October, 2008
10.19.08
Posted in Religion & More at 2:08 pm by admin
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Glimpses of God © by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/
This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes.
About the Author
Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, and columnist. In addition, she founded and maintains the e-mail ministries “Heavenly Inspirations” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations/ and “Share a Smile” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/. Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other.
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Posted in Religion & More at 10:56 am by admin
If God’s Church refuses to stand up and speak out and quit cowering behind the pulpit and only preaching to a converted audience (shamefully few others know about us) – turning this world right side up with our God-given talents, means and message – we’ll suffer the same destruction decreed upon our unrepentant peoples. As this link proves, time is fast running out. The Scripture also says “the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Is that why the Church of God hasn’t roared and let everyone – from the least to the greatest – know what the Bible prophesies is coming? Where is the THUNDER before the STORM?
Faith under Fire
About the Author
David Ben-Ariel, an American author who has travelled widely and who has lived throughout Israel, shares a special focus on the Middle East and great interest in Jerusalem, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out www.benariel.com
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Posted in Religion & More at 5:30 am by admin
What are your thoughts on these two passages of scripture?
2 Kings, chapter two,verses 23 and 24 “And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.”
My thoughts..Elisha had just performed a miracle (healed the waters). He was feeling good, and the devil used a whole gang of ruffians to try to make fun of him and get him defeated. Sure, he was bald headed, but they were just using that as an excuse to mock the man of God (and ultimately God himself). God did not take lightly the mocking of his man. That gang of children found out this truth when those two bears ferociously tore into them. After this spiritual battle, Elisha went to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria.
I would say that trifling with a man of God is a serious thing in the eyes of God. He has said, “Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” (Psalm 105 verse 15.
Elisha knew that God was for him.
About the Author
author of My Walk with the Lord, www.selahbooks.com, preacher, retired US Army
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10.18.08
Posted in Religion & More at 8:25 am by admin
Please read the passage carefully and note all the pejorative words and ways they demean without fair reportage. Do some research and study hard or you will continue to be made more of a sheep for the paradigm. Ask yourself what role the Masons had in all of this on both sides of the issue including the Mormons, Hitler and other real mind control cults like Scientology.
THE MORMONS:
The good Christian oversight of Mormons is quite ‘loving’ they think. I often laugh as I see the interdenominational fighting and squabbling of all these cults seeking sheep and maintaining their current hold or demographic constituency.
“Who is the One Mormons Call Elohim?
By Bill McKeever
For centuries Christians have professed their belief in a God who is God alone (Is. 44:8), self-existent (Is. 43:10; 48:12), transcendent (Num. 23:19; Ps. 50:21), immutable (Ps. 102:27; Is. 46:10; Mal. 3:6), eternal (Ps. 90:2; 93:2), omnipresent (1 Kings 8:27; Prov. 15:3; Is. 66:1; Jer. 23: 23, 24), and incorporeal (John 4:24; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17). He is also a God who dwells in the believer (Eph. 3:17; 4:6; Rom. 8:9) and is omnipotent (Job 42:2; Ps. 115:3; Matt. 19:26). Mormons insist that their God, the one they call Elohim, is the Christian God. Why then are his attributes so different from the God who is declared in the Bible? {Is the alien God EL in the Bible? Yes. Is it a myth made by colonizing forces called Anunnaki? Yes. Are there many Christian Mystery Schools like the Dragons of Rosicrucianity in books like Genesis of the Grail Kings saying they are descended from these aliens? Yes. Is this author taking pieces of the Bible and not addressing the Mormon explanation? Yes. Is this fair? NO!}
THE GOD OF MORMONISM IS ONE OF MANY GODS {The Holy Trinity and the heavenly host of Saints angels and the rest is the largest Pantheon of gods or demi-gods ever constructed.}
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, stated, ‘I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods’ (History of the Church 6:474).
Brigham Young, the second prophet and president of the LDS Church, said, ‘How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods…’ (Journal of Discourses 7:333).
THE GOD OF MORMONISM IS NOT SELF-EXISTENT
Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt taught, ‘We were begotten by our Father in Heaven; the person of our Father in Heaven was begotten on a previous heavenly world by His Father; and again, He was begotten by a still more ancient Father, and so one, from one generation to generation’ (The Seer, pg. 132).
THE GOD OF MORMONISM IS NOT TRANSCENDENT
While the God of the Bible makes it clear that He is not like man, {Adept beyond man yes, but that does not mean man does not have the qualities of the Biblical God when in his body of light. And to state that the Bible makes it clear that God is not like man is false. God therein made man in his image and this is ego or what is called anthropomorphing.} Mormon leaders have insisted that their God is an exalted human being.
Joseph Smith declared, ‘God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345).
Mormon Apostle John Widtsoe stated, ‘God and man are of the same race, differing only in their degrees of advancement’ (Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 107). {Very much a proper or valid interpretation of Biblical myths.}
This concurs with Mormon Apostle Parley P. Pratt’s comment which states, ‘God, angels, and men are all of the same species, one race, one great family…’ (Key to the Science of Theology, 1978 ed., pg. 21).
THE GOD OF MORMONISM IS NOT IMMUTABLE
Whereas God’s perfection makes it never necessary for Him to change, the God of Mormonism changes both in his physical person and moral attributes. This is demonstrated by the fact that he evolved from a man into a God and that he has changed decrees which are theoretically “unalterable.” Examples of this would include the abandonment of polygamy in 1890, the reversal of the ban which withheld the LDS Priesthood from Blacks in 1978, and the changes in the LDS temple ceremony in 1980. {Reasoning and change is necessary if God’s purpose or Divine Providence is to continue.}
THE GOD OF MORMONISM IS NOT ETERNALLY GOD
Joseph Smith taught that God was not always God when he stated, ‘We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see’ (Teachings, pg. 345).” (3)
Both Brigham Young and Joseph Smith were high Masons and Joseph Smith has many similarities with Blavatsky.
About the Author
Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com
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10.16.08
Posted in Religion & More at 9:39 am by admin
Christmas is a blessed time and one when we honor the birth of our Savior. We often have warm fuzzy feelings when we look at the nativity scene. I think we need to take a closer look. Mary, the mother of Jesus, gave birth in a cave with animals all around her and really no privacy. Can you imagine the smell in the cave? She certainly did not have any drugs to relieve the pain of childbirth. Some Bible scholars believe Mary was 14 years old. Picture being 14 and giving birth in a cave. All she had was Joseph to be with her, no mother or sisters to comfort her. She was very alone. Yet, she was not alone – God was with her.
Mary was trying to recover from childbirth and had to worry about clothes to wrap the Son of God in and keep him warm. Mary was exhausted, but greeted by shepherds and angels. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart – Luke 2:19. When Jesus was 8 days old he was circumcised and taken to the temple. Listen to what Simeon said to a very young mother still recovering from childbirth “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34-35. Wow, a sword will pierce your soul. We are not told how Mary reacted, but can only imagine. Often when our children are born it is a very happy time, but Mary was already hearing and knowing what would happen to her son.
The lesson I think we can learn from taking a different look at the Christmas story is this; God is always with us no matter what. We can trust him to provide and take care of us now and in the future. He may not take care of us the way we expect, but he will provide and it will be best. I pray you trust God this Christmas season for every area of your life and celebrate the gift of our Savior and Redeemer.
I think it is increasingly hard to remind and keep in the forefront of our children’s minds the true meaning of Christmas. Find some small way to reach out to others in your community or church to show God’s love. Children can bake cookies and give to others. You can buy toys for a family that does not have much for Christmas. We have done Operation Shoebox with Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization for a few years and my children love picking items for the box. May our children learn from us through our actions and word the true meaning of Christmas.
About the Author
Kimberly Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was recently featured in the book the Myth of the Perfect Mother. She is the author of “Help, I Just Can’t Say No” and Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms. To schedule a free, initial coaching session send an email to free@kimberlychastain.com or visit http://www.christianworkingmom.com.
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10.14.08
Posted in Software Stuff at 7:16 pm by admin
In today’s climate of business, CEOs and executives are cautiously optimistic about the economy and their company’s future growth. They realize that they still need to market to drive profitable growth and increase the company’s value, but the financial strings are being tightened. However, there is a clear growing trend for companies, regardless of size and industry, to outsource (or a term used not to long ago sub-contracting) an element of their business. Why does this trend continue to grow, and how do executives assess their needs? Outsourcing is not a passing fad, but clearly a paradigm shift that can change a business model for the better.
Outsourcing involves the use of resources outside of the organization to perform specific tasks required for the business. However, there are a variety of ways to use these resources, including business process outsourcing and co-sourcing. Business process outsourcing involves the selling off one part of the business to create positive cash flow and probable gains in productivity and quality. Co-sourcing involves retaining part of the service in-house, and off-loading or outsourcing a portion to a third party partner. This is the one we will discuss, and in our case the marketing function.
Companies often forget to ask the basic question: What business are we in? Too often the need to perform various functions and to keep a business running does not allow management to step back and ask this question. The answer should bring management to the fundamental product/service that generates revenue for this company.
In the book “Living on the Fault Line” (HarperCollins, 2000) by Geoffrey Moore, described an outsourcing concept. He says, all employees should be focused on core activities–that is, things that contribute to the company’s competitive advantage and increase shareholder value. The opposite of core is context–activities that do not contribute to competitive advantage. Context activities should be outsourced.
For example, your head of marketing was hired to develop and coordinate strategies, direct tactics and their implementation, to generate more sales leads by new customers, while maximizing the loyalty and profitability of current customers. That is their “Core” function. However, over time they have developed a talent for public relations and as a result have become the communication manager of the company. They edit the company website, makes changes, etc. These responsibilities (those of PR Manager) can be described as “Context.”
This is how most companies handle the “Context” with respect to positioning, messaging, and public relations, three tasks for marketing. A similar example could be used for any marketing tasks. It is not their core responsibility and yet, they take it on. The problem with “Context” is that it often takes on a life of its own and begins to obscure what the “Core” should be. The example above was selected because it represents what actually happens for most small to midsized companies. What management needs to consider is the effect that “Context” has on productivity, return-on-sales, ROI and the general operation of the business.
Outsourcing allows companies to focus their resources and control their head count. This form of operations allows the company to hand over full responsibility for the outsourcing function within clearly defined management guidelines and then monitor the performance. When you break down the costs of a full marketing department internally, versus the cost of outsourcing with an external partner, the business case begins to tip in favor of not allowing the “Context” to conceal the “Core.” The following elements would be common to build out a high-quality and stable relationship in a typical small organization with gross sales revenues of $20 million.
Description Annual Salaries Outsourced Cost
Marketing Director $120,000 NC
Marketing Manager $75,000 NC
Marketing Assistant $40,000 NC
PR Manager $80,000 NC
Program Budget $1,000,000 $900,000
Outsourcing Fees NA $150,000
Total Approximate Annual Cost: $1,350,000 $1,050,000
(The costs above are average for mid-sized companies.)
Consider the example of a high performance marketing partner that offers you results, flexibility, and reduction in staff and overhead. Companies can typically have equal if not better results, while maintaining product and service quality for a fraction of the cost by turning to an expert in sales and marketing. And what is the cost of a bad hire? The commonly referenced cost of a bad hire is 2.5 the times annual salary. In most small to mid-sized organizations, marketing can be outsourced while they focus on the core.
Cost is clearly the most popular reason for outsourcing. However, strategic reasons such as improving company focus on core business and improving quality are next.
Why companies decide to let “Context” take over and drive the business can usually be attributed to lack of information. Many businesses and marketing specialists believe that by keeping everything internal the sales growth is more efficient. It’s hard to find sales and marketing experts that have years of experience and are all aligned with the top line growth objectives. Companies who are not using marketing as part of their “Core” focus usually do not have the teams of marketing experts to handle the needs of their marketing. As a result, the “Context” begins to take over leaving less and less room for the “Core.” So, is it worth “controlling” all of your marketing functions? Is this an area of your business that is core to your success? Probably not.
It is important for a company to focus on the things that add value and make it competitive. If you build software, stick to doing those things that help you to build better software, and outsource all those things that can be outsourced. The more focus you place in “context” areas, the harder it becomes for you to do your “Core” well. When you take into account the cost of what it really takes to do it right, the business case cannot be ignored.
George Schildge is the president and CEO of Matrix Marketing Group Inc., a full-service marketing firm that specialize in helping small to mid-sized business-to-business firms grow profitably and build their business through effective growth planning and marketing. He can be reached at press@matrixmarketinggroup.com or www.matrixmarketinggroup.com or 86.456.9100.
George Schildge has over 20 years of marketing and operational experience in the high-tech, computer hardware and software, and medical fields. George’s experience includes working at Sun Microsystems, CoCreate Software, Baan Business Systems, IBM and several start-ups. During these affiliations he gained experience in developing, launching and managing a company’s business and marketing strategy and operational plans for products and services. Working on numerous high-tech firms, he has helped companies bridge the gap between technology and branding.
As a senior executive at these major high technology firms, George has gained expertise in the areas of marketing strategy, product development, organizational development, international marketing and distribution, interactive marketing, brand management and integrated marketing communications. He has a track record of ramping multiple products and firms to profitability and has extensive knowledge of computer and high-tech markets and trends.
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Posted in Software Stuff at 1:45 am by admin
Look at your shoes. Where do you think they were made? Probably not in Ohio.
Look at your TV. Look in… your mirror! Probably all of these items were made
overseas, but we don’t associate them with being “outsourced.” Why is it then, when
I was developing my website Adcandy.com, I had to constantly apologize for having
my development work done overseas?
Friends and acquaintances would all cringe when I told them I was having the site
developed in India. The conservatives ones felt I was being unpatriotic and hurting
the
economy. Liberals felt I was being exploitative and hurting the
economy. But the bottom line is, I’m not rich (yet) and I couldn’t have gotten my
company off the ground without outsourcing the work to an offshore company.
Now, I’m a patriotic and liberal person. (Yes, not only conservatives are patriotic….)
How did I rationalize my decision? Simple. I just thought about what would happen
when my company took off. I would have to hire local people for many of my tasks.
I would need an office. I would pay more taxes and so would my employees. Plus,
the ideas generated on my website would help U.S. companies with both product
development and marketing effectiveness.
How could that be bad for the economy?
Now, I don’t think the government should buy foreign-made cars or weapons, but
the difference between them and us is that they have A LOT more money than us,
and all of it came from you and me in the first place.
They say you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. Take a look at your own.
If they say “Made in The USA” anywhere on them then I guess I’m wrong. Otherwise,
get over it, and try to get the best price and quality you can for web development… wherever that may be.
Per Hoffman is the founder of Adcandy, the world’s first “virtual” ad agency in which
everyone is a member. Any consumer can submit their advertising and product
improvement ideas or participate in ad challenges through its unique portal:
http://www.adcandy.com
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10.13.08
Posted in Software Stuff at 8:06 pm by admin
If you manage or coordinate people, scheduling software could very well prove to be a very useful tool. This type of software can automatically and efficiently coordinate and analyze your staff schedule. With this software, scheduling errors that result in lost time and money are prevented.
Scheduling your employees’ schedule entails considering a number of factors that do affect how you do your business. Schedule management requires that the chance to commit errors should be very slim. An error in business, no matter how small, can adversely affect your entire business operation. Since there should be no room for damaging mistakes, using software that aids in managing schedules is a smart option for business owners or managers.
The software can keep track of your employees’ activities. This is vital for effective management of the organization. Effective information management cannot be ignored nowadays, and the use of this software will facilitate the owner and manager’s work.
There are times that too much information can become detrimental to the management of your business. It could be the source of lack of understanding of what the information means. Scheduling software will take the information, sort it to prioritize the important from the unimportant, then store and summarize it for you. This function will allow you to access complete information for effective decision-making.
If you are running a business, management of schedules is an important part of maintaining a successful company. The way you manage your information systems will determine whether your company runs smoothly or chaotically.
Scheduling provides detailed information on Scheduling Software, Scheduling, Employee Scheduling, Day Care Scheduling Software and more. Scheduling is affiliated with Online Employee Time Clocks.
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10.12.08
Posted in Software Stuff at 11:58 pm by admin
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on building an attractive fully functioning website. In fact, you don’t need to spend any money at all. You can do it FREE if you know what type of programs to look for and where to find them. “How”, I here you ask?
I built my website – Saturday Racing Tips – with free software programs that came on the cover disc of an internet magazine. Even if you do not buy such magazines you can still freely download many good software programs from several sites, Tucows, for example.
You should look for software programs that are either FREEWARE or for programs that have recently been replaced a newer version. As the older version tends to be given away free. Avoid SHAREWARE programs and TRIAL VERSIONS as these usually have many important functions disabled not to mention the expiry date.
The single most important software program you need for creating a website is an HTML editor. There are several types of editor available, I recommend a WYSIWYG editor. If you are not sure which are the best, always read the reviews and ratings given on most download sites. Feel free to try several until you find one that you are comfortable with using.
If you have used Word or a similar word prcoessing software program to create a letter or memo then you can use an HTML editor, as it really is very similar to word processing in many ways.
With time, patience and a little determination you may be pleasantly surprised how relatively easy it is to create an attractive fully functioning website with free programs.
I designed and created The Saturday Racing Tips website – http://www.ramtips.me.uk – which provides free weekend tips for UK horse racing.
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10.11.08
Posted in Software Stuff at 12:33 pm by admin
If you take a lot of pictures, or are getting ready for an event where you’ll want to have lots of quality photos to include in your family album (i.e. weddings, holiday get-togethers), you’ll want to know more about photo editing software that is both affordable and easy to use. Here are some software programs for editing photographs and graphics that you may want to check out.
Virieu has a free photo editing program that is easy to use, and is compatible with most computers. With the program, you can add captions to your pictures, ‘frame’ your portraits digitally, and make your photos into backgrounds for your screen or to send out in your email by using the fade and shade features that come along with the program. The programs will also show you how to darken or lighten certain sections of the picture, so that you can remove certain items from your photograph. You can try the editing software out for free during a 21-day trail, and then the service is $29.00. www.reallusion.com also has a wide variety of editing equipment to try that will make any picture you take look professional and impressive. You can take advantage of the muscle-based facial enhancement feature, so that you can ‘fix’ the faces of the people you take pictures of to create a more flattering photograph.
Other products from the company include the Effect 3D Studio, a graphics editing and design program that allows you to make animated graphics no matter what your skill level is. You can also purchase CrazyTalk, a program that allows you to create animated talking characters for PowerPoint and DVD presentations. Most computers are equipped to download the programs (a Windows 98 or higher is usually acceptable), and you can try the products out before you purchase any of the programs.
In order for you to download, edit, and save your photos on your computer, you’ll need a digital camera to take your pictures with. Brands like Canon and Olympus have great digital cameras that are easy for you to use, and produce quality photos that you can save on your computer. You may also want to pick up a book or two with some more basic information on photo editing software, so that you’ll know which programs are easiest to use and most affordable. You can also find new and used photo editing programs, such as Instant Photo Editor on sites like www.amazon.com, with complete CD-ROM instructions on how to make sure you edit great photos every time you use the program.
Mansi aggarwal enjoys writing about photo editor.
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